Debbie Deane is next up in our video series on agents who have sold their book of business to us.
Debbie is a great agent out of Virginia who has become a good friend. Some of her book was in Colorado, but what really stands out to me about Debbie is, in this process, it took longer than it should have.
It was not her fault; it was some things on our side that took a little longer than we anticipated. But we stuck in there together.
She was super gracious, and I know the end result. She's really happy with it, and we are too. Hope you enjoy this little clip on Debbie Deane and her book.
Video Transcript
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
John: How are you doing, Debbie?
Debbie: I am doing well. How are y'all?
John: Good, good. I brag on you a lot. I really do. You've just been the biggest pleasure to work with.
Debbie: Well, thank you.
John: I'm not just saying that because it's the right thing to say. I do. You've just been the biggest pleasure.
Debbie: I appreciate that.
John: When did we meet?
Debbie: We met in August of last year.
John: Are you serious?
Debbie: Yes, and we've been friends for over a year now.
John: Okay, real quickly, just talk a bit about yourself and how long you've been doing it, and whatever you want to share.
Debbie: Okay, I was in the insurance industry for 25 years, mainly on the operations side with a major corporation. I moved to Colorado with a major insurance company, and I chose to go out on my own. I met a great partner in a small financial firm and started working with Medicare. I did that for over 10 years, focusing on Medicare. When we moved back to Virginia, I continued with it and started bringing in other companies. Over 10 years, not having fall seasons, taking care of family, it was just starting to be time for a change.
John: Okay, so you were searching around, and you found us. It wasn't the right time last year; you wanted to go another AEP. But after the first of the year, we got serious about it. Right?
Debbie: Exactly. It was the timing of it all; I didn't even know that selling the business was an option. I started researching and reached out after attending some webinars to get the steps. When we connected, it was right on the cusp of too much going on right before AEP.
John: Yeah, that's pretty common. Sometimes when you run into bumps, you really get that strong conviction this is the path you want to take.
Okay, so we're moving forward with this, and Debbie's book is split between Virginia and Colorado. What we didn't realize was our Virginia appointment had lapsed. We had a problem getting that reactivated, and it really delayed everything, at least two months, maybe longer.
Debbie was super gracious about it. It was our fault, but it all worked out. It all ended up coming together really nicely.
Debbie: That's how our relationship grew. When you run into the bumps, you really get that strong conviction that this is the path you want to take. I enjoyed that honesty.
My focus is customer service, and I needed to know that my customers were going to be taken care of.
John: We've bought 27 books in the last two years. I've only got one, and that's Debbie Deane, who gave us a little commentary on every customer.
It's been really helpful for us. When you have an agent who really cares and they're ready to move on, your recommendation goes a long way because your customers trust you. We really appreciate that.
Debbie: One of the greatest helps that you all provided was assisting with the letter. You posted it for me to make adjustments, and in sending it out, it gave the comfort my members needed. It wasn't like, "Where are you going?" It was like, "Oh my gosh, this is great news for you. Thank you for not just dropping me."
John: Thanks for saying that. For everyone listening, when we're close to closing, we craft a letter. In Debbie's case, the seller tweaks it, puts their blessing on it, and we send it to every customer.
Our team then calls each customer, aiming for a 5-10 minute chat, introducing ourselves, getting to know them, assuring them we'll take good care of them.
Debbie: My advice to agents is make sure to keep communication open; if there's returned mail, take five minutes to send an email correcting it. Our members deserve that, especially with everything happening in the industry. They need that.
John: Well, I think that's it. Thanks so much.
Debbie: You're welcome. Buh-bye.
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