1. Be the expert on health care reform. And talk about it. Most Americans—and businesses—don’t understand it.
  2. Use emotional connections during enrollment.
  3. Astound yourself today.
  4. Don’t blame the economy. Or PPACA. Or whatever. Keep going.
  5. Make calls. Repeat.
  6. Remember: Success is a journey, not a destination.
  7. Network.
  8. Build your reputation by blogging.
  9. Hold volunteer positions in organizations that interest you. It’ll help you stay visible.
  10. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given.
  11. Tap into the Hispanic market. The American population has been shifting over time demographically to a much larger percentage of Hispanics.
  12. Give life insurance a shot.
  13. Embrace technology. It’s not going anywhere.
  14. Remember the three P’s: Patience, patience, patience.
  15. Learn to say no. Don’t chase opportunities that aren’t a good fit with what you do well. By saying no to the wrong opportunities and yes to the right ones, you’ll have more success and earn more clients. You’ll find you’re building deeper, more compelling, and longer-lasting relationships while having more fun.
  16. Learn to handle rejection.
  17. Don’t ask yourself, “Is it convenient?” Ask yourself, “Are you capable?”
  18. Know how—and when to—cross sell products.
  19. Learn how to communicate across generations. “The one-size-fits-all approach does not fit at all anymore—it’s a whole different conversation with each generation,” says Joe Navarro, marketing director for Warner-Pacific in Westlake Village, Calif.
  20. Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations.
  21. Generation tip: Matures prefer a more personal approach to communication with their benefits providers and in plan communications. Matures are less comfortable with electronic and mobile forms of communication and as well as interactions they view as impersonal.
  22. Forget best practices. Think next practices.
  23. Embrace voluntary products.
  24. Become an expert on Medicare.
  25. Choose your partners wisely. We all can benefit when we partner with the right carrier, the right technology company, enrollment firm or broker.
  26. Attend conferences.
  27. Have an enrollment strategy and a re-enrollment plan. Rushing through a situation without properly planning for the proper set up, the meetings, the first, second, and third-year product mix, the effective communication with the employer and everything that’s necessary for a successful enrollment will spell disaster for your clients and you. They will be soured on the concept of worksite and you might have a negative balance sheet.
  28. Don’t be afraid to walk. If a deal is not a win for everyone involved, it’s better just to walk away.
  29. Be a great communicator.
  30. Show your appreciation for people that help you.
  31. Don’t be afraid to help and accept help from others.
  32. Be an HR liaison.
  33. Generation tip: Mix communication methods with baby boomers. While they like person-to-person communications, they’ll also want details to arm themselves to make a decision. Boomers will take part in webinars, watch videos and use the Internet, too, but agents and brokers should be prepared to answer questions.
  34. Create a LinkedIn account. And a Facebook account. And Twitter.
  35. Teach a class.
  36. Attend a class.
  37. Be loyal.
  38. Don’t interrupt.
  39. Ask for referrals. This one action tells the client that you believe in your product and you would be proud to offer it to their friends and relatives. Referrals also validate the sale for the consumer (especially when they are willing to tell someone else about their purchase decision).
  40. Adopt the old business principle: The customer comes first.
  41. Consider how you fit into the exchange puzzle.
  42. Bring out your inner Superman. Make the extra phone call. Follow up one more time. Do more research about that new law. Send one more email. Arrive early. Don’t wait to be asked—offer help. Be the first one to cross the finish line.
  43. Be a mentor. Share your expertise with younger generations getting into the business. Be understanding of what younger generations need and do to be successful. Reach out. Be active in organizations. Hire the best and the brightest people.
  44. Be a partner to your employer.
  45. Generation tip: Members of Generation X prefer online forms of communication and interaction. E-mail is the preferred medium, they say, but agents and brokers better be prepared to correspond electronically, too, as Gen Xers will want to ask questions over e-mail.
  46. Think like an employer. Employers don’t care about commissions or fees; they just need services.
  47. Have lunch-and- learns.
  48. Know stagnation isn’t an option. “You need to grow,” says Donna Joseph, CEO of Rhodes-Joseph & Tobiason Advisors. “Stagnation isn’t acceptable anymore.”
  49. Think (and talk) wellness. Help benefit managers explore the advantages of a strong wellness program.
  50. Stay current. Watch what the new products are—they may surprise you.
  51. Seek out financial statements and annual reports.
  52. Don’t give up too easily.
  53. Don’t be too proud to go to an enrollment periodically to make sure you know what’s going on out there.
  54. Recognize you can’t sell everybody. If you do your best and they still don’t get it, you’ve got to let go and move on. The next person is important, too.
  55. Post news articles on your Facebook page to engage in conversation.
  56. Shake hands with clients.
  57. Own your own mistakes. If you screw something up, explain it to the client.
  58. Surround yourself with people who are experts in areas you aren’t.
  59. Find—and use—some apps that are popular within your selling community.
  60. Focus on the reasons we have employee benefits—to meet the life needs of employees in ways that attract and retain the best and most productive talent.
  61. Survey clients. Find out what their interests are.
  62. Send handwritten notes. Because most people don’t.
  63. Be emphatic.
  64. Continue to build relationships. Don’t lose contact during the year. Don’t only reach out during enrollment time.
  65. Contribute to LinkedIn discussions on worthy sites where your colleagues might be.
  66. Generation tip: For members of Generation Y, be prepared to use just about every kind of electronic communications tools they have, including social media, texting, instant messaging and email. Millennials place weight in online comments and message boards, too.
  67. Know your return on investment.
  68. Have any negative people in your life? Get rid of them.
  69. Are you the negative person in your life? Grow out of it.
  70. Once the next question has been asked and answered to the point that you’ve identified an opportunity, don’t stop asking the next question, and never stop asking it of your customers.
  71. Invite a client (or two) to dinner.
  72. Talk about voluntary products. A lot.
  73. Send out cards to clients for holidays that are unexpected (like Thanksgiving or Labor Day).
  74. Learn about medical tourism.
  75. Always remember the customer is always right.
  76. Know your products.
  77. Know your competition.
  78. If you don’t know the answer to a specific question, don’t fake it. Simply tell the client you need to research it and get back to them on the answer.
  79. Spend your time listening to the clients, instead of working on your pitch.
  80. Recognize the value you bring to clients and employers.
  81. Try your hand at Medicare sales.
  82. Generation tip: New information about each generation seems to emerge every day. Most brokers and agents should do their best to stay abreast of all the information about their clients as they can, but it all basically comes down to understanding your audience.
  83. Teach an educational course at a local university, or host a seminar or track session at a conference.
  84. Discuss with clients the negative aspects of canceling a policy that has been in force for a period of time. Understanding how the premium and contestability period may change if a policy is cancelled and then re-written could determine whether or not a client decides to keep their current policy. From the agent’s perspective, renewal commissions are protected when policies stay on the books.
  85. Mail postcards.
  86. Offer Social Security planning.
  87. Sell ethically.
  88. Participate in local charities. It shows that you care about people and your community.
  89. Use newsletters or send emails about important industry news.
  90. Create a bio sheet. Use a professional photo and share both your professional resume as well as personal information on what makes you unique within the industry and why prospects should work with you.
  91. Mail birthday cards to clients.
  92. If someone tells you no, ask why. You’ll gauge how the client perceives your proposal.
  93. Do thorough homework before developing a proposal. Then, create an offer that is impossible to decline.
  94. Consider showing spreadsheets of recent enrollment ratios of voluntary benefits by other local companies. Not only do clients see that employees are selecting benefits such as gap health insurance or life insurance, they also realize they may need to offer these things to remain competitive in the labor market.
  95. Speak clearly and slowly. Look into a person’s eyes.
  96. Keep your clients up to date on new rules and limits involving flexible spending accounts.
  97. Consistently update your social media pages. Ensure your content is ongoing and high quality. If you are only updating once every few weeks or every month or so, don’t bother.
  98. Remind clients of important dates. Send a calendar with deadlines and such circled or pointed out.
  99. Read trade magazines and newspapers.
  100. Make cold calls at least an hour per day.

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