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Best Business Practices
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- A 3-step process for setting realistic sales goals
The first step to setting realistic sales goals involves examining your company's prior performance and projecting growth for the coming year, writes Vanessa Merit Nornberg. Afterward, you should figure out how much each representative is likely to contribute to the company's total sales. It's a good idea to consult with employees before finalizing your sales targets -- they may have even higher expectations than you do. Inc. online (free registration)
(3/14)
- A sales strategy based on trust
Today's customers are more informed than ever, thanks in part to online product reviews, and they're looking to buy from companies they trust. So companies must steer clear of unethical sales tactics and concentrate on establishing trust with their customers, Jeff Kline writes. Companies can embrace this kind of "selling wisdom" in several ways, such as by getting to know their customers, producing educational content and letting sales staff customize their pitches so that it feels authentic. Duct Tape Marketing
(3/14)
Industry Insight
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- Lawmakers make bipartisan call to avoid MA cuts
Nearly 100 lawmakers rallied around efforts to protect private Medicare Advantage plans from planned 2.2% funding cuts. "This reduction in funding will leave many vulnerable seniors with fewer benefits, higher out-of-pocket costs, and in some cases the loss of their current MA coverage," said the letter, signed by 95 lawmakers representing both political parties. The Hill/Healthwatch blog
(3/15)
Market Trends
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- Workers shopping exchanges gravitate toward high-deductible plans
Workers whose employers gave them a lump sum to buy their own health insurance on a private exchange showed greater interest in higher-deductible plans. Enrollment in preferred provider organizations dropped from 70% to 47%, while enrollment in consumer-directed plans rose to 39% from 12% in 2012, when workers were not purchasing their own coverage from an exchange. The Wall Street Journal
(3/17)
Health Insurance Plan Company News
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Vendor Company News
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AHIP News
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Where technology, genomics and consumerism can take health care
Named the 2012 most influential physician executive in health care by Modern Healthcare, Dr. Eric Topol is known for taking a fresh approach to patient care and is a leader helping to shape the future of our health care system. At Institute 2013, June 12 to 14 in Las Vegas, Dr. Topol will share why personalizing medicine through the use of data analytics and genome technology is a game-changing approach that will solve many of the challenges facing our health care system. Register now.
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The “Who’s Who” of health plans
Available in print or CD, “AIS’s Directory of Health Plans: 2013” allows you to make smart decisions based on solid data. Use the directory to identify market trends, gain insight into health plan models, determine which networks may best serve for your organization, develop benchmarks and more. Visit the AHIP Store to get your copy today.
SmartQuote
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 | What men value in this world is not rights but privileges."
--H.L. Mencken, American journalist and essayist

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