I have been intrigued by some of the FMO/IMO videos that roll out new products/carriers and have to wonder what is the attraction?
One fairly well known individual has apparently developed a following with feigned shock and disbelief that Medicare, a carrier, CMS, etc . . . take your pick, is trying to stick it to the consumer with some new tactic. After watching some of his videos, and noting the things he got wrong, I stopped watching them. The videos seem to attract the low information crowd . . .
Videos from other marketers are also adopting the "game show" style with bells, gongs, graphics (like the Batman TV show POW, ZAP) with the emcee introducing their next guest accompanied by trumpets or a drum roll.
One I watched recently was introducing a BRAND NEW Medigap carrier to the market . . . a carrier with a well known parent but will leave most people saying "Who??" with regard to the issuing carrier.
Whenever there is a new player in the market my "go to" resource is CSG . . . which I know has flaws but at least the flaws are consistent and predictable if you know how to read the tea leaves.
So this brand new carrier was being introduced by their Giant Head of Marketing (fictitious title, he really did not have a giant physical head) but his moderately spiked hair style and scruffy beard made him look like he belonged in a Scooby Doo cartoon than representing a carrier.
Back to the story . . .
According to CSG this brand new carrier has 57 "years in the market" which is odd. The brand new carrier only rolled out their Medigap product this year and I don't recall ever hearing of the parent (well known personal lines P&C carrier) ever being involved in the Medicare market.
FYI, Medicare is also 57 years old . . .
My personal mantra is to avoid carriers who have not truly been active in MY market at least 5 years under the same name. I don't care who the parent is, because policies are issued by the child carrier, not the parent. If the child leaves the state after 3 or 4 years that block is closed and the remaining policyholders are getting older and sicker . . . which results in a death spiral for the block.
Not everyone operates the way I do and it is perfectly fine if they want to ride the latest "hot hand" steed until it runs out of gas. That is their circus and their monkeys. Not my problem.
But how much of the BRAND NEW CARRIER pitch is hype and fluff and how much is substance? Other than rookies in the business, how many established agents actually fall for this approach?
/rant off . . .
One fairly well known individual has apparently developed a following with feigned shock and disbelief that Medicare, a carrier, CMS, etc . . . take your pick, is trying to stick it to the consumer with some new tactic. After watching some of his videos, and noting the things he got wrong, I stopped watching them. The videos seem to attract the low information crowd . . .
Videos from other marketers are also adopting the "game show" style with bells, gongs, graphics (like the Batman TV show POW, ZAP) with the emcee introducing their next guest accompanied by trumpets or a drum roll.
One I watched recently was introducing a BRAND NEW Medigap carrier to the market . . . a carrier with a well known parent but will leave most people saying "Who??" with regard to the issuing carrier.
Whenever there is a new player in the market my "go to" resource is CSG . . . which I know has flaws but at least the flaws are consistent and predictable if you know how to read the tea leaves.
So this brand new carrier was being introduced by their Giant Head of Marketing (fictitious title, he really did not have a giant physical head) but his moderately spiked hair style and scruffy beard made him look like he belonged in a Scooby Doo cartoon than representing a carrier.
Back to the story . . .
According to CSG this brand new carrier has 57 "years in the market" which is odd. The brand new carrier only rolled out their Medigap product this year and I don't recall ever hearing of the parent (well known personal lines P&C carrier) ever being involved in the Medicare market.
FYI, Medicare is also 57 years old . . .
My personal mantra is to avoid carriers who have not truly been active in MY market at least 5 years under the same name. I don't care who the parent is, because policies are issued by the child carrier, not the parent. If the child leaves the state after 3 or 4 years that block is closed and the remaining policyholders are getting older and sicker . . . which results in a death spiral for the block.
Not everyone operates the way I do and it is perfectly fine if they want to ride the latest "hot hand" steed until it runs out of gas. That is their circus and their monkeys. Not my problem.
But how much of the BRAND NEW CARRIER pitch is hype and fluff and how much is substance? Other than rookies in the business, how many established agents actually fall for this approach?
/rant off . . .
