Senior Marketing Specialists' May Announcements: Quote Engine Updated, a New Plan that Pays 30% Commissions, and Mutual of Omaha's Rate Increase

• Our State-of-the-Art Quote Engine will be radically improved on May 1st to include quotes in all 48 states that we do business. Check it out to see how this will benefit you. (You must be licensed through SMS and logged in to enjoy this service.)




• Mutual of Omaha is having a rate increase effective May 1, 2011. Call us for the Mutual of Omaha rate increase details and for alternative selling options.




• We will have a new Secure Care/ Hospital Plan available that is NOT a major medical and that pays above 20% commissions. Call for details: 1-800-689-2800.
  
  

Compelling Reasons to Sell Final Expense Plans - Senior Marketing Specialists

Recovery Care Training Boot Camp in Springfield, MO

If there was a 70% chance of rain today would you take an umbrella with you? Did you know that there is a 70% chance of your clients needing recovery care? Have you offered them an umbrella? Join our FREE Recovery Care Boot Camp to learn more!

• Date: Thursday, April 28th


• Time: 8:30am - 3:00pm


• Place: University Plaza Hotel in Springfield, MO


• Presenters: Philip Warren, Dan McNerney, and others

As our guest you will receive FREE...

• Recovery Care Consumer Presentation


• Turn-Key Recovery Care Sales System


• Client Pre-Approach Letter Package


• Copy of all Presentations

"I thoroughly enjoyed the Boot Camp and really appreciate what SMS is trying to do for all of us to succeed in these trying times. I thought all of the presentations were fantastic, but especially enjoyed Bobby Richardson's 'taking us in a home' for an overview of how they approach a prospect. I have accidentally done 'most' of the stuff he talked about, but he gave me some ideas I have not used that I intend to put to good use immediately. What an inspiring and educational day it was for both Steve and I. All we can say is thank you and I look forward to working together going forward." ~Randy

Last day to sign up for Senior Marketing Specialists' Final Expense Training Boot Camp in Columbia, MO

Tomorrow (April 27th), we are hosting a free Final Expense Training Boot Camp. With clients concerned about the economy and with Baby Boomers heading toward retirement, there is an increased need and growing market for Final Expense Plans. At our Boot Camp, we will teach you how to prospect, present and sell Final Expense Plans! Reserve your spot today by calling 1-800-689-2800 or by emailing Kalia at kalia@smsteam.net.

"I thoroughly enjoyed your Boot Camp and really appreciate what SMS is trying to do for all of us to succeed in these trying times. I thought all of the presentations were fantastic...What an inspiring and educational day it was."
-Randy (SMS agent)

At Senior Marketing Specialist, we had a Facebook Staff Photo Contest in honor of Administrative Professionals Day

The winning picture belongs to Senior Insurance Specialists. (See the picture on the left.)

To see what other pictures where submitted in our contest, check out Senior Marketing Specialist's Facebook Fan Page and click on "Photos".

"Like" our Fan Page so that you can join our future contests, learn about our free training events, and much more!

Have a great Tuesday!

Sweet 16: a unique way to wish clients a happy birthday by Senior Market Advisor

Would you like a creative yet simple way to wish your clients a happy birthday! Read this tip for one great idea!

Rethink the speed of your presentation

"Time-pressed prospects can’t afford to waste time on chit-chat or sales calls that drag on, so they reduce the amount of time alloted for sales meetings. This causes advisors to speed up their presentation in order to cram it all in and get all the information across to prospects. But this approach causes you to lose your prospect’s attention and respect. A more effective approach is..."

To continue reading this tip from Senior Market Advisor, click here.

A simple exercise to help you structure your advertising efforts

This exercise is one that Dan Mangus uses himself and recommends to other agents in the senior market. He says "it helps to come up with a unique selling proposition first and then market that to clients." While the exercise is relatively simple, you may find it challenging too. But it pays off to spend some time determining how you are really different from your competitors.

So here's the activity:

Just fill in the blanks of this sentence:

______(Your Name)______ is ______(You are unique how?)______ .

We'd love to hear what you come up with, so let us know here or email Lindsey at lindsey@smsteam.net. Thanks and have a great day!

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Zig Ziglar

Resources on Health Care Reform and Hospital Readmissions

Here are some excellent articles that Dan Mangus found Regarding Health Care Reform and Hospital readmissions:

http://www.eapdhealthcarelaw.com/providerreimbursement/

http://www.allbusiness.com/health-care/health-care-regulation-policy-health/12705887-1.html

http://www.vericle.net/?Medical-Billing-Network-Health-Reform-Takes-Aim-at-Hospital-Readmission-Rates&id=4327
(Note the last paragraph on this one)

http://www.hapnetwork.org/assets/pdfs/2012-fact-sheet.pdf

http://www.businessofgovernment.org/blog/making-health-care-reform-work/health-reform-targets-medicare-costs-trying-reduce-hospital-read

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Features/Insuring-Your-Health/Michelle-Andrews-on-hospital-readmissions.aspx

Final Expense and Recovery Care Training Events in April

Do you see the need for Final Expense and Recovery Care Products, but you don't know how to sell them? Our goal is to help train independent agents to market these, and other products, to seniors. So we are offering two free "Boot Camps" towards the end of this month.

On April 27th we are hosting a Final Expense Boot Camp in Columbia, MO. The following day, April 28th, we are hosting a Recovery Care Boot Camp in Springfield, MO. Key industry leaders such as Dan McNerney, Philip Warren, and others will be speaking at these events. Come learn from them!

Agents who have attended our other bootcamps have not been disappointed. One agent wrote to us afterwards saying, "I thoroughly enjoyed the Boot Camp and really appreciate what SMS is trying to do for all of us to succeed in these trying times. I thought all the presentations were fantastic...What an inspiring and educational day!"

For more details and to sign up, call now 1-800-689-2800.

Dan McNerney is proud to announce that Senior Marketing Specialists (SMS) has teamed up with Philip Warren, a legend in the senior insurance industry.

Philip Warren will play a major role in recruiting agents and in training those 7,000 plus agents who currently work with Senior Marketing Specialists. His experience and expertise recommend him as a valuable asset to the SMS team and a priceless resource to agents in the senior market.

For the last thirty years Philip Warren has served the insurance industry as a personal producer, a marketer and an executive. During that time he has specialized in addressing the needs of producers and consumers in the senior market.

Senior Marketing Specialists is proud to partner with Philip Warren. As a company, SMS strives to help independent agents in every way possible to become successful in the senior market. Coupled with Warren’s experience and passion, Senior Marketing Specialists is better equipped than ever before to provide quality sales and product training for agents in the senior market. Visit our website at http://www.smsteam.net/ or give us call at 1-800-689-2800 to learn what training opportunities are coming up later this month!

To view the full press release, click here.

Important Announcement from Mutual of Omaha

Plan N will be discontinued in all states effective April 22, 2011. To find out what this means to you and your clients, click here!

Dan McNerney's advice for agents selling Monumental products

"When selling Monumental, remember to show the 3 minute DVD that talks about Legacy Safeguard. We are getting reports from agents that are showing the video in every home and picking up several apps PER WEEK with this concept!" -Dan McNerney

If you would like a link to this video, just call 1-800-689-2800 and ask about the Legacy Safeguard video.

Free Agent Training Opportunity: Final Expense Webinar April 12th

Don't forget to join us for our Final Expense webinar tomorrow, April 12th, at 10am Central Time. Click on the following link to register: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/429553227 For other quality training opportunities coming up this month, click here!

Have you experienced bad service from other FMOs? At Senior Marketing Specialists our goal is to provide agents with quality service and training!

Tip from Dan McNerney: Agents, When marketing to Baby Boomers...

...think "Baby Boomer" not "senior".

As agents, we need to change our mindset and terminology when we address Baby Boomers. Rather than using the term "Senior", we should say "Baby Boomer". And instead of using pictures in our advertisements and presentations of elderly people, we should use pictures of younger individuals. Baby Boomers generally still think of themselves as young and active while they view seniors as those people in their 80s. This means that the Baby Boomer market is not going to be interested in purchasing "senior" products. It makes a lot of sense then for us to change the way we address Baby Boomers!

-Dan McNerney

Did you know...

"When the tragedy happened on 9/11, 3000 Americans died. Do you remember the response? It reverberated around the world and will continue to reverberate through time. It will be something we talk about in 100 years. And yet, on that same day 1500 individuals in the United States died from cancer. And on the next day 1500 died and every day since then 1500 died from cancer. Today 1500 will die from cancer, and as agents we are not talking about that. We are not doing the job that we could in protecting our clients from the high cost of this devastating disease. But we can change that. We can change that today!" -Dan Mangus

ATTN: Insurance Agents Online. Here is one way you can add value to your website and social media sites

From talking with a number of our agents who have an online presence, we have learned that one major challenge for them is determining what content to post. So, here is one specific idea:

Since it is National Cancer Control Month, take advantage of this and add content to your own online sites that is related to this theme and helpful to your clients. For example, you could explain some steps people can take to reduce their risk of getting cancer. You could educate your clients on why they need a cancer plan. And you could offer supporting statistics. National Cancer Institute is a great resource. Click on the following link to view for yourself. http://www.cancer.gov/global/features/2009/cancercontrol2009.

We know that approximately half of our current agents have an online presence. We want to help those agents keep their online sites current and full of value-added content. Let us know if this is helpful, and if you would like us to offer ideas more frequently? We value your opinion.

Feel free to leave your comments here or email your comments to Lindsey Witt at lindsey@smsteam.net. Thanks and have a great Wednesday!

How to transition from a Medicare Supplement presentation to a Recovery Care Presentation

Here is an excellent idea from Dan Mangus about how to transition from a Medicare Supplement presentation to a Recovery Care presentation: After your Medicare Supplement sale you could say this... “That takes care of filling the gaps when Medicare is involved with your care - but there is something very important that I need to discuss with you. Are you familiar with how Medicare works when you leave the hospital?”

Agents, did you know that April is National Cancer Control Month?

Take advantage of this opportunity to educate your clients on why they need a cancer plan. USA.gov News has some startling statistics that you may want to work into your presentation. They say that "nearly 600,000 Americans died from cancer last year and nearly 1 in 2 men and women will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime". There is definitely a need out there for cancer plans. Are you providing a solution?

Click here to view some different cancer plan options.

Motivational quote contributed by JoAnn Wray

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

Insurance agents, would you like ideas on how to get to your senior clients' needs?

Click here to read this helpful article from Senior Market Advisor: Using good questions to get to your clients' needs. For other ideas call Senior Marketing Specialists at 1-800-689-2800, or visit our website at http://smsteam.net/

2 Opportunities for Final Expense Training Provided by Senior Marketing Specialists

April Fool's Comic from 1972

"Simpkins, I'm giving you a raise!"