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T H U R S D A Y , J U L Y 2 6 , 2 0 0 7 Industry News YOUNG AGENTS Young Agents Leadership Institute Features Breakout Sessions The 2007 Young Agents Leadership Institute will be held Sept. 28 - 30 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. This event features distinct breakout sessions focusing on membership development, communications and political involvement. Attendees will hear from ACORD, Artizan Internet Services and Applied Systems and members of ACT during the technology panel where they will gain insight into the latest technology trends. Attendees also will have the opportunity to network with peers and Big “I” leaders, learn new strategies for agency management and develop valuable professional and personal contacts. The Young Agent Committee Awards also will be announced at this event, highlighting the efforts and enthusiasm Young Agent Committees have toward their states. The Young Agent Opening Event will be a San Diego dinner cruise on Sept. 29. Don’t let this opportunity pass by---click here for updates on the event and to register online. For more information, contact Katie Cosgrove at 800-221-7917; katie.cosgrove@iiaba.net.
EDUCATION Agency Management Development Opportunity The Big “I” will offer the Associate in Insurance Agency Operations (AIAO) program beginning in September.
The AIAO professional designation program is designed for agency owners, principals and general managers, as well as individuals who aspire to lead an agency in the future. Participants completing all three sessions of the program will be conferred with the AIAO designation by the Big “I.” The program is available to all Big “I” members.
The curriculum focuses on strategic planning, sales training and providing superior customer service from the standpoint of an agency manager. Class size is limited to 15 students.
The sessions, which will be held in Alexandria, Va., are scheduled for: Sept. 18-20, Strategic Planning; Dec. 4-6, Sales Training; and Feb. 12-13, Superior Customer Service.
The regular cost for this program is $2,000 for all three sessions, but there is a 20% discount for this particular series. In addition, the $1,600 tuition can be paid in installments of $600 by Sept. 4, with the remaining two installments of $500 due two weeks prior to the two subsequent sessions. The tuition covers all materials, three breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner per session.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the nearby Hilton Hotel for a discounted rate of $219. However, this rate is only good until Aug. 15. Click here to download the brochure.
For more information, contact Gwen Garvin at gwen.garvin@iiaba.net or Bill Pierson at bill.pierson@iiaba.net.
TRUSTED CHOICE® Trusted Choice® Segment Available on ‘Designing Spaces’ Web Site Trusted Choice® has partnered with The Learning Channel’s “Designing Spaces” to sponsor a series on important insurance issues for homeowners. The series consists of three separate two-minute segments featuring one-on-one interviews with three Trusted Choice® agents by show host Debi Marie. The interviews will air on three different episodes of the home improvement and design TV program. The first segment, featuring Julie Turner of The Turner Agency in Greenville, S.C. originally aired July 13 and is now available for viewing on the show’s Web site. To watch the segment featuring Turner, click here.
The other two segments, featuring Alex Soto of InSource, Inc. and Jeanne Heisler of The Ronan Agency will run in September and October. In addition, all of these stories will replay on many local broadcast network affiliates after their TLC debuts throughout the summer and fall. Each piece will air about 20 times. For more information, contact Jenner Gohr at 800-221-7197; jenner.gohr@iiaba.net.
BIG “I” MARKETSSM A BIM Success Story Business is booming for David Thurau of the Hartland Agency in Hartland, Mich. Thurau recently accessed the Fireman’s Fund Prestige Portfolio product to write more than $26,000 of affluent homeowner premium. But it wasn’t just the home; Thurau made full use of the package to account round the sale by writing the homeowner, auto, excess umbrella and more than $800,000 worth of fine arts and jewelry, all under one policy.
“I think its great thing that the association offers Big ‘I’ Markets,” Thurau says. “I am very appreciative that I am allowed to have access to these markets as they allow me to continue to grow my professionalism.”
The circumstances of this sale illustrate why. Thurau had attended a networking event where he met an attorney. After Thurau helped the attorney with some surety bond cases, the attorney contacted Thurau about this insured. The primary home is in Michigan, but there is a condominium in Florida plus all the fine arts and jewelry, which needed an inland marine policy and most of which were not even covered before. Plus, the total personal lines premium had been a fraction of what Thurau was quoting.
“You can’t just sell price with these clients,” Thurau said. “You have to sell to the need and demonstrate that these products are a far better value because of their coverages. It’s like comparing a brand new Cadillac with a 1968 Volkswagen that is missing a spare tire. There is no comparison but you have to help your clients understand why that is.”
To learn more about how your agency can access this product and others, click here.
IA MAGAZINE Sneak Peak of August Issue Believe it or not, August is just around the corner. Enjoy the final lazy days of summer by kicking up your feet and indulging in some quality reading material with the August issue of Independent Agent magazine. Among the issue’s offerings: “Through a Buyer’s Eyes,” a look at how potential buyers will view your agency; “The New Model of Catastrophe Risk,” which examines if catastrophes will continue to threaten insurers with insolvency; “Avoid Thorny CFP Situations,” a primer on recent broker-dealer developments that make providing financial advice more challenging than ever; and more. And it doesn’t stop there---don’t forget to visit www.IAmagazine.com for this issue’s Online Extras as well.
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