Recent ad - real or not?

[J.R.]

The main problem I have with their concept is that they are apparently convincing a new agent that he/she can effectively run 8 appointments in one day, every day and do an effective job of educating the prospect.

The average Med Supp appointment will take me about an hour and thirty to forty-five minutes. The maximum I want and can handle effectively in one day is four and some days that is a lot.

I guess eight presentations a day would be possible if they were all next door to each other and it was a slam, bam, thank you mam type of presentation. That could be why the new clients are not going to remember the agent. I want to be remembered.

Maybe that is why I'm not selling more Advantage plans.

New agents do need to make money fast or they are going to get discouraged and quit. The agency could add another $50.00 to the hundred and just take an extra couple of months before they are wealthy enough to retire.

Am I the only one who can't handle eight presentations in a day? If I am then please educate me. I generally don't schedule appointments at 2am.

Does the 1 1/2 hours factor in time spent on qualifying or is that the total time you average from the first discussion until the deal is signed?

 

[Frank Stastny]

From the time I walk in the door until I say good bye.

 

[Guest]

The main problem I have with their concept is that they are apparently convincing a new agent that he/she can effectively run 8 appointments in one day, every day and do an effective job of educating the prospect.

The average Med Supp appointment will take me about an hour and thirty to forty-five minutes. The maximum I want and can handle effectively in one day is four and some days that is a lot.

I guess eight presentations a day would be possible if they were all next door to each other and it was a slam, bam, thank you mam type of presentation. That could be why the new clients are not going to remember the agent. I want to be remembered.

Maybe that is why I'm not selling more Advantage plans.

New agents do need to make money fast or they are going to get discouraged and quit. The agency could add another $50.00 to the hundred and just take an extra couple of months before they are wealthy enough to retire.

Am I the only one who can't handle eight presentations in a day? If I am then please educate me. I generally don't schedule appointments at 2am.

5 in one day is my absolute maximum. 4 is more reasonable.

 

[James]

When I was with Sterling they recommended you do to 3-5 a day, you had to sell 12 a month to get the $1,000 bonus on top of the $150 commission for their Sterling One Plan. If the DM rode with you he would run a max of three and leave, but he did all the selling whenever he came, just couldn't help himself. He was good at sales but we just butted heads too much, imagine that, me butting heads? Never heard of such a thing!

 

[midwestbroker]

What I see from this outfit is mass amounts of half-a** leads, cut commissions, and poss locking yourself under them in contracts.

There are other IMO's out there that offer better commissions. Or you can contract directly with the carrier (in some cases) and triple your commission. The difference in the money you can spend on marketing.

Do a seminar. I do them at Golden Corral (buffet place). 20 people show (figure a handful of members, a handful of plate lickers, and some actual prospects). Last one I did I closed 2. Cost of seninar = $230. 2 sales under them is $200 (lost $30). Under Coventry = $660 (gain of $430). Then you have referrals to hit them up with (and I normally get a few out of it as well).

 

[James]

What I see from this outfit is mass amounts of half-a** leads, cut commissions, and poss locking yourself under them in contracts.

There are other IMO's out there that offer better commissions. Or you can contract directly with the carrier (in some cases) and triple your commission. The difference in the money you can spend on marketing.

Do a seminar. I do them at Golden Corral (buffet place). 20 people show (figure a handful of members, a handful of plate lickers, and some actual prospects). Last one I did I closed 2. Cost of seninar = $230. 2 sales under them is $200 (lost $30). Under Coventry = $660 (gain of $430). Then you have referrals to hit them up with (and I normally get a few out of it as well).

Never had much luck with the seminar gig. In fact I started and the DM at Sterling refuse to put in the bill to claims at the company (which according to the employee hand book I had complete right to expect them to pay for one a week), which really got things interesting that day at the office!

 

[Slick]

Eight appointments a day is rarely possible and would require the prospects to be set up cable TV style, "between 8-12 on Tuesday". The agent would have to recieve all the appts. the previous night, grid them out and make a deliberate plan. Then be knocking on the first door before 9am and last door before 9pm while eating a 60mph lunch and avoiding traffic.
It could be done, but few if any could stand to do.

 

[midwestbroker]

Sure it can be done, but to do it day in and day out would burn anyone out!

I have had luck overall with seminars. I did a lot during AEP, but this month I have only 2 scheduled. Sure, there are some that don't pan out to anything, but then there are some where you have 5-6 sales. Any more then 15 people though I have another agent there.

But then again, I have a corporate Humana card. Lunch anyone?

 

[maryjd123]

Compensation: Pay is commission based at $100 per application and is paid weekly. As stated before there are no costs for appointments. The agent average is 15-20 applications a week, that’s a weekly commission of $1500 to $2000 each week

I understand where everyone is coming from when they say -- yes new agents need some training -- but i have to say -- how much do they have to pay for this training? and normally when you sign a contract -- unless they let you out of the contract nicely -- you are stuck for a year with the companies that you have signed up for -- its something that really needs to be looked at by the new agent...
i looked at shc -- and they are set up the same way -- i was looking for a company for when we move to ohio -- i called them and they set me etc etc, i sat in on training calls etc etc... but what i did was take what they were selling and incorporated it into my own ---
but when a company is only paying 100 dollars per application when you can get 330 to 500 an application and 125 yearly renewals -- that is highway robbery to the agent!!!!!!!!!!!!!
they said it was because they were paying the telemarketers etc etc etc.. so that is horrible!

and the thing about running 8 appointments a day with them set up for you -- that is you walking in and selling the medadvantage plan and leaving -- i know alot of agents who do that --- i can still run 8 appointments a day and sell everything -- when i walk in the door -- from my initial phone call the client already knows what they will be signing etc etc..

medsup or medadvantage plan
part d plan ( i always check their meds on the phone before the appointment
so i can bring in the correct plan )
continental care plan
final expense 5k to 10k

600 -800 a client commission -- every time -- so this bull of the agents making 1500 a week on 10 appointments is absolutely ridiculous!!
10 appointments for me - depending on if it is a couple or a single person
nets anywhere from $6000 to $12,000 in commission -- I'm not even going to go into any annuities ---

all any new agent needs is a good mentor

i wish i would of had one starting in March of 05

Hope this helps

 

[Frank Stastny]

and the thing about running 8 appointments a day with them set up for you -- that is you walking in and selling the medadvantage plan and leaving -- i know alot of agents who do that --- i can still run 8 appointments a day and sell everything -- when i walk in the door -- from my initial phone call the client already knows what they will be signing etc etc..

medsup or medadvantage plan
part d plan ( i always check their meds on the phone before the appointment
so i can bring in the correct plan )
continental care plan
final expense 5k to 10k

600 -800 a client commission -- every time -- so this bull of the agents making 1500 a week on 10 appointments is absolutely ridiculous!!
10 appointments for me - depending on if it is a couple or a single person
nets anywhere from $6000 to $12,000 in commission -- I'm not even going to go into any annuities ---

Wow. I don't know how you do it. That is between $300 and $600 thousand dollars a year in commission from just ten appointments a week and you said you can run 8 appointments a day.

You need to stop selling insurance and go on the seminar circut and teach people like me your secret. Agents would pay thousands of dollars to learn your technique. I don't know any agent who is doing that well. I sure don't make that much from ten appointments nor can I run 8 appointments a day even with all the prep you do.

Anyone else doing that well? That makes me feel like a "lazy insurance agent".

Who is your mentor? Is it a sales guru or another agent? Please tell us more about how you do all of that and still have time to post here, sleep and spend time with your family. My wife read your post and now she wants me to be just like you.