- Business
- Buying Health Insurance: Do you want enchiladas with that PPO?
- Motivational Maestro Freddie Ravel Honored by the City of L.A.
- Welcome, Molly Robbins: Latina Brand Builder
- Diversity
- Hispanic Author and Speaker Joachim de Posada Set to Take Korea by Storm
- Welcome, Molly Robbins: Latina Brand Builder
- Motivational Maestro Freddie Ravel Honored by the City of L.A.
- Hispanic Market
- Motivational Maestro Freddie Ravel Honored by the City of L.A.
- Buying Health Insurance: Do you want enchiladas with that PPO?
- Hispanic Author and Speaker Joachim de Posada Set to Take Korea by Storm
- Motivational
- Buying Health Insurance: Do you want enchiladas with that PPO?
- Welcome, Molly Robbins: Latina Brand Builder
- Motivational Maestro Freddie Ravel Honored by the City of L.A.
- Personal development
- Motivational Maestro Freddie Ravel Honored by the City of L.A.
- Hispanic Author and Speaker Joachim de Posada Set to Take Korea by Storm
Buying Health Insurance: Do you want enchiladas with that PPO?
11/22/2008 Hispanic clients who come to speaker Leonor McCall-Rodriguez’ insurance home office in Redondo Beach, California, often find themselves before a plate of home cooked Mexican food and PPO choices.
Hispanic clients who come to speaker Leonor McCall-Rodriguez’ insurance home office in Redondo Beach, California, often find themselves before a plate of home cooked Mexican food. When the founder of One Voice Insurance Services closed down her office in downtown Los Angeles last year, she found that she had more productive hours and could see more clients in a day. The home setting also seemed to put visitors at ease, as she explained the essentials of insurance and they in turn, discussed their health, their businesses, their families, and personal information.
Then food began to appear at the table. Having lived in Mexico for 28 years, McCall-Rodriguez had picked up not only Spanish and Hispanic marketing skills, but regional cooking savvy. “I learned to make carrot and fresh cheese tacos from a highway vendor in Michoacan on a sales trip and ‘tortas ahogadas’ (sauce soaked sandwiches) in Guadalajara” she recalls. I learned to make tamales in Mexico City and ‘Cochinita Pibil’ in Yucatan, but I never had to learn about or buy health insurance until I returned to the States. I know how challenging the process can be and I can help my community with this,” she explains. And as working from home allowed her time to cook favorite recipes, she began to invite clients a serving of them during meetings.
One Voice Insurance Services was designed to insure consumers who need more hand holding, whether it means teaching them the basics of insurance or being able to address them in Spanish. “Hispanic clients find shopping for insurance challenging, but they are eager to learn. They may have bought something they don’t understand and don’t use their plan to stay healthy. Or they may be uninsured and would like to have it, or offer it to their employees, but have no idea of how to do that. Today some are just looking for additional savings. This is why in this market, building personal relationships works for business,” she says. “There is a lot of in depth conversation involved and sharing a home cooked Mexican meal helps the process.”
Ever passionate about the cause of health care for Latinos and the uninsured, she notes that approximately 6.6 million Californians have no health insurance—with 75 percent of those residents identified as ethnic minorities. Nearly 60 percent of the uninsured are Latinos.
An unexpected twist has been that English speaking clients are also attracted to the friendly service. And many executives and managers from different insurance companies often suggest meeting at her office, where over business, they have discovered the taste of homemade chipotles and chicken mole.
“I like to think my clients prefer to come here because it is a more relaxed work setting and I help find the insurance they need at a good price. But then again, maybe it’s really Grandma’s enchiladas!” she concludes with a smile.
About One Voice Insurance Services
Established in 2007, One Voice Insurance Services is a California corporation, with online and agent services designed to connect multicultural consumers agents, products and services from the nation’s most respected health and life insurance providers. Its founder is insurance industry executive Leonor McCall-Rodriguez, named one of Hispanic Business “2005 Elite Latinas” and to the 2006 Latino Corporate Elite Directory of high-ranking Hispanics in Corporate America. She has received numerous awards for her community work and professional achievements in the areas of diversity and business and is a frequent keynote speaker in the community on health insurance and Hispanic Marketing topics. For more information, visit www.onevoiceinsuranceservices.com.