Building a Medicare business is hardest in year one. Nancy Morrison says she “cried every day the first entire year” of commission-only sales and cold calls. Sixteen years later she runs Nancy Morrison Insurance and calls it her dream job. She tells Matt Gaus what got her through.
Surviving the First Year on Commission-Only Sales
Nancy Morrison doesn’t sugarcoat how she started. She sold on commission only, made cold calls, and earned very little that first year. “I probably cried every day the first entire year,” she tells Matt. What got her through was persistence: showing up every day, even when the results hadn’t arrived yet. For any new agent in a hard first year, her story shows that the early grind is temporary.
How Cold Calls Turned Into Community Referrals
Nancy’s business didn’t stay built on cold calls. As she served clients well, word spread through her community. Neighbors referred neighbors, and her local relationships became the engine of her agency. Today, community trust brings in the kind of steady referrals that cold calling never could.
Advocacy Over Transactions: Earning Client Trust
Nancy sees her job as advocating for clients, not just selling them a policy. Medicare is confusing, and clients need someone who will explain their options and go to bat for them when problems come up. That approach takes more time per client, but it builds the loyalty that keeps clients with her year after year.
Why Renewals Give Medicare Agents Stability
Sixteen years in, Nancy has something she didn’t have that first year: a renewal-based business that pays her steadily. Every client who stays enrolled adds to that base. It gives her stability through industry changes and the flexibility to run her agency on her terms. She also credits her long partnership with National Insurance Markets with helping her get through the transitions along the way. Now, she says, “I have a dream job.”
Key Takeaways for New Medicare Agents
- Stay consistent through the hard early months. It gets better.
- Long-term relationships beat one-time transactions.
- Clients need education and advocacy, not just a product.
- Renewals build stability and flexibility over time.
- A supportive FMO helps you navigate industry changes.
- Community trust drives referrals and sustainable growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is the first year as a Medicare agent?
For most agents the first year is the toughest. Income is often commission-only and uneven while you build a client base. Agents who push through with consistent prospecting, strong service, and good support usually see referrals and renewals grow in the years that follow.
How do Medicare renewal commissions work?
When a client stays enrolled in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, the carrier pays the agent a renewal commission each year, within limits CMS sets annually. Medicare Supplement renewals follow each carrier’s own schedule. Together, renewals become a steady income base as the book grows.
How do Medicare agents get referrals?
Referrals come from trust. Serve clients well, stay in touch through the year, and be the person they call when something goes wrong. Get involved in your local community and ask satisfied clients to pass your name along, within CMS marketing rules.
Listen to Episode 8 of The Agent Spotlight Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
For more information, get in touch with NIM Broker.
