Episode Summary
The podcast episode focuses on expert tips for planning and hosting successful Medicare Advantage sales events. The host Gillan introduces guest Cynthia Rosales, who has over 20 years of experience in Medicare sales and management roles.
Cynthia is a strong believer in in-person sales events because they allow for personal relationship building and interactions. When attendees can ask questions together in a group setting, they feel more comfortable engaging than in a one-on-one sales discussion. The group dynamic helps build trust and confidence.
Cynthia recommends first identifying neighborhoods or communities with average to low-income seniors who would benefit most from Medicare Advantage plans. These areas are ideal for targeting event marketing. When selecting a venue, choose locations close to your target area to limit travel time and friction for attendees. Great venues to connect with seniors include restaurants during slower hours, libraries, senior centers, or even senior living facilities if possible.
If hosting an event at a restaurant, Cynthia suggests offering to purchase some refreshments and tip the staff well. This provides an incentive for the restaurant to host during downtime. She recommends budgeting approximately $25-50 per event for these expenses. During the event, offer to take group appetizer orders after providing initial drinks purchased based on RSVPs.
Marketing the events successfully is critical. Cynthia stresses starting promotion and outreach at least 3-4 weeks in advance using mailers, flyers in the community, contacting carriers/brokers to refer people and other channels. Promote multiple upcoming event dates and locations to build consistency and turnout over time.
She also advises following up quickly with those who RSVP to introduce yourself and start building a relationship before the event. Consider inviting existing clients as well, who can help first-timers feel more comfortable attending.
Cynthia expects that as COVID concerns continue to fade, seniors will become much more open to attending small in-person events like Medicare sales gatherings. The personal touch remains important for making this demographic feel at ease when asking questions and engaging.
By following Cynthia's tips on identifying the right location, giving yourself ample time to promote the event across channels, and building personal connections ahead of time and during the event, agents can drive greater turnout and engagement at their Medicare sales events. This ultimately translates into more Medicare Advantage plan enrollments.
Timestamps
(0:00:00) - Broker Link podcast: How to successfully host a Medicare sales event
(0:00:49) - Cynthia Rosales is your trusted source for growing your insurance business
(0:02:29) - Cynthia is a believer in field sales events in the first place
(0:03:55) - Cynthia: Let's dive into what makes a successful sales event
(0:13:46) - Let's talk about budgeting for this because most agents will do multiple events
(0:18:10) - So then let's move on to marketing. Deadlines have to be met for national marketing
(0:23:47) - How early should someone start marketing for their series of events
(0:29:09) - How do you judge whether a meeting is succeeding or not
(0:30:40) - Make sure you call all of those individuals whom you're getting RSVPs for
(0:32:35) - Step one is identifying an area that you can consistently show up at
(0:33:54) - You still have time to grow your insurance business, Cynthia says
