Typical Day for a Health Insurance Agent

Peelerinsurance.com · 05-07-2008, 01:18 PM

OK, THIS IS TRUE!

Wake up about 9 am, eat and read paper

Go upstairs at about 10-10:30 and start looking over websites for approvals and read this board and then return calls from last night or call for additional info from clients

Flip leads on about 10:30-11am

Call leads and send out email quotes

12:30 or 1pm eat at home

1:15 play video game on cpu

1:30 keep calling and getting calls, referrals and such all the while writing apps and placing existing clients in new policies

4 pm shut leads off and go to gym 3 days a week, on days i dont go to gym keep leads running till 7pm.. leads un till 7pm 2 days a week

5pm take shower so when wife comes home im clean and i make the bed clean up dishes i messed up

7pm head off to the poker rooms to force my will on donkeys and fish

2 am, go to bed and start over

This has worked very well for 16 years, but having 441 family clients and bunches of small single person apps and growing helps cause unlike some on this site, i will always call my clients and move them to another plan every year

somarco · 05-07-2008, 01:21 PM

i will always call my clients and move them to another plan every year

Really?

I never churn clients, but I know agents who do. Figure that will eventually come back to bite them . . . and me.

Corporate Death · 05-07-2008, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by somarco

Depends on what you mean by effective.

Closing ratio's mean nothing to me. Do I have to talk to more folks over the phone to make a sale vs belly to belly? Sure. How many? I have no idea.

Closing ratio's don't pay the bills. ROI does.

Can you close more people belly to belly vs over the phone?

If you are any good, yes.

But how many people can you actually see during a day/week in a closing situation?

A lot less than you can talk to by phone.

That right there. That is exactly why my eyes opened up wide when I realized that you guys arent still doing a lot of door knocking. Thats what I'm interested in learning.

I did belly to belly sales for over 20 years before discovering I could be much more productive, spend less time on the road (and in the air), have more family and free time by using phone, email and internet to earn a living.

If you have 43 years in the business you beat me by 10 years. Congratulations.

No, I dont have 43 years in the business, just 43 years on earth.

I would say I have a total of 4 years in the business, and that ended 16 years ago.

Corporate Death · 05-07-2008, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by Peelerinsurance.com

OK, THIS IS TRUE!

Wake up about 9 am, eat and read paper

Go upstairs at about 10-10:30 and start looking over websites for approvals and read this board and then return calls from last night or call for additional info from clients

Flip leads on about 10:30-11am

Call leads and send out email quotes

12:30 or 1pm eat at home

1:15 play video game on cpu

1:30 keep calling and getting calls, referrals and such all the while writing apps and placing existing clients in new policies

4 pm shut leads off and go to gym 3 days a week, on days i dont go to gym keep leads running till 7pm.. leads un till 7pm 2 days a week

5pm take shower so when wife comes home im clean and i make the bed clean up dishes i messed up

7pm head off to the poker rooms to force my will on donkeys and fish

2 am, go to bed and start over

This has worked very well for 16 years, but having 441 family clients and bunches of small single person apps and growing helps cause unlike some on this site, i will always call my clients and move them to another plan every year

You work entirely from home, and never go see a client? So, you just email the quotes over and wait for folks to jump? Does that really work? Here I was planning on getting dressed and going out to see people. I SERIOUSLY have a lot to learn!!

BTW, careful with those donkeys and fish. They're a dirty lot. Make sure you take your vitamins.

Corporate Death · 05-07-2008, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by CHUMPS FROM OXFORD

You may have had some of my teachers. Mr. Barton? Although I think he died. Mrs. Minchoff? Mr. Lightfoot was a good guy. Skip Thorn may have retired before you were there.

I don't recognize Coach Sheiler and I should remember all of the coaches. Are you talking about CD East or CD?

And I assume you don't live there any more.

Talking about CD Rams. Yeah, Mr Barton passed a couple years after I graduated. I remember Mr Thorn, but didnt have any of his classes. Never met Mrs Minchoff or Mr Lightfoot.

Coach Sheiler was the Football coach up until I believe 1980. He lived right down the street from me over in Hodges Heights. He lived close to the old Snavely farm.

Sheiler may have been an Assistant Coach when you were there, but he was head coach over my brothers from at least 1976-1980.

Nope, not there anymore and will NEVER live in Pennsyltucky ever again. I just left Mexifornia and I'm living in the Charlotte, North Cackalacky area now.

Corporate Death · 05-07-2008, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by HomeService

hey, corporate, I was an agent for AGLA in the early 1990's. We had an agent here in Austin who was friends with a mgr from PA who dated Sharon Stone at one point. You know the mgr I speak of? ha ha I think he ended up in California. But I think Sharon Stone was from PA.

I think I know who you are talking about. Young guy or older guy? Dark hair? I remember talking about Sharon Stone. I remember seeing her up in State College while I was at Penn State back in the 80's. She was just wandering down the street (with me walking down the street behind her thinking sexually disgusting thoughts).

RLC · 05-07-2008, 01:44 PM

Are you serious about the described scenario or was this a dream? If this is reality I am a recent Licensed Life and Health Agent in NC. Could you provide any guidance or references that would allow me to do something similar, but maybe on a smaller scale?

Peelerinsurance.com · 05-07-2008, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by Corporate Death

You work entirely from home, and never go see a client? So, you just email the quotes over and wait for folks to jump? Does that really work? Here I was planning on getting dressed and going out to see people. I SERIOUSLY have a lot to learn!!

I don't sit and wait for them to jump, I apply the peeler push, I have always been blessed of speaking better than I can write. I show the clients the options and then we move with an application. Most times when I get an intenet lead it is either sold or trashed within 24 hours.... not always, some do take weeks, but those are calling me back and I don't count on them. Also I get some that it takes 2 days or so... but for the most part, I get u on the phone, I get info on what u want and need, I run quote, I call u back I send you to my website and we look over the plan, I set a time within 24 hours to do the application and the deal is done. so if i speak with u at 10 am i go for an afternoon appt to do app. i never leave home

Peelerinsurance.com · 05-07-2008, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by somarco

Really?

I never churn clients, but I know agents who do. Figure that will eventually come back to bite them . . . and me.

How will it bite u? client get a 30% rt increase with aetna... same basic coverage with humana lets say is about what they spent last year... why stay put? im my view the agent is doing a DISERVICE(is that a word or am i speaking like bush?) if he dosen't do this... and i dont call it "churning" i call it shopping, if u dont do it the client will

somarco · 05-07-2008, 03:53 PM

How will it bite you?

How about pre-ex?

Any illness related claim filed in the first 6 months, especially first 90 days, is investigated from here to Sunday. If the carrier finds ANY reason to deny the claim, or rescind the policy, they will.

No big deal on strep throat.

It becomes a big deal on cancer or cardiovascular problems.

If you put your client in the right plan from the start, there is little reason to move.

I have some clients with the same plan, same carrier, for 5 years.

I review renewals every month. If a renewal is out of line, I notify the client and give them a choice. I can't think of a time in the last 2 - 3 years (except for my BX clients) that it has made sense to move.

Of course 90% of my clients are on high deductible plans, no copays. Almost impossible to find comparable coverage on renewal unless they just want to pay more.

I have a client with Aetna, going in to her 3rd yr. She has the PPO Value (one of the few copay clients I have) and will be paying $305 in June.

Her meds run $170 per month (before hitting her Rx deductible). She satisfied her Rx deductible in January so she is paying copays now. Rx copays run $75 total.

She can change to GR and drop her premium to $168 but has to pay for her meds. Puts her at $368 including meds. That is almost a dead heat with her current premium + Rx copays.

Humana will run $196 after loads. They will not cover one of her meds that is $60 so that puts her at $256 for premium + the one med they won't cover. It will take her 4 months to satisfy the Rx deductible which means by the time she gets to November or so she will pay $196 + $60 + $70 those last to months for premium + meds.

I see no reason to justify a move there either.

What would you do?

Peelerinsurance.com · 05-07-2008, 04:02 PM

I see your point, it's just here in Texas rt increases are a way of life. If a client has a medical condition i dont move them ...if it is something like allergy shots(new condition from last renewal) i list it on the app and it get bought. if it comes back with an exclusion.... i dont move the client or i split them up or i let the client decide. it just has not been a problem here. also, u do hsa's... i do very few... co-pays are my little part of the world... if a client wants hsa i write it, but even then with the wild ride of rt increases they still get hammered so most times we move. from the start i filter out any and all pre-x and if it is and i get them issued we dont move... but good points on your end, we are just in different states

bill3173 · 05-07-2008, 04:41 PM

I'm gun shy about moving health clients. It must be a different world in Texas. If you've ever dealt with recissions, and if you do any volume to speak of, there is no way to avoid it, its tough. UW doesn't always catch everything.

Peelerinsurance.com · 05-07-2008, 05:00 PM

Again, not a problem. Also, if the client is being honest.... then whats the problem? and I would say that anyone that knows me knows I have my fair amount of voulme for a little local Dallas only just me agency. About 2 to 2 and half million active. I know, you big boys kick my little arse.

Corporate Death · 05-07-2008, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Peelerinsurance.com

I don't sit and wait for them to jump, I apply the peeler push, I have always been blessed of speaking better than I can write. I show the clients the options and then we move with an application. Most times when I get an intenet lead it is either sold or trashed within 24 hours.... not always, some do take weeks, but those are calling me back and I don't count on them. Also I get some that it takes 2 days or so... but for the most part, I get u on the phone, I get info on what u want and need, I run quote, I call u back I send you to my website and we look over the plan, I set a time within 24 hours to do the application and the deal is done. so if i speak with u at 10 am i go for an afternoon appt to do app. i never leave home

Holy crap. I see, so you only leave the house to get the app done. I know this is not as easy as it seems of course. At some point, once I get relicensed, I'm going to have to have one of you pros walk me through the best tools, your contact (email and phone) practices, and so on. I'm actually quite surprised at how well you all seem to be doing without doing evening sit-downs around someone's dining room table.

indmedins · 05-07-2008, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by Corporate Death

Holy crap. I see, so you only leave the house to get the app done.

He doesn't leave the house to do the app.

somarco · 05-07-2008, 05:30 PM

you only leave the house to get the app done

Nope.

Take it over the phone and send them a link to complete the app.

I have heard there are carriers still doing paper apps and requiring face to face but that isn't anyone I would work with.

bill3173 · 05-07-2008, 05:34 PM

If I leave the house, the office, there better be some serious money involved. It not going to be for one dinky life policy. Been there years ago. Its a crappy way to make a living, unless, you're focused exclusively on high end clients, and most of them don't care about seeing you. That is so 1970's its ridiculous.

Corporate Death · 05-07-2008, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by bill3173

If I leave the house, the office, there better be some serious money involved. It not going to be for one dinky life policy. Been there years ago. Its a crappy way to make a living, unless, you're focused exclusively on high end clients, and most of them don't care about seeing you. That is so 1970's its ridiculous.

Yep! Thats the way I learned back in the early 90's. Prospect, setup appointments, go to the homes (at best, 8-12 per week), close about half, maybe 6 apps per week at best (that was a BIG MONEY week!).

Electronic apps....... who'da thunk??

Sooo.... how do you get your hands on that 1st month premium check?

somarco · 05-07-2008, 06:32 PM

how do you get your hands on that 1st month premium check

There are these plastic cards that folks carry in their wallet. Just as good as money . . .

Annual premiums (only) for term life.

Corporate Death · 05-07-2008, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by somarco

There are these plastic cards that folks carry in their wallet. Just as good as money . . .

Annual premiums (only) for term life.

Nice. CC's. Boy, I'm really showing my as..... I mean....ignorance about todays Insurance biz. Pretty much starting from scratch.

So then.... Captive Health Co's are still working on 1970's practices? At least thats the impression I got with American Republic.

BTW, the name "Corporate Death" comes from two sources. a.) I vowed never to return to Corporate America (I figured sitting in a conference room wishing I had a belt-fed weapon is probably not the healthiest way to make a living. b.) I was one of the last agents signed onto Corporate Life of Philadelphia, literally three weeks before they were taken over by the PA Insurance Commissioner and shut down. Didnt even get to write any business with them. This was when I had decided to go indie. They were the first company I contracted with. Go figure.