By Lori Liles- New Business Consultant

At this point you’ve been doing a lot of work trying to bring in new business. You’ve really been putting yourself out there by calling, emailing, and sending letters to all of your contacts.  You’ve been going to networking functions, and asking for Health Insurance referrals. Everyone knows who you are, and what you do. Your work is finally paying off! A lead called you back, and has some questions about Group Health Insurance. Now what do you do? 

First, if you’re new, don’t get nervous. You probably know more than you think you do.  This person is coming to you for help. No matter what they already know, chances are, you know more. If they ask something that you don’t know, that’s okay. Just let them know that they asked a good question, and you don’t have the answer right now, but you can find out for them. It’s also perfectly fine to let someone know that you’re a little new in this area, and whatever you don’t know, you can easily find out. At some point, everyone is new at something, and most people will understand. 

Next, have some good questions ready to ask to assist you in qualifying the Group. These are questions that will help you to get to know the Group, and the business owner a little better. By the end of the conversation you should have a better idea of who the Group is, what benefits they currently have, and what their goals are for their benefits. These questions will also help you to narrow down which plans you’d like to present after you run their quote.

To follow are a list of questions to help you get started: 

  • Do you currently have a Group Plan?
    • If the answer is, “Yes,” ask: 
      • Which Carrier is your policy is with, and why are you looking to switch?
      • What do you like best about your current plan?
      • What do you like the least about your current plan?
    • If the answer is “No,” ask:
      • Why don’t you have a plan yet, and why are you looking to get a Group Plan right now?
      • What are you hoping for in a Group Plan?
  • What are you looking for in a plan, or what do you have on your current plan?
  • What benefits would you like to see offered on your Group Health Insurance Plan?
  • Do you have an idea in mind of what types of plans you’d like to offer your Group? (PPO, HMO, HSA Plans)
  • Are you looking for something more benefit rich, or are you mainly concerned with premium savings?
  • What do you think your employees would value the most in a Group Plan?
  • Are you interested in a fully insured plan, or have you thought about a level-funded plan (A level-funded health plan, also known as a partially self-funded plan, is a health insurance plan that combines the cost savings and customization aspect of a self-funding plan with the financial safety and predictability of fully funded plans.)?
  • How much are you spending on your current Plan each month?
  • Can you tell me a little bit about your business, and what the culture is like?
  • How many employees did you average in the previous calendar year, and what percentage do you plan to contribute to their benefits?
  • Do you plan on contributing to the premium for your employee’s dependents as well? 
  • Do you have an idea of how many employees are interested in enrolling in the Group Plan?

These questions should be helpful in getting to know your new client, and to establish a better understanding of what their needs and goals are. The next step will be collecting the information needed in order to quote their new policy.

For questions or assistance please contact Lori Liles at lori@midwestga.com or 847-631-6621.