If you’re new to health insurance, making your first few sales can be a daunting prospect. Feeling overwhelmed or not knowing where to start is common and totally understandable.

Fortunately, many before you have succeeded in the same situation, and so can you. Once you close your first few sales, finding prospective customers and making sales will likely get easier as you receive referrals from existing clients.

When agents are first starting out, they commonly wonder how to find and approach customers. Here, we’ll share nine expert tips on exactly how to do that so you can start building your book of business.

Preparation paves the way

Start with a simple plan that you can expand as you gain experience. Identify which products you’re selling and which audiences you’re selling them to. For Medicare-related plans, you’ll be targeting groups such as:

•   Medicare-eligible
•   Dual-eligible (eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid)

In addition, the population aging into Medicare is getting more diverse. There’s a need for agents who can communicate to the above groups in languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Korean. If that’s you, be sure you work with a carrier that provides in-language resources, such as Humana’s Marketing Resource Center and Sales Enablement Library.

People you talk to will look to you as a guide to the complex world of Medicare. Studying up on which plans would be best for different people will help you direct customers to the best solutions for their needs.

How to approach prospects

Promoting a plan before you get to know someone can make you come off as pushy or salesy. The best way help someone find the plan they need is to listen. Take the time to learn their lifestyle, needs and budget.

As you get to know them, you’ll get a better understanding of which plans are best for them. Learning more about the specific audience you’re speaking with can also help you engage with them more empathetically.

Help the people you talk to however you can. Sometimes that means helping them find a plan. Other times, it involves educating them about Medicare, pointing them toward community resources and organizations, or even just lending a sympathetic ear.

When you leave people with a good experience, they can still become a loyal sources of referrals even if they don’t enroll in a plan themselves.

Where to find your first leads

Let people in your network know what you have to offer. Talking one on one or sending personalized correspondences creates a more personable connection than a mass email or social media announcement.

Ask your network if they know anyone who could use your help in finding a plan. If you don’t have a professional network or list of potential clients already, start with friends and family.

Don’t be bashful. Even if you’re new to health insurance. You may be able to find solutions that help people live healthier, save money and make the most of their benefits.

Don’t have a network of your own? Community organizations, businesses and B2B centers of influence may already have extensive networks of members and customers who may benefit from your services. Here are some examples of places that you might approach with information or educational programming.

Position yourself as the go-to source of Medicare advice for these organizations. Excellent ways to connect with them include dropping in for a chat, leaving information such as flyers, brochures and posters or arranging educational presentations or Q&A sessions with their constituents.

Social media can be an effective way to connect with people plugged in to the digital world. For agents who’ve completed the mandatory social media training, use the pre-approved social media assets available in the MRC to provide your audience with valuable information such as news and tips, and share things that help them get to know you as a person.

Don’t forget to follow up

It can take six to eight “touches” (conversations, email opens, social media impressions, etc.) on average to make a sale.¹ You can track your interactions with a simple spreadsheet. Using a customer relationship management (CRM) application can also help you keep in touch with prospects and can help with customer retention, customer satisfaction, sales revenue, and helping customers find new coverage when their needs change.

The best way to nurture a lead is to check in with them regularly and offer them valuable takeaways with every interaction. When people see you as a positive influence and problem solver rather than a needy salesperson trying to get something from them, they will likely be more open to sales conversations.

There’s no need to make your first sales alone. Partnering with a carrier like Humana helps ensure support every step of the way. Humana provides extensive training opportunities and resources to help certify to sell Medicare plans and to help you understand plans and audiences.

We also offer libraries of ready-to-use, customizable, in-language sales and marketing materials to facilitate reaching out and engaging with customers. We help make it easy to enroll through convenient sales technology. Local support for you and our members is only a phone call away.

You can do this

Start with a plan. Know your products and audiences. Prioritize listening to prospective clients and getting to know them so you can offer the solutions that are right for their needs.

As you start reaching out to people, focus on leveraging your existing network, positioning yourself as an expert resource for community organizations and creating a web presence via social media. To enhance your success, partner up with a carrier like Humana that can support you in all these steps.

Want to learn more about how Humana can make your first sales easier? Fill out the form and we’ll contact you, and you’ll also get your free guide on lead generation. You can also contact a rep to start up a conversation.