Hear more feedback, see more business

So you get your client onboarded. He has his card, his summary of benefits--He is thrilled with his coverage. He even emailed a nice thank you note. Awesome…but now what? Calling him to ask, “Whatcha thinkin’ about?” is probably not going to yield the most fruitful results. But you, in earnest, want to hear more about what your clients are thinking about your business. How can you productively gather that information? Give your clients a way to be heard, and use that feedback to improve your business—or make another sale.

Set a schedule

To prevent overcalling one client and getting an earful, or skipping others and missing an opportunity, set a schedule and stick to it. You could call two clients a day, or you could set aside one day a month for calls. Whatever works, do it. What if you get the dreaded voicemail? Well, leave one! Maybe they call back, maybe they don’t. But, the likelihood of a client calling back an unrecognized number is slim. If you really want to hear back from that particular client, let them know when you plan to call them back, and actually make the call.

Enrollment periods

Another great time to check in is right at the beginning of enrollment periods. Many individuals don’t have health insurance coverage at the forefront of their mind. A reminder from agents that open enrollment is coming up might just be the trick to getting the coverage wheels turning. Even if they are uninterested in switching plans, your call might remind that client of a friend who just ran the clock out on his COBRA recently and needs your help. Medicare beneficiaries might find themselves browsing Med Sup plans again after hearing your voice. If they mention any desire to switch and say they want some time to think it over, schedule a time to call them back.

Share news

If selected mindfully enough, the right news for clients can be good news for your book of business. Will clients jump at the news that your carrier is offering new incentives for agents to sell, and if you just get a few more contracts, you could win? Of course not. But suppose you took great notes on a client and jotted down how they mentioned such-and-such plan would be just perfect for them if it just had this-and-that value-added benefit. And, would you look at that, it was just announced to be added to that plan. Well, what are you waiting for? Get on the horn! You have a sale on your hands here.

Thank you, happy birthday

Touching base on special occasions is a great tool for keeping the lines of communication open. These work as an email or postcard, too, and can be particularly effective for initial enrollment periods. “Happy birthday, client! You’re turning 65 soon, so you know what that means: time to get off that Marketplace plan and into Medicare. Give me a call so we can find the best coverage fit for you.” It doesn’t have to be limited to birthdays, either. Holidays and anniversaries work as a great option. Possibly, one of your clients celebrates Passover, but it is nowhere near any enrollment periods. Send her an e-card: it doesn’t need to mention her coverage at all. The purpose here is just to get you in the forefront of her mind. She could give that ancillary product you mentioned at your last meeting another thought, and give you a call.

Ask for feedback

This one will work best after you have provided a service for your client. Ask them to fill out a questionnaire or write a review for your social media website about the experience they had with you. Immediately address any concerns the client had, and thank them for their feedback. Recall our insight on negative reviews for more information on handling negative reviews with ease. Take notes on the client and add anything useful to their files for your next conversation.

Stay on the social media radar

We can’t help it: Humans are social creatures. We want to talk about our experiences and leave our two cents. Harness that power for the good of your book of business by staying active on social media accounts. Make your posts a call to action for your clients to discuss. That way, you are getting two benefits—the interactions on your socials will boost your content to a wider audience, and you can farm the comments for that feedback you were looking for. Comment back to clients with positive, relevant information. If appropriate, you could even start a discussion with your clients about product choices or regulation changes, giving you a knowledgeable front for those prospective customers lurking in the comments section. Look at you, maximizing efforts!

Little things add up to more sales

Without being a mind reader, it can be hard to tell what your clients really think about the services you offer them. But, we can create the next best thing with a few tricks. Don’t forget to log any new information you learn about your clients somewhere, so next time you make a phone call, you can be prepped with every bit of information you need to make that next sale. For more ways to improve client experiences, check out our insight on client onboarding.