For the sixth episode of our new podcast series, “The Heroes Huddle with Glen Shelton,” our latest guest is Mike Gattorna from Medicare Café. Mike will give agents reason not only why they should be selling Medicare Advantage but what to do after Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) and how to maximize your commissions. Mike Gattorna, who’s performed over 300 webinars, and written numerous articles on Medicare marketing and selling – spells out strategies agents should be taking, even before they leave their AEP sales appointment!

1. The Heroes Huddle Podcast
with Glen Shelton
MarketingAfterAEP
Featuring:
MikeGattorna

2. Mike Gattorna
• Director of Training at
Senior Marketing Specialists (SMS)
• Director at Health Agents Network
• Performed over 300 webinars based on
Medicare basics, marketing, selling techniques,
product information and more!
• Written numerous white papers on Medicare
including the eBook, “Marketing in the Medicare Arena”
• “Marketing After AEP”

3. Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)
• A year-round marathon, not a 7-week sprint!
• Should be building a call list all year long – of prospects
and clients that you can reach out to set appointments
for the upcoming AEP

4. Even if Sell Medicare Supplements…
AEP IS STILL IMPORTANT BECAUSE:
1. Seniors get confused about the enrollment periods
and not sure if they should check into getting their
Medicare Supplement re-quoted
2. Part D Plans (PDP) opportunities – someone’s gonna
help your client with their meds why not you?
3. Unless they are on Group or Medicaid every senior is
affected by AEP

5. Even if Sell Medicare Advantage…
YOU CAN STILL SELL MA THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
BECAUSE:
1. Dual Eligible recipients
2. Special Needs Plan (SNP)
3. Seniors turning 65 years old (T65)

6. Understand Your Area’s Medicare Advantage
Penetration Rate (MAPR)
Go to:
LeadHeroes.com/order-leads to see
your area’s MAPR in an easy to
understand Heat Map format.
More than 30% is greater for
selling Medicare Advantage
Less than 30% is greater for
selling Medicare Supplements

7. Why You Should Keep MA in Your Back Pocket
• Seniors in rural areas where Medicare Supplements are
prevalent will still go to the metropolitan areas for
treatment, sometimes because specialists aren’t in rural
areas
• Due to major networks buying up practices, hospitals etc.,
we’re starting to see the traditional dichotomy of ‘rural vs
urban’ or ‘Med Supps vs MA’ blur…
• Keep the business instead of referring it out!
• Medicare Advantage (32% of Medicare beneficiaries) is
more popular than Medicare Supplements (26%)

8. Staying Busy After New Year’s
•Always be sure you set a follow-up appointment
to come back after AEP before you leave the
appointment
•Just say something like,
“I always do a follow-up visit 1 to 2 months after we initially
meet to make sure you got all your materials, you got your cards,
everything’s ok; just a quick 10 minute, ‘how ya doing.”
• Helps to remind them – just like their doctors do

9. Staying Busy After New Year’s
• Setting an appointment, before you leave you AEP
appointment, for the following appointment after the
New Year, can also prompt referrals!
• Just say something to this affect before leaving the
appointment:
“Hey if you know anyone, a friend, neighbor, a family
member is aging into Medicare and they have some
simple questions, let me know and I’ll drop off some
more cards.”

10. Multiply Your Commissions Cross-Selling
Ancillary Products
• Working your book of business is way easier and
profitable than going after new business
• Most clients come from Group Coverage, which offered
them multiple types of coverage via the HR person:
Long Term Care
Short Term Care
Critical Illness
Cancer Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Hospital Indemnity
Life Insurance

11. Cross-Selling Your Clients Also…
• Leads to higher persistency with the policies you
write!
• 1 policy, retention rate is 50%
• 2 policies, retention rate is 70%
• 3+ policies, retention rate is 90%
• People familiar with you and have bought from you
are more likely to buy from you again in the future…
• Plus it’s cheaper on your marketing budget!

12. Send Thank You Cards!
•Use Send Out Cards (SOC), or order some cards
off the internet in bulk, and send them to
prospects and clients you just met with
•Other times to send people cards:
After their policy is accepted
Before a major holiday
Before their birthday
Reminders that you handle other types of insurance
Reminders that you welcome referrals

13. Start a Newsletter
•Send it quarterly
•Mailchimp is a free popular service if you have
less than 2,000 prospects/clients
•Feature client stories, recipes etc.
•Don’t make it promotional but educational and
entertaining!
•Try for quarterly – will help you get to 7 touches
a year!

14. Don’t Forget to Visit Medicare Cafe
https://sms-university.com/medicare-cafe

15. Get Online
•Seniors are increasingly online and most have
emails
•Be on Facebook
•LinkedIn is also great
•Get a website
• Check out our guide to creating an insurance website:
www.leadheroes.com/insurance-website-design

16. Stay on Top of Lead Management
•Super important to have one to keep you on
track by:
Sending out automated email notifications
Tracking commissions
Having a synchronized calendar and task list
• Check out our top 10 CRM review article:
www.leadheroes.com/insurance-crms

17. Stay on Top of Lead Management
“If you’re not thanked once in a while, by your
leads, for your persistency, you’re not working
your leads hard enough…”
Be sure to contact each lead 5-7 times, ideally
9-10, but at a minimum 3-4.

18. Mike Gattorna’s CRM Recommendations
1. ZOHO – free but generic to businesses and not
specific to insurance
2. RadiusBob – most popular insurance agent
option
3. AgencyBloc – another popular option
Also, be sure to check out MyMO Pro for another
insurance specific CRM

19. Findmoreresourcesonoursitewww.LeadHeroes.com
AlsobesuretocheckoutMedicareCafe
https://sms-university.com/medicare-cafe
The Heroes Huddle Podcast with Glen Shelton