Join the David M. Gilston Insurance Agency Inc. in celebrating 10 years in the Columbia market!  The Columbia office assists 150 independent health insurance agents across the Midlands and Upstate.  The Agency supports insurance brokers and agents in a behind-the-scenes role that gives agents the service, education and assistance they need to provide quality, timely and informed insurance services to their business and individual clients.

Don’t wait in line to get the iPad from Apple® or the Kindle™ from Amazon®…WIN ONE! 

Don’t miss this great opportunity with your BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Medicare Supplement applications!

There are many changes happening in the Senior Market this year, one of them being network-based Medicare Advantage plans.  It is estimated that there will be approximately 72,000 PFFS Medicare Advantage enrollees needing to move during the Annual Election Period and we anticipate many of those will consider a Medicare Supplement plan.  Let your hard work pay off and enjoy reading a book on your Kindle or surfing the web on your iPad.

See the bonus program flyer for the contest requirements and terms and conditions.  Call me at 1-800-445-7866, X-3052 if you have any questions or would like to get appointed through the Gilston Agency.

Who remembers the simple days of shopping carriers at renewal after delivering a rate increase?  Well, those days are long gone as renewals are taking on a life of their own.  Agents have expressed concern about the amount of information to cover at renewal now that certain health reform provisions are being implemented.  To assist you and your renewal efforts, the Gilston Agency has created an Employer Renewal Checklist that addresses several significant topics.  There is even a place for the account to sign on the dotted line verifying that you explained the topics to them.  You can keep a copy for your records and leave a copy with the group as a reminder of the action steps they need to take.  

Agency staff is available to assist you with a renewal checklist, rate relief, alternate quotes and employer meetings.  Please contact Laura Shealy in Charleston or Greg Sasine in Columbia for details.

Are you comfortable speaking in front of crowds?  What if the topic is health insurance reform?  If you feel like you are in the dark about health reform or that you need a law degree to adequately explain the changes to your clients, have no fear!  Tom Swayne, President of David Gilston Insurance Agency, is willing to be the man behind the microphone.  Consider hosting a forum for your employers and HR Administrators to hear about the effects the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will have on their businesses.  Civic organizations, clubs, and professional groups can also benefit from hearing the latest on health insurance reform.  Schedule a speaking engagement by contacting Kimberly Smith at 800-922-6657, ext. 3025 or ksmith@dgilston.com.

If you have never had sales training, or even if you have, you might benefit from trying some of these subtle closing techniques: 

1. The Ben Franklin Close – This amounts to a weighted decision making technique.  Help your prospect put all the pros on one side and the cons on the other.  Do this yourself before the sales presentation to the extent possible in order not to be blind-sided.  Make sure you have enough on the Plus side (the Yes side) to outweigh the Negatives.  At the presentation, you should be able to do the Pluses quickly on one side of the paper, then let your prospect do the Negatives on the other side.    

2. Alternative Choice Close – You do not care which of two plans your prospect takes; both are fine and will suit his/her needs.  If you present two of the best choices that will work for your prospect, based on your research and analysis, he/she will be able to focus on your recommendations more readily and be less confused with all the options available.

3. Shoe On the Other Foot Close – This is the one where the prospect asks, “What would you do”?  You can say (please be truthful!), “That’s what we did”, or “We did the next best thing because this wasn’t available to us at the time”.

4. Feel, Felt, Found Close – You say, “ I understand how you feel.  Most of my clients/groups have felt this way before.  However, they have found that…”  Your prospect needs to feel you are listening and understand the concerns.  You need to make the sale relative in a way that provides comfort.

5. Sharp Angle Close – You say, “If I can overcome this objection (whatever it is), will you work with me as your agent to…(set up your group plan, individual policy, family policy, etc)”?  If the objection or objections are insurmountable, move on!

6. Puppy Dog Close – This is where you let the prospect try you for free.  If everyone is happy, you become the agent.  Sometimes this can work with Agent of Record changes.  You get the AOR, help the group solve a problem that has been festering without resolution, whatever that might be, then they decide after the 30 day waiting period the carrier usually imposes before you can receive commissions that you can remain as their agent.  It can be a gamble, but if the current agent hasn’t been successful and you can improve upon the situation then go for it!

7. Take Away Close –With a take away, you simply tell them you can’t help them and walk away from the situation.  Be prepared to lose, as this is a gamble.  Fortunately, this is a last ditch effort when all else has failed.  Fortunate in two ways: 1. If it doesn’t work, the client wasn’t meant to be yours and you can stop wasting time and move on to a new prospect worth your time; 2. It might very well be just what’s needed to jump start a favorable decision. 

I hope implementing these suggestions will improve your closing ratio!

The size & shape of the group health insurance industry box has been changing a lot lately. Recently, I have seen more changes in the products & underwriting rules of the carriers we work with than ever before. Step out of your box for a moment & let’s review four specific areas. 

1. Some carrier’s rules and processes are becoming more flexible. 

• Ask about a mid-year plan change or payment plan for your client.  Don’t assume the carrier won’t work with you.  Give the carrier the opportunity to work with you in order to keep a good group that is having a hard time in today’s economy. 
• Depending on the specifics of your case and the carrier, question the method of participation calculation and the out of area employee rules.   

2. Some carrier rules and practices are becoming less flexible.

• Review the bill every month and add and delete members timely!  There seems to be less tolerance for an employer not checking their bill every month and then finding an employee that should’ve been terminated months back.  Most carriers will now only go back 30 days to terminate an employee and credit the employer.
• Pay as billed and on time!  Do not take credits that are not shown on the bill.  If a group does not pay at all or pay the amount as billed, they may be cancelled. Some carriers only give a group one opportunity to be reinstated. 

3. Know your carriers, their products and services.

• New products with more affordable options are now available to employers.  If you are going to sell the new products, you must learn the differences in these contracts as well.  
• Use the Enhanced website tools & online capabilities!  When was the last time you visited the websites of the carriers you market?  I suggest you take some time and review them.  More resources and services are being added regularly for individuals and group leaders.  Online capabilities continue to be developed.  Use the online quoting and application processes offered by your carriers.

 4. Offer voluntary products to your employer groups.

Offering voluntary benefits is a great way to expand your product offerings while helping an employer offer benefits that employees want at no cost to the employer.  We will be offering product training in the weeks ahead on these products.  

• Consider GAP products, Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) & Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) when offering options to small employers.
• The Gilston Agency has partnered with companies that offer employer sponsored but voluntary life, dental, vision and disability products.

We all must change the way we conduct business in order to stay in business.  We can get through this industry transition together but we will have to make investments in our future and be willing to change as new opportunities arise. Let’s get creative and look for that silver lining together!

In preparing for this first article, I am reminded of a famous quote by Dale Carnegie:  “There are always three speeches for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”  Over the next few months, I will be writing a series of articles aimed at providing you with tools and techniques designed to assist you with your presentation skills in this highly competitive market.  

As you prepare for your first, second, or final meeting with a potential client, how much time and effort have you dedicated to fully understanding and appreciating the concerns of your client?  An important, but often forgotten first step in the meeting preparation process, is to fully assess your audience and have a solid understanding of their concerns, their desires, and especially their budget.  Too often, sales professionals rush into meetings without knowing whom their audience is or what their audience wants.  A good salesperson listens first, giving ample consideration to the most important people in the room: the clients.   Give them your undivided attention first and then demonstrate how your skills, knowledge and abilities can benefit them. 

Secondly, perception is reality.  Have you ever taken the time to compare how you see yourself versus how other people perceive you?  Remember that before you ever speak a word, once your audience has made visual contact with you, they have formulated an opinion of you.  Regularly assessing your appearance, verbal communication skills, and nonverbal communication skills can make a big difference to those whose trust you are trying to gain.  Ask your family, friends, and co-workers to give you their honest opinion of their perception of you.  You only have one chance to make a lasting impression.  Make it count!

Although you may not want to start thinking about the Annual Election Period for the Senior Market just yet, the Patient Protection Affordability Care Act (PPACA) introduces new changes that will impact your marketing strategy.  Specifically, Claim Year (CY) 2011 and beyond will be impacted by Sec 3204 entitled Simplification of Election Periods.  

Beginning in 2011, what is known as Open Enrollment will be shortened from January 1-March 31 to the first 45 days of the year.  However, the only change that will be permitted is for Medicare Advantage enrollees to disenroll and return to traditional Medicare and enroll in a Part D plan. Technically, this is no longer an ‘Open Enrollment’ period, but more a “Disenrollment Period’.  While this is a big change from what we are used to, it doesn’t appear to be a bad change.  Your clients need to make a decision in the Annual Election Period and stick with it.  Your role as an agent will be to educate clients on the limitations during the first 45 days of the year.  

For CY 2012 and beyond, the Annual Election Period will change from November 15-December 31 to October 15-December 7.  A positive outcome to this change is that the year-end chaos amplified by the holiday season will be gone and provide ample time for applications to be processed by the carriers and effective for January 1^st. 

The Gilston Agency will conduct seminars for the Senior Market as we get closer to the Annual Election Period.  Look for future announcements in NewsFlash and the Agent Blog.  If you have any questions on the information contained in this blog, please contact me at 800.445.7866 Ext. 3052.

Earning CE hours in South Carolina just became easier as South Carolina producers no longer need a state-approved monitor to serve as a proctor.  The SC DOI has redefined a proctor as a “disinterested third party” according to Regulation 69.50.  

As discussed in the Affidavit of Exam Proctoring, a proctor is further defined as someone who is not:

• a minor.
• a relative of the producer.
• an immediate supervisor/manager of the producer.
• a person with an economic or other interest in assuring the successful outcome of the examination. 

Please remember that effective with producer renewals in January 2011, the deadline for complying with continuing education in South Carolina is the last day of the producer’s month of birth.  Producers born in an odd numbered year must comply by the last day of the birth month in an odd numbered year.  Producers born in an even numbered year must comply by the last day of the birth month in an even numbered year.  The CE Reminder Notice   is available if you would like to read further about the CE requirements.

Attending the National Association of Health Underwriters convention in Chicago during such a critical time for our industry was invaluable.  The presenters did a terrific job outlining the facts from their perspectives and were well informed.  Several key take-away points were made loud and clear and I would like to share them with you. 

• The insurance industry as we know it today will no longer exist.  Be prepared to change as reform is implemented. 
• Even the experts are in the dark.  Until the government releases future interim final rules, we are left to navigate our businesses anticipating what the future will look like.
• There is still a role for agents.  However, agents cannot continue to do business as they have in the past.  Technology, such as online applications, should be embraced.  Integrate social media into your marketing campaign to communicate with future prospects and explain the value of using an agent.  If you do not embrace these new opportunities, then your chance of success will greatly diminish.
• Outcomes of upcoming elections are critical.  The future direction of PPACA can still be greatly influenced by our politicians.  Now more than ever, we need to explain to the public the overall impact PPACA will have on our country. 

I was privileged to see first-hand the extent that NAHU represents agents and how effectively they fight to continue our livelihood.  And quite frankly, we need a louder voice in Washington telling our story to politicians reminding them of the value we bring to our clients.  If you are in the insurance industry, then you should support this association either with your time or your money.  As the association grows with membership, NAHU’s voice in Washington will grow louder.  Join today by calling Tricia Fisher at 800-445-7866 Ext. 3052.