Short Takes
The new prescription drug benefit, also known as Part D, is the biggest change in Medicare since the program was founded 40 years ago. With these changes come new opportunities for beneficiaries, Part D prescription drug plan (PDP) insurance...
There is never a good time to start talking about nursing home care. Discussions about declining health are never popular. However, it’s a fact of life that we will get older and, as we age, our health can and will decline. As a financial...
Marketers tend to concentrate on leading edge baby boomers — the oldest boomers who will become seniors in the next five years. But financial advisors will be doing themselves a disservice by overlooking younger boomers at a time when they are...
If marketing is about building relationships, then direct marketing is the cornerstone. Use everything from text messaging and email to postcards, white papers, and an occasional letter. Send prospects a clipping that you think they might find...
We’ve all seen ads portraying baby boomers as ultra-conservative gray-hairs enjoying rounds of golf before heading back to their retirement community for the early-bird special. But marketers who fail to see this group as mobile, intelligent,...
Baby boomers are known for their diversity, and they are proud of their individuality. Better educated than the preceding generation, boomers have a higher divorce rate, often identify with their careers, and look for ways to stay connected and...
August, 1945. World War II ends. The last of 16 million young American soldiers come home, step off the train, marry, and nine months later, the historic American baby boom is on and will continue for 19 years, creating 78 million Mouseketeers....
The word “persuasion” has gained a reputation it doesn’t deserve. Many tend to associate it with advertising, propaganda, or downright manipulation. On the contrary, it forms the very foundation of an ethical sales process, and...
When David was a small boy, his father asked him, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” David thought about it for a minute and answered, “I don’t know what I want to be, but I know that I don’t want to be a...
How can my agency become more well-known? What aren’t we doing that we should be doing? Try publicity. Publicity is the link to becoming better known and ultimately garnering new business. The feature articles in this edition of the...
Any self-help guru will tell you that communication is the key to a healthy and vibrant relationship. You’ve heard this over and over about your personal life, but the same principle holds true for client relationships. To build a bond of...
Why would any company use direct mail today? Perhaps the most direct answer is simply that direct mail reaches people — the right people — in more ways than one. In fact, 56 percent of marketers participating in a recent survey said they...
Selling is a contact sport, and prospect-ing for new business is the name of the game. You’ll never meet a salesperson who failed because they had too many prospects to talk to. For the majority of insurance agents, finding new clients is...
1. Make everything you do experiential. Involve as many of your clients’ physical senses as you can. What can your customer see, smell, hear, touch, and taste? Make sure you have greenery and flowers outside your office. Make sure the lighting...
These days, it’s virtually impossible to turn on the television or pick up a newspaper without hearing about the rising cost of health care. Employers are struggling to attract talented employees while still keeping their insurance costs to a...
Which sale is the most important one you will ever get from a client? Most of you are probably thinking it’s your first sale with a new client. Well, it’s not. It may surprise you to find out that a second-time buyer is at least...
We are all bombarded with an overwhelming onslaught of messages on a daily basis, and our coping mechanism is to simply tune out anything and everything that doesn’t seem critical. As a result, your marketing message has less than four seconds...
Get more insight into your current client base by organizing your book of business by age. There is no magic way to segment your book. If you have only a handful of clients over age 65, make that one group and then divide the clients between ages 45...
Prudential Financial Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Allstate Financial’s variable annuity business through a reinsurance transaction. Prudential’s initial investment in the business, including total...
Chrysler Group announced changes to the health care programs it offers to active and retired professional-administrative, management, and executive employees, effective Jan. 1, 2007. The new plan will introduce a health care premium-sharing...
Only one in three American workers expect to pass on any of their retirement savings to family members, according to the AXA Equitable Retirement Scope, a global survey. The remaining working respondents (64 percent) believe they will spend all of...
A recent survey of 802 consumers carrying health insurance reveals that a third of patients are uncomfortable about sharing information with primary care physicians (PCPs). Why? They are concerned that their medical information is being made...
Local television newscasts are packed with medical stories and health information. But the first-ever national study of that coverage finds many problems with it and sees room for improvement by both TV stations and the health experts whose work...