At Spark, we offer technology and services that make it easier for agents to scale their business. We automate tasks like enrollment and contracting, provide personalized marketing collateral, and have an on-call Client Services team that serves your customers. With all of these resources, the average Spark agent doubles their enrollments each year. 

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When production increases this much, I often have agents ask me if they should hire a virtual assistant or an admin — or even invest in a junior agent. So how do you know when to expand your team? Here are four questions to help you determine if it’s time to hire support staff.

Do you use Spark’s Client Services team? 

The first step any growing agent should take at Spark is leveraging the Client Services team to support your book of business. This will buy you time without having to make a financial investment, and it gives you a peek into what scaling your business looks and feels like. 

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Our team will help your clients navigate issues with carriers, get ID cards, figure out prescription coverage, and more. You’ll start to hone your delegation skills that will be necessary if and when you decide to hire. It’ll also get your clients used to talking to someone other than yourself — they’ll see they can trust Spark the same way they trust you. 

Do you have time for day-to-day work and long-term planning?

As a business owner, it’s your job to steer the ship. You need to make sure you’re on the right path to take you where you want to go in three months, 12 months, 10 years down the road.

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I find that many agents are inclined to focus on their existing client base and, by default, can’t get to new business tasks — think things like marketing to a new demographic, staying on top of your lead pipeline, and connecting with potential partners. But these activities are essential for continuing to scale your business and win new clients. 

What are your strengths and do you have time to showcase them? 

One of the keys to not only growing your business, but actually enjoying your work, is playing to your strengths. If you’re great at understanding complex policy changes and educating your clients, but you’re spending all of your time tracking down ID cards, you’re not utilizing your strengths. Or maybe you’re energized by going out into your community and meeting potential partners, but you don’t have time on your calendar. 

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The most successful agents I’ve worked with know their strengths and build their business around them. It’s really about self-awareness: What do you prefer to do? What are you good at? Is there an opportunity to offload work that you’re not as good at?

What kind of work do you need help with? 

Depending on the type of help you need, you have options when it comes to hiring. Whichever position you decide on, Spark has user management and onboarding tools to help get them up to speed. 

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A virtual assistant (VA) is great for the agent who needs help with things like data entry, calendar management, SOA confirmations, and generating scopes. A lot of agents use VAs during AEP to help them get through the sprint — it’s usually a low lift to get them started so they can ramp up on an as-needed basis. 

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For an administrator (admin) role, you want someone organized and detail-oriented, who can juggle multiple tasks at once. An admin will speak to your clients and route them to Spark Client Services when they need help. They’ll learn how you do business and support you with improving and scaling your systems and operations. 

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Finally, you could consider a junior agent. This route is for the agent who knows they want to build an agency. You have to be ready to mentor, teach them the Medicare business, and support them while they get licensed. This person will talk to clients regularly and work in Spark. Eventually they’ll also need their own lead pipeline. If you’re considering bringing on a junior agent, be sure to speak with your upline to see if you’re ready to make the jump. 

Taking your next steps 

If you haven’t yet, start delegating some of your work to Client Services. If you’re already doing that and still feel like you don’t have enough time in your day, it’s probably time to make a hire. 

Learn about the Spark platform that helps agents double their business. Follow Spark on LinkedIn for industry advice and success stories from top agents and principals. 

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