Branch activity is key to the success of “The HDF Campaign Recruiting Tour.” Many Agents are being contracted specifically to sell HDF, so it’s critical we all help them by doing our very best to lead them in our “Three Point HDF Marketing Approach”:

1. Phone Activity: Each Agent ideally should set 15 daily, non-specific appointments, which will result in no less than 10 presentations per day with the video — no less than an average of 5-7 HDF sales closed each day. These personal closing rates of 50-70% were shared with me by Unit Managers at our recent recruiting meetings. Phone appointment activity, especially in setting non-specific appointment times and mapping these out to see them in clusters, minimize an Agent’s driving time, making sales happen more frequently throughout each day! If anyone happens to be out when you drop by, leave the video in a door hanger bag with an intro letter and pick it up later after they watch the DVD or VHS. Just think, with the “Video Agent” approach, you have many presentations occurring at the same time, even when you aren’t even there! How about 20 “Video Agent” presentations per day?

2. Senior Groups: The Branch Manager and Unit Managers are encouraged to spend Monday afternoons scheduling at least one Senior Citizen Meeting per week, per unit. “Partner Up” with the Senior Group leaders to build their organization’s size and monthly dues, by helping them place free Public Service Announcements on their behalf through TV, Radio, Newspapers, and Senior Publications to advertise their meetings each month. Again, when they see you are serious in “Partnering Up” to help them grow with advertising, they’ll have you back again and again as their “partner in growth” every month!

3. Free Breakfasts: Branch and Unit Managers are asked to assist each Agent in scheduling one “Free Senior Breakfast Meeting” each week in restaurants with back rooms, like Shoney’s or Denny’s and local cafeteria-style restaurants like Luby’s. Management should assist the Agents in getting these sites set up and then repeat the meetings each week at the same sites using signage and ads to announce it – “Tuesday is Free Senior Breakfast Day at Shoney’s” or “Wednesday is Free Senior Breakfast Day at Denny’s.” With this approach, you can cover the city in a week’s time, getting additional high-closing rate appointments! The idea is to “Partner Up” with the restaurant’s manager here too, to help build the restaurant’s Senior business each week. The cost at $4 per meal for 20 Seniors is only $80. If you sell one case at $60 per month, then the agent makes $120 for a $40 profit. With a closing rate of at least 50%, the agent can make $1,200 per day, for a profit of $1,120! THINK BIG – and ask: “How many sets of eyes should I get on my plan each day with a minimum 50% closing rate?” How about leaving a pad for the waitstaff to give Seniors throughout the week to drive them into your meeting? How about offering a “lead fee” to the waitress for every Senior presenting a slip with their name on it?

Agents who have high-activity marketing are absolutely the most exciting people in the world to me, especially those who have no preconceived notions on “How high is high?” Branch Managers and Unit Managers are in the perfect position to direct, teach and guide our newest Agents right into the same six-figure incomes that our other Agents enjoy too, even before renewals. These Agents succeed because of a willingness to follow the paths shown by management to the highest activity possible and progress into management very quickly. Branch and Unit Managers who encourage the Three Point Program’s high level of activity know it has the potential to result in a minimum of $150K per year for a new Agent. When Agents realize the high closing rate on HDF, then combine it with the 3-Point Program’s high activity, their incomes go way off the charts! Remember, serious people will do as they’re asked to make this type of income, and it is our job to lead them to go get it every day! Just think of how many direct response leads will be funded for their accounts with this activity!

Up to now in my “campaign travels” I have gotten outstanding feedback concerning HDF closing rates. All high-activity training Managers and Agents are excited about HDF. Dennis Mitchell of Branch 80 says, “HDF has made us even more competitive in the Medicare market. I’m very excited about this new product. The closing rate is 50% to 70% (right on target, Dennis!) and the persistency will be awesome as well. It is just a matter of getting in front of the people.”

Branch 90 Agent Chris Moore is just as enthusiastic, “For the majority of Seniors who have enjoyed relatively good health, this product has almost sold itself. Coupled with United American’s reputation for quality, it just becomes a matter of getting in front of as many Seniors as possible to have great success. This has been and will remain my strategy in the future.” This approach is working for Chris and, apparently for others in Branch 90, because they work together in one of the top HDF producing branches in the country! Congratulations to Ron Seroka, Chris and the entire Branch 90 team! Give them a call for their ideas!

Jimmy Watson, a new Agent in our new H1 Branch sees HDF this way, “Many times all my clients want to hear is the bottom line...what will it cost them each month. It helps in competing with the lower premiums offered by the HMOs in my area. HDF together with the UA Partners® optional discount services program adds up to outstanding value at a price that is hard to turn down. They want ‘Catastrophic Coverage’ at a much lower cost each year, and HDF offers this excellent opportunity to those who have it presented to them. Present it as often as possible!” Great work, Jimmy – you know the point well – get as many “eyes” as possible on a product with a 50% to 70% presentation closing rate, every day!

FLEXguard seems to be off to a strong start too, though after only one week it’s a bit early to have much feedback – but what feedback we have is superb! All the Agents I’ve spoken with are very excited about it and see it as having a great future in the UA portfolio. I do know Jeff Miller’s team in Branch 50 is already having great success with this terrific new FLEXguard product, and I am sure his team is the first of many more success stories. How does this sound from Branch 50 - $64,000 in FLEXguard sales alone, the very first week? Pretty darned good I think. Don’t you TEAM? As our high-activity marketing campaign continues to roll, I’ll keep you apprised of all the other great things happening at United American that we discover!