How to Build a successful Medicare agency with Michele Trimble

In this podcast, host Sarah Jacobson interviews Michele Trimble, an independent Medicare agent and agency owner, about her journey to creating her own business. Michele has been in the industry for 30+ years, and decided around six years ago to go out on her own after realizing that she would no longer be working with Medicare at her company. She wrote a business plan identifying her potential clients, referral partners, and competition, and found that thousands of people were looking for someone to provide them with personal follow up and an ongoing relationship for their Medicare needs. Michele is currently providing Medicare services for her clients, and she is committed to being there for them through any questions or concerns they may have.

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Building a successful Medicare agency

When it comes to building a successful Medicare agency, Michele Trimble in Seattle, Washington knows what she is doing. She has been in the industry for 30 plus years and has seen the successes and failures of many different agencies. Michele is an expert in Medicare and cares deeply for her clients, which is why she decided to go out on her own and build her own agency six years ago.

When Michele made the decision to go out on her own, she knew she had to have a solid plan in place. She researched, wrote a business plan, and consulted with the Small Business Administration and the library. Through her research, Michelle was able to identify her potential clients, who could refer to her, and who her competition would be. She also identified the staggering number of people turning 65 in her local area who she believed weren’t being served by the generic Medicare call center companies.

“I did find that there were a lot of the 1-800 Medicare numbers out there, but calling a generic number doesn't work for everybody. People want a local agent that they can actually talk to, that they can come back to, that's not going to just sell them a plan and leave.”

Michelle also knew that in order to make her agency successful, she would need to have a great software system. She realized that having everything in one place would save her time and energy, as she wouldn't have to go back and forth between different sources to find information. She decided to work with FairStreet to help her manage all of her clients in one place. With FairStreet, Michele was able to collect prescriptions, quote and enroll, create custom intake forms, do call recording, and save hours each week.

Staying up to date with Medicare as an agent

In order to be successful in the Medicare industry, it is important to educate yourself on the subject. This includes reading industry publications, researching the Medicare website, and staying up-to-date with the latest news. Michell recommends joining the American Society on Aging, reading through Medicare.gov, and using the National Association of Health Underwriters as sources of information. She also creates materials such as presentations, email templates, and timelines to help her clients understand Medicare.

Michele emphasizes the importance of having a website and a good CRM in order to be professional. She also stresses the importance of understanding the carriers and having as many contracts as possible. By staying up-to-date on the industry and providing excellent customer service, Michelle has been able to grow her business significantly.

Overall, it is important to educate yourself on Medicare in order to be successful in the industry. By taking the time to stay up-to-date with industry news and create helpful materials, you can build relationships with your clients and grow your business.

Don't give up on success

Michele's story emphasizes the importance of perseverance and not giving up on success. It's easy to become discouraged when things don't go as planned, but it's important to remember that success doesn't come overnight. It takes hard work, dedication, and a lot of patience. For Michele, it took a few years before her business started to grow by referral at a steady clip.

“I think just don't give up is the motto here.”

Michele's hard work and dedication to her business plan paid off, and her agency has been successful for the past six years. She is a great example of how to build a successful Medicare agency and is proof that with the right plan, anything is possible.