Sr. Business Developer

Wellmark, Inc.; Iowa (LA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Wellmark, Inc. is seeking an experienced sales professional to acquire large group and national account prospects.

You will consult with decision makers, tailor benefit solutions, and coordinate with underwriting and the account team to close deals and grow the portfolio. Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree, 7+ years in sales or business development in health insurance, excellent communication, strong relationships, and willingness to travel >50%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience.
• 7+ years of sales/business development experience in health insurance or related area.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with strong presentation skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Capability to craft differentiated recommendations based on client needs and market context.
• Strong documentation and time-management skills to manage assigned territory.
• Valid driver’s license with travel >50%.
• Life & Health insurance license, or ability to obtain within 60 days.

Responsibilities

• Acquire new large group and top national account prospects.
• Consult with decision makers to understand benefit needs and propose solutions.
• Coordinate with underwriting and Account Manager to transition won accounts.
• Develop and deliver compelling proposals and presentations.
• Negotiate terms and close sales to achieve targets.
• Gather competitive intelligence for sales and marketing teams.
• Collaborate with internal partners to support national accounts.

Skills

Bachelor-level degree or higher

Sales leadership

Healthcare industry knowledge

Strong communication

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Travel readiness

Licensing: Life & Health

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Why Wellmark: We are a mutual insurance company owned by our policy holders across Iowa and South Dakota, and we’ve built our reputation on over 80 years’ worth of trust. We are not motivated by profits. We are motivated by the well-being of our friends, family, and neighbors–our members. If you’re passionate about joining an organization working hard to put its members first, to provide best-in-class service, and one that is committed to sustainability and innovation, consider applying today!

Learn more about our unique benefit offerings here.

Responsible for acquiring new large group and top national account prospects sales customers through effective prospecting and lead qualification. Consults with prospective customers to understand their benefit needs and utilizing in depth analysis and product knowledge to offer solutions which satisfy those needs, in addition to seeking opportunities to layer ancillary products or financial services into the initial proposal. Displays excellent communication skills, including the ability to speak effectively extemporaneously, in addition to the design and delivery of powerful presentations which influence decision makers. Collaborate with underwriting on preparation of the proposal and coordinate with the assigned Account Manager to transition newly acquired groups.

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience.
• 7+ years of experience in Sales, Business Development, or related area with demonstrated success building and selling highly customizable solutions to meet customers’ needs – e.g. consulting with decision makers, prospecting, lead generation, qualifying leads, negotiating, closing a sale, etc. Health insurance or a related industry experience is also required, including strong understanding of health and ancillary products, benefit design, and applicable industry rules or regulations.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to articulate information relevant to products, services, and industry legislation. Strong presentation skills, including development and delivery.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to develop and maintain strategic working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to combine industry expertise with strong understanding of prospective customers’ perspectives and strategies in order to produce customized recommendations for differentiated products and services.
• Time management, detail orientation, and strong documentation skills in order to effectively manage assigned territory.
• Valid Driver’s License with moderate travel >50%.
• Life & Health insurance license, or the ability to successfully obtain license within 60 days of hire.

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• 10+ years of experience in Sales, Buisness Development or related area.
• Industry designations or certifications – e.g. FLMI, CEBS, etc.

Life and Health Insurance license required within 60 days of hire.

a. Execute and prepare national consultant Road Show that informs consultants of Wellmark Value Prop.

b. Execute the sales process for top 15 national accounts prospects in finalist presentation. Lead national consultant discussion in and develop relationships with top 5 national consultant firms.

c. Execute the sales process for both Self Insured and Fully Insured – Non National Accounts Wellmark and services including prospecting, lead generation, qualifying prospective leads, needs analysis, consultation regarding coverage needs. Prepare and present proposals to prospective customers and any subsequent negotiation, in an effort to acquire new group customers and achieve sales goals as established by leadership. The consulting skills displayed by the incumbent should be advanced in nature and the solutions recommended should reflect the depth of the consultative analysis.

d. Evaluate, analyze and negotiate point solutions – integration options for prospects and sold cases.

e. Display excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills in order to build and maintain relationships with internal and external business partners, effectively represent Wellmark to prospective customers, and influence the customer decision making process. Additionally, exhibits the ability to speak extemporaneously and “think on their feet” when addressing prospective customer questions.

f. Develop and deliver powerful proposals and presentations which convey the Wellmark value proposition compared to competitor products and services and address the needs of the prospective customer. Collaborate with business partners and sales leaders to maximize the impact of the presentation.

g. Provide consultation related to complex plan designs, the nuances of self funded arrangements, underwriting methodology, add on services (case management, disease management, lifestyle management), ancillary products, ERISA requirements, and issues relevant to retiree coverage.

h. Document relevant account information and activities in the Account Management system in a timely manner and completes other reports as required by their leader.

i. Collaborate with the assigned Account Manager and their service team to transition the sold case for new case implementation activities.

j. Gather and communicate competitor intelligence to sales and marketing stakeholders.

k. Other duties as assigned.

This job requires a non-compete agreement.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

The policy of Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is to recruit, hire, train and promote individuals in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation due to a disability at any stage of the employment application process should contact us at [e-mail]

Please inform us if you meet the definition of a "Covered DoD official".

At this time, Wellmark is not considering applicants for this position that require any type of immigration sponsorship (additional work authorization or permanent work authorization) now or in the future to work in the United States. This includes, but IS NOT LIMITED TO: F1-OPT, F1-CPT, H-1B, TN, L-1, J-1, etc. For additional information around work authorization needs please refer to the following resources: Nonimmigrant Workers and Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants.

Wellmark supports and expects the responsible use of AI for our workforce! We welcome the responsible use of these tools by job seekers as well and are interested in learning from you; you will have an opportunity in the application process to share which tools you used and how you applied them.