How to Sell Discount Dental & Health Plans
Discount dental and vision plans are typically sold as an add-on to major medical policies, both in group and individual settings. You will need to obtain an insurance license to solicit and sell insurance in your state, including discount dental and vision plans. Because premiums on these plans are low -- only a few dollars per month in most instances -- you will need to either sell them in conjunction with a larger plan, or find people to enroll in large numbers.
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Instructions
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Obtain a health insurance license. You can find the requirements specific to your state by visiting the National Association of Insurance Commissioners website -- click on your state's department of insurance regulation. You will need to enroll in your state's approved course, pay a fee and take and pass an exam.
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Get appointed. You must be formally appointed by an insurance company doing business in your state to solicit and sell that company's products. You can get appointed by contacting each insurance carrier in your area directly. They will give you specific instructions and send you a selling contract describing the terms of your relationship with them as an agent, your obligations and their commission structure.
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Prospect for new business in person, canvassing businesses door-to-door and asking for an appointment to review their health insurance coverage. Alternatively, you can prospect on the phone, asking to review coverage. Some companies allow you to sell the whole policy over the phone. Some agents open the conversation by asking about their dental or vision coverage, others open by asking about major medical. Your market will vary. The key is to prospect in large numbers and keep appointments.
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Qualify the prospect. For a prospect to be qualified, they must be insurable, and they must be able to afford the premiums. If the individual you are speaking with cannot qualify, and he cannot help you reach qualified prospects, move on.
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Ask a trial closing question. This is a question that allows you to determine if they may be interested without setting yourself up for a final "no." Essentially, it is an attempt to find out if there are any unspoken objections left to going ahead with the insurance purchase. A good, brief trial close is, "How does this look to you? Have we covered everything?"
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Close the sale. You can do so by asking, "Can I sign you up?" Or you can "assume the sale" by smiling broadly and saying "Thank you. I'll handle the paperwork." Then proceed to obtain proper information such as credit card number and expiration date for the first month's premium -- and inform the client that they'll be covered immediately.
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Tips & Warnings
You cannot control how many people say "yes." All you can control is the number of people you ask. Make sure that number is high.
Be sure to have errors and omissions insurance in place when selling any kind of health insurance. Errors and ommissions insurance covers you against lawsuits arising from the course of your business as an insurance professional.
