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For agents who offer Medicare solutions, AEP can be a bittersweet event. It represents a huge sales opportunity. But to succeed, you must maximize every available moment and enroll as many clients as possible. By the close of AEP, many of the most successful agents are running on caffeine fumes and look like they’ve been through a warzone. Plus, this year’s AEP could be more disruptive than previous years, thus piling additional stress and anxiety on the agent.
Part D (PDP) sales prove especially challenging. These products are generally low or no commission, but require significant work to close the sale. Historically, agents need to meet with the client, get accurate prescription drug lists from them, research suitable options, print out an application and review the policy to ensure all questions are answered so the client is comfortable signing on the dotted line.
Because of the work-to-pay ratio on PDPs some agents have exited the market, refusing to assist their clients with that portion of their needs. Others simply refer clients to Medicare.gov and instruct them to self-enroll there. The clients’ perception in these situations are generally less than positive. To them, it appears that their agent only cares about commission and won’t help them meet a very real need if they’re not sufficiently paid. The potential result? Clients become distrustful, disloyal and could eventually leave you for another agent.
Is there a better way to help PDP clients?
Senior Market Sales® (SMS) knows the struggle with selling PDP during AEP. They have more than four decades of experience and have a number of solutions designed to make agents more successful during AEP and beyond.
What are 2 paths SMS offers for agents looking to increase PDP sales with less effort?
- Lead Advantage Pro® — a no-cost Medicare enrollment platform only available from SMS
- Medicare Insurance Direct® (MID) — a client self-enrollment tool where you still get credit for the sale
How does Lead Advantage Pro help?
Lead Advantage Pro allows you to complete PDP enrollments no matter how today’s client wishes to meet. That includes in person, over the phone, online and even via text.
The process:
- Add your clients to Lead Advantage Pro
- Email your clients a link so that they can input and update their prescription drug list prior to your meeting
- Leverage one of five streamlined enrollment methods — Agent Initiated Consumer Online Enrollment (AICOE®), voice signature, paper, face to face and electronic carrier application
The benefit:
- Control — you can run quotes and review with clients virtually
- You’re still involved in the PDP shopping and enrollment process, but using Lead Advantage Pro streamlines the process, saving you time so that you can make more sales
How does MID help?
MID is a client-self-enrollment tool. This works great for your more tech-savvy clients who don’t mind enrolling on their own, using your solid advice. When a client does complete their self-enrollment, you get credit for the sale.
The process:
- Obtain your unique MID consumer link
- Purchase a domain and set up a landing page
- Customize your MID self-enrollment video
- Start sending clients to your self-enrollment portal for enrollment completion
The benefit:
- Frees you up to help other clients with solutions that pay higher commissions
- Differentiates you from your competition
- If the solution offered is commissionable, you get paid when the client self-enrolls
Why stick with the old ways when these solutions present such an opportunity for you?
Sure, you can print off applications, meet your clients in person, gather their prescription information, have them wet-signature the application, send the application to the carrier, and wait to see if it gets issued.
Or,
You can jump into the modern age, run quotes and have clients complete their applications electronically. Meet clients however they prefer: face to face, online, over the phone or via text. Plus, have clients input and update their prescriptions via link prior to meeting with them. Additionally, have your more tech-savvy clients enroll on their own via MID and still get credit for the sale.
Using MID and Lead Advantage Pro keeps your clients satisfied and loyal. Plus, they’re more willing to work with you when you cross-sell to them post-AEP.
How can you get these two tools and how much will it cost you?
SMS offers both Lead Advantage Pro and MID to agents at no cost. Reach out now if you’re interested in using these tools for the 2025 AEP season. An SMS marketing consultant would be happy to demo these tools, provide training and ensure you’re up and running by the beginning of AEP.
For Licensed Insurance Agent/Advisor Use Only. Not for General Public.
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