Agency Sales Connection
A message from Ross Blackmon
Senior Vice President, National Sales – Agent/Lender Group
Team,
As the calendar turns to November or “Movember” for those so inclined to support/participate (https://us.movember.com)I want to take a moment to share some thoughts on gratitude, kindness and challenges from some guys that rock epic mustaches, Samuel Langhorne, Clemens and Ted Lasso.
Clemens, better known by his famous pen name Mark Twain, once said, “To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with,” To me, this simple truth captures the essence of gratitude and teamwork. When we work together, we share our strengths and challenges, and we lift each other higher than we could ever go alone. True collaboration isn’t just about completing our tasks; it’s about building connections, celebrating victories, and supporting one another through those challenges. As for Ted Lasso, he is the best mustachioed TV Premier League Coach in the world, with his Midwest charm and razor sharp wit. He said of challenges, “Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse. If you’re comfortable while doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong.” When we approach challenges with gratitude, we show kindness, respect, and appreciation for each person’s unique contributions. This positive energy can fuel our team, creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
This holiday season, as we celebrate our shared achievements and turn our focus to the new challenges ahead, let’s all bring our gratitude forward, encouraging one another to stay in the saddle even when the ride gets a little bumpy. As Ted and old MT would say “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”.…“Barbecue Sauce”
Winning Strategies: Leveraging AgentLinx for Sales Impact
As we prepare to close out 2024 and gear up for a prosperous new year, it's crucial to harness the full potential of AgentLinx. By focusing on a few key areas, you can streamline your processes, enhance your competitive edge, and set a strong foundation for 2025.
Tracking Activities: Capture important customer interactions. See Tracking Activities in AgentLinx for guidance. Ensure that AgentLinx is installed on your mobile device and that the Outlook Add-In is configured, facilitating a seamless entry of details.
○ Tip: Use Activities by Salesperson PW (prior week), Activities by Salesperson MTD (month to date)
Prospects: Ensure all prospects are entered in AgentLinx! It’s the first step toward using the Online Application and allows for targeted marketing campaigns.
○ Tip: Use Prospects by Status Report
Competitive Underwriter: Update the underwriter names, percentages, and the “as of date” at the Firm level. Having updated competitive underwriter data assists with wallet share targeting for market share growth.
○ Tip: Use Competitive UW Dashboard or Competitive Underwriters Report.
Opportunity Dashboard: Review all open Opportunities and move to the correct stage. There are over 1300 open state expansion opportunities that could lead to increased business with existing agents!
○ Tip: Use the Opportunities Dashboard
Essential Actions: Review open Essential Actions tasks and address by the due date. Essential Actions for new agents include no files opened within 30 days and/or no remittance in 90 days. Essential Actions for existing agents include a new underwriter licensing appointment or termination.
○ Tip: Use Essential Actions homepage or the Essential Actions Tasks Report.
Having the right people, in the right roles, focused on the right things, is how we will achieve our goals. This internal resource is here as your partner so you can focus on what you do best – Selling and Growing Market Share!
The ASO Team is currently supporting or being utilized as backup for all jurisdictions. This team specializes in providing support to help you navigate the OAM processes & procedures and case submissions, ensuring complete packages so there are minimal delays and timely approvals.
The support offered by the Agency Sales Operations Team continues to grow and evolve, with focus on complementing your growth strategy efforts, all with our common goal of being THE preferred underwriter of choice for our Agent partners. Here is where to
Melissa
Viktoria
Christine
Reminder - Developed and enhanced for internal purposes only, this platform serves as your primary information source for products and services that support our sales teams, drive agent success, strengthen relationships, and grow First American market share.
Now available at Agency Sales Playbook (sharepoint.com)
For quick access: Save it to your desktop - Agency Sales Playbook
Access from your mobile device – find our instructions here
Fun Fun Facts! Facts! Agency Sales Playbook
10 Users – Agency Reps
Tori’s Tips
Prokopovich Client Solutions Manager
Please join us on the Division Sales Team:
General Channel
A collaboration space for sharing ideas, celebrating achievements, and posing questions.
Online Application Launch
A support forum for questions related to the new Online Application.
Microsoft Teams Tips ‣
As we continue to utilize Microsoft Teams more for collaboration, sharing, and chatting, here are a few tips that may be helpful:
Organizing your Teams:
Re-order - Rearrange your Teams by selecting team and dragging to new location. Hide teams - Hover over the team and select the … More option and click ‘Hide’. Pin a Team Channel - Hover over the channel, select … More, then choose ‘Pin’.
Notification Settings:
Customize your notification settings in the main Settings menu near your avatar by selecting the … More option > Settings > Notifications and activity
Set your notification settings for a specific teams channel, hover over that channel, click the … More option, then select Channel notifications.
Mute a Chat:
Right click the Meeting Chat and Select ‘Mute’
Viktoria
Office of Agency Operations
Business Continuity Planning/Recover Program
Business Continuity Planning/Recover Program quarterly testing will kick off in the next few weeks. This test will consist of employees receiving a test alert via phone, text, and email. Please follow the directions and accept one notice/alert.
Online Application
We have officially launched the new Online Application option for Sales and our Prospect Agents. Each month we are reporting to Executive Leadership on the number of New Online Application vs. the prior paper application option. This new online option also creates an opportunity to reengage with any Prospect that was sent a paper application and suggest the new, easier online option.
Agency Technology Updates
Order Insights is Live!
Order Insights in AgentNet® Services provides proactive fraud alerts in real-time by validating party and property characteristics against watchlists, claims and other risk databases. Simply open a file in AgentNet Services, or through an integration request, and Order Insights runs automatically. Results are available in a report or in the File Summary document.
▸ Coming soon: Email notification subscription
AgentLinx Online Application
The Online Agent Application is live and is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3!
Create a Prospect Account in AgentLinx 1. Click Online Application 2. Follow the Agent Application Internal Process 3.
You can find more information in the Sales Playbook or Training video.
Demo Opportunities For AgentNet Production
Have an agent interested in new software? Contact our team for a demo!
AgentNet Production (fka Fluent) is available in DE, DC, MC, PA, NJ, VA, WV.
Updated AgentNet Content in the Sales Playbook
We’ve refreshed our AgentNet entries in the Sales Playbook to include the latest resources and roadmaps. In addition, each entry has been standardized and streamlined to make for an easier read.
Education & Training
From our team to yours, we would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. May you all have a holiday full of peace and happiness with your family and friends.
As our team is continuing to provide updated and industry relevant education courses, we are excited to announce the addition of new courses to AgentNet Knowledge, that will soon be available for your agents for on-demand learning.
Cyber Security –Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail!
This course reviews the continuing struggle against cybercrime for small and large businesses. The course stresses the need for small businesses to enact and maintain strong cybersecurity habits. The course also reviews the cybercrime statistics from 2023, and recent trends in cybercrime, to inform participants of the serious nature of cybercrime threats. The growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, and how they are used in cybersecurity and cybercrime are reviewed The course finale addresses creating a business continuity plan (BCP) A BCP is a tool for any business to use as a last line of defense, should an incident occur This section of the course reviews the basic steps of creating a BCP plan, and provides a commonsense approach for any business, regardless of size, how to put a BCP. The presentation's contents highlight and promote sound cybersecurity actions and planning. This course is intended to strengthen and maintain healthy cybersecurity habits at the corporate, small business, and home office.
Available Now for Accreditation!
Claims –Tales Through Time
This course takes an appraising look at title situations that underwriters should be aware of, helping them to prepare for possible situations they find themselves facing in their day-to-day work. This course draws from stories featuring scenarios spanning five decades, stressing that regardless of the era, title challenges and conundrums are a constant in the industry. This course illustrates and addresses what questions underwriters need to keep in mind when developing strategies when facing these potential transaction situations
Coming Soon!
As a reminder, you can view all new state(s) available courses by accessing the AgentNet Knowledge New Courses link in the Sales Playbook AgentNet Knowledge New Courses. This form can also be found in the Sales Playbook on the home screen under Resources and Links. By scrolling down, you will find the option “Submit Education Request.”
For further assistance, please contact us via email at AgencyEducation@firstam.com.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Marketing Updates
You can now add slides with approved copy and information on First American’s history, strengths and services to your presentations. Our brand team has added several slides to the new PPT templates, available in the Brand Center. Just re-download the First American Title division template and you’ll see the slides automatically populated in the template.
Also, over 30 new icons and over 20 new photos have been added to the icons and photos PPT document. These are available to use in any presentation.
Learning Curve
There are so many great business books and podcasts available, but which ones resonate with you?
Recommendation from Amie Voss:
Let’s get human for a minute It would be a dream come true if I had the time right now to read a good business book or listen to a great business podcast My investment to my team and partners currently inspires a different mode to pick up insights from thought leaders around the globe I’m very selective about the content I follow on social media and the thought leaders I follow give me those quick gems of wisdom in both leadership and business (& life) A few that I follow for inspiring content are @the leadership lighthouse, @femaleboss mindset, @herbusinesssecrets, @wisewomanmindset, A recent post from @the leadership lighthouse referred to a quote, “The very essence of leadership is that you must have vision You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet” – Theodore Martin Hesburgh
The content I follow to apply to my personal life has a direct effect on who I am as a professional, too @herbusinesssecrets posted a video recently where Tracee Ellie Ross shared, “There’s always going to be uncertainty There’s always going to be stuff that doesn’t work what I’ve realized is, there is no destination, there’s no there, there There’s no place to get The greatness is actually having a relationship with my life and myself” And @wisewomanmindset posted from a commencement speech by Oprah Winfrey, “Don’t ever confuse what is legal with what is moral because they are entirely different animals in life you are either principled or you’re not So do the right thing, especially when nobody is looking ”
These quick thoughts and sentiments spark reflection and give me a boost and inspiration to consider my leadership and business journey and growth.
This all being shared, give me lots of posts with dogs and I’ll be happy.
