Welcome to 2020! We’re kicking it off right by bringing you 20 voices germaine to the California Broker world. Of course, this is not a ranking or top 20 list. We do think our contributors are tops, but we’ve merely arranged the pieces in alphabetical order by last name. You’ll see that we have some longer contributions and some short Q&As and conversations. Our aim was to mix it up—and invite a few fresh faces to contribute along with a few regulars. Read on for what’s on these folks’ minds for 2020….
By Jeff Grocky, LISI marketing director
LISI’s new video series, Coffee with Carriers, is just one way our company is trailblazing in carrier communications. The video series features a caffeinated jolt of premium product knowledge, new carrier technology, legislative updates and market trends. The video platform gives insurance executives a more personal way to reach brokers and introduces the people behind the brand. We’re in the people business after all.
Coffee with Carriers (www.lisibroker.com/news/coffee-with-carriers) is a relaxed venue for executives to talk about their company’s initiatives, discuss industry trends, and relate their professional journey in the insurance business. Unlike live webinars, the videos are easily accessed and shared on social media.
Here are some highlights from recent videos:
- Episode 1: UnitedHealthcare’s Steve Cain, CEO, Northern California, and Meghan Newkirk, general manager, Southern California say that UnitedHealthcare is focused on taking the frustration out of getting care and medication. One example is an easy online tool, which is embedded into the medical record and allows doctors to easily check which prescriptions are covered and which need an authorization.
- Episode 2: Colin Havert, VP and general manager, California Small Group Business, at Anthem Blue Cross says the company is pushing the needle on enrolling groups faster and improving efficiencies for their broker and General Agents (GA) partners. “We want to get more efficient with every enrollment. We want to make it as easy as possible for brokers to do business with us and for GAs to manage that business.” He noted that Anthem can now do same day enrollments. Anthem also has application programming interface (API) connectivity with Ease benefits administration software.
- Episode 3: Geoff Abbott, Heartland Payroll territory manager, focuses on hiring the most experienced people to give payroll and HR support to brokers. With Heartland’s support team, “We back you up and make you look like a superstar,” he said.
- Episode 4: Health Net SVP of Sales Scott Kranzel says the company is expanding self-service for members, brokers, and GAs. Health Net has added ways for members to receive care, including doctor visits.
Like so much of what we do at LISI, Coffee with Carriers breaks the mold of traditional business-to-business marketing. Coming from the consumer sphere, I see no reason why communications in the insurance industry should be any less engaging. In the business world, we’re still speaking to real people. The sports fan who watches a Super Bowl commercial is the same person who steps into the office during the workweek.
The internet of things and social media are relatively new, but with increasing adoption they’re growing in popularity for business professionals. We all consume and engage with content differently and my team strives to deliver information in the way brokers prefer to receive it. One recent example of our efforts is the LISI Skill on Amazon’s Alexa platform. Brokers can now get their carrier updates recited to them from any device.
We believe the best way to show the broker community respect is to put serious effort into crafting interesting stories, eye-popping graphics, and interactive communications that rival anything you’ll find in the consumer sector. We’re only able to bring that level of expertise because we have an incredibly curious and talented marketing team that wants to deliver the best customer experience.
Jeff Grocky is marketing director of LISI in Woodland Hills, Calif. He has a history of bringing technology and creativity together to lead highly successful marketing teams that prioritize data-driven growth.