A Monthly Guide To Year-Long AEP Preparation
As a Medicare sales agent, AEP is your Superbowl. Professional football players don’t sit around until the Superbowl begins, they have to work their way up to even qualify for the game! Even during the off-season, professional athletes are always training, practicing, and coming up with new strategies. You should operate the same way.
We’ve compiled this schedule as an example of what you should be doing year-round that can make your AEP season more successful!
January
Now that AEP and the holiday season are over, your clients may be back to worrying about their health and their finances. January is the best time for you to make some follow-up emails and phone calls to clients that you sold to during AEP. Ask whether they are happy with their new plans. Answer any questions they may have and remind them that they should go to you with questions, not the carrier. Remind your clients that they have until February 14 to disenroll from their Medicare Advantage plan if they’ve decided that it is not right for them.
February
Now that you’ve completed your follow-ups, use this month to review your 2018 strategy. Think about how you can take advantage of SEPs and ancillary policies, but more importantly, think about marketing ideas you can use to amp up your lead generation and be ready for a successful 2018 AEP!
March/April/May
Use the spring season to sell ancillary policies. Call your clients again and ask how they feel about their current coverage. Remind them that you can help them with other coverage options like Hospital Indemnity, Dental and Vision, Hearing, and more.
June/July
As the summer months roll around, it’s time to get serious about AEP again. July is when most carriers release their certification exams, so you should spend June studying and preparing so that you can take your exams right away in July and not have to worry about them as AEP approaches.
August
August is a month for learning. Brush up on your compliance knowledge and look for any changes from CMS. Watch for plan detail releases from all the carriers you’re certified with. A good way to learn is by watching Webinars hosted either by the carriers or by FMOs. Keep an eye on your email for information about our webinars!
September
By September, your lead generation tactics should basically be on autopilot, which means you can spend time ordering supplies, organizing your data, finalizing your marketing plan, and training yourself on the plans, CMS policies, and sales tactics. Be sure to order supplies from carriers ASAP so that you’re ready to go come October 15.
October
Remember that you can start marketing 2019 plans on October 1, 2018. Spend those two weeks showcasing the products that you have to offer so that on October 15 you have a list of clients who are ready to buy from you.
November
The first weekend of November is a great time to sit down and get reorganized. Make sure you are tracking all of your appointments and sales, and go ahead and schedule your follow-up calls for January so you don’t forget!
December
Be sure all of your AEP applications are submitted by December 7 and check in on your pending applications. Come December 8, take a break! You’ll need some time to recoup before getting back in the game, and that’s ok. However, make sure to take some time to plan for 2019 so you can start the year with some goals in mind.
