Individual Health

 

When You Build It (Online), Individual Sales Are Just a Click Away
by Brent Hitchings

Did you know that women, people younger than 65, college graduates, and those with extensive online experience or broadband access are more likely to seek health information online? Every sales person should recognize that 93 million Americans have used the Web to get health or medical information.  Searching for health or medical information is one of the most popular online activities, trailing only e-mailing and researching a product or service before buying it.  It is clear the Internet is creating exciting new opportunities in the marketplace for individual health coverage.

In addition to changing the way people gather health information, consumers are using the Internet to research health insurance options for themselves, family members, and friends. This increased Internet usage presents a tremendous marketing opportunity and a cost-effective means of attracting new individual customers for savvy brokers. Take advantage of the technology and watch e-marketing and online sales help grow your book of individual and family plan business.

Creating a smart, easy to navigate, customer-friendly Website is fairly simple.  Numerous organizations are available to help you develop a site that matches your personality and business profile.  Making plan information available 24/7 gives potential customers the ability to compare options and get quotes online, which is exponentially more efficient than having to schedule in-person meetings or run quotes for them.

Selling healthcare in the individual marketplace is all about reaching as many people as possible, as efficiently as possible. By moving sales online, you can reduce your administrative overhead and increase the number of clients you can serve in a day. Based on your budget, a number of companies can help you maximize lead generation through low-cost search advertising. Other marketing tools can help drive traffic to your site, attracting a steady stream of business to your “door” without your ever having to leave the office.

This untapped lead channel provides more cost-efficient, high-quality sales opportunities than existed in the past. Online lead generation gives you much greater value for your dollar spent and a lower CPL/CPS than more traditional outlets. Combined with a more efficient sales process, online activities can lower your cost per sale significantly.

Getting started is easier than you may think and results are quick, too. Visitors get faster quotes through the use of quoting engines. No longer do you need to do the work; a back-end system linked to your site does it for you. Once a prospective client decides to purchase a health plan, the value increases with the efficiency of enrolling online. Every producer knows the frustration of seeing applications delayed due to handwriting issues, transposing errors, or inadvertently missed information. Every application is complete because the technology actually catches human errors, leading to faster turnaround times. 

Joining the online healthcare sales revolution is easy. It can save you time, cut down on your paperwork, allow you to quote more, enroll more and build your book of business.  More sales and commissions are all just a click away.  Contact your plan representative or attend a local seminar for help on how to get started with selling health care coverage online today.
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Brent Hitchings is Vice President of Producer Sales for Blue Shield of California’s Individual, Small Group, & Government Business Unit.