Nearly 14 million Americans turned 65 in the last ten years. The Census Bureau estimates that another 11,000 seniors will turn 65 every day for the next decade. Almost every single one of those seniors will enroll in some form of Medicare plan.
With numbers like those, it is no surprise that selling Medicare plans is a huge, growing, and lucrative market for insurance agents. But not just any agent can sell Medicare plans. To tap into that client market, agents need to be licensed.
Unfortunately, many agents are not clear on how that process works. If you are in that boat, here’s what you need to know about how Medicare training courses work and how they can revolutionize your business.
Who Needs Medicare Training Courses?
Any insurance agent who wants to sell Medicare-associated insurance plans needs to take Medicare insurance agent training. More than that, however, all insurance agents need such training if they want to:
- Work with the over-65 population at all
- Build a solid, long-term business base
- Sell any insurance products to seniors
Realistically, responsibly working with seniors in relation to insurance in any way requires agents to have a strong understanding of Medicare. This is because Medicare coverage influences every other type of insurance product that seniors may consider buying. As such, they consistently seek out agents licensed to sell Medicare products when choosing insurance coverage.
Agents who are not licensed to sell Medicare severely limit their client base and income potential.Â
How Medicare Training Courses Work
“Okay,” many agents wonder. “But how do I know what to expect from a Medicare training course? How can I know a course will work with my busy schedule?”
These are fair questions. Fortunately, Medicare insurance agent training can be fast, convenient, and easy to access. Good courses will cover:
- The Medicare insurance products your clients want and need
- How to prospect, close, and service Medicare clients
- How commissions on Medicare insurance policies work
- How to set up your business around Medicare insurance policy sales
- The flow of Medicare insurance policy sales
- What you legally can and cannot do when selling Medicare policies
Well-designed courses also:
- Offer structured, easy-to-follow content
- Are self-paced
- Offer several different payment options
- Are available on-demand, so they fit into your schedule
- Include multiple types of content, such as lectures, case studies, and one-on-one coaching
- Offer outside-of-course support to help you implement your new knowledge in real time with your clients
- Are accessible to any agent who wants them rather than exclusively available through up-line contacts
You should be able to select the training that is right for you, purchase it at the click of a button, and get started right away.
What You Need to Get Started
Whether you are new to the insurance industry or an experienced agent, you likely already have everything you need to get started.
- Internet access
- An internet-connected computer, tablet, or mobile phone
- Small blocks of time you can dedicate to the course
- A willingness to learn
- A digital or hard-copy place to take notes
- A valid credit or debit card
To start selling once the course is complete, you will need:
- Certification in any related products you also want to sell (such as life insurance)
- A Medicare quoting tool
- A customer relationship management system
How Your Practice Will Change Post-Course
One of the most important parts of knowing what to expect from a Medicare training course is understanding what impact it will have on your business. A good course will:
- Open up new opportunities
- Open up new income streams
- Increase your work satisfaction
- Increase client satisfaction
- Help you reach your long-term goals
New Opportunities and Income Streams
Medicare training courses allow you to court a whole new constituency. One that is growing and expected to remain strong for decades to come. This opens up new income streams.
Taking a course is a great way to build long-term wealth, as well. Most Medicare policies pay you a commission at the time of sale and then again annually/monthly. This means that you can steadily grow your income over time, creating a strong financial base for your business.
Increased Satisfaction
Getting licensed to sell Medicare plans enables you to offer full-service planning and insurance products for your clients. It equips you to help your clients find exactly the right plans and products for their needs. For many agents, this leads to an enormous increase in satisfaction with their work.
It also leads to great gains in customer satisfaction. This feeds back into greater agent satisfaction but also serves as a powerful word-of-mouth marketing tool.
All of this tends to help agents reach their own long-term goals. This is true whether those goals are to:
- Grow your business
- Love the work you do
- Build a reputation as an excellent agent
In every way, they help agents stand out from the competition.
Becoming a Medicare Insurance Agent
Now that you know how medicare training courses work, the only question that remains is when is the right time for you to take one?  Contact us to learn more about how easy it is to get started with a Medicare training course today, and decide when the time is right for you.Â