Speedy Selling Points

You have good answers to your prospects’ most common questions. You take the time to learn the major selling points for the popular plans. Like the carrier discount programs that sweeten the deal. The dental options. The affordable co-pays, deductibles and premiums.

But when you’re asked about the carrier, what do you say? “Excellent”, “few complaints” and “most people are satisfied with them” doesn’t paint a compelling picture for your prospects. And with stories popping up in the news of some companies giving consumers the runaround and denying claims, you may need to do a little extra reassuring.

Numbers That Matter

When was the last time you checked out the claim history of your top-selling carriers? Your carrier rep will be able to pull these stats out for you, if they’re not readily available on the company’s website. When you’re armed with updated numbers, here’s how you can flesh out your pitch:

• Claims Appealed. The number of claims appealed is your window into how generally satisfied people are with their company. The lower the number of appealed claims, the less problems people have that are worth reporting.
  
  Questions it answers: Are claims denied a lot? Are people happy with this company? Do people/will I have any problems getting the company to pay bills?

• Claims Paid Accurately. The media warns consumers to comb over carrier statements to flush out any processing errors. A company with a healthy percentage of claims paid accurately reassures prospects that they won’t be battling to get the coverage that’s rightfully theirs.
  
  Question it answers: Does the company make mistakes often? 

• Speedy Processing. A company that drags its feet when processing claims sends the signal that they’re slow in other areas, too. The greater the percentage of claims a company processes within 30 days, the smoother service your prospect can expect.
  
  Question it answers: How long does it take to handle claims?

• Hassle-Free Claims Calls. Some prospects want to know if they’re going to have to battle with a company to get an issue resolved. This is especially true for people who’ve previously had a nasty experience with another carrier’s service department. And let’s face it, no one wants to spend half a day playing phone tag and telling the same story to a dozen different company reps.
  
  Use the percentage of claims phone calls that are completed in the first conversation, or “first point of contact” to reassure these folks.
  
  Questions it answers: If I have a problem, how hard is it to get it fixed? Will I get to talk to a real person who can help me?

What kind of service numbers are you looking for? You’re looking for high 90s, for accurate, speedy processing.

Selling Points That Mean Less Work For You

Being able to rattle off these numbers both reassures prospects that they’re dealing with a good company AND a professional agent who stays on top of things. And the added bonus? Knowing your companies’ claim histories gives you an idea how many service issues you can expect to deal with once a policy is issued.

When your conversation takes a turn towards a company’s service record, be sure to reassure your prospect that should any issue come up, you’ll be there to help them. With more carriers encouraging direct relationships through their websites, the personal support you offer is too important a selling point to ignore.