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T H U R S D A Y , J U N E 2 1 , 2 0 0 7
Industry News
TRUSTED CHOICE®
Trusted Choice® Takes Flight with New Advertising Initiatives
Traveling this summer? Keep an eye out for Trusted Choice® on Continental Airlines. Trusted Choice® will be featured in a 90-second, in-flight video vignette airing exclusively on Continental Airlines. This short subject programming will be a main screen presentation on Continental’s video-equipped 737 and 757 aircrafts. This video will run through all of August and September and will reach more that 2.8 million passengers during that 60-day period on domestic and international routes. Airline passengers are a great target audience and we look forward to educating them on Trusted Choice®.
Trusted Choice® has also signed on to be a sponsor of the TV show “Designing Spaces,” a 30-minute, news-magazine-style show that focuses on remodeling/redesigning a home.
Trusted Choice® will be featured in 90-second advice segments, “Insuring Your Dreams: What Every Homeowner Needs to Know,” as part of the show. The three segments will be educational, informative and showcase a Trusted Choice® insurance agent. The Trusted Choice® agent will be emphasized as an industry authority on their segment topic. The three segments will be focused on flood insurance, personal liability/umbrella policy and increased value of a home after remodeling.
Each of the shows that feature a Trusted Choice® agent will air a minimum of 20 times through a combination of any or all of the following: WE (Women’s Entertainment), TLC (the Learning Channel) affiliates and network affiliates for ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PAX and UPN. Once specific program schedules are determined, they will be posted on www.TrustedChoice.com.
The Trusted Choice® national cable television advertising strategy also continues. Each month features numerous Trusted Choice® TV ads over a two-week period on a single national cable network. The network for August is The Weather Channel.
Trusted Choice® agents should take advantage of the opportunities to run ads locally that are complemented by the national advertising initiatives. By running a local campaign, agencies will get double exposure with area consumers and become the smart choice for their insurance and financial services. For more information on Trusted Choice®, contact Jenner Gohr at 703-706-5409; jenner.gohr@iiaba.net.
InVEST
InVEST Awards Teacher of the Year, Dach Awards
InVEST, the only education program that strengthens the insurance industry by developing a large pool of qualified recruits, has named its annual Teacher of the Year and Dach Award recipients. The Teacher of the Year award is presented annually to an educator who has made substantial contributions to his or her InVEST students. This year’s honoree is Cheryll Small from Florida’s Miami Coral Park Senior High School. She received $500 to use in her InVEST classroom as well as $500 for personal use.
The Dach Award honors an insurance industry volunteer for fostering the growth and development of InVEST. The award is named in memory of the program’s founder, Stephen Dach, and the honoree receives a $1,000 cash prize to be used in his or her InVEST classroom. Frank Chiarello of Ace Risk Management in New York, N.Y. is the 2007 Dach Award honoree. For more information, go to www.independentagent.com and click “InVEST”or contact Sandra Skipper at 703- 706-5437; sandra.skipper@iiaba.net.
EDUCATION
Big “I” Offers AIAO Program
The Big “I” is pleased to present a dynamic educational program designed to provide insurance agency owners, producers and managers that serve emerging markets with the planning, sales and service expertise necessary to build a successful independent agency operation.
The Associate in Insurance Agency Operations (AIAO) is designed to be a complete training program for insurance agency owners, producers and managers who seek the tools and strategies that will allow their agencies to be attractive business partners for top national and regional agency carriers, and to position their agencies for continued growth and success. Upon completion of the class work and all course reporting requirements, each student will be awarded the designation of AIAO by the Big “I.”
Save these dates for this three-part course, which will be held at the Big “I” national office in Alexandria, Va.: Sept. 18 – 20 (strategic planning), Dec. 4 - 6 (sales training) and Feb. 12 - 13 (superior customer service).
For registration information, contact Gwen Garvin at 800-221-7917, x5441; gwen.garvin@iiaba.net.
BIG “I” MARKETSSM
Fireman’s Fund Audit Provision Letters
Agencies that have bound coverage through the Big “I” FFIC Insurance Agents E&O program continue to receive a letter from FFIC indicating their E&O policy is auditable. Please be advised that these letters are invalid as there is no audit provision on the FFIC Agents E&O policy. This error is due to a glitch in FFIC’s policy issuance system, which it is working diligently to correct. The Big “I” wants to make agents aware of this on going issue so they can alert their clients of this letter before they receive it. Until this error can be corrected, the Big “I” will be including this letter with all bound policies. The letter informs the insured that the audit provision letter they will receive in the mail is an error and that the policies are not auditable. We also recommend discussing this issue with your client once you deliver the policy, to further clarify the situation prior to receipt of the audit letter. Once the correction has been made in FFIC’s policy issuance system, we will alert you and the attached letter will no longer be sent in conjunction with the policy form.
YOUNG AGENTS
2007 Young Agents Leadership Institute
The 2007 Young Agents Leadership Institute is a chance for young agents to gain insight into the latest technology trends, network with peers and Big “I” leaders, learn new strategies for agency management and develop valuable professional and personal contacts. The institute will be held Sept. 28-30 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, Calif. The schedule of events for the Institute is as follows:
Friday, Sept. 28
7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Registration
3 – 4:30 p.m. Young Agents Staff Liaison Roundtable Discussion
4:30 – 5:45 p.m. Young Agents Welcome Reception
6 – 7 p.m. Young Agents Awards Reception with Big “I” Leadership
7 – 8 p.m. Young Agent Evening Event
Saturday, Sept. 29
7 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Registration
8 – 9:15 a.m. Young Agent Breakfast & Keynote Speaker
9:15 – 9:50 a.m. Young Agent Opening General Session
10 – 11 a.m. Young Agent Breakout Session: Membership Development,
Communications, Political Involvement
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Young Agent Breakout Session: Membership Development,
Communication, Political Involvement
12 – 1:30 p.m. Young Agents Lunch
1:45 – 2:45 p.m. Young Agent Breakout Session: Membership Development,
Communication, Political Involvement
3 – 4 p.m. Young Agent Strategic Alignment
5 – 7 p.m. IIA of Iowa Reception in Honor of Bob Fulwider
6:30 – 9 p.m. Young Agent Evening Event – San Diego Dinner Cruise
Sunday, Sept. 30
7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Registration
7:30 – 8:45 a.m. Young Agents Breakfast & Technology Panel with Big “I” Leadership
For more information on sponsoring the Young Agents Leadership Institute, contact Katie Cosgrove at 800-221-7917; katie.cosgrove@iiaba.net.
BEST PRACTICES
Top Producers: Discover, Train, Reward
Did you know IIABA's Best Practices program offers “Top Producers: Discover, Train, Reward,” a comprehensive look at how successful agencies select a top producer, develop a career training path and effectively manage and motivate an experienced producer? “Top Producers” contains insightful information about goal setting, calculating related expenses and appropriate compensation, measuring sales potential and tracking producer activities. It also includes IIABA’s “Guide to Producer Contracts,” including sample contracts and details on compensating, contracting and managing new producers; a detailed appendix on interview guidelines; and The Best Practices “Sales Potential Quick Check,” a diagnostic tool that measures agency sales performance according to benchmarks set by the most successful agencies in the country. “Top Producers” is available for just $89.95, shipping and handling included. Click here for an order form. For more information on the Best Practices program, click here.
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