I was leasing a new Lincoln and the dealer said "We can give you $1,000 off if you belong to AARP." I got online, paid my $6.00 and received a $1,000 discount. Pretty good return on my investment.
Within a couple of weeks, I was deluged with new junk mail (including a crap-load of free lunch seminar invitations).
Here's how the typical Senior views AARP:
They are a non-profit organization that "interviews" insurance companies to get the best deals for their members. If the AARP endorses a product, then it must be the best thing available.
We, of course, know this is not true. One thing the AARP is good at is marketing and making money.
I was leasing a new Lincoln and the dealer said "We can give you $1,000 off if you belong to AARP." I got online, paid my $6.00 and received a $1,000 discount. Pretty good return on my investment.
Thats just typical sales hype though. Believe me if you wanted the car and did not want to belong to AARP you would have gotten the discount anyway.
Winter
------------------------------------ Spending Our Way to Prosperity
I was appointed through Secure Horizons/UHC directly last year. Along with it came exclusivity/captivity. I dropped the appointment once the Med Sups were finally released to us to sell and they were not competitive with what I was already selling. The MA plans were as I said not competitive, the benefits were less in many areas compared to other local plans and their network was miniscule. The strategy at the UHC office was to emphasize the relationship with AARP and gloss over the inadequacies of the plan. At the end of the season most of the sales and management staff was laid off due to no production.
Why do you want to sell AARP endorsed plans after everything you have seen posted? They are not competitive in many areas and therefore are not the best option for your future clients. Find a marketing group and appoint with whoever has the best priced Med Sups and go to medicare.gov and find out who is offering the best MA's in your particular area and get appointed to sell them, soon. The AEP is nearly here.
Thanks, Patch. I specifically mentioned that I didn't want to sell them - just wanted to learn as much as possible about them.
AARP has brand image that gives their endorsed "products" a free pass with a majority of consumers. They have simply been able to convience the majority of the public to "ignore the man behind the curtain."
I'm that way with HP, I can't help but look favorably at HP products for my office... I too suffer from brand loyalty.
I commend AARP on their success. I wish I could gain that kind of brand loyalty.
Cancelled my membership & they still mail me junk mail!
Amazing how a decent discussion can go south so quick.
Either some folks on this board are too thin skinned, taking their crabby pills or desperately need to get laid or get over it.
P.S. I am a young 58 & like the others in my generation I do not like the term senior. That would be my mom, she's 81
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"There ought to be one day - just one - when there is open season on senators." -- Will Rogers
Thats just typical sales hype though. Believe me if you wanted the car and did not want to belong to AARP you would have gotten the discount anyway.
Winter
Not so. The deal ended that evening. If I could not supply an AARP member number, then there would have been no $1,000 discount. I was only able to get it by applying online and getting a member number assigned.
Not so. The deal ended that evening. If I could not supply an AARP member number, then there would have been no $1,000 discount. I was only able to get it by applying online and getting a member number assigned.
Fair enough.
AARP probably has a good deal down at the car wash too. I can't keep up with that type of thing now that it has become their core mission.
I understand it's a non-profit organization for seniors. I'm thinking about selling Medicare Supps/MAs to my existing senior clients. I've noticed many of em have AARP. Are they doing business as a carrier? How do their policies stack up against other For-profit carriers? Should I seek an appointment with them (in CA)?
"You can't expect to change the other person, but you can change yourself."
So, I know AARP stinks, but the fact of the matter is, gullible seniors will drop their shorts and follow my commands as soon as I drop the AARP name on the phone and hit them with a one-call close.
Is there any way for me to join the AARP as an agent, but use the AARP hype/marketing/brainwashing to sell senior prospects superior products that are actually good deals?
Independent Agent:
"Hi, I'm BiggitySwat from Tiki Hut Insurance Agency. I was wondering if---"
<CLICK>
"Hello? Hello? F*CK!"
Pimping Seniors with AARP:
"Hi, I'm BiggitySwat, a representative with AARP. I was wondering if you had a chance to review the brochure we sent you on health plans and affordable life insurance."
"AARP!!?!"
"Why yes, I'm with AARP, and...."
"WHERE IS THE DOTTED LINE? HOLD ON WHILE I GET MY PEN.....AND MY BLOOD THINNER BECAUSE MY HEART RATE JUST WENT UP BECAUSE AARP CALLED!!!!"
Pimping Seniors with AARP:
"Hi, I'm BiggitySwat, a representative with AARP. I was wondering if you had a chance to review the brochure we sent you on health plans and affordable life insurance."
"AARP!!?!"
"Why yes, I'm with AARP, and...."
Usually the way that goes is that they say. "I dont know. I get so much junk mail from them every week I usually just toss it out. I had a woman unload on me bigtime because one the AARP flyers for vitamins had garlic capsules in it and the garlic capsules did not say on the bottle how many milligrams of garlic they had. She wanted me to commit to contacting AARP and getting that fixed. Uh. okay.
Basically AARP does have two Arms the Advocacy group which does support senior issues and the Marketiung arm for example UHC med supps.
We can argue whether these products are good or not but obviously 35m members does give them some clout for their members
Exactly. I may not agree with what AARP has done in the past, but I can respect there business model.
Instead of finding ways to smear AARP's name as an agent wouldn't it be better to find a value oriented way to capitalize off their business model.
It goes along with branding, and heavy marketing-advertising.
Ever heard of AARP? Yes
How about NASE?
I rest my case!!!!!
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[COLOR=#000066]"Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand." Confucius
So, I know AARP stinks, but the fact of the matter is, gullible seniors will drop their shorts and follow my commands as soon as I drop the AARP name on the phone and hit them with a one-call close.
Pimping Seniors with AARP:
"Hi, I'm BiggitySwat, a representative with AARP. I was wondering if you had a chance to review the brochure we sent you on health plans and affordable life insurance."
"AARP!!?!"
"Why yes, I'm with AARP, and...."
"WHERE IS THE DOTTED LINE? HOLD ON WHILE I GET MY PEN.....AND MY BLOOD THINNER BECAUSE MY HEART RATE JUST WENT UP BECAUSE AARP CALLED!!!!"
Oh, I see. All AARP members are stupid, drooling drones who can't possibly think on their own or for themselves.
Why do you WANT to work with seniors? It is clear to me that you really don't like them all that much.
You are obviously not a senior, nor are you a member of AARP so how could you possibly know why seniors like the organization and what the organization does for this group.
I'm an AARP member. Let me ask you this. Do you think I'm stupid? Do I fit the profile that you wrote about above?
What is the next largest consumer organization? My guess is AAA (which is actually a collection of state organizations.) Does AAA have some warts? Of course. Are all members of AAA total idiots? Of course not.
How can you come to my home and say "You know Mr. Canton, you really are stupid for wasting your money by being a member of AARP. They are really not out to protect your interests, but are out to get rich off of you"... and expect a sale that day?
If you had half a brain you would say "Yes, AARP has a lot of good programs and info for people in your age and economic group. My dad is a member. And it is true.. their insurance division is not bad. For some people their plans are fine. But you know there is no one size that fits all and I suggest that you need to look at insurance from your specific situation... so lets start from there..."
I didn't learn that much from when I sold cars... but I did learn one IMPORTANT thing. Do not stereotype people. Some of the smartest richest people I ever met drove junkers and lived in poor sections of the city and dressed like trailer trash.
There is a reason seniors join AARP. I suggest you FIND that reason and work WITH it... not against it.
Yes, I'm familiar with car dealer tricks and "incentives."
However, I lease (or did lease) a Lincoln every 2 years. The new lease was already done when the dealer told me "By the way, you don't happen to belong to AARP, do you?" I think they were trying not to insult me age-wise. "Because if you do, we can knock another $1,000 off the price if you have a member number we can send in with the paperwork."
It was a Grand in my pocket because Ford and AARP had their deal. Don't get me wrong, I don't care for AARP --but it was a good $6 investment nonetheless. The resulting junk mail is easy enough to chuck.
I agree with everyone who says you don't speak unfavorably about any other products or companies. It looks bad on you and just gets people's guard up anyway.
I don't agree with Al that all seniors love and trust AARP. It may be an Indiana/Kentucky thing but lots of them HATE AARP around here. Many others are members but could take them or leave them.
AARP ran a lot of full-page car insurance ads here all summer naming 3-other companies and saying they were less expensive. Every senior I talk to (even the ones that like AARP) tell me they compared and AARP was MUCH higher. Things like that loses them a lot of credibility.
They are smart with most of their advertising to never imply they will save people money because they are just not price competitve around here.
Re: What is AARP?
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