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President’s Panel Announced |  Stay on Top of Technology |  First B2B Ad Campaign Launching |  IIABA Bolsters National Agency E&O Staff |  Market Share Report Available |  Japanese Insurance Companies Visit IIABA |  ACSR Scholarships Due April 1 |  What’s in Your Toolbox? |  Instant Boat Quotes Available | Industry News

N L C & C
President’s Panel Announced

A panel of insurance industry leaders will share with young agents their insights on critical issues affecting the future of the independent agency system April 28 during the National Legislative Conference & Convention.

Joining Big "I" President William G. Stiglitz on the President’s Panel are:

· Tony Pavia, president, AIG Agency Auto;

· John Ammendola, senior vice president, Safeco Insurance;

· Cynthia Hardy Young, president, Encompass Insurance; and

· Robert V. James, senior managing director, president and CEO, Balboa Insurance Group.

For more information contact Leslie Mularski at 800-221-7917; leslie.mularski@iiaba.net. To register for the NLC&C, click here.

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Stay on Top of Technology

During the NLC&C, join Bob Slocum, chairman of the Agents Council for Technology and president of The Slocum Agency Inc., and Jeff Yates, ACT’s executive director, for the ACT workshop "Key Business Process Issues for 2006." Learn about key technology and workflow issues that your agency should consider for 2006. Review the important issues ACT is working on to make our distribution system more efficient and productive. Geared toward the business owner and manager, this workshop will focus on what these issues mean to your agency's business, including sales, customer service, agent-carrier interfaces and profitability. In today’s every-changing, technologically advanced world, it’s crucial to be on top of things! Attend this workshop and make sure you and your agency are aware of the latest technology issues, advances and improvements. For more information, contact Jeff Yates at 800-221-7917; jeff.yates@iiaba.net. To register for the NLC&C, click here.

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T R U S T E D   C H O I C E ®
First B2B Ad Campaign Launching

A Trusted Choice® business-to-business (B2B) advertising campaign, designed to increase awareness among business decision-makers of the value of using a Trusted Choice® agency when making insurance-purchasing decisions, kicks off next month.

Print ads touting the value-added services offered by Trusted Choice® agencies—choice of companies, customization of coverages and advocacy support—will appear through August in select business trade publications that cater to top business sectors served by independent insurance agencies.

Original Trusted Choice® research found that small business owners do not know where to find a trusted insurance advisor and often turn to their trade associations and their network of business contacts for recommendations. a b2b campaign featuring advertising in these trade journals will introduce business decision-makers to Trusted Choice® agencies. The ads will be perceived by business owners as a quasi-endorsement of Trusted Choice® by their trade publication, thereby giving the brand higher credibility.

The top business segments, according to www.MarketStance.com, and the publications selected for the B2B campaign are:

• Eating places—Restaurant Business

• Legal services—ABA Journal

• Housing construction—Engineering News Record (ENR)

• Plumbing, heating, A/C—ASHRAE Journal

• Concrete contractors—Concrete Construction

• Long-haul trucking—Heavy Duty Trucking

• Local trucking— Heavy Duty Trucking

• Water, sewer, pipeline—Utility Contractor

• Communications & power—Utility Contractor

• Metal contractors—SNIPS Magazine

• Gasoline service stations—CSP (Convenience Store/Petroleum)

• Nonresidential construction— Engineering News Record (ENR

• Apartment building owners/operators—Journal of Property Management

The selected publications match up with this ad campaign target audience: individuals within each targeted business sector who influence the purchase of insurance for their businesses.

The campaign will feature full-page, four-color ads in each publication through August. The ads will run two or three times in each publication during the campaign. Click here  to view the complete B2B ad schedule.

Trusted Choice® currently is creating new, targeted ads with the text and photo of each geared to the business segment served by a publication. For instance, the photo in the Restaurant Business ad will feature a restaurant setting or restaurant and the text will address restaurant operators.

Complemented by the nationwide cable TV ad flights, Internet ad campaigns, local-agency advertising activity, this B2B advertising plan will boost awareness of Trusted Choice® agencies as well as logo recognition among small-business owners.

Currently, brand program participating agencies across the country are preparing for Trusted Choice® Month 2006 (May), a concentrated, month-long promotional campaign. The centerpiece of this campaign is a nationwide cable TV ad flight that will boast nearly 250 nationwide TV spots during a two-week period from May 1 through 14.

The ad flight will feature ads on Fox News, CNN, ESPN, Fine Living Channel, Food Network, Home & Garden TV (HGTV) and the Travel Channel, cable networks that best reach the Trusted Choice® target audience: adults ages 35 to 64, college educated, with household incomes of $75,000 or more. Click hereto view the complete Trusted Choice® Month TV ad schedule. Other May campaign features will be an Internet ad flight as well as a public relations campaign.

For more information about the B2B campaign or Trusted Choice® Month, contact Jeff Myers at 80-221-7917; jeff.myers@iiaba.net.

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I I A B A   N E W S
IIABA Bolsters National Agency E&O Staff

The Big "I" recently added a new employee to Big "I" Advantage team to increase its agency E&O capabilities. Mark Wolf, the new assistant vice president of Agency E&O Operations, joins Paul Buse, David Hulcher and Pam Andrews as the staff working closely with Big "I" state associations on this product. "We are lucky to have come across such an agency E&O expert right at the time we are expanding our agency professional liability capabilities," says Big "I" Advantage President Paul Buse. "This will allow David Hulcher to continue to expand our loss prevention services to policyholders while bringing the leadership the program needs at the national association." Wolf comes to the Big "I" Advantage Team from Victor O. Schinnerer & Company in Bethesda, Md. He has 19 years of experience and will bring breadth, depth and experience to the national operation. "Adding that kind of experience and contacts to what our state associations bring to our program’s delivery of this product is why everyone that has met Mark is so excited," Buse says. Wolf holds a B.A. degree, earned the Chartered Property-Casualty Underwriter designation and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Contact Wolf at 800-221-7917; mark.wolf@iiaba.net.

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Market Share Report Available

Have you seen the mentions in the trade press lately? IIABA’s 10th annual market share report is out! If you want to know how independent agents are stacking up in the marketplace, check out the results of the market share study. Big "I" members can obtain a copy of the full report on the Big "I" Virtual University. If you don't know your User ID or Password, email your name, agency name and address to logon@iiaba.net. For non-IIABA members, subscriptions to the Big "I" Virtual University are available. For more information please contact Madelyn Flannagan at 800-221-7917; madelyn.flannagan@iiaba.net.

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Japanese Insurance Companies Visit IIABA

This week, five top level executives from insurance companies in Japan visited IIABA’s national headquarters in Alexandria, Va. Executives from the following companies participated: Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Company, Fuji Fire & Marine Insurance Company and Sonpo Japan Insurance Company. These companies are all p-c insurers of both personal and commercial lines. Bob Rusbuldt, Debra Perkins, Paul Buse and Jeff Etzkin were Big "I" participants.

The Japanese agents and Big "I" staff spent hours discussing issues including: the independent agency distribution system, market share information, agency merger and acquisitions, technology, banks selling insurance, agency clusters and agents E&O insurance.

Some of these Japanese companies write limited insurance in the United States, primarily for Japanese companies doing business in the states. IIABA staff members spent time in the meeting strongly advocating and encouraging them to do business in the United States through independent agents. IIABA executives offered to help work on business, regulatory, legal and any other issues the Japanese companies may have if they decided to expand their business in this country. Much of the meeting was focused on the advantages of using independent agencies and the independent agency system. For more information, contact Jeff Etzkin at 800-221-7917; jeff.etzkin@iiaba.net.

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ACSR Scholarships Due April  1

IIABA, in close cooperation with the National Association of Insurance Women International (NAIW), has established a new scholarship program to further promote and assist insurance agents and brokers’ commitment to excellence.

During NAIW’s upcoming annual convention in June, the Big "I" and NAIW will award the following scholarships toward IIABA’s Accredited Customer Service Representative Designation (ACSR):

· One full scholarship to take all classes required to earn the ACSR personal, commercial or life-health designation; and

· Three scholarships to take one ACSR personal, commercial or life-health class.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with NAIW to offer their members and our own association members the opportunity to continue their education and gain valuable technical and professional training," says Madelyn Flannagan, Big "I" vice president of education and research. "The ACSR Designation is an important one—it promotes and recognizes the professionalism of customer service personnel in the insurance industry."

Scholarship recipients will gain critical professional development skills, improve their customer service tactics, retain accounts and reduce their agencies’ E&O exposure.

Applicants must be current and active members of the NAIW in good standing, work full-time at a Big "I" member agency and have at least one-year tenure in the insurance industry. Applicants must intend to complete and achieve the ACSR designation within three years or take the ACSR class within one year and expect to continue their career for the next three years in the insurance industry. To obtain an application, which must be postmarked by April 1, 2006, click here.

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B I G   " I "   V I R T U A L   U N I V E R S I T Y
What’s in Your Toolbox?

Transform potential into performance by upgrading and sharpening your tools now! Every day you face new challenges, and the Big "I" Virtual University is dedicated to providing the very best resources to transform your potential and meet your expectations. Now, you can access over 50 SkillSoft business skill courses exclusively through The Big "I" Virtual University.

SkillSoft has the world’s largest collection of business skills courses and the largest repository of online reference content in the e-learning industry. Companies around the globe turn to SkillSoft when they need to upgrade their employees’ critical skills (a.k.a. soft skills) and business knowledge.

Sales and customer-facing skills courses focus on the strategies and techniques for selling products and services to customers. Courses include: "Planning Your Sales Approach" and "The Voice of the Customer."

Business strategy and planning courses provide leaders with proven techniques for determining and implementing strategy and business plans. Courses include: "Writing the Marketing Plan: Creative Strategy" and "Developing a Target Market Strategy."

Leadership and management courses enable new or experienced leaders to support their work force, provide vision, encourage leadership and hone the skills and management strategies necessary to direct others’ activities and contributions to organizational goals. Courses include: "Dynamics of Leadership" and "Key Stages in Coaching."

Professional effectiveness courses enhance essential written or oral communication abilities needed to successfully convey information and ideas and address time management and organization skills. Courses include: "Making Telephone Calls Count," "Using Effective Business Communication," "Avoiding Grammatical Errors in Business Writing," "Presenting Your Case" and "Techniques for Better Time Management."

Business finance and budgeting courses encourage building foundations of knowledge and skills around business financial decisions and the critical concepts of creating and analyzing your operating budget. Courses include: "Effective Budget Management" and "Components of Financial Statements."

Recruiting and behavioral interviewing courses teach a combination of knowledge and skills needed to help professionals build and maintain a top quality agency force and administrative staff. Courses include: "Recruiting Successfully" and "Conducting the Behavioral-Based Interview."

Working together, the Big "I" Virtual University and SkillSoft will provide the tools you need to meet your professional development needs with thousands of hours of business course instruction and reference tools. After register for a course, you have an unlimited one-year license to take that course or refer to the job aids. It is easy, efficient, economical and fun. To add to your toolbox today, log onto the Big "I" Virtual University. Your new skills are only a click away! For more information about the Big "I" Virtual University, contact Madelyn Flannagan at 800-221-7917; madelyn.flannagan@iiaba.net.

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B I G   " I "   M A R K E T S
Instant Boat Quotes Available

Jet skis, ski boats, pontoon cruisers...boat season is around the corner, and Big "I" Markets has your clients covered. As a Big "I" member, you have access to an excellent marine program designed especially for the most common watercraft. Available on Big "I" Markets, the Ski-Safe personal watercraft policy provides extensive protection for jet-skis and other personal watercraft while the Seafarer policy was tailored with motorboats and fishing craft in mind. And now, Big "I" Markets can now give you an instant online quote  for nearly all of the most popular boats. Within minutes of logging on, you will be able to give your customers a quote for one of the best policies on the market at very competitive prices. Once you request a binder, the policy will be sent to you electronically. With prime boat season just around the corner, now is the time to get familiar with the Ski-Safe/Sea-Safe process. Log onto ww.bigimarkets.com today to access this product. Not yet registered for Big "I" Markets? Find out what thousands of your fellow member agents are taking advantage of and register online at www.bigimarkets.com.

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