Responsible for the retention and growth of existing and assigned key accounts in support of organizational strategic, financial and performance goals by executing on core sales and business development activities such as strategic account planning, sales consultations, identification of sales opportunities, and renewal support. Responsible for managing complex key and/or multi-state accounts, through direct client or consultant interfacing.
Develop, refresh, and execute multi-year strategic account plans to grow and retain the account and relationships, including identifying key opportunities, risks, and mitigation strategies.
Present internal strategic account plans to leadership team as well as external plans to accounts or consultants for review and alignment.
Leverage strategic account plans to drive annual strategic discussions and other strategic planning efforts with accounts.
Deliver account specific advice on plan benefit design, products/programs/solutions, alternative methods of healthcare delivery (e.g., HPN, HMO, etc.), funding options and financial tradeoffs (e.g., balancing premiums vs access to care), as well as addressing questions and pulling in support resources as needed for more complex issues/questions.
Consult and confirm feasibility of solutions with relevant areas of the business to inform recommendations before finalizing sales.
Interface with complex accounts/consultants to understand buying habits, preferences, and decision-making processes, as well as gain the trust of key decision makers (e.g., labor, management, government stakeholders where applicable).
Educate and keep accounts/consultants up to date about BCBSM products/programs.
Interface and coordinate with internal functions (e.g., Underwriting/Actuary, Finance) on pricing and oversee pricing decisions for renewals and requests for proposals.
Understand BCBSM products'/programs' value proposition to provide input on retention strategies during negotiations and proposal development.
Address and oversee resolution of issues related to sales and business development including renewals, product/solution design and selection, or recurring strategic/complex issues.
Coordinate and communicate internally and externally with accounts/consultants on issue resolution progress and status as needed.
Execute internal sales function responsibilities including coordinating and assisting in the education and training of account contact personnel, providing input to strategic sales and portfolio planning, etc.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Sales and Marketing or related field required.
Seven (7) years of sales and account management experience required.
Previous experience as a consultant and/or market facing representative supporting multi-state accounts is preferred.
Experience in Salesforce Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strongly preferred.
Extensive and well-developed technical knowledge of healthcare insurance products/programs, including Medicare Advantage, self-funding arrangements, stop loss, ancillary (e.g., dental, vision), pharmacy, and product buy-ups.
Extensive knowledge of financial arrangements and medical economics, understanding of competitor offerings and the capacity to adapt to increasing industry complexity and changes.
Ability to directly influence and guide accounts in their decision-making on relevant solutions and/or consultants in supporting their customers.
Ability to efficiently synthesize account/consultant feedback, resolve concerns, and surface any key risks in a prompt manner.
Ability to articulate BCBSM's value story in a clear and compelling manner including how products and services can contribute to the account's strategies.
Capacity to understand the complexity of healthcare and clinical, utilization and financial data.
Ability to surface potential cross-sell/up-sell opportunities from internal and external sources and convert on opportunities to deliver finalist presentations and close sales.
Advanced analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to understand competing priorities and how best to leverage available resources, time, and budget.
Ability to influence and effectively collaborate across teams/stakeholders in the organization.
Advanced communication skills with ability to communicate concisely and clearly across a range of channels/communication tools (e.g., CRM, documents, calls, meetings) with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with moving variables in situations with limited standardization and alignment.
Department Requirements:
Extensive knowledge of Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) and Association Health Plans (AHPs)
A deep understanding of the healthcare market including: ACA small group regulations, product, underwriting policies, pricing, and competitive landscape
Strong presentation skills with the ability to present BCBSM / BCN policies, product, etc.., to external audiences
