SPINNAKER September 2016

Transcription

1 SPINNAKER September 2016

2 THE CROW S NEST EDITOR Gay Falkowski COPYWRITER Lauren Suarez JR. COPYWRITER Whitney Hodgkins SR. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Cal Slayton AGENT SERVICES CENTER (800) esdagents@torchmarkcorp.com NEW BUSINESS SUBMISSIONS esdnb@torchmarkcorp.com Fax (888) WEBSITES esdglobe.com esdglobe.com/agents Published regularly by the Employee Services Division of Globe Life And Accident Insurance Company for the dissemination of information to their Agents. Prior permission must be obtained from the Home Office for reproduction or other use of material herein. CODE OF CONDUCT Torchmark and its affiliates are committed to maintaining a business atmosphere and working environment based on honesty, fair dealing, and sound business ethics. As an Agent of ESD, periodically review the Company Code of Conduct and Ethics found on the left side of the home page on the Agent Resources website. SUCCESSFUL BIG CONFERENCE Last month, Home Office staff and several Agents were able to attend the Blacks in Government 38th National Training Institute in Atlantic City, NJ. At this year s conference, several Agents led sessions covering additional information about the coverage options provided to government employees. Above: ESD Agent Damonn Catchings presenting at the conference Right: ESD Agent Damon Catchings with the two raffle winners Left: Darlene Young (Madame President) speaking and Dr. Doris Sartor (incoming National President) to her left. Below: ESD Director Renee Walker and Ashanti Huey (Legal Review Chair) NEW PRODUCT TRAINING You may have noticed the new link available above the Compliance Sheets titled Training Webinar Schedule. If you sell or would like to sell United American products, this is a great resource for information. This link on the Agent Resources page directs you to United American s training webinar schedule. There you will find webinars covering product specific information, general sales tips, and e-app certification webinars. Be sure to attend webinars to reinforce the skills you already have as an Agent, develop new ones, and keep up with the status of the Senior Market. Sources: * Nielsen, Under the Influence: Consumer Trust In Advertising ** Google, When the Path to Purchase Becomes the Path to Purpose TESTIMONIALS: TRIED AND TRUE It is becoming increasingly more important to gather testimonials to build trust with consumers. Think of gathering testimonials as gathering customer reviews, parallel to what you would find if shopping online. According to a study conducted by Nielsen, 84 percent of consumers say word-of-mouth recommendations from family and friends was the most trustworthy source when considering a purchase, making this the most influential variable for most consumers*. Furthermore, according to a new study by Ogilvy, Google, and TNS, 74 percent of consumers identify word-ofmouth as the main influence in their purchasing decision**. In order to capture this opportunity, we have made it easy for Agents to gather testimonials to help build their word-of-mouth collection. Follow the steps below to access the document containing the testimonial release, instructions, and tips when speaking to your customer. Steps to accessing the Testimonial document: 1. Visit the ESD Agent Resources site ( 2. Scroll down until you see the Advertising heading. 3. Click the third link from the top titled, Testimonial Release Authorization. 4. Once the PDF opens, print it out. 5. Read through and follow the instructions provided in the document. We encourage our Agents to take advantage of this opportunity to build credibility and help to expand your business. Note: Convention dates have changed Convention is June Beacon of Light Don t sell life insurance. Sell what life insurance can do. Ben Feldman 2 SPINNAKER September 2016 Be Ready

3 perspective Be Ready for Life Insurance Awareness Month by Chuck Mankamyer Like most things, selling insurance is all about timing. You have to make sure clients have coverage before the unexpected happens. You have to take time to reach out to clients to help inform them of coverage for which they are eligible. You have to take time to build relationships with clients. As an Agent, timing could make the difference during a sale. Review the Summary of Fringe Benefits booklet to ensure you know the ins and outs of the coverage options we provide. This month is designated as Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM), which means it s the perfect time to discuss life insurance needs. According to LIMRA, one third of Americans believe they need more life insurance and more than two in five say they would feel a financial impact within six months if their primary wage-earner died. During September, be ready to talk about policy options with your prospects and clients since one of the leading products provided by Globe Life ESD is life insurance. Be Prepared to Explain Why When you meet with your prospect or client and show the affordability of life insurance, talk about why having coverage is important. Many people choose to own life insurance to have money for retirement, to prepare for long-term care costs, and to cover medical expenses. According to LIMRA, as many as 132 million Americans rely on life insurance to protect their financial security. They report some of the major reasons given for owning life insurance include covering burial and other final expenses (51 percent), helping replace lost income (34 percent) and helping pay off the mortgage (26 percent). Be Ready for the Overestimation Many people overestimate the cost of life insurance. According to LIMRA, 80 percent of consumers misjudge the price for term life insurance, with Millennials overestimating the cost by 213 percent, and Gen Xers overestimating the cost by 119 percent. This is a significant misjudgment, and a great opportunity to increase your credibility as an Agent. Show the affordability of coverage by taking time to show the true coverage costs. Discussing the different variables they need to be ready to pay for can help the clients understand the importance of coverage. And again, since this is Life Insurance Awareness Month, take time to meet with your current customers and prospects to show the affordability and the importance of owning life insurance. You can prepare for this misunderstanding before meeting by printing out the necessary reports generated by the GLIMPSE program. Simply download the program to your computer to gain full access to creating reports with a variety of coverage options. Be ready to make a difference for someone else s future. Be Ready for the Face-to-Face Sale Technology continues to integrate itself into different aspects of everyday life including the purchasing process. However, speaking with an Agent is also a critical part of the process. LIMRA reports, while 71 percent of Americans say they research online, more than half want to work with a financial professional to purchase life insurance. Prospects looking to expand their coverage into life insurance will do preliminary research, so your job as an Agent is to answer the questions they may still have. Sources: Limra.com, _Americans_Continue_to_Overestimate Cost_of_Life_Insurance.aspx Charles Mankamyer President of General Agents Be Ready September 2016 SPINNAKER 3

4 FLAGSHIP CLUB 2015 FLAGSHIP 2016 FLAGSHIP Based on 2015 production, these Agents make up this year s Flagship Club. MGA s qualify by writing $285,000 or more, while Agents qualify by writing $115,000 or more in NAP. Through July 2016, these top producing Master General Agents and Agents have the highest Net Annualized Premium. MGAs producing $285,000 or more in NAP and Agents producing $115,000 or more in NAP will qualify for club membership and receive an award at convention. 1. Nick Nicolls and David Walker, MGAs ALREADY QUALIFIED ON TRACK 2. Garrett Johnson, MGA MGA: MGA: 3. Charles Scott, MGA GITW Richard Harker 4. Derek Talley FCPC John Nelson 5. Beverly Shea Agent: 6. Mark Fesler 7. Chad Seymour 8. Randle Karli 9. Shane Lewis 10. Christopher Nicolls 11. Jordan Mowry 12. Ross Johnson 13. Robert Nicolls Calvin Broyles Joseph DeAngelo Augusteen Cowan Steve Gardner Damonn Catchings Anthony Hunter Mark Fesler James Jordan Walter Jones Jr. Deborah Land Randle Karli Brett Mowry Jordan Mowry Dinah Taylor Shawn Newman Elbert Upton Christopher L. Nicolls 14. Damonn Catchings Chad Seymour 15. Augusteen Cowan Beverly Shea 16. Malcolm Poe Ricky Shirley 17. Joseph DeAngelo Derek Talley 18. Parker Johnson 19. Richard Peoples 20. Brendan Begley 21. Rick Shirley 22. Stephen Jackson 23. Dave Walker 24. Steven Gardner 25. Shaun Newman 26. Walter L. Jones, Jr. 4 SPINNAKER September 2016 Be Ready Agent:

5 MGA STANDINGS NAP - YTD 2. CHARLES SCOTT - FCPC $563, RICHARD HARKER $162, NICK NICOLLS & DAVID WALKER - GITW INC. $1,044,197 AGENT STANDINGS NAP - YTD 1. BEVERLY J. SHEA $263, DAMONN CATCHINGS NEW FINANCIAL WORKSITE SOLUTIONS $176, DEREK TALLEY $153, MARK FESLER $145, AUGUSTEEN COWAN $104, RICK SHIRLEY $100, CHRISTOPHER NICOLLS $96, RANDLE KARLI $83, JORDAN B. MOWRY $83, CHAD SEYMOUR $72,872 Be Ready September 2016 SPINNAKER 5

6 DON T FALL OVERBOARD When it comes to submitting new business, it takes many small pieces to get an application to the Home Office s New Business department. We have gathered some tips to make sure you don t fall overboard while trying to get an application submitted. Submitting business efficiently means your clients gain coverage quicker, and if you follow these steps, it can help you get your commission quicker, too. Cutting down on application errors is a major way you can prevent a delay in the submission process. Check applications before you submit them to make sure the following details are included. How to Avoid the 8 Most Common Application Errors 1. Include the payroll center s name this will help our Home Office ensure the application is for a government-affiliated employee, and it gives us a resource if we have any questions. 2. Provide applicant s relationships because employees can extend coverage to not only their spouse and children, but also other family members. 3. Complete the Agent Report found on page two of the application you will find the Agent Report section. This helps us contact the applicant s family members that are written over guarantee issue. Because extended family is not guarantee issue, we will need to contact them and have them provide their own signature to gain coverage. 4. Find out the height and weight although it may feel strange to ask your client to provide, it s important we have this information for underwriting purposes. You can find the Height/Weight Chart in your Policies and Procedures Manual. 5. Mark the plan you re submitting on the first page, in the Plan column, including WL for a Whole Life plan or TL for a Term Life plan can be easy to forget. So make sure to double check that the information was included. 6. Answer the complete health question if you re filling out the application and have to mark yes on one of the health questions on page one of the application, be sure to specify which individual the yes applies to by checking the box next to the appropriate letter for the corresponding individual. In addition to that, be sure to look at the top of page two. You will see a place to name the illness or condition, and include additional information pertaining to that individual. 7. Attach the MIB and HIPAA forms whether you re downloading the application from the Agent site or ordering the application to be sent to you, you will notice two pages at the end that are included with each application. These two forms, the MIB and HIPAA need to be included with your submission. 8. Send in printed confirmation of allotment the printed copy will show us the allotment was initiated through your client s payroll. Once we receive confirmation, we will be able to advance your Agent commission. There are steps you can take to ensure your submission runs smoothly. Here are some tips we gathered from Agency Services that could help. 6 SPINNAKER September 2016 Be Ready Agent Services Information Have the appropriate Agent number ready. When you call a representative, be sure you re looking at the correct Agent number ESD number for ESD business, and UA number for UA business. Verify the client s address. Whenever meeting with a client, be sure to confirm the address and update addresses when needed. This will help ensure we send any correspondence, especially those that may include a loan or DFR check, to the correct address, which will help keep your clients happy with you. Contact the correct department. The Agent Service department is your point of contact for non-new business needs such as loan requests and address changes. Make sure the only thing submitted to the New Business department is ESD new business and accompanying forms. Submit to the correct New Business department. If you represent both ESD and UA, it s important to submit ESD applications to the ESD New Business department and UA Medicare Supplement insurance applications to the UA New Business department. We have provided a list of fax lines to submit UA Medicare Supplement insurance business, below. For additional information on policies and procedures that affect business submissions, check out your Agent Handbook or the General Agent Underwriting Manual. As a reminder, you can find the Agent Services phone number and address on page two of each issue of the Spinnaker. You can reach them by phone from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central time zone, Monday through Friday, and closed on holidays. For submitting UA s Medicare Supplement insurance business, you can either use the e-app or fax in the application. If you choose the e-app, once you submit the application, it is automatically sent to begin the underwriting process. You do need to be certified to use the e-app so make sure you ve attended the training webinar on the UA General Agency Office site. If you choose to fax in the application, you can use one of the three numbers below. We provide three different numbers to help avoid tie-ups with our fax machines

7 The Multi-Purpose Product Thomas Hall National Director of Recruiting and Sales As an Agent with Globe Life ESD, you have access to some extraordinary products. Knowing when to present these products can help you grow your business. One product I would like to shed light on today is the Accidental Death Policy (ADP). You can use the ADP as a door opener, as a bridge between a benefit review and product presentation, as an assumptive close, and as a referral generator. As a door opener The ADP is a great door opener because there is no up-front premium needed from your prospect. Rather, the premium amount is due at the end of the first policy year if they choose to continue coverage. That means your prospect receives one year of accidental death coverage at no cost. Have your pen ready to write their information on the application, and focus on the information you need to complete the application. One technique I learned was to keep your eyes on the application, pen in writing position, and wait for them to provide their information. This can help close the policy. Located on the home page of the ESD Agent Resources site ( you will find two resources you can use to promote the $3,000 Accidental Death Policy. Located in the Advertising section, there is a lead mailer available along with a flyer each piece found under the appropriate subheading. These advertisements clearly lay out the benefits of the policy, and show a need for coverage. As a referral generator After you fill out the application with their information, be sure to check Agent Delivery at the bottom of the application. This will ensure their policy will be mailed to you once it is issued. It allows you to deliver the policy to them, and gives you an opportunity to review the benefits, and engage them in additional sales presentations. As a bridge between a benefit review and product presentation After completing a benefit review or application, you can say to the client, Thank you for allowing me to visit with you today. In addition to my business card, allow me to give you something of great value to your family. At which time you can pull out the ADP flyer and walk them through the policy details and the need for coverage. Using this example, you can continue by saying, It will provide you and your family thousands of dollars of protection, and there is no premium the first year. However, if you would like to retain this coverage going into year two, all you have to do is mail in a $10 annual premium when your receive the renewal notice. Even if they are not interested in additional sales presentations, it s still a great time to ask for referrals. For example, one approach you can take is, Mr. Jones, here is your policy. I would like to ask for your help. I can make this coverage available to five additional people you are willing to recommend. Who would you like me to reach out to? It s important to ask for referrals. Think about it this way, you already have a no if you don t ask, so why not try for a yes? As an assumptive close Once you walk the prospect through the flyer, have the application ready to fill out. Continuing with the above example, you can say, To get this coverage in place all I need is your name, address, date of birth, and family members. The ADP is a GREAT tool, and mastering the various ways you can use it can help support your sales activities. You can provide this policy to everyone you meet between the ages of 18-68, existing clients, new prospects, and individuals in call-back situations. I also recommend you take out the ADP for yourself. This will give you the perspective of your clients, so you will be able to walk your customers through the process from their point of view. Be Ready September 2016 SPINNAKER 7

8 #ESDCONVENTION2017 JUNE 27-30, 2O17 MONTH $70,000 NAP JAN. $5,833 FEB. $11,667 MAR. $17,500 APR. $23,333 MAY $29,167 JUNE $35,000 JULY $40,833 AUG. $46,667 SEPT. $52,500 OCT. $58,333 NOV. $64,167 DEC. $70,000 WHAT YOU NEED TO QUALIFY IF YOU ARE A MASTER GENERAL AGENT WHAT YOU NEED TO QUALIFY IF YOU ARE AN AGENT ARE YOU ON PACE TO JOIN US? MONTH $175,000 NAP JAN. $14,583 FEB. $29,167 MAR. $43,750 APR. $58,333 MAY $72,917 JUNE $87,500 JULY $102,083 AUG. $116,667 SEPT. $131,250 OCT. $145,833 NOV. $160,417 DEC. $175,000 INTERCONTINENTAL CHICAGO MAGNIFICENT MILE