Selling health insurance is a rewarding profession that offers the potential to earn a good income while helping people protect their health and financial wellbeing.
Whether you’re a seasoned insurance agent looking to improve your sales or someone considering entering the field, this How to Sell Health Insurance guide will provide you with the necessary insights and strategies.
How to Sell Health Insurance Successfully
Success in selling health insurance doesn’t come overnight. It requires careful planning, skillful execution, and a commitment to continuous learning. Here, we’ll focus on insurance agent digital marketing, which is a proven method to generate sales effectively.
Digital Marketing for Health Insurance Sales
In our digital world, people often turn to the internet when they’re looking for health insurance. As a health insurance agent, you can use this to your advantage by creating a strong online presence. Here’s how:
Social Media
Social media platforms offer fertile ground to connect with potential clients and grow your business.
- Understand your audience: Determine which social media channels your potential clients frequently use and make your presence felt there
- Engage proactively: Regularly post informative and relevant content, respond to queries, and interact with your followers. Engagement fosters relationships and builds trust
- Implement targeted ads: Platforms like Facebook offer powerful tools for ad targeting. Utilize these tools to connect with individuals likely to need health insurance
Note: Consistent posting and tailored content are both key to your social media marketing campaign’s success. This is because frequently sharing relatable, audience-specific information will allow you to effectively engage potential clients, driving trust and fostering long-term relationships in the health insurance market.
Recommended Service
As a health insurance agent, we recommend working with Arrow; Arrow uses AI in order to offer up to five personalized posts a week, online traffic boosts, and weekly reporting.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a long-term strategy that involves creating and sharing valuable content to attract and convert prospects.
Examples of such content can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and press releases.
- Educate your prospects: Develop blog posts or videos that explain different facets of health insurance. Helping potential clients comprehend insurance’s importance and functionality can encourage them to buy
- Share success stories: Narrate instances where clients reaped benefits from their health insurance. Such stories can demonstrate insurance’s tangible value to prospects
- Leverage SEO: Implement SEO strategies to make your content easily discoverable on search engines like Google
Recommended: If you are interested in boost-starting your content marketing campaign, have a look at Sitetrail’s premium press release services.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be a cost-effective way to drive traffic to your website and enhance visibility.
- Use strategic keywords: Identify and bid on keywords that potential clients might use when searching for health insurance.
- Craft compelling ads: Your ad copy should highlight the advantages of your insurance plans and inspire people to click.
- Monitor your campaigns: Employ analytics tools to track which ads deliver the best results and tweak your campaigns accordingly.
Email Marketing
Stay in touch: Send newsletters and informative emails to keep your business fresh in the minds of potential clients.
Personalize your approach: Tailor your emails to fit the needs and preferences of each recipient. This can make them feel valued and increase engagement.
Building a Website to Improve Your Online Presence
As a health insurance agent, establishing an online presence via a professional website can significantly boost your sales.
A well-designed website serves as a digital storefront, showcasing your insurance products, sharing valuable information, and providing an easy way for potential clients to contact you.
It can instill a sense of credibility and professionalism, making prospects more likely to trust and engage with your services. Moreover, incorporating SEO strategies can make your website more discoverable, attracting a wider audience and potentially leading to increased sales.
Recommended Software
We recommend the GoDaddy Website Builder as a small insurance agent company. GoDaddy meets most small business needs while providing an extremely straightforward user experience.
Tips for Selling Health Insurance
While digital marketing is a vital component in attracting potential clients, several other key strategies can help you excel in selling health insurance.
Know Your Products Inside Out
It’s essential to have a thorough understanding of any health insurance plan that you will be selling. This includes knowing the benefits, coverage limitations, and exclusions of each plan.
- Study the details: Familiarize yourself with the fine print of your insurance products. Understand how they work and who they’re best suited for
- Stay updated: Insurance products and regulations can change. Make sure to stay informed about any updates to your products
Understand Your Clients’ Needs
Health insurance needs vary greatly among individuals. Some may require extensive health insurance coverage, while others might need a simple, more affordable plan.
- Listen actively: Make sure to understand your client’s unique circumstances, health conditions, financial situation, and risk tolerance
- Recommend wisely: Based on your understanding, recommend the most suitable plans. It’s not always about selling the most expensive plan but the one that fits the client’s needs best
Build Trust and Relationships
Trust is a critical element in the insurance industry. Maintaining honesty, transparency, and reliability can foster lasting relationships with your clients.
- Communicate clearly: Avoid industry jargon and explain insurance terms in a way your clients can understand
- Follow up regularly: Don’t disappear after selling a policy. Regular check-ins can show your clients that you care about them
Leverage Referrals
Happy clients can be your biggest advocates. Encourage them to refer their friends and family to you.
- Ask for referrals: If your clients are satisfied with your service, they will be more than happy to refer you to others. Don’t hesitate to ask
- Appreciate the referrers: Show gratitude towards clients who provide referrals. A small thank you note or a gift can go a long way
Stay Persistent
Persistence is key in the insurance business. You might face rejection often, but don’t get discouraged.
- Follow up: If a potential client is undecided, give them some time and then follow up. They might be ready to buy a policy later
- Learn from rejections: Each rejection is an opportunity to learn. Try to understand why the client didn’t buy the policy and use that knowledge to improve your future pitches
Stay Up to Date
The health insurance field is complex and always changing. To stay competitive, you must keep learning and improving.
- Attend training sessions: Regularly participate in training sessions and industry seminars. These events can provide valuable insights and keep you updated on industry trends
- Learn from others: Connect with successful health insurance agents and learn from their experiences. Their strategies and tips could be beneficial for you
- Keep up with the news: Health insurance is heavily influenced by governmental policies and public health issues. Stay informed about these factors to better serve your clients
How to Become a Health Insurance Agent
You will need to obtain an insurance license in your state in order to start selling health insurance.
Even though the specific process for this can vary from state to state, you will generally need to complete the following steps in order to get licensed:
- Complete a pre-licensing education course in your state: This is a legal requirement in most states. Even where it is not required, we recommend purchasing a course in order to ensure that you pass your exam on your first attempt — this can end up saving you both money and time. We recommend picking one with a health insurance marketplace learning management system
- Take your state’s health insurance licensing exam: State insurance exams are generally administered by Pearson VUE, PSI, or Prometric. Line-specific outlines are offered to help with your preparation
- Get a fingerprinting and/or background check: The exact fee for this will be dependent on your state, but is generally less than $100
- File an official license application with your state’s Department of Insurance. This can also be known as the Division of Insurance, depending on your location
Recommended: For more information, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Become an Insurance Agent article.
How to Sell Health Insurance FAQ
How is health insurance sold?
Health insurance is typically sold by licensed agents or brokers who represent insurance companies. They use various methods to reach potential clients, including digital marketing strategies like social media, content marketing, PPC advertising, and more traditional methods like networking and referrals.
Can you make money selling ACA?
Yes, you can make money selling Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans. Agents earn commissions from insurance companies for every policy they sell. The amount can vary based on the plan’s complexity and the insurance company’s commission structure.
Is selling health insurance a good way to make money?
Selling insurance can indeed be a lucrative career. The potential for income is high, particularly as health insurance is a necessity for most people. However, success requires a deep understanding of the products, excellent customer service skills, and the ability to build and maintain client relationships. For more information on life and health agents, have a look at our How Do Life Insurance Companies Make Money overview.
Do I need a license in order to sell health insurance?
Yes, you need a license to sell insurance (health or otherwise). This requires passing a state licensing exam, which covers topics like insurance regulations, types of insurance, and ethical responsibilities. Some states may also require continuing education to maintain the license. For more information, have a look at our How to Sell Insurance article.
What’s the difference between life and health insurance?
Life insurance and health insurance serve different needs. Health insurance covers medical expenses like doctor visits or hospital stays, often used regularly. Conversely, life insurance provides a monetary benefit to beneficiaries after the policyholder’s death, acting as a financial safety net, not a medical expenses cover. Both are vital for comprehensive financial planning. For more information, have a look at our What is a Life and Health Insurance License article.
Should I be an insurance broker to sell health insurance?
Being an insurance broker can certainly aid in selling health insurance. This is because insurance brokers represent multiple insurance companies, offering clients a wider range of options. However, you need to complete insurance broker training, which equips you with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate the sales process effectively and serve your clients’ best interests.
Featured Articles
- Insurance Agent Marketing
- Insurance Licensing
- How to Become an Insurance Agent
- How Do Life Insurance Companies Make Money
- What is a Life and Health Insurance License
- How Do Insurance Companies Make Money
For all related articles, have a look at our How to Sell Insurance page.