T H U R S D A Y ,   D E C E M B E R   7,   2 0 0 6

Industry News

LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE & CONVENTION

Registration Open for 2007’s Premier Insurance Event

Join the industry’s most successful professionals for the premier insurance event of the year. The Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention attracts nearly 2,000 agents and brokers searching for ways to enhance agency workflows while taking the opportunity to network with industry leaders, young agents and company representatives. The experience begins with a lobbying day on Capitol Hill. Attendees will meet with legislators to discuss the needs of insurance agents and consumers. With a variety of exhibitors, attendees are sure to find a new resources and tools to help them save time and improve the way they do business.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part the advocacy, grow with the innovation and experience the exhibits at the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention. The event will take place April 25-27, 2007, in Washington D.C. To learn more, click here.


Are You the Ultimate Producer?

Apply for the Ultimate Producer Challenge and put your insurance knowledge and strategy to the ultimate challenge.

Have you discovered the best mix of personality, salesmanship and technical expertise to write just about any piece of business that you set your mind on? If you meet all the eligibility criteria provided in the application, you could be chosen to compete in the Ultimate Producer Challenge at the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention in Washington, D.C., April 25-27, 2007.

The Ultimate Producer Challenge was first conducted at the 2005 Big “I” Convention in New York City, where Diane Durnin of J.D. Fulwiler & Company Insurance, Inc. in Portland, Ore., was named winner and Roosevelt Haywood III of Haywood and Fleming Associate in Gary, Ind., was named first runner-up.

“The Ultimate Producer Challenge in September 2005 was truly one of the most rewarding challenges I have ever experienced,” Durnin says. “To meet and compete with fellow producers from all over the country and all under the guidance of Coach Roger Sitkins was not only great for improving our sales skills but a ton of fun.”

Along with pride and prestige, The Ultimate Producer Challenge winner receives a $2,500 cash prize and consultations with Sitkins, an industry-renowned sales trainer.

Click here to download the challenge application.

For more information, contact Madelyn Flannagan at madelyn.flannagan@iiaba.net.

InVEST

InVEST Announces Dates for 2007 Silent Auction

Participate in the InVEST silent auction and support the program’s annual scholarships awarded to InVEST graduates pursuing higher education with an emphasis on insurance. The InVEST board of directors will hold the 2007 InVEST silent auction during the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention. The convention will take place April 25-27 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C, with the Silent Auction opening on April 26 at 6 p.m.

A 501(c)3 educational trust, InVEST introduces high school and community college students to insurance and the more than 350 diverse careers available within the industry, giving students a new outlook on the future. The program also offers insurance agencies, brokers and carriers a diverse and talented group of entry-level recruits.

Play an important role in the future of InVEST’s brightest students by making a donation to the 2007 silent auction. Visit www.independentagent.com and  click “InVEST” to download a contribution form. Thank you in advance for your contribution and support of InVEST.

For more information, contact Sandra Skipper at 703-706-5437; sandra.skipper@iiaba.net.


BEST PRACTICES

Looking for Top Producers?

“Top Producers: Discover, Train, Reward” is the most comprehensive guide to finding, hiring, training and compensating producers that the Big “I” ever has created. This 160-page guide contains a wealth of comprehensive, clear advice that provides agency principals with an action plan for this critical topic. The text is organized into three major sections: selection, development and motivation. Each step of the process is contained within these sections, laying out a complete roadmap from the initial planning step to the future.

Also included are numerous worksheets, formulas and charts for setting goals, establishing proper compensation, determining sales potential, agency planning and tracking producer activities. And as an added bonus, the manual includes the complete text of the “Best Practices Guide to Producer Contracts” (offered at $29.95 if purchased separately) and a copy of the “Best Practices Sales Potential Quick Check.”

This Best Practices guide will save agency principals thousands of dollars in lost time, effort, spending and wasted potential, and is priced at $89.95, shipping and handling included for the hardcopy version, and $69.95 for the electronic version. Don’t hire another producer without one.

To download an interactive PDF order form, click here. For more information on the Best Practices program, e-mail BestPractices@iiaba.net.


BIG “I” MARKETS^SM

Restaurants Program Broadens Availability

Several changes have been made to the fine dining restaurant program on Big “I” Markets^SM that should help when trying to place coverage for a client. The program has expanded to include risks located in Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. Frame/non-sprinklered risks are now eligible for property coverage subject to individual underwriting. In addition, commercial auto can be written as part of the package. The fine dining program minimum menu price of $15 hasn’t changed. However, a large multi-location risk that encompasses a small percentage of locations with menu prices less than $15 may be able to be included in one policy. Visit www.bigimarkets.com today to learn how to access this and other coverages online with no fees and no volume commitments.


VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY

VU Adds Liability Insurance Guru as 51st Expert

The Big “I” Virtual University has appointed Don Malecki, CPCU, principal of Malecki, Deimling, Nielander & Associates, LLC, an insurance and risk management consulting firm in Erlanger, Ky. as its 51st expert. Malecki is also president of Malecki Communications Company and the publisher of Malecki on Insurance, a monthly newsletter on commercial insurance subjects. Malecki, who began his career 47 years ago, has been an underwriter, broker, insurance claims consultant, archivist, historian and teacher. He is the author of 10 books, including three textbooks used in the CPCU curriculum. Bill Wilson, director of the VU notes, “He’s probably the most knowledgeable person in the country on the CGL policy and he's a much sought after expert witness. His vast experience in testifying on and writing about insurance coverages makes him a great addition to the VU.”

Malecki joins the VU’s “Ask-An-Expert” panel. Experts are available to answer Big “I” members’ questions about anything pertaining to insurance, business or technology, with topics ranging from agency management to sales to customer service. Experts typically answer questions within 48 hours at no cost to Big “I” members. Also included on the VU is a robust research library which is divided into three subject areas, insurance, business and technology and features sample forms, coverage analyses, Best Practices information, software guides and more. The VU also offers a wide variety of online courses available to agents and brokers that aim to increase their competitive advantage and market share, including the highly acclaimed ACSR designation program.

For more information about how the Big “I” Virtual University, contact Madelyn Flannagan, vice president of education and research at madelyn.flannagan@iiaba.net.


TRUSTED CHOICE^®

Living the Brand: The Mang Agency

Mang Insurance Agency in New York recently joined the Trusted Choice^® brand program. To say its employees are excited would be an understatement. Not only did agency principal Rick Mirabito throw a party for the staff to celebrate, they also began “living the brand” right away. Please read the letter Mirabito sent to every staff member explaining Trusted Choice^®, the Pledge of Performance and why it is so important to their agency.

To: All Mang Employees

From: Rick Mirabito

I am pleased to announce that Mang Insurance Agency has joined the Trusted Choice^® brand movement, a national consumer brand that educates consumers about the benefits of using independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms for their insurance and financial service needs.

We should all be very excited to join this dynamic and innovative group of consumer-oriented insurance professionals. Mang joins more than 6,800 other Trusted Choice^® independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms throughout the United States who have committed to quality service and competitive pricing.

The Trusted Choice^® logo will proudly be displayed in our offices and on our business documents. Look for further information from Beth Polosky, director of marketing and public relations.

Most importantly, we have committed to the Trusted Choice^® Pledge of Performance which I have included with this announcement. Top brands share one key quality: a consistency of customer experience. To help create that consistency among the thousands of independent insurance agencies that belong to Trusted Choice^®, we have agreed to a Pledge of Performance upon signing up for Trusted Choice^®. These ideals were not pulled out of a hat rather they are the result of significant consumer research on the subject. Insurance buyers reported what was important to them: customized policies, advocacy, courtesy and respect, choice and expertise. And we – you – can deliver on all of those things. The Pledge articulates those abilities to our customers and reminds us that they are our priorities. We encourage you to share this pledge with our customers and prospects, stabilizing our commitment to them as well as quality customer service.

Most of the behaviors outlined in the Pledge regularly are observed within our agency. For example, we all help clients identify the right products, explain coverages, solve problems and shop around for the right product and price. We also depend on both experience and continuing education to succeed. And we are courteous, ethical and prompt in our dealings.

The Trusted Choice^® Pledge of Performance will prove to be meaningful to our customers, so it should be meaningful to you. Together we will embrace the Pledge and live up to its promises.”

With 18 offices in New York and one in North Carolina all showing such great commitment to the brand, this is truly a great addition to Trusted Choice^®.

Follow Mirabito’s great example and understand what being a Trusted Choice^® agency is about.

For more information, contact Jenner Gohr at 800-221-7917; jenner.gohr@iiaba.net.