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I Want to Build my Book of Business through Local Employers!

Community Marketing

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As a broker, do you utilize the employers in your local community? If not, you are not alone! Employers are often an underutilized resource in the Medicare industry. If you are not forming and developing relationships with local businesses in your area to build your book of business, you’re missing out! Employers offer a direct pathway to people, which includes those who are turning 65 or planning to retire soon. This space is ripe with potential to build your book of business. Plan Advisors has developed a guide to help you connect with employers to educate employees and clients nearing Medicare age.

Let’s Get Started! 

Are you overwhelmed when thinking about the upcoming AEP? At Plan Advisors, we understand that it may seem daunting. However, we believe that working through a new market, like employers, is the first step to building a solid foothold within your community. All it takes is a little work, and you’re on your way to finding employers which enables connection with new Medicare beneficiaries. Here are a few steps to get you started:

  • Call organizations and businesses in your area and ask them if they provide Medicare educational services to their employees. If not, you can schedule a meeting with their HR directors to share information about Medicare and how you can help those approaching retirement. Once an acquaintanceship is established, it’s your job to nurture the relationship and prove your worth.
  • Follow-up with past employers of the retirees you serve. This will cover your bases, and you may discover employers you did not initially consider. A lot of your leads and individuals are going to derive from current clients. Capitalize on this!
  • Start simple with materials such as informative handouts, but always be willing to journey above and beyond with in-person seminars and consultations for prospective clients. This is a great way to build a relationship and instill yourself as an expert in your field and someone who will be dedicated to the needs of your clients.

Let’s Scope Out an Audience!

Once you’re working on forming connections with new employers and establishing your role as their Medicare expert, what’s the next step? You maintain those relationships! At the same time, however, you must continue working to build new ones while being dedicated to helping your current beneficiaries. Here are a few more tips and tricks for finding your niche market through these employers: 

  • Meet and Greet. Mingle with HR representatives at businesses in your local community. Be confident in yourself and your knowledge to be able to reach out to new people. The larger your network grows, the more exciting opportunities you may find moving forward. You want to become the go-to Medicare expert for the employers that you form connections with.
  • Cultivate. Introduce educational material above promotional material. Employers don’t want to be sold to, but they may desire the information you provide. It becomes important to note that employers are not always familiar with or considering Medicare. Therefore, providing handouts or conducting seminars for potential Medicare customers is a great way to teach them what they need to know and what you can do for them, without pitching yourself to them.
  • Relieve. Focus on alleviating the burdens that HR is feeling by marking one thing off their checklist. Again, the employers may not be considering the steps and information needed to help their employees navigate Medicare. Be the Medicare expert.
  • Develop. Get to know seniors early, develop fellowship and camaraderie, before they turn 65 or retire. You, their friend, can prepare them for the future—what to expect, when to call Social Security, and what plans are best for them. If they already know who you are, your goals, and what you can do for them, that is one less obstacle they have to consider when the time comes. 

Finding new pathways to seniors and potential clients can seem unnerving, but with these steps, tips, and tricks, you’re able to gain from this underutilized lead source. By utilizing your local community’s employers, you’ll be able to help those of retirement age navigate the Medicare space with ease.

Need help sowing the seeds for AEP? The Plan Advisors team is here to help you diversify your lead sources for a more successful AEP. 

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For well over a year, Medicare sales specialists in many parts of the country have been handcuffed to virtual meetings and events, with the pandemic preventing them from hosting or taking part in community-based marketing events. This has created a tremendous shift away from the community towards online events and marketing. But as areas begin to relax and start to strive for the good old days of public gatherings and festivities, let’s remember that there is nothing quite like quality, local, face-to-face marketing. We’ve got some tips to help you market your Medicare business locally.

How to Get Recognized Locally

To be known, you must market yourself. Whether it’s time or money or both, there is always a cost associated with marketing. The beauty of community-based marketing is that you can spend more time and less money becoming known as a resource in your area.

Therefore, think about your week and how much time you can commit to local outreach. Structure your week to allow for these opportunities and be consistent and committed. In due time, you will reap a return on your time and energy invested.

Best Places to Market Your Medicare Business Locally

First, to state the obvious, if you have experience with marketing in your community, try going back to what worked before. Reintroduce yourself to all your local networking contacts and find out if the events with which you participated in the past are resurfacing. And once you have exhausted those efforts, see if anything new has popped up.

Here are some of the best locations for marketing your Medicare business:

Mom & Pop Diners

Do you have any locally owned breakfast spots that seniors like to frequent in your area? Many restauranteurs are hungry (pardon the pun) for help on all fronts. Try introducing yourself and asking the owner if they’d like a supply of free coffee mugs. You just request that your branding and phone number be placed on the mug. You can have a supply of these that cost you around $2 per mug. If you need help with this process, just reach out to our team here at Plan Advisors! Also consider hosting a coffee club once a week where you can answer senior-related questions for an hour or two.

Community or Senior Centers

As senior centers begin to reopen in your community, try to be an asset they can rely on. Introduce yourself to the center manager and let them know the various ways you’re able to provide support. Try hosting their weekly bingo session and provide a few prizes for the winning cardholders. Have a weekly Medicare Question and Answer session scheduled so that seniors will always know where they can find you for help. Consider hosting a monthly birthday party. There are endless ways to show your support at these community centers.

Farmer’s Markets

Additionally, it’s warming up all across the country. As people get outside to do some weekend shopping, try to secure a space at your local farmer’s market. The cost is typically very reasonable, and you could have weekly exposure to shoppers in your community. All you need is a branded tablecloth, some Medicare related literature to hand out, and some affordable freebies, such as pens or sticky pads.

Discount Pharmacies

Finally, is there a discount pharmacy in your community? Many of these are locally owned and operated. They struggle to compete with national pharmacies and could use support. Introduce yourself and ask the pharmacist if they are familiar with the Part D Senior Savings Program. Educate them on how this program helps diabetic Medicare beneficiaries and let them know you would be happy to educate their customers. Leave your contact info on display and consider setting up a small kiosk a couple of hours per week, if they are agreeable to it.

For more information and ideas about community-based marketing, download our Community Marketing Guide.