Need temporary help in a specific field?

I can't tell you how many times I have been backed up with customer service or needed some help with technology issues. If I didn't get someone quick to help my business would suffer. Part of the reason that I moved into an office was because I was using the temp agency a lot and if felt a little weird having an employee come to my home.

Temporary agencies can help you keep your business running without interruption. For example, Just last week I had a big project that I was working on which included updating a lot of clients' contact information. It was a day project and to hire someone to do a day job would have been a waste of time. I needed someone good at excel and that could type super fast. I called the temp agency and they had someone for me in about an hour. I trained my temp for about 15 minutes and then went back to selling.

Another time I was having a difficult time understanding some social media capabilities so I told my temp agency to have someone out here tomorrow to help me out. I spent 4 hours with another person, signed some paperwork to have him paid and then I was back to selling!

Temp agencies can cost a little more per hour but the people are usually specialized so much that their effeciencies are much better than if you did it on your own. A good rule of thumb is to always know what you are worth per hour and any task that is below your hourly wage should be delegated.

Focusing on several projects

About a month ago my personal development coach (www.performancegains.com) recommended that I get a mind mapping tool to help me with all of the projects that I was working on. I had never heard of mind mapping before but was willing to give it a shot. The website that talks about mind mapping is www.novaminds.com.

Mind mapping can help you visualize all of the projects you are working on and allow a better way of sharing these ideas with others.

Norvax Video Overview

This video is about 45 minutes long and gives you a complete view of the ins and outs of the Norvax system and differences between IDA, Quotit, and Norvax.

Just copy and paste the following link into your browser. I want to thank John Pequeno at American Insurance Organization for recording this training.

http://www.aioagents.com/training_media/General%20Sales%20Training/GeneralSalesAgentTraining.html

The difference between Norvax and Quotit

A little over a year ago I was trying to find new ways to improve effeciency in my business. I was using www.ida.com and felt like the system wasn't very quick with sending out auto responders and had no quoting functions.

Norvax and Quotit both approached me to purchase their products in the spring of 2009. Both companies appeared to be similiar in that they both quoted, emailed proposals, were integrated with websites, had auto responders, and could be accessed anywhere from the internet.

I was so confused as to which program would be the best for me I decided to try them both out at the same time. For 90 days I would try out each company and see which one I liked the best. After numerous phone calls, trainings, and webinars I decided to go with Norvax. Here are some reasons why I chose Norvax over Quotit.

1. Quotits' auto-responder was very limited in what it could do: only 10 letters could be saved, and there were only 3 auto responders (standard, birthday and holiday) and no way to change the status of a contact which would correspond to the auto responder sending the emails..
2. The Norvax quoting system has a co insurance option that allow for better quoting options.
3. The Norvax websites are integrated with search engine optimization and have found my website ranked as high as number 2 in Texas without any pay per click marketing.
4. Norvax has 24/7 customer service.
5. Norvax has Norvax University which allows for more training other than your day to day quoting and email options. Norvax university teaches you about how to become a better agent and increases your knowledge of insurance technology.

Norvax Autoresponders

I have used several different email auto responders in the past while selling health insurance. The most successful program that I have seen out there is through Norvax. The reason that their system is more advanced than most is because the Norvax system notifies you when someone is opening your email. The notification is instant to your email and will allow you to call the client and go over their options while they are viewing your email.

If I had to choose between getting a fresh internet lead and a seasoned lead checking out some proposals online through Norvax I would pick the seasoned lead. They are much more excited to talk to you because you are not the 10th person that has called them and they are initiating the interest.

To my knowledge there is not another system out there with this capability and with the ability to quote right from the email. I recommend Daniel Christoffers at Norvax. He has been incredible to work with this past year. His contact information is as follows:


Daniel Christoffers // National Account Executive // Norvax
214 W. Huron Street // Chicago, Illinois // 60654
Phone 866.466.7829 x 8233 // Fax 312.948.2620
dchristoffers@norvax.com

Personal Development Coach

For the past 5 years I have used a personal development coach named "Coach Bob". I started using Coach Bob after my first year. I was frustrated because I was working quite a bit harder than others in the industry and was still number 4 in our office. I referred to Coach Bob and immediately I saw progress. Within 2 months I had passed number 2 and 3 in our state for health insurance sales. I kept working with Bob and within 3 more months was number 1 in Utah for health insurance sales with our organization.

I kept pursuing my goals with Coach Bob and by the end of the year I had improved so much that it skyrocketed my sales and pushed me to the top in 5 states.

Coach Bob has an amazing goal setting program and educational package that keeps you accountable. There is some homework when you perform your conference calls and he does expect you to finish them. The area that I feel I most improved was the strategy section. He helped me focus in on the tasks that matter most and that helped my business. You can view his website at www.performancegains.com. Make sure that you tell Coach Bob that you are a friend of Ethan Selph to get a discount.

How to prevent lead overlapping

If you are buying leads from different companies you may start to notice that there are overlapping leads. At first you may think that people are just applying for health insurance from different companies. But sometimes you can have the same lead come in at the very same time. I didn't think it was too big of a deal until one day I got 15 duplicate leads. Granted it could very well be that all of the people miraculously got on their computers at the same time from different parts of the state, opened two different sites at the same time, and typed their information simultaneously.

Well just like any normal hard working person you start to get frustrated with the whole process of buying leads when stuff like that occurs. I started believing that there was some huge vendor that was getting tons of leads and selling the same leads to smaller lead vendors. That was until I put my own website up on the internet and I started getting leads and they were duplicated with the leads from my lead vendors. At that point I knew for sure that sometimes people do go to different sites at close to the same time. If a lead comes in at the exact time or one minute after wards you know you have a problem.

To fix the problem find the lead vendor that is giving you the most area and ask them what company they have posted that you are appointed with. If one lead vendor shows that you are representing Assurant Health and the other United Health Care then change the lead vendor with the least amount of lead area to the other company you represent.

The lead vendor might say well we only have 2 zipcodes that fit your criteria for that company. Most people would give up at this point but not you. Find a insurance company that most people wouldn't get appointed with and let each lead vendor know the name of that insurance company. Now you have a bigger area and no duplication of leads. If you are having additional problems a frank conversation with both lead vendors on a 3 way call can do wonders! I would suggest letting them know that if they can't figure things out then you are prepared to look for other lead vendors to work with. :)

Survey Methods

Want to find out what clients think of you? Are you open to honest feedback? www.surveymethods.com

Underwriting Tips

Hopefully these underwriting tips will help you get more active accounts. This is the process that you should take after getting someone to apply for health insurance.
1. Take application
2. Log your annual expected commisions on a spreadsheet
3. Look at underwriting every day on the insurance companies' back office.
4. Email or call client every 3 days to give them an update on the file. Email templates are included in the following blog.
5. Fulfill requirements needed for the application process. This should show up in your underwriting report. If the client needs to call in have them call in. You can email them and if they haven't called in within 2 days call them and do a 3 way conference call with the insurance company. If there are any additional forms that need to be signed by the client have them sign and fax them to the insurance company.
6. Call the client once the account shows active. At that time review the policy and see if they want to change the effective date, withdraw date, or policy coverage. Let them know that they will receive a packet in the mail within two weeks and that they need to review the documents contained in their packet and fax in any documents that might be needed to signed. There will be instructions contained in their packet.
7. Ask them if "they know anyone else that might be paying too much for health insurance or that might not have coverage that they like".
8. Wait for commissions.
9. After you have gotten the commissions move the account from pending to a chart that shows all of your paid on accounts.

Underwriting Email Templates

These email templates are what I use to keep the client updated on the activity of underwriting.

Active/counteroffer/declined policies This is what I send to clients after they have changed to this underwriting status.

Dear [CustomerFullName],
I have some important information about the status of your insurance application. Please give me a call or email me to let me know when I can discuss your file with you. Thanks for your response!

Ethan Selph

This is what I send to clients every 3 days while it is in underwriting.

Dear [CustomerLastName] family,
I am sending this email to let you know that everything is going well right now with your insurance application. It is very important to me to keep you informed. The underwriters are currently reviewing your file and everything looks great so far. I will continue to keep you updated throughout the underwriting process and will let you know about any status changes on your application. Thanks again for your business!

Ethan Selph

Need to get underwriting authorization

Dear [CustomerLastName] family,
I just wanted to update you on the status of your insurance application. Everything is going great so far with the underwriting! The process is taking longer than I had originally anticipated because of some information in your medical records that underwriting is trying to verify. I am not aware of the specifics of the information they are trying to verify. They will be requesting medical records for ________.
Please sign the attached underwriting authorization form and return to me via fax.
If you are able to get a copy of ___________ medical records and email or fax them to me, the underwriting process would go much quicker. Sometimes doctors' can take several weeks to get the medical records over to us. Thanks again for your business and I will keep you posted on the status of your account!

Ethan Selph

Need client to call in? Just put the information in the blank below and your email will take care of the rest.

In an effort to keep you posted on the activity of your file I am sending you this e mail. So far everything is going very well with the underwriting. The underwriting has some medical questions. Please have the following individual(s) call in to our underwriting department. If information is required on your children, you may call in for them. Please see below for information needed:

Please email me after you have contacted the underwriting department. Thank you for taking care of these questions promptly.
Again, thanks for your business.

Sincerely,
Ethan Selph

The truth about advances

Unfortunately most people can't afford to start selling health insurance without getting a advance. An advance is exactly what it is an advance. This is a loan from the insurance company "bank". The sooner you can get "as earned" the better. That means you get paid only when service is rendered. If someone cancels then you don't get charge backs. I like selling United Health Care because it is a 9 month advance and if they cancel a few months into it they don't take back everything.

Start with an advance and then work down to "as earned" as fast as your budget allows. If you have to start with a 12 month advance through Assurant health please follow these instructions. Failure to do so could result in large chargebacks.

1. Make absolutely sure that the prospect and spouse have no potential job opportunites that could have group coverage in the next several months. If they have anything "in the works" with a group plan don't sell them Assurant.
2. Make sure they are not still shopping around when they accept the policy. Have a follow up phone call once they have gotten approved and retest their committment to the policy you have sold them.
3. Test the lead source you are buying leads from by entering your data with a wrong number to see who else is calling the leads. If the competitor is selling a much cheaper plan with better benefits you may want to change your approach to going with a similiar plan so that you stay competitive.
4. When the client applies make sure they are sold on the policy. If they are not sold then you might want to back up and ask them if "they are sure that they want to purchase this policy". You might have to work a little harder to get the sale but there's no sense in doing a ton of work and then a month later they decide to cancel and you don't get paid anything.

Feel tired when working?

This is not a joke or a theory.....If you have a headset on with skype or another phone system that uses your computer you may be exposed to energy sucking radiation. If you don't believe me get a microphone and see if you notice a difference. Microphones are the best way to use skype. Even being in front of your computer can expose you to certain small amounts of radiation. The less radiation that you are exposed to the more energy you will have to sell.

I have used headsets before and noticed that even my ears or head hurt after prolonged use. You will probably never see any warning labels on computers because then people would be so scared of them that it would hurt the economy. You can get some radioactive reflectors to put on your computer at http://www.advancedhealthclinic.com/.

If you are already exposed and don't have any energy to work, I encourage you to get a massage from an experienced energy worker or do some yoga to try to get some of this out. You can even try bikram yoga which is the best for getting out negative energy and giving you positive energy. You can check out their information here at http://www.bikramyogasandy.com/. There are offices all over the country. The goal is to have as much energy as possible to use to sell clients.

Auto Dialing Capabilities

About 9 months ago I was at a pretty big bottle neck with my business. I was purchasing about 15 internet leads a day and getting a hold of some of them. There were about 3000 contacts in my database and I needed to contact them somehow to review their insurance file, talk to them about renewal options, and speak with people that cancelled their policy. I heard about Mojo from a friend of mine and decided to learn more. The system is an auto dialer that calls 1-3 contacts at a time simultaneously. Here is how it works.......

You import your contacts into their auto dialer and call a phone number that is linked to their server. You then click the start button and away you go! Sometimes 2 people will answer the phone at almost the same time. The dialer will connect the first caller to you and the 2nd caller will hear a pre-recorded voicemail that lets them know that you will call them right back. As soon as you hang up with caller #1 the system automatically starts dialing caller #2.


I have yet to find a system that is as affordable and quicker at dialing large groups of people. The reason that it is so successful is because the Mojo auto dialer can call up to 3 people at a time. Please make sure you get the adequate training from their staff before attempting to try it on your own. The cost is around $150 a month and well worth it. When signing up please make me the referrer and I will send you a gift card for $10. It won't cost you anymore to do this and dinner is on me!

Getting beat on shared internet leads?

About a year ago I started having issues with some of the lead vendors that I work with. Every time I called a lead the phone number was busy, went to voice mail, or they had already spoken to someone. I went to a seminar with Norvax University and met some people that run big call centers that were sharing some of the same lead vendors that I was using. They started telling me about predictive dialing systems and how quickly their leads are called. Most of the call centers call new leads in less than 1 minute after receiving the lead.

I came back from my Norvax University training and was determined to beat the big call center in calling leads. Since I am a mom and pop insurance agency I had to think out of the box to come up with some ideas to compete against a big organization. I tried hiring a call center and that got pretty expensive and they were still not calling leads fast enough. I searched on the internet and found www.leadpod.net. These guys are a call center that specializes in calling leads quickly and then they do a live transfer. It worked great! The leads went right into their system through email and in less than one minute I had a live person qualifying my prospect over the phone. If they wanted to talk to an insurance agent they would transfer the call over to me at $10 a transfer. The only time I was charged anything was when Leadpod transferred over someone that was truly interested in buying health insurance.

Recently they changed part of their system which will allow you to call leads along side of Leadpod and if you get in touch with them before Leadpod does it can be purged out of the system for a nominal fee.

Leadpod is an exceptional tool for a small health insurance agency or agent. Ask for Henry there and he will get you set up.