If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine the value of a group of videos. The National LTC Network has unveiled a video-based website resource that helps explain why long term care insurance is important and should be considered. The concept behind the Makes a Difference website is simple: Viewers will hear how owning—or not owning—LTCI actually made a difference when they or a loved one needed care. These videos are neither theory nor a sales pitch—but real stories told by real people.
According to Terry Truesdell, president of the National LTC Network, “The Makes a Difference website aspires to join other favorite long term care resources. Producers rely on other excellent websites to help them position the problem of uninsured long term care in the sales process. One very popular resource is the Cost of Care Survey released by Genworth each year. The Medicare website (www.medicare.gov) does a great job of explaining that Medicare cannot be counted on to pay for long term care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website provides credible information as well (www.longtermcare.gov). Another helpful site used by many agents is the 3in4 Need More website (www.3in4needmore.com).
“The Makes a Difference website is not just for those in the industry, but for consumers as well. There is no find-an-agent functionality, no place to request a quote, and no information about visitors is collected. This omission is deliberate, so that producers will not be reluctant to use the site in their sales process. Anyone may submit a video. However, the videos cannot be commercial: They cannot mention company names, websites or phone numbers. This is to encourage producers to share the site freely with clients and referral sources,” added Truesdell.
“As a warehouse of video testimonials and personal LTC stories, the Makes a Difference website can reach all corners of the internet to catapult the importance of long term care planning. Too often advisors and clients overlook the urgency of this topic, which is why I’m happy to support the effort and look forward to referring prospects to the new site,” said Stephen D. Forman, senior vice president of LTCA, Bellevue, WA.
Julie Gelbwaks-Gewirtz, Gelbwaks Executive Marketing, Plantation, FL, added, “The ability to share my family’s story on the Makes a Difference website is wonderful—I hope that our experience will make it easier for other families. My family is in the LTCI business as the direct result of my grandmother’s need for LTC. The fact that she was uninsurable made us realize that anyone who can buy insurance should.”
Truesdell said he hopes that as more and more videos are posted, the resource will become an even more powerful marketing tool. As the content and activity grows, the site’s “likeability quotient” will rise in search engines such as Google and Bing, thus increasing the odds that consumers looking for information are more likely to find and watch the videos.
The National LTC Network hopes that videos will reach consumers who may not be interested in wading through either text on websites or the mountain of paper information available on LTC planning.
Truesdell said, “Long term care insurance is not an inexpensive, impulse buy. Thus the purchase must be seriously reviewed by consumers and their advisors. The website will help consumers more accurately assess the benefits of LTCI when considering whether or not to buy—and the videos will communicate the true cost of not being insured (beyond just dollars and cents).
“It’s simple to share a video at the site,” Truesdell added, “and they do not need to be professionally done. Videos can feature anyone and be submitted by anyone: producer, insured, caregiver, family members, etc.”
Videos are reviewed before they go live at the site, and complete information about what is required can be found by going to www.makesadifference.us and clicking on the “Share Your Story” tab. Everyone is encouraged to include their name, occupation (if applicable) and location in their video.
“The National LTC Network invites you to visit the site and see how the Makes a Difference site can make a difference for you and the people you serve,” concluded Truesdell. [SAC]
Using the “Makes a Difference” Site
• When making a presentation at a service club or a networking meeting, select any of the videos on the site to accompany your talk.
• Your email signature could suggest “Watch three videos at this site to learn more about what long term care insurance really does.”
• When setting or confirming appointments, prospects could be asked to watch three videos at the makesadifference.us website before you meet—it will give you a great background for your discussion.
