September - October DO YOU PIGEONHOLE YOUR SALES TEAM? Three big mistakes companies make with their customer-facing employees
EIGHT WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR TIME EFFECTIVELY
OUTDATED COMPUTER SYSTEMS Play havoc with the bottom line
IS SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOU?
HALLOWEEN FUN FACTS 1
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by Jon Spaugy, BIG CEO
DO HAVE A PLAN FOR 2017? Now that we have entered the fourth quarter of 2016, what does it mean? Annual contracts come up for renewal, the holiday season looms ahead, the second phase of vacation time comes around, and we start looking back at the past year and looking ahead to the next one. Some people might say “we have three months left in 2016” and believe it is too soon to start doing any actual planning for 2017. They would be incorrect. Now is the time to looking at your business plan for next year. There were many people taking this advice at BIG’s recent Minivention in Northern California. Because planning for the future doesn’t mean sitting at your desk with a blank screen in front of you. You need to get out of your office, either electronically or physically. Interact with people, engage in conversations, and find out what other people are thinking. Offer your own perspectives on our industry and listen to other takes. Maybe other people have already done what you are thinking of trying next year. Ask what succeeded and what did not. The same goes for you and your past successes and failures. Sharing information only makes us all smarter and stronger businesspeople. Next, be sure you have a plan in place. Note on scraps of paper, some business articles tucked in a file on your desktop, and emails from colleagues languishing in your inbox does not constitute a plan. Go over your sales and marketing so far in 2016. Look at the numbers and see what worked and what didn’t Decide which services and markets are worthy of a larger investment and which may not be growth enterprises. Cut your losses and focus on what is working now. Be honest, brutally so, and pass your ideas by those you trust. Of course, no one knows your business better than your employees. Ask them their opinions and maybe have a brainstorming session or two. Natura-
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lly, you make the final decisions, but being included in the planning process strengthens their connection to the business. There are many business plan templates you can use to get organized. Go online and see what you can find there. Contact your local Small Business Administration office (if appropriate to your business size) and ask about creating a business plan. Attend a local Chamber of Commerce or other civic group meeting. See what’s going on with other businesses in your community. Don’t be afraid to dream, but keep yourself rooted in reality. A old-time baseball player named Walter Mueller once said “remember that the difference between visionaries and dreamers is that visionaries make the dreams come true.” The point I’m making is that you will be better off in 2017 if you can hit the ground running. People who stay ahead of the curve usually end up winners. At BIG, our primary focus is providing the tools for business success. You are encouraged to welcome to contact us for help -- biginsusa.com@gmail.com – and someone can provide material and references regarding making a business plan and sticking with it. Just remember that the best business plan is worthless if you don’t put it to use.
Get Active. Get Involved. Get BIG.
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Sidebar with
Harper & Heim Lawyers
ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES IN INSURANCE PRODUCTION Signatures are, of course, fundamental to businesses of insurance and insurance production. Electronic signatures and attestations are commonplace in most businesses. Insurance producers who use electronic signatures – perhaps all of you – should keep in mind a few points and practices. Electronic signatures are authorized and governed by the United States Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (ESIGN, 15 U.S.C. §§ 7001-7003) and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA, Cal. Civ. Code, §§ 1633.1-1633.17.) In general, UETA and ESIGN give electronic records and signatures the same weight and legal effect as traditional paper documents and wet ink signatures. Both statutes provide that no contract, signature, or record shall be denied legal effect solely because it is in electronic form. Both laws say that contract relating to a transaction cannot be denied legal effect solely because an electronic signature or record was used in its formation. There are exceptions, notably for trust and testamentary instruments. Moreover, nothing about either law abrogates the general laws of contract or evidence. Both EISGN and UETA have four major requirements for an electronic signature to be recognized as valid: Intent to Sign – Electronic signatures, like traditional wet ink signatures, are valid only if the party intended to sign. This means that, in general, a signature is not binding if, from an objective view, the signatory did not intend to sign and to be bound.
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Consent to Do Business Electronically – The parties to the transaction must consent to do business electronically. That consent can be determined by analyzing the circumstances of the interaction, but consumers require special considerations. On this point, I’ll offer specific recommendations. Association of Signature with the Record – In order to qualify as an electronic signature, the system used to capture the transaction must keep an associated record that reflects the process by which the signature was created, or must generate a textual or graphic statement (which is added to the signed record) proving that it was executed with an electronic signature. Record Retention – Electronic signature records must be capable of retention and accurate reproduction for reference by all parties or persons entitled to retain the contract or record. Even though consent to do business electronically may be determined from all of the circumstances of the transaction and the parties’ interaction, our firm strongly recommends that insurance producers obtain specific written consent to do such business from each of their clients. To this day many insurance consumers cannot readily or will not participate in electronic commerce. Moreover, clients may perceive relevant consent circumstances differently than producers. Some circumstances have limited relevance. California Civil Code section 1633.5, subdivision (b) cautions that “[a]n agreement to conduct a transaction by electronic means may not be inferred solely from the fact that a party has used electronic means to pay an account….” California Civil Code section 1633.5, subdivision (c) allows a “party that agrees to conduct a transaction by electronic means [to] refuse to conduct other transactions by electronic means,” so just because a consumer agreed to do a prior transaction electronically does not mean that he or she cannot refuse such means in another transaction. If you do take the prudent step of confirming in writing each client’s consent to do business electronically, you must do so either by a valid electronic record or in a separate, dedicated paper writing. “Except for a separate and optional agreement the primary pur-
pose of which is to authorize a transaction to be conducted by electronic means, an agreement to conduct a transaction by electronic means may not be contained in a standard form contract that is not an electronic record.” (Cal. Civ. Code, § 1633.5, subd. (b).) The surest way to establish consumer consent is a specific, stand-alone agreement, which may be a form but which must bear the client’s signature. The agreement should be written in a language, and in simple terms, which the client can read and understand. Wet ink or fax signatures are fine. Electronic signatures are acceptable here only if they themselves qualify as electronic records under UETA. We can provide any forms for and answer any questions you may have about electronic signatures in insurance production. Under ESIGN, insurance producers have some protection even without dedicated consumer agreements. By and large, producers may rely on electronic procedures set by insurers, general agents, premium finance companies and other third parties. After declaring that “[i]t is the specific intent of the Congress that [ESIGN applies] to the business of insurance[,]” (17 U.S.C. § 7001(i), Congress gave insurance producers the following safe harbor:
(j) Insurance agents and brokers: An insurance agent or broker acting under the direction of a party that enters into a contract by means of an electronic record or electronic signature may not be held liable for any deficiency in the electronic procedures agreed to by the parties under that contract if (1) the agent or broker has not engaged in negligent, reckless, or intentional tortious conduct; (2) the agent or broker was not involved in the development or establishment of such electronic procedures; and (3) the agent or broker did not deviate from such procedures. (17 U.S.C. § 7001 (j).) So, if an insurer or premium finance company gives you electronic signature procedures, you generally may rely on and use them. Otherwise, we recommend that you establish and confirm in writing with each of your clients that you will be doing business electronically. Be as sure of how you seek and place coverage as you are of the coverage you place. Call Jon Stanley Heim at (510) 725-7593, or e-mail him at jshinslaw@gmail.com or harperandheim@gmail.com
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DO YOU PIGEONHOLE YOUR SALES TEAM? Three big mistakes Companies make with their Customer-Facing Employees By Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, coauthors of The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your People
are the people who intimately know what’s right and wrong with products and services? Who knows first about the changes in the marketplace, attacks by the competition, and the nuances needed to keep that experience excellent? Who are the pilots of the customer experience? Your sales and customer care people, that’s who! Specifically, here are the big mistakes too many companies make:
When you need a sleek, compelling way to attract customers, your marketing team can deliver. But if they aren’t factoring in the customer feedback they receive from your sales team, it could all be for naught. Explain why pigeonholing your salespeople is a big mistake. Your marketing people have done a fine job of planning, strategizing, and packaging. They’ve considered the market, the competition, and the delivery systems. They’ve honed the message; dialed in the positioning; and developed the compelling logo, catch phrase, and merchandising materials. What they didn’t do (and it’s a biggie) is ask your salespeople for feedback. And if the sales department’s direct connection to customers is being neglected, that great marketing plan could fall on deaf ears. Oh, and the same goes for your customer service team. In some companies, marketing and production have a higher status than sales and customer care. Sales is viewed simply as ‘sales execution,’ and customer care is viewed as “complaint resolution.” Not only is this attitude unfair, it can restrict the flow of valuable information from the consumer to production and marketing. Far too often companies pigeonhole their sales teams into these specific roles. In doing so, the companies miss out on a great opportunity to improve their customers’ experiences. Think about it for a minute and you’ll see why. Who
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MISTAKE #1: Not soliciting the street smarts of your sales team. Your products must remain relevant and leading edge in a market filled with alternatives, creative initiatives by your competitors, and constantly changing circumstances on the ground, and no one knows about these shifting conditions and challenges before your sales team. MISTAKE #2: Letting complaints stop at the customer service desk. Your customer care people are in touch with your end users daily. They know more than anyone in your organization about what’s going on with your customer experience. (That being the case, you might want to think of their function as “customer intel” as well as “customer service”!) Only one in a thousand complainers actually takes the time to call
and talk with your company about their concerns. The others just walk. But the complainers really want to improve their experience with your products and services—and if no one else ever hears about them, they’re wasting their breath. MISTAKE #3: Thinking in terms of tiers, not teams. Problems arise when company cultures dictate that there are separate divisions that are higher or lower than each other. When the salespeople are considered “outside,” the customer care people are in a call center, and everyone else is “inside,” there can be a disconnect, says Houlihan.
About the Authors: Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey are coauthors of The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your People (Footnotes Press, 2014, ISBN: 978-0-990-79370-0, $9.95, www.TheBarefootSpirit. com), the companion to the New York Times best-selling business book The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand.
Ironically, from a status standpoint, if you really do put the customer on top, you must realize that sales and customer care come next on the totem pole. That’s how you stay relevant, practical, and excellent. Everybody says they want to give exceptional customer experience, but they must be willing to hardwire their companies to get sales and customer feedback to marketing and production. Stay informed and stay relevant!
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President, BIG Latino By Don Lukenbill With each Q&A we do in BIG Times Magazine, we hope to bring our readers the unique perspectives on the insurance industry. We accomplish this by offering interview opportunities to people from a variety of insurance companies, MGAs/GAs and agencies, as well as businesses offering support services and products. Sometimes we need to look no further than our own BIG association. Rita Marquez has made a big -- make that BIG -- splash in just a short time with our association. In addition to being a top producer, she has also been guiding the fledgling BIG Latino association for the past year. We thought it would be interesting to sit down with Rita and talk about her background, the vision she has for BIG Latino, and what direction she sees the association going. -BIG Times Magazine: We always find it’s nice to start with a little biographical information. How did you get on the insurance career track? -Rita Marquez: I was teaching middle school and high school for a while. During summer vacation, I took another job as HR interim manager for an insurance company. When it was time to go back to teaching, I missed working for that insurance company. As time progressed, I decided to work for the insurance company and leave teaching. I then took a full time job as HR manager/Fraud department. Then I got my license to sell insurance and I have been working in this field for 8 years now, continuing to learn and grow every step of the way. -BTM: Why have you stayed with it? -RM: I love insurance, and I love BIG. I’m a true believer that when you do something that you love, everything else follows. -BTM: Then you decided to take on being president of
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BIG Latino. Why? -RM: The opportunity was presented to me, I was nervous at first, but then Jon Spaugy showed me the ropes and now I have been leading BIG Latino for close to a year. BIG Latino is very important in my life and I dedicate as much time to it as possible. It has always been my dream to do more for my community in some way. Being part of BIG Latino, helps me accomplish that in a major way. It gives me the opportunity to reach out to my fellow insurance producers, and provide them with information that will be highly effective in their growth. Our Latino community needs to be better informed on our product and what it offers. Most times we assume the customer already knows what they are purchasing, but it is not so. It’s our duty as insurance producers to continuously be learning, so that we can better inform our customers. They depend on us and we need to give them the best service possible. -BTM: What unique challenges do Latino insurance producers face across the board? -RM: One of the many challenges Latino insurance producers face is the competition between one another. Another is the lack of resources and information out in the field. When new insurance information comes up, we tend not to share it with one another, especially if we do not write for the same company. This has to change!! We all work for a highly demanding industry, and we need to help each other out so that we can succeed as a whole. -BTM: Do you see a difference between Latino insurance consumers, say, in San Diego, those in the Central Valley, and further north in the Bay Area? -RM: Every area is unique in its own way. San Diego and Central Valley consumers tend to shop around
more and have more of a hard time on what and if they want the insurance. Bay Area consumers are more decisive and shop around less. They are more focused in quality of service more than the price.
-RM: I think it would be to open the mentality of the smaller agencies as far as attending the BIG events. In my experience, smaller agencies seem to be divided among one another. I would like to bring them together
-BTM: How can the association help BIG Latino members balance providing service to the “new” Latino customer with the more traditional policyholder?
-BTM: BIG recently held its annual Minivention in the Bay Area. How did it go?
-RM: It’s all bout explaining the coverage and making sure the customer understands literally what they are purchasing and how it will benefit them. By enhancing the way we inform them with coverage, and their specific needs as far placing them in the best insurance program that does just that. -BTM: Obviously recruiting new members is critical to the success of BIG Latino as well as any other association. How do you plan on accomplishing this? -RM: First, by providing informational workshops that will bring a new perspective on insurance. Scheduling meetings based on the inquiries of the attendees. Make sure we provide information in Spanish as requested, and working together to bring BIG Latino to a new level of success all of us working together as one. This will help our community be more informed as to what insurance they will be purchasing, not forgetting to provide great customer service in the process. -BTM: What is the mission of BIG Latino?
-RM: It was very successful, we had a great outcome. Little by little we will go grow and eventually we will be as big as down in SoCal! -BTM: Do you think the success of BIG’s Minivention points to an underserved producer community? What about Latino agents in particular? -RM: I think as we continue to have this events, more people will come out and participate. Latino agents are being underserved because they really didn’t have any event such as BIG to go to. Now, they have BIG and BIG Latino, and that will definitely change the way things will be. -BTM: Can you see the Minivention eventually dropping the “mini” and evolving into a full convention? -RM: Definitely! Without a doubt!! -BTM: Let’s end with some personal insights. First, if you could go back 10 years and talk to Rita Marquez, what would you say to her?
-RM: To create a chain of partners that will help provide vital and important insurance information, while growing in the industry as a successful team!! Also, helping our community in getting the best insurance out there, fitting their particular needs; while answering all their questions in the process.
-RM: To have patience, to move the pieces of the puzzle more carefully and to take a chance and open my own office!.
-BTM: Would you say your goal is to help Latino producers sell in all communities or to help all producers sell in the Latino community?
-RM: Wow! Rita did help change how our industry relates to one another. I would like to be seen as an example and as a strong, motivated, kind, self started woman.
-RM: My goal is to help Latino producers sell in all areas. I think is important that we are well rounded in our field. -BTM: Which would you say is the bigger challenge?
-BTM: Now fast forward to 2026. What would you want people to be saying about you?
-BTM: If you can, sum up your personal philosophy in a few sentences. -RM: Do what makes you happy. Explore your options.
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Live life discovering new things. And..... Live, Grow, Love, Teach -BTM: Any final thoughts? -RM: I would like to thank Jon Spaugy for choosing me to guide BIG Latino, and for his continuing support and guidance for me to remain and do great things in this association.​
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TAKING A PULSE CHECK ON YOUR ATTITUDE A CHANGE IN THINKING CAN LEAD TO A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR AND RESULTS By Darlene Hunter, Speaker and Author, Darlene Hunter & Associates Hard times that sap your energy and leave you frustrated are an inevitable part of life. Maybe you lost a job. Maybe your finances took a turn for the worse. Maybe your personal life is in disarray or a health problem emerged forcing a lifestyle change. Such setbacks can leave people feeling afraid, uncertain, angry or unsatisfied. Overcoming those emotions comes down to a person’s mindset and perspective. Your attitude is a critical factor that can either hold you back or help you move forward. Everyone needs to take the time to do a pulse check on where they are in their thinking. Is it positive or negative? A positive attitude comes easily when life is rosy. The real trick is persevering when things go awry so you can continue to strive toward your goals. The important thing to remember is that we cannot give up just because things do not work out the way we want. We must be persistent and press our way through to the end. Here are five tips that can help change your thinking, which in turn will change your behavior and, ultimately, change your results. • Be a planner. To live your dream, you need to know what you want and have a plan for getting there. Planning your day, week and month are critical ingredients to living your dream and purpose. The “how” and “why” elements are important factors in planning, as they guide you in the direction you want to go. • Be goal oriented. Once you set goals, the next step is to work on completing them. That’s why it’s important to set goals you can accomplish. Each time you can check a goal off your list, you are one step closer to what you ultimately want to achieve. The sense of accomplishment that comes from reaching even the smallest goals will help you keep moving and striving to get your desired end. • Be driven for results. When you are driven, you have a compulsive and urgent desire to accomplish what you are seeking, whether it’s a bonus, a promotion, additional knowledge in a particular area or some other goal. The important factor is to always know what you are seeking. Results-driven people focus on
meeting objectives and delivering on the goals they set. • Have a winning attitude. You must be determined, dedicated and devoted to succeed. You should never give up on your goals and dreams simply because something goes wrong or you are not getting where you hoped to be fast enough. • Be focused. When you are focused, you have a clear perception and understanding of what you want to accomplish and where you need to go to get there. Think about long-distance runners who will run a 26mile marathon. They find their pace and then they stay with it. They may get weary and tired, but they find their zone and stay focused and concentrate on what is needed to get to the end. Plenty of stories can be told about people who failed in the beginning, but made it to the top of their profession because they did not give up after being told they weren’t good enough. The ability to keep trying and pushing no matter how many failures or obstacles you hit is the power of perseverance and is what ‘Win-Ability’ is all about.
About the Author Darlene Hunter, (www.darlenehunter.com), is president of Darlene Hunter & Associates, LLC, a motivational / inspirational speaker, author, life and business coach, and award-winning radio talk show host. Her new book, “Win-Ability, Navigating through Life’s Challenges with a Winning Attitude,” is her fourth on the theme of perseverance. She is the host of “The Darlene Hunter Show”, winner of the Fishbowl Radio Network 2013 Distance Show Of The Year Award. Hunter has been a top performer in management for more than 30 years.
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IMMIGRATION MUST BE SOLVED IN THE USA AND CA IMMEDIATELY By Stephen S. Santoro Done correctly and the way I suggest it be done, you as insurance brokers, as well as all insurance companies and reinsurance companies will benefit greatly. And the undocumented folks here now will continue to have productive and safe lives. I subscribe to Willie Nelson’s (yes the famous country & western singer) mantra: “I just hate it when I see people treated unfairly.” I use that phrase all the time on social media. I’ll use that phrase here too. And what we are doing to undocumented workers in the USA is an OUTRAGE. I am the grandson of a now deceased (he died in 1971) Italian immigrant who went through Ellis Island in the early 1900’s. He came to this country with $2000.00, an 8th grade education and the will to live a better life that was not corrupted by dictators or despots. He often told me of his journey to America and how he made my life today what it is. He bought a large farm in UT and I lived with him, mother and my grandmother there. (My parents divorced when I was two so it made sense to live with grandfather and grandmother.) I had horses to ride, and many fun times on that farm, but everyday was a farmers grind: Up at 4:30am and working all day long until 7-9pm at night, except when I was in school. I got a “break” then: I worked with him after school. In 1967 he sold his farm and retired. I still keep the home he bought my grandmother after he sold the farm, in the family today: It was the last big gift he gave my grandmother. After my college days I invested some of those funds for the family. That money helped put me through the University of UT and helped me get started in the insurance business. Because of him, a 3rd generation was able to succeed and pay much higher tax rates than he ever imagined. However, with his eightieth grade education he died wealthier than I will. I am so grateful to him and in his debt. Latinos and other nationalities who came to this country many years ago to give their families a better life.
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Today 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th generation Latinos and other nationalities are doctors, lawyers, accountants, managers, professionals and sales people, many who are in the 1% of all earning and net worth. The undocumented people come to this country with the intent of making money and providing for their families, whether they were or are here or in another region of the world. These people are so happy to be here (just like my grandfather who loved America more than his native Italy), they lead productive, happy and prosperous lives that make societies like America’s proud. To close the USA borders denies people like I describe the right and privilege to do better and make the world a better place than when they arrived. In Los Angeles, CA County, Latinos make up almost 60% of the population. Imagine the taxes they pay! And they ARE TAKING OUT LESS IN BENEFITS THAN THEY PAY IN TAXES. One person, a great friend and business associate of mine, yesterday on one of my Facebook pages reminded me that “benefits, unemployment, health-care, Medicaid and Medi-Cal” fund some of them. So not all of those taxes are a “net positive” benefit to CA, other states and the US Treasury. I called a few friends in Congress on BOTH sides (Democrats and Republicans), in border states and non-border states. I asked them this: Do they know what the actual numbers are? In other words do undocumented people pay more in taxes than they take out in benefits or vice-versa?. All said they thought at worst it was “revenue neutral” (neither one is greater than the other). I pressed the issue and asked for actual numbers. I will share them when AND IF I get the numbers. In my humble, investor opinion, I think the taxes from the “underground economy”: grossly outweigh what they take out. Here is an example: In 2007, one Georgia County near Atlanta, population of about 500,000, decided to get foolish and drive out all undocumented workers through a series of really foolish measures with drivers licenses. At the time I was a controlling investor (10% or more) in the oldest insurance company in Georgia. (Full disclosure: I bought the shares on 7.2.2004 and sold them at a handsome profit on 4.16.20108.) Knowing these laws and measures might impact our insurance company, I called a Georgia state Congressman and asked him why he would vote
for something so foolish? He stated he was doing want his constituents wanted him to do. I said the tax base of the county will crumble. You will have to repeal these laws. He told me I was another flaming CA liberal. I reminded him I was a UT resident who spent most of his time in CA, and I was a Centrist (moderate) Republican. He continued to berate me. I terminated the call. I ordered the insurance company executives to “ramp up sales to undocumented people” and we have a windfall year. And the tax base of that county imploded by 90% in 120 days. Brilliant move guys! And I rest my case. These undocumented people who come to this country, in particular from Mexico, Central and South America are not gang members. They are not terrorists. They are not welfare cases. They are solid, good citizens who want to give themselves and their families a better life. Some come because they fear their lives may be in danger (remember Cuban refugees to Miami, FL in the late 1970’s and 1980’s). They are not drug dealers and drug mules. They are not military mercenaries. They are people like you and me, who one day may have children who become Presidents, Congressmen, professionals and PEOPLE WHO CHANGE SOCIETY FOR THE BETTER. They are people who one day may help us find cancer’s cure. They are people who may find ways to make ocean water drinkable via affordable cleansing mechanisms. They are people who will leave this planet in better shape than when they arrived. I normally talk about financial and insurance related matters on these pages. Thank you BIG for letting me post what I am trying to convey. But for the good of society, the economy and for these people, let’s give them the path to US citizenship without long waits. USA Government Agencies can run background checks on ANYONE in seconds. Trust me, just ask the NSA. Edward Snowden proved that clearly (and illegally). My grandfather was an immigrant. He created a family who give back more than they take out, or took out, including yours truly. I owe that man big time. And I never forget what he had to endure to help me. And giving back is my way of saying thank you to him, to grandmother, to mother and to America for giving me the luxury of carrying that USA passport. If these undocumented people were given the same chance, most if not all will do the same. I urge you all to help
me, help them and make them USA citizens. They help the economy. They pay taxes. They buy things. We sell them things, including insurance and because of insurance sales, reinsurance. They invest in their children’s education. They are net positives to our society, not net drains on it. So let me repeat this so no one EVER forgets: “In 2013 undocumented immigrants paid the State of CA, only, $2.6 billion in taxes. They also paid the USA Government $46.8 billion in taxes. CA has 12% of the USA population at around 44 million (documented). So let’s do some simple math: In 2013 I estimate undocumented immigrants paid all states taxes of $21.667 billion and the USA Government $390 billion in taxes. Okay Democrats, Republicans and Tea-Partiers do you really want to send them back? I do not. I want to do business with them, make deals with them and make them usa citizens.” You decide folks! Thank you to Jon Spaugy and the Board of BIG for allowing my viewpoints. I’ll be back next time! About the Author Stephen Samuel Santoro is a former senior executive officer from two Fortune 200 Insurance Holding Companies. Both firms were/are traded on the NYSE. Stephen’s background focused on reinsurance in both USA and tax haven venues. Contact him at ssantoro@ stephensantoro.com. You can also connect via social media on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stephenssantoro, Facebook: Stephen Samuel Santoro, Instagram: Stephen Samuel Santoro and Linked-In: www.linkedin.com/stephensamuelsantoro.
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IS SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOU? By Don Lukenbill Maybe you have been pushing back from the social media trend. You’re old school and figure Yellow Pages ads and flyers on cars is good enough. OK, your probably not that out of touch, but you also haven’t completely embraced this new media. Many have hailed social media marketing as a game changer, while others are hesitant to invest any significant time or money into what could just be a passing fad. Still more want to get into social media marketing but see it as too daunting. Here are some interesting stats from the website Hubspot: 83% of marketers indicate that social media is important for their business; 92% of marketers in 2014 claimed that social media marketing was important for their business, with 80% indicating their efforts increased traffic to their websites; 42% of marketers say Facebook is critical or important to their business; and social media has a 100% higher lead-toclose rate than outbound marketing. These statistics are only fairly recent and have likely increased. Blogs are another social media tool for driving your brand. Hubspot cites statistics that nearly 40% of US companies use blogs for marketing purposes and 79% of companies that have a blog report a positive ROI for inbound marketing. Again, these numbers are a few years old and have doubtlessly increased. As you are making your 2017 sales and marketing plans, consider the huge impact social media could have on your business. A Forbes Magazine article from a little while back listed some advantages of using social media: 1. Increased Brand Recognition. Every opportunity you have to syndicate your content and increase your visibility is valuable; 2. Improved Brand Loyalty. According to a report published by Texas Tech University, brands who engage on social media channels enjoy higher loyalty from their customers;
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3. More Opportunities to Convert. Every post you make on a social media platform is an opportunity for customers to convert; 4. Higher Conversion Rates. Social media marketing results in higher conversion rates in some very distinct ways; 5. Increased Inbound Traffic. Without social media, your inbound traffic is limited to people already familiar with your brand and individuals searching for keywords you currently rank for; 6. Decreased Marketing Costs. According to Hubspot, 84% of marketers found as little as six hours of effort per week was enough to generate increased traffic; and 7. Better Search Engine Rankings. SEO is the best way to capture relevant traffic from search engines. The fact is social media is here to stay. The periodic reports that Twitter, Facebook, etc. have peaked and are on their way our are spurious at best and plainly ridiculous. There is definitely plenty of selfie sharing, recipe swapping, and boring posts/tweets only interesting to the poster/tweeter. Despite that, social media as a marketing device is only going to grow. As new platforms are developed, it is incumbent on every business owner to take full advantage of what each has to offer. Instead of shaking your head and rolling your eyes, it’s time to get with the program(s). If you are already have a social media presence, keep at it. Like the old sales and marketing adage goes, you either need to be the first or be the best. You also need to be seen. These days, one of the most effective ways to achieve that is through social media.
EIGHT WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR TIME EFFECTIVELY By Dana & Ellen Borowka, MA, Lighthouse Consulting
Time management is usually a challenge for most people. We’ve put together a step-by-step approach so you and your team can begin to put together a time management plan of action. To improve your time management skills, first do a time assessment: For three days, keep a log of everything you do and how much time it takes, including both work and nonwork activities. You can break your day into sections or track activities on an hour-by-hour basis. After three days, add up the time spent on each activity. When complete, the results should give you a good indication of which tasks you spend the most time. Setting Goals Goals help us to stay focused and make successful changes. After your time assessment is completed, think about what goals would be of personal and professional value to you. On a regular basis, set concrete, realistic short and long-term goals, perhaps once a month. • Break each goal down to incremental steps. • Set deadlines for each step. Time Management Techniques
Once you have assessed your use of time and set some goals, you can implement some techniques to improve your time management skills. Prioritize: Each day, organize your tasks on a “To Do” list in order of importance. Concentrate first on essential and high priority tasks, and then later on low priority tasks. Incorporate your goals and deadlines into your “To Do” lists. At the end of the day, evaluate any incomplete items and see if any can be eliminated from your list. It’s important to be realistic when creating a “To Do” list. Don’t try to do more then you actually can. Delegate: Assign routine duties or special projects to others when you can. This will free you up to do more important tasks. Learn to Say No: I would venture to say that saying no is the most important part of effective time management. Many people constantly over-commit themselves to projects and tasks, rather than having quality time for themselves and their family. If you have problems saying no then you might want to get some assistance to further develop this skill. Break It Down: A very effective method to starting di-
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fficult projects is to break it into smaller, more manageable tasks. This can help to avoid procrastination, and transform overwhelming projects into easier tasks. If procrastination has become a chronic habit for you, dig beneath the surface to find out what is stopping you from getting things done. Some people procrastinate, because of some fear, like failing to do the project right or perfect. Discovering the source helps to heal the problem. Again, get help when needed. Organize Thyself: Strive to eliminate clutter from your workspace by creating an easy to access filing system and keeping your work areas cleared off. Don’t let reports and papers pile up — either file or dispose of them as soon as you can. File trays, horizontal or vertical, are very helpful to store paperwork that is currently being worked on or there are many electronic filing systems available. Throw It Out: Every two to three months, set a day aside and purge your files — both computer and regular files. Put this day on your appointment book and keep your appointment with the trash can. You’d be amazed how much stuff can be tossed or deleted and how good you will feel! Quiet Time: Designate a quiet hour or so to work on major projects. If possible, close your door and post a “Do Not Disturb” sign or make sure everyone in your area knows not to disturb you to avoid interruptions. Treat Yourself Right: Be sure during the workday to take walks, get something to eat or close your eyes for a few minutes. Also important is a healthy diet and an active exercise routine. This will help improve your concentration and productivity. Time management is an opportunity that we all canwork on. Start with some small steps and you can begin to measure your progress. Soon you will find you are controlling events and tasks that are within your power, rather than them controlling you.
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About the Authors Dana Borowka, MA, CEO and Ellen Borowka, MA, Senior Analyst of Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC have over 25 years of business and human behavioral consulting experience. They are nationally renowned speakers and radio personalities on this topic. They are the authors of the books, “Cracking the Personality Code” and “Cracking the Business Code”. If you would like additional information on this topic or others, please contact Dana at dana@lighthouseconsulting.com or visit the website www.lighthouseconsulting.com.
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HALLOWEEN FUN FACTS For some, Halloween is better than Christmas, 4th of July and New Year’s Eve all rolled into one. For one thing, the candy is better and the parties can definitely be interesting. So as we are approaching the witching hour, here are a few fun facts about everyone’s favorite pagan holiday. - The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips. - Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas. - An intense and persistent fear of Halloween is called Samhnainophobia. - Fifty percent of kids prefer to receive chocolate candy for Halloween, compared with 24% who prefer non-chocolate candy and 10% who preferred gum. - According to Irish legend, Jack O’Lanterns are named after a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the devil several times, was forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell. He was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern to lead people away from their paths. - Trick-or-treating evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, a sacred festival
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that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year. - “Halloween” is short for “Hallows’ Eve” or “Hallows’ Evening,” which was the evening before All Hallows’ (sanctified or holy) Day or Hallowmas on November 1. In an effort to convert pagans, the Christian church decided that Hallowmas or All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) should assimilate sacred pagan holidays that fell on or around October 31.e - Black and orange are typically associated with Halloween. Orange is a symbol of strength and endurance and, along with brown and gold, stands for the harvest and autumn. Black is typically a symbol of death and darkness and acts as a reminder that Halloween once was a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death. - Halloween originated in Ireland over 2,000 years ago Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.v - According to tradition, if a person wears his or her clothes inside out and then walks backwards on Halloween, he or she will see a witch at midnight. Thanks to the Random History website (www.randomhistory) for all the great Halloween fun facts.
OUTDATED COMPUTER SYSTEMS PLAY HAVOC WITH THE BOTTOM LINE
Inaction can come with its own costs, though, such as: • Low employee morale and production . Employees will dread coming to work when they know they must do battle each day with troublesome technology. Employees want to arrive at the office, log in to the system and get to work. An outdated system leaves them frustrated and, what’s more, production suffers when the system works too slowly or freezes up.
By Nicole McMackin, president of Irvine Technology Corp.
• Cybersecurity threats . While technology is a great asset, it also represents a potential risk for every company. Hackers are hard at work looking for weak links in everyone’s IT security systems. An aging system provides a weaker defense against potential breaches that could damage both a company’s equipment and reputation.
One of the greatest characteristics of computer technology also can be problematic. It’s ever-evolving. While that’s exciting for techies, it can be a headache for business leaders, whether they are corporate executives or small business owners. Businesses periodically need to upgrade or replace creaky computer systems, or risk falling behind their competitors. If they try to muddle through with a cranky jalopy when everyone else moved up to the latest sports car, they may find themselves out of the race for consumer dollars. One thing companies need to remember is that as the capabilities of technology continue to rise, so do the expectations of their customers. The bar keeps being raised higher and higher in terms of how quickly and efficiently customers expect to be served. But weighing whether to invest a substantial sum in updated technology when other needs are pressing can leave management in a quandary. Is it time to junk the system entirely and start over? Can the current system be salvaged with just an update here or there? Or is everything fine – at least for now?
• Missing out on potential cost reductions . Technology can be expensive. That’s no secret. But the right technology also can be a solution to rising expenses in other areas of a company. An efficient computer system can help reduce costs and potentially increase revenues. Remember, too, that downtime and outages also chip away at the profit margin. Many businesses barely function – or don’t – when their computer systems crash. Most companies with an aging system could benefit from an IT assessment that would help answer the questions that leave business leaders fretting. That would tell you how well your technology infrastructure matches up with the goals and needs of your business. A good assessment will tell you if you are spending too much or too little, and can point out ways that you can gain the most leverage from technology.
Frankly, unless they happen to work for a high-tech company, most business leaders probably don’t consider information technology to be one of their areas of expertise. I’m sure most of them prefer to spend their time and energy on the other pressing matters. They look at the struggling IT system they don’t completely understand, and about all they can think about is the cost they are going to face to improve it. So they keep putting off a decision.
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But any decisions shouldn’t be about technology for the sake of technology. This isn’t like consumers lining up to buy the latest gadget-filled cell phone just because it’s the trendy thing to do. Businesses don’t need something just because it’s the newest and flashiest thing. They need what will help them succeed with their bottom line. About the Author Nicole McMackin is president of Irvine Technology Corp. (www.irvinetechcorp.com), a firm that specializes in information technology solutions and staffing. She joined the company more than 10 years ago, initially serving as Vice President of Sales. McMackin has an established career in sales and management with a strong emphasis of account ownership within Fortune 300 organizations. She began her career in staff augmentation services with a locally based Orange County, Calif., company, where she was quickly recognized as one of the top performers throughout the nation. She has sold and managed multiple premier accounts, all while leading a large team of account executives and recruiters.
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PLENTY OF WINNERS – AND WINE-RS – AT BIG’S 2016 MINIVENTION
September kicked off with another successful Minivention in Northern California. We will remember September 7th as a milestone in BIG’s Over 150 BIG Minivention attendees were not the only ones to emerge winners at BIG’s field trip to the Oakland Stadium on September 6th. A popular Minivention activity, the annual night-before baseball game was won by the local team, with the Oakland A’s 3-2 winners over the Los Angeles Angels. “The event on September was hands down the best event we have done for our Northern California agents. The CE classes in the morning were full of eager agents and brokers ready to learn,” commented Jon Spaugy, BIG founder and CEO. “We had over 30 industry vendors from preferred and standard markets, as well as technology companies, wholesalers, and premium finance companies.” The BIG Minivention even brought out local bigwigs as Livermore Mayor John Marchand came out and gave a quick history lesson on the how important Wente
Winery (the location for this year’s event) was to the community. It was established over 130 years ago and is a family owned business with five generations making it the success it is. BIG has already booked the venue for the 2017 Minivention, slated for September 14th. Another annual tradition is the Northern California BIGGIE Awards. This year, the honors went to: Preferred Carrier of the Year -- Mercury Insurance Preferred Rep of the Year -- Johana Alvarez Standard Carrier of the Year -- Alliance United Standard Rep of the Year -- Carmen Cortes Vendor of the Year -- Vertafore/FSC “I would like to thank the entire BIG Minivention team for planning yet another successful event,” said Spaughy. “Without their talent and dedication, the Northern California insurance community would continue to be ignored. Instead, they can continue taking advantage of all the professional tools, as well as personal growth opportunities, offered at the BIG Minivention.”
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