3 min read

Create a great first impression for Medicare business

Create a great first impression for Medicare business

We all know the value of the first impression, and clients know it, too. But, what about after that, when you’re getting into the nitty gritty with the client? Their experience after the ink dries on their new contract sets the stage for the rest of your relationship. Not only that, but happy customers refer your business to their friends and family. Let’s follow Garrison, a Medicare beneficiary who just signed up for a Med Sup plan, as he is onboarded to a new health plan. 


Intro to intros    

Before coverage even begins, Garrison, whether he knows it or not, needs reinforcement of the value of his plan and his agent. This step can be an easy one when plotted out in advance. 
Have a plan regarding what you want to address, but make sure that plan is flexible enough to meet the needs of the clients. With Garrison, our new Medicare beneficiary, our agent might do something like this: Assuming he has already enrolled in his chosen Med Sup plan, Garrison’s agent should make sure he knows what’s in his plan, when his coverage will begin, and who to contact if Garrison doesn’t get the card within that timeframe—his agent. This gives direct evidence of the value of Garrison’s plan, and the value of his assistance as the agent. And, of course, Garrison’s agent should be ready for questions. 


Welcome wagon? Maybe stick with a welcome packet

This brings us to the next must-have in the onboarding process: Something to structure the time clients will spend with their coverage while you aren’t there. Even the most attentive, helpful agent cannot spend 24/7 with his clients. A great way to do this is to create some sort of welcome packet, whether that be a one-pager with the answers to all their questions written in one place, a video demonstrating the process behind enrolling, flyers detailing the benefits of their chosen products --or all of those things. 


How can agents make these resources look professional and eye-catching? Well, something created in word processing software would probably do the trick. However, if you want to make something with a little more pizzazz, try exploring some free web-based graphic design tools. With these, you can create things like logos, smart-looking documents, and posters. 
With Garrison, the process might be a little more targeted to a client new to the market. He could supply Garrison with the Medicare in Minutes video series, the Medicare Rights and Protections PDF, and written answers to any questions that might have popped up during the enrollment process. This, again, is on top of all the carrier information. 


Touch base

Within the first 30 days of the coverage’s effective date, set a time to circle back to that client to see how they are holding up. Just like before, take an assessment of the beneficiary’s needs and meet them at their level. This touch base might be a simple email detailing what to expect in the near future, or a phone call to the beneficiary to make sure she is satisfied with her plan choice.
For Garrison, this might play out as a quick email reminding him to keep on the lookout for his new card in the mail. A simple point of contact to keep Garrison’s mind focused on his coverage. It also opens the door again for more questions if need be. 


Keeping the focus positive—while important every step of the way— is particularly important here. This will be the time to resolve any discord before it becomes an actual issue, and the success you have with this will set the tone for how your clients feel every time they need you. So make that first contact a good one! 


Celebrate success

Speaking of good firsts, the first client success should be your last contact in the onboarding process. Again, this might be different from client to client: Maybe the first success in Garrison’s case is about a month after coverage begins, and his agent calls to make sure his premium payment was correct and processed correctly.  

Once that moment occurs, celebrate with them! Even if it is just a quick email or phone call, make sure you put yourself in the client’s mind surrounding that first positive experience. The more clients feel that you are invested in them, the more they will invest back into you. 


Keep the communication lines open

This doesn’t mean just communication between you and the client, though. This is just as important for you to do on the back end, too. It is always an option to make one person in your office the onboarding specialist, creating one familiar person for your client to interact with. But, that doesn’t eliminate the need for shared, centralized notes. 


Even with an onboarding specialist, it is likely that more than one person within your office will interact with that client. Create a workflow for storing notes detailing client interactions. Make sure they’re accessible for all client-facing employees to reference before they speak to that client. This can help frontload any point of contact with that client while keeping the focus positive and on their individual needs. For example: “Hey Garrison, it’s been a few months, how is your Plan A treating you? Glad to hear we made the right choice, I know this process can be daunting!” This demonstrates you’re attentive, keeps the focus on the positive result, and helps the client recognize that you are on their team.


make a lifelong customer

There are many moving parts working together to get clients from onboarding to lifelong customers. But with a proper plan and positive vibe from the start, clients will easily see the value in your products, and in you. With that trust and value established, you can walk away knowing your clients can speak positively about you and your business. The more positive interactions, the more likely they will stay on your train—and recommend others hop on, too. 




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