Maureen Wilson was selling her retail business about ten years ago when her sister, who worked for United Healthcare at the time, suggested Maureen would make a great insurance agent.

“This was before I knew anything about insurance…I thought she was crazy,” she said.

While she might still be crazy, Maureen’s sister was correct. Maureen is a successful independent agent servicing Medicare beneficiaries throughout Arizona from her family’s home in Maricopa County.

She is not only in love with the industry but feels that she was called to it by God, which gives her a deep responsibility to do right by every client. “Everything I do, I do because it’s my calling, not because I’m going to get paid for it.”

Getting the Proper Training
She started out independent, but it was only about a year before Humana offered her a position as a captive agent. While Maureen was only with Humana for a little over two years, she credits the company for showing her the ropes and training her to become elite in the Medicare sales industry. “That’s where I learned how to be an actual agent,” she said.

Some lessons really hit home, as Maureen learned the difficulties many dual-eligible beneficiaries face while working with her own mother. Her mother would stay with different children throughout the year and would require a plan change each time she moved. It stuck with Maureen that every senior’s situation is unique, and some clients require additional attention to be properly served.

She made the most of her two years with Humana before becoming independent again in September of 2015. Maureen maintains a great relationship with Humana, but she ultimately “didn’t like the constraints of being with one captive agency.”

She is also happy remaining a one-person business, as she stated, “I had employees in my retail business. Once was enough.”

Stiff Competition
Arizona is a hotbed for retiring seniors, and competition has become serious. In 2016, the US Census ranked Arizona #2 in the nation for relocating retirees over 60 years old. And many of those seniors call Maricopa County their new home. This has led to many companies flooding the market with agents that aren’t always looking out for their clients.

“I think there are a lot of hungry people in the market that aren’t really dedicated to what they’re doing. They just want to produce. They don’t really want to service,” she said.

Maureen’s sincerity and genuine concern for others help her stand out from less scrupulous agents. She also has a real knack for networking, such as involvement with women’s groups and healthcare groups.

Along with client referrals, networking makes up the bulk of her business growth. And because of recent changes in the social landscape, she has embraced some newly evolved online networking groups. “I go into a network, and I earn their trust, and they become clients,” she said.

Just before our interview, Maureen said she was on a Zoom meeting with a newly formed networking group. “Four out of the twelve people (in the meeting) I represent as their Medicare agent,” she said. And still others in the meeting were Medicare eligible, hopefully leading to future enrollments.

She understands the headwinds facing independent agents this AEP and how much “distance selling” may be required. While not a huge fan of seminars, Maureen will be conducting online seminars this AEP. She is also ramping up her online image through advertising mediums such as Facebook.

Whether it’s telephonic or virtual enrollments, she is getting prepared early for a unique selling season. “I think we’re going to have to fight for every sale. We’re going to have to work harder.”