In today’s competitive insurance market, networking is not just a “nice-to-have” – it’s a critical component of success.  Whether you’re a new agent or a seasoned professional, building and nurturing relationships can open doors to referrals, partnerships can open doors to referrals, partnerships and long-term client relationships.  In this blog, we’ll explore why networking is essential for insurance agents and provide actionable strategies to help you build a strong professional network.   Why Networking Matters for Insurance Agents Builds Trust and Credibility: When potential clients or referral partners know you personally, they’re more likely to trust your expertise.  Networking allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and professionalism face-to-face, which is difficult to replicate through digital ads alone. Generate Referrals: Most business is built on relationships.  A strong network means you can receive referrals from other professionals such as accountants, lawyers or even fellow agents who might not offer the same services. These referrals often come with a higher conversion rate than cold leads. Stays Ahead of Industry Trends: Networking with peers and industry experts provides invaluable insights into current market trends, regulatory changes and emerging products.  This knowledge not only [...]

The Group Health Submission Process By: Lori Liles – New Business Consultant  Now that you’ve completed your Group Health Presentation, and the company has decided they want to move forward with a health plan, the group will need to complete the required paperwork.  There will be questions on the paperwork that the employer might not understand and they are going to look to you for guidance.  Assisting your client in filling out the paperwork will strengthen the relationship you are building with them. The required documents that need to be submitted are as follows: The Benefit Program Application (BPA) The Benefit Plan Selection Form (BPS) The Employer Group Information Form (EGI) The Employee Applications (Enrolling and Waiving for all eligible Full Time Employees working 30 or more hours per week) The Wage & Tax Form (UI 3/40) and W-4s for any new hires not listed on the Wage & Tax (if applicable). For some groups additional paperwork may be needed. Sample BPA Sample BPS Sample EGI Sample Employee Application- Enrolling Sample Employee Application- Waiving Sample UI-340 Sample W4 For a [...]

Preparing for the Group Health Sales Presentation By: Lori Liles – New Business Consultant  Once you’ve received your Group Health Insurance Quote back from your CSR, you’ll notice that it’s very long. Very, very long! The average quote could be anywhere from 70 to 100 pages in length! Please don’t email the quote to your client, and expect them to know how to read it. You will be more successful when you take the time to help your client understand what they’re looking at and help them pick the plans that best fit their needs. Based on the knowledge that you have on your Group, you should have enough information to help you come up with a presentation. Some of the information that will be the most helpful will be: What are they budgeting for a monthly premium? What percentage will the employer be contributing? What kind of a deductible and out of pocket is the Group comfortable with?  What size Network will they need? Are there any out of state employees? Narrow -  Blue Choice Preferred (BCE) Large - Blue PPO (PPO) Tiered - Blue Options (OPT) [...]

By: Lori Liles – New Business Consultant Now that you’ve asked all of your qualifying questions, and have your answers, you should be ready to collect the information you need to start running a Quote for your Group. To follow is a list of information that you’ll need in order to run a Blue Cross Group quote: What date does the policy need to start? Make sure you leave yourself and your Group enough time to get the quote to them, do the presentation, let them decide what policy/ or policies they’d like to offer, complete the paperwork with them, and get all of their tax documentation together that Blue Cross will require.   The entire process can take a few weeks to a month, depending on how long it takes the client that you’re working with to get you all the information you need. Make sure you leave yourself some time, so you’re not scrambling at the end, and keep this in mind when choosing an effective date. If the Group already has a policy with a different Carrier, the effective date will need to line up [...]

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 [...]

By Lori Liles- New Business Consultant Finding Leads and Contacting Them You’ve probably heard the Chinese Proverb, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” If you learn how to fish, you’ll never go hungry, right?  I worked for a company that wouldn’t provide leads to their employees. What they did offer was a lot of training on how to go out and find the business ourselves. I learned how to find clients inexpensively, or without using any money at all. It wasn’t easy at first, but I tried a few different ideas. I got creative. I learned what worked for me, and I started talking to more people. I used the tools I learned to go out and get business, instead of just hoping something would just fall into my lap. I was proactive, and things started happening for me. It was great, and I started getting referrals from the people I helped, and talked to. I felt like I had control over my business! The work I was putting in [...]