Aggressive Rocks! - September 2015 (Georgia)

“What You Don’t Know Can’t Help You!” … Eddie K. Emmett, Editor / Publisher Register Today for FREE 3 hour CE seminars in Savannah (9/15), Macon (9/16) & Cartersville (9/17) More information and registration links at www.Aggressive.Rocks

21 Ways to Use Signs In Your Agency to Sell More Insurance Written by John F. Carroll

In This Edition 21 Ways to Use Signs In Your Agency to Sell More Insurance . 1 Fall CE Caravan coming to YOU! ..................................................... 1 Savannah on Sept 15 ................. 1 Macon on Sept 16 ....................... 1 Cartersville on Sept 17 .............. 1 Discipline Policy: Do You Have the Right Mix? Q&A ................... 8

"AIN'T NOBODY'S FAULT BUT MINE" ......................................... 10

Editor’s note: John gives great ideas in the following article but I think we can do even better by bringing it into the Digital Age. Most every agency has a spare computer & monitor stuck in the back room.

It would be so easy to create a slideshow from the following ideas and allow it to run constantly in your waiting area.

You might even turn it facing the outside for folks walking in front of your office to enjoy.

An even slicker suggestion is to buy a digital frame for each desk, download the slideshow to a flash drive, plug it in and turn the frame toward the client across the desk from your producers.

You can download Picasa 3.9 for free from Google and use it to superimpose test over free pictures from the web.

Fall CE Caravan coming to YOU! Savannah on Sept 15

I’ll show you how easy it is at next week’s seminars in Savannah, Macon & Cartersville.

Macon on Sept 16

Eddie K. Emmett

Cartersville on Sept 17

eddie@FYIExpress.com

Aggressive Rocks!

Page 1 of 12

I’d like to introduce you to one of the most effective, affordable, and versatile tools in your insurance agency marketing arsenal: The clear plastic sign.

(It’s also one of the most overlooked tools) Clear plastic signs can convert any old piece of paper into a marketing message that automatically speaks to everyone who walks in your door!

Continued on page 4

September 2015

Fall CE Caravan coming to YOU! What will you learn during the free 3 hour CE seminar in Savannah, Macon & Cartersville taught by the almost world-famous Eddie K. Emmett with special guest speakers Janice Cantrell, Jim Childs, David Emmett and Patti Romo?

September 16th, Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Marriott Hotel & Convention Center Convention Center Location

Hour #1

200 Coliseum Dr., Macon, GA 31217

How to find, hire, train & compensate the best insurance salespeople.

Registration is free but mandatory http://macon-ce.eventbrite.com

Hour #2 How to boost Customer Satisfaction by consultative selling and customized coverages.

How to make sure the client gets the quote that best suits their needs.

Hour #3 Consistent Client Communication in the Digital Age You’ll learn how to find the folks in your community who need your insurance products & services by using Facebook ads that cost pennies.

You’ll learn how to create informational animated videos for your websites & social media using free software.

September 17th, Thursday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Country Inn & Suites in Cartersville 43 State Route 20 Spur, Cartersville, GA 30121 (Behind Wendy's next to I-75) Registration is free but mandatory http://cartersville-ce.eventbrite.com September 15th, Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Clarion Suites & Convention Center 17 Gateway Blvd East, Savannah, GA 31419 Registration is free but mandatory http://savannah-ce-eventbrite.com Aggressive Rocks!

More information at www.Aggressive.Rocks Page 2 of 12

September 2015

Introduces New Mobile App

CELESTITE POLICY SCAN - Photo Upload Made Easy

Simplifying the new policy submission or new vehicle endorsement process by allowing Insurance Agents to capture required photos and upload them directly onto the specific policy.

AVAILABLE NOW FOR IPHONE & ANDROID SEARCH For - Celestite Policy Scan



Marketing Jim Childs (770) 840-5077 Jim.Childs@aggressiveusa.com Janice Cantrell (912) 398-5295 Janice.Cantrell@aggressiveusa.com David Emmett (770) 490-7861 David.Emmett@aggressiveusa.com

21 Ways to Use Signs Continued from page 1 You can get them online for under 10 bucks or maybe even cheaper over at your office supply store.

I know most agencies already have these signs, but how much thought have you put into them?

I thought it’d be fun to put together a list of all the different things you can do with a sign like this and encourage agents to try some new ideas.

So here are 21 ideas for using that clear plastic sign to sell more insurance.

(Some of these ideas might be better for the front desk. Others are more suited for your producer’s desks.

Either way I encourage you to try as many as you can to see what works best!)

1) Everything We Sell Sign This is just a very simple sign that lists all the types of insurance you sell.

Of course you could use graphics to make it more visually appealing.

3) Connect With Us Sign Encourage your walk-in clients to connect with your social media profiles.

Make it as easy as possible by providing a URL, step by step instructions, and/or QR Codes.

And don’t forget the LinkedIn connection, that one might be the most important!

(If you haven’t connected with me on LinkedIn yet, Click Here) 4) QR Code Contact Info Importer The idea here is a QR Code people can scan with their smartphones that automagically imports all your agency’s contact information into their address book.

I wrote another article with step-by-step instructions you can follow.

Just make sure you provide a clear benefit to adding your contact information. For example: “Scan this QR Code to add us to your address book so you won’t have to worry about finding our number in the event of an emergency.”

5) Review Us Online Sign

Your agency isn’t Wal-Mart and since everything you sell isn’t on the shelves in front of people you always need to remind clients of all your offerings.

Clients will be more likely to: Think of you when they have another insurance/financial need Recommend your agency when they have a friend with another need Buy another line of insurance from you 2) Refer a Friend Sign

This sign encourages happy clients to go online and write a positive review about the agency.

You could add in logos of the most important review sites like Google, Yelp, Superpages, etc.

You could also use QR codes to link directly to your profiles on those pages if you think people might use their smartphones to write about you right there.

You can’t remind clients how much you value and appreciate referrals too much.

I believe agents who are not proactive about getting positive online reviews are missing out on some of the lowest-hanging fruit in insurance agency online marketing.

If you give out any type of rewards to say thanks you can mention it on the sign.

You’ll also prime your clients with the idea of providing referrals so it’ll be easier when your producers ask for them.

Aggressive Rocks!

Page 4 of 12

Continued on page 5

September 2015

21 Ways to Use Signs

9) Cross Sale Sign Just a basic idea here: advertise a specific line of insurance to cross-sell.

Continued from page 4 6) Now Hiring Sign If you’re currently looking for help, putting up a sign with your needs and qualifications is a great way to get the word out.

You can use a flyer from one of your carriers or steal one of the images I made for the InsuranceSplash Facebook page.

I won’t care, that’s why I make those things.

Just be careful how you word it.

You don’t want people to think of all their unemployed friends, you want them to think about all their highly capable friends.

Maybe you can use the sign even when you’re not actively in need.

10) Policy Review Sign I shouldn’t have to convince you how important it is for sales and retention to give (or at least attempt) policy reviews with your clients annually.

Post a sign at the front desk explaining the reasons it’s important and encourage them to ask for one.

Would you always be open to another commissiononly salesperson?

If nothing else it’ll give new potential customers the impression that you care about your clients after the initial sale.

7) Online Customer Account Options Sign If people are always coming into your agency to pay bills, change their policy, print ID cards, etc and these are things they can do online instead you might consider posting a sign at the front desk that advertises their “selfserve” options.

11) Trivia Questions

I don’t necessarily think you should be pushing these people away since they’re loyal and may be your best referral sources, but if getting clients to do more things themselves makes business sense for your agency this is an option.

Maybe just encouraging the online account setup will be a good first step. Once they’re in they’ll learn all the new stuff they can do.

Question: Who doesn’t love trivia questions?

8) Download Our App(s) Sign

Answer: No one.

Just make them easy – Your clients will have a more positive experience if they can get the answer than if they don’t.

Honestly, don’t you feel better watching Teen week on Jeopardy more than the real thing?

By the way, here’s a link to The Best Trivia Performance Ever!

12) Upcoming Community Events Sign You want clients to feel like your agency is a strong member of the local community, right?

Do any of your carriers have cool iPhone apps?

Make a sign that promotes them.

Promote local upcoming events.

You can even use QR Codes that will take people right to the app store on their smartphone to download the app!

Not only will your clients appreciate it, other members of your community will appreciate your efforts to promote their events and what goes around comes around.

The more you get into your clients’ phones, the better retention you’ll get.

Use a website like Patch.com, the local high school website, or a local newspaper website to make your job easier.

Why do you think the big carriers have 10+ apps in the app store?

Aggressive Rocks!

Continued on page 6 Page 5 of 12

September 2015

Let’s face it, paying your insurance bill is not usually an overly fun experience so if you can add a little humor it can go a long way.

21 Ways to Use Signs Continued from page 5 13) Upcoming Agency Events Sign

Do a Google image search or steal one of the pics I make for the InsuranceSplash Facebook page.

Are you hosting a customer appreciation party?

Financial seminar? Blood drive? Child car seat certification event?

Just make sure it’s funny to everyone. It’s one thing to be a little “snarky” on Facebook but in your agency you’ll probably want to clean it up a bit.

Make a sign about it and post it at the front desk several months ahead of time since most clients don’t see you every week.

17) Fun Employee Fact Sign The more personal you can make the relationship between your clients and your agency the better.

Encourage interested customers to add it to their smartphone calendars or take their email to do a blast for all interested parties when the date comes.

Why not share a funny, interesting, or embarrassing fact about one of your employees?

14) Customer Testimonials Sign

You can change it up frequently so people are always learning something new or make every employee have their own sign for their desk.

Do you have some great testimonials from your clients you’d like others to see?

There’s plenty of ways to do something like this, but if you can print out a real letter or email it’ll give an air of legitimacy as opposed to you taking their words and formatting them to look pretty.

It generates conversations.

18) Fun Insurance Fact Sign If you can come up with one.

If you can add a picture of the person who gave the testimonial that helps, and try to include a first name and the town they live in.

Good luck.

19) Most Recent Customer Savings Sign

15) Claims Reporting Phone Numbers Sign

Make a quick sign that says something like:

If you prefer your clients to report their own claims directly to your carriers, you could create a one-page sign with all the phone numbers to all the carriers they may need.

“Most Recent Savings: We Saved Chuck B. $1,289 a year off his car insurance by switching from GEICO on August 12.”

The idea is that your clients could take one picture with their smartphone and capture all the potential phone numbers that may be helpful in the event they don’t need to speak with you.

I guess it doesn’t have to be just claims numbers either, it could be a variety of important phone numbers for doing business with you. Or a list of all the employees in the agency with their extensions.

16) Funny Insurance Picture

It’s more ethical if you use real people, dates, and amounts but I can’t stop you from printing out a new one every day with the previous day’s date on it.

20) Conversation Starting Insurance Question There are plenty of directions you could go with this but here’s an idea to get you thinking: “Who pays for accidents that cost more than your insurance covers?”

I’m guessing the answer to that question should drive a pretty interesting sales conversation but I’m sure you can think of much better ones.

Continued on page 7

www.AgentsFirst.org

Aggressive Rocks!

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September 2015

21 Ways to Use Signs Continued from page 6

Are there any E&O issues with the sale / service of Life Insurance?

The short answer is a most definite “yes”. While there does not seem to be a high frequency of E&O claims involving life insurance, they do happen and as one can imagine, they can involve significant dollars. A key issue involves the completion of the application.

One of the more prevalent issues occurs when a pre-existing condition is not disclosed on the application. A common allegation is that the plaintiff will contend that they advised the life insurance agent of the issue and that the agent was negligent in not including the information on the application.

21) Say Thanks You can’t thank your customers enough.

No one can.

But a sincere and thoughtful thank you from your staff to all the customers who walk in your door can generate a warm fuzzy feeling for everyone even when you forget to show it.

There are some defenses to this allegation especially if the applicant needs to submit to some type of medical examination. Chances are the medical professional is going to ask a wide host of questions and if the applicant withholds the information from the medical professional, the agent’s chances of prevailing are increased.

What to Do Next:

Some solid best practices to consider:

1. If you don’t already have plastic signs in your agency go get some.

- Take the necessary steps to ensure that the application information is secured directly from the applicant. This may sound like common sense but there have been life applications taken based on input from relatives.

2. Try out some of your favorite ideas I’ve given here and see what gets the most results over the next month.

3. If you like articles like this please share it with another agent or sales manager.

And if you have other sign ideas that have worked in your agency please share them with me!

Hope this helps, John

- Make sure that each question on the application is asked exactly as it appears on the app. There should be no counseling of the applicant on what information should not be included.

- After the completion of the application, the applicant should be required to review the responses to all questions on the application and then required to sign the completed document.

- Know the carrier guidelines / requirements for the completion of the application as well as their position on the delivery of the policy.

Many life carriers require that life policies be personally delivered and signed for.

- Know the product. There are a wide variety of products and each one seems to have a defined purpose. As with P&C, customers may not understand the product so helping the customers to understand how they perform is suggested. Issues such as payment options, the accrual of cash value, interest rates, and coverage lapses should be explained.

More E&O Tips at http://www.agentseotips.com

Aggressive Rocks!

Page 7 of 12

September 2015

Discipline Policy: Do You Have the Right Mix? Q&A

session with the employee. During this discussion you should: (a) remind the employee of pertinent policies and work rules;

By Robin Thomas, Managing Editor

(b) provide concrete examples of how the employee's behavior or performance has fallen short of expectations;

Editor's Note: These question and answer HR Matters E-Tips articles are taken from real questions submitted by our subscribers, a unique feature of the HR Matters Tools and Resource Center online service. See how it works .

No one likes to discipline employees, and as a result you may be tempted to ignore problem behavior just to avoid confrontation. But, an effective disciplinary procedure is a necessary component of solid employment policies. Below is a five-step progressive disciplinary system you can implement plus four tips to support your policy and procedures.

Q: Our organization has been growing steadily, and we now are finding that with more employees come more disciplinary issues and problems. Unfortunately, our managers are uncomfortable addressing these problems, so we need to implement a more formal disciplinary procedure to help them. What steps should we take?

(c) explain the impact of the employee's deficiencies on the organization and coworkers; and (d) describe actions the employee needs to take to correct the problem.

In many instances, having one or two candid discussions is all you need to help a wayward employee get back on track. However, when the informal coaching attempts fail, or when there is more serious misconduct, formal disciplinary action is necessary (steps two through five). Most organizations follow a "progressive discipline" policy where employees incur increasingly severe consequences for repeated infractions or for the continued failure to remedy deficiencies. Typically, the normal progression in this type of a system is a formal verbal warning, one or two written warnings, suspension, and, finally, termination.

A: Most managers dread disciplining employees and worry about making mistakes that will prompt employee legal action. However, haphazard discipline can lead to lower productivity, poor morale, and the potential for lawsuits. Employees who feel they have been treated unfairly often file claims ranging from discrimination and retaliation to contract violation.

Step Two: Oral warning and counseling. Here, you identify the problem, state your expectations, and explain the adverse consequences if uncorrected. This first disciplinary step is similar to the informal coaching session since it is intended to counsel the employee on improvement.

(Download free 18-page DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE decision-maker chapter including model policy template, HR best practices, and legal background.)

However, the employee should understand that he is now at risk for additional disciplinary action if he does not improve. You should keep a confidential record of the session and put a copy in the employee's personnel file.

Yet, inaction can be equally destructive if employee behavior problems are consistently ignored. When your managers do not actively address poor performance and misconduct, morale and productivity will suffer.

You can relieve some of this unavoidable stress by establishing clear expectations for employee behavior and by training supervisors to take a proactive approach using a five-step combination of corrective counseling and progressive discipline. This approach should require supervisors to confront employee performance and misconduct problems and to document the proceedings.

Further, it should give employees specific feedback, plus action plans and timelines for improvement.

Here are the five steps you should implement in your discipline process:

Step 3: Written warning. If the employee's behavior does not improve, a written warning should follow. As with oral notice, you again inform the employee of the performance expectations and required changes, but also give the employee formal written notice conveying the increased seriousness. A copy of the warning also should be placed in the employee's personnel file.

Step 4: Suspension. The next step is a suspension, often referred to as a "decision-making leave." Its purpose is to place the employee on final notice and force a commitment to improve, or face termination.

Step 5: Termination. If all efforts fail and the employee's performance does not improve or misconduct continues, the final step is termination.

Step One: Informal counseling. Unless an employee has engaged in a serious or repeated offense, the most appropriate initial response normally is to have an informal, yet specific, solutions-oriented coaching Aggressive Rocks!

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Continued on page 9

September 2015

4.

Discipline Policy Continued from page 8 The type of corrective action you should take in a given situation generally depends on four issues: (1) the nature and seriousness of the infraction, (2) whether it is a first time or repeat offense, (3) past handling of similar disciplinary problems, and (4) whether there are special circumstances impacting the level of needed response. Of course, in certain circumstances involving particularly bad behavior, you may need to skip any of the steps if you find that termination is the only appropriate disciplinary step.

Once you have decided to implement a progressive disciplinary system, you also have to support it with your policies and procedures. To this end, you should: 1.

Develop sound written policies. It is safest to have a written discipline policy that provides clear guidelines and, at the same time, reserves your right to exercise discretion in the actual handling of unacceptable behavior or performance. Some employers resist developing a written discipline policy on the grounds that they want to maintain desired flexibility. This approach can easily lead to arbitrary, inconsistent, and even discriminatory treatment of employees.

2.

Implement disciplinary procedures fairly and carefully. Make it clear to your workforce that the goal of your discipline system is correction of problem behaviors and not punishment for the sake of punishment. Employees are more likely to accept discipline when counseling and disciplinary procedures emphasize employee improvement and when warnings are given before more severe discipline is imposed. At every phase of corrective action, the employee should be given the opportunity to respond and give feedback.

3.

Train supervisors in their roles and responsibilities. Supervisors are management's frontline contact and play a pivotal role in dealing with conduct and performance issues.

You should support this role by providing proper training to spot and handle problem behaviors and by lending expertise, guidance, and support when formal disciplinary action is necessary. In addition, supervisors should be carefully trained about the vital relationship between proper discipline and employment law compliance.

Aggressive Rocks!

Require and maintain accurate documentation.

Proper documentation of employee problems and related corrective actions is essential to support and validate your disciplinary process.

First, it provides an accurate accounting of the steps taken to help the employee improve and can be used to evaluate the employee. Second, it provides a critical line of defense if you have to justify your actions or defend a lawsuit.

Content for your HR Matters E-Tips newsletter is developed from our flagship publication, the HR Matters Tools and Resource Center, featuring the Personnel Policy Manual System (PPMS). See how it works.

Please note that the information in every issue of HR Matters E-Tips is the original, copyrighted work of Personnel Policy Service, Inc., and is protected under U.S. copyright laws. As such, you may not reprint or publish in any format any article or portion of article from HR Matters E- Tips without the express permission of Personnel Policy Service, Inc.

FREE Facebook Content for Insurance Agents

http://www.insurancesplash.com/blog/get-awesomeinsurance-agent-facebook-content-in-60-seconds

Page 9 of 12

September 2015

"AIN'T NOBODY'S FAULT BUT MINE"

By Al Diamond In 1927 a gospel jazz singer, Blind Willy Johnson, got it right. He changed the words of an old gospel song and turned it into ‘Ain’t Nobody’s Fault But Mine.’ Yes, it’s the same title (but different words) as the Led Zeppelin song over 50 years later. But the point is that he was singing about taking responsibility for all the things that happened to him, good and bad.

Last week we visited yet another new client agency whose mantra seemed to be, “It’s everyone’s fault ----but mine.” The agency was seeking the ‘Silver Bullet,’ a single, quick and easy solution to several difficult and complex problems. Of course, the Silver Bullet only exists in the Lone Ranger’s belt and in vampire adventure tails --- it exists nowhere in real life.

Most readers know that Agency Consulting Group, Inc. has evolved many innovative programs designed to advance the growth and profitability of insurance agencies. We employ them as parts of our recommendations for the improvement of our client agencies after our agency analysis, the GPP Analysis (Growth, Productivity and Profitability Analysis) that leads in all of our consulting with our clients. When we design a Producer Compensation Program, an Incentive Compensation Program, an agency marketing program, or even our Strategic Planning process, we pull down one or more of our programs and then we tear it apart and reconstruct it to fit the agency in question.

So when agents call and ask to purchase one of our programs, they are surprised when we respectfully decline because it would be like selling a custom sports car shell designed for a 250 lb 6 foot 5 inch football player to a 5 foot, 98 pound ballerina. It may be exactly what they asked for, but it simply won’t fit. Similarly, calling us with ill-defined problems, erroneous assumptions of causes and responsibility, and predetermined expectations of solutions will neither solve the problems nor satisfy the agency owner.

Many agents could use a fresh, third-party view of the issues surrounding their agencies. Most agencies have issues that plague them and keep them from attaining their potential. Agents go to our seminars trying to match their problems with our solutions. But if they don’t see the right problem, they can’t possibly identify the correct solutions.

Many agents feel that assuming responsibility is akin to accepting blame. It never is. Blame is the single characteristic that is universally destructive, while assumption of responsibility clears the air and permits the acceptance of change to yield different business results. We need not stretch our imaginations to understand how many wars have begun and how many millions of people have been killed because of the laying of blame. And if ignorance blamed some poor soul for diseases during the Middle Ages, the tendency was to kill the person blamed. It did nothing for curing the disease. However, during the Enlightenment and beyond, every disease that has been stopped and cured began with the identification of the basis of responsibility for the disease in order to reach common ground in its solution.

If we can get an agent out of the ‘blame game’ and into the reasons and responsibility for the agency’s problems and woes, we have taken our first step toward finding solutions. In Transactional Analysis terms, we have brought the owners into their ‘adult’ stage from their ‘child’ state. In the ‘adult’ state, they seek to understand the source of the problem and to identify it properly instead of seeking retribution against someone for the issues that plague the business. The process begins with the problem as viewed by the owner and then continues to drill down to the source of the problems. Every time a ‘blame’ is made, it must be reworded to further drill down to the problem. At some point there will be an “Aha!” moment when the owner realizes that he has identified the real issue to be addressed.

Once the problem is properly identified, you must answer the question, “Whose responsibility is this issue?” This may take some time, but the owner will eventually realize that the responsibility belongs squarely on the shoulders of the principal decisionmaker. She or he could have made different decisions somewhere down the road. Taking responsibility for the problem is the first step to its solution. Until this happens, all efforts toward solution are only actions, not the solution itself.

During the problem identification and the responsibility assignment stages, you MUST joust with and defeat every blame created – they are all diversions from the real issues.

At this point we are finally ready to identify causes, potential solutions, costs and priorities - the mechanics of CHANGE. Continued on page 11

The primary problem associated with agencies almost always lies in the ego of the owner. High ego, successful agents often can’t accept that they bear most or all of the responsibility for both the agency’s success and for its failures. Are there exceptions? Of course, but the exceptions are rare.

Aggressive Rocks!

Page 10 of 12

September 2015

6. Prioritize the highest impact solution first and don’t pursue a secondary solution until the first is working as expected.

"AIN'T NOBODY'S FAULT BUT MINE" Continued from page 10 Remember you are only concerned with WHAT caused the problem, never WHO caused it. A WHAT can be changed and monitored to different results. A WHO can only be terminated and replaced and most likely, it will not solve the problem at hand.

Once you identify the causes, list all potential solutions, regardless of the scope and cost. You are trying to determine the range of solutions. Once you have the solutions lists, you will begin to eliminate one after another because of the human or financial cost associated with that method.

Even when you limit your list of solutions to those for whom you have sufficient people and for whose cost is manageable, the real solution is still limited to what the owner is willing to do. There may be a potential of an owner returning to active production or client relationship management, but if the owner is near retirement and enjoying his free time, that solution may not be acceptable.

Most agents will realize that there is not a single problem in evidence, but a series of connected issues that require different solutions. Once the solutions are identified they must be prioritized and only the top priority should be done until it is successful. Then, one after another, lower priority solutions must be implemented. Each of the solutions must be monitored carefully to make sure it is practiced consistently and that they continue to address the problems to their solution.

7. Monitor the results of each of the solutions implemented for a long enough period to assure you that they have worked to the degree you expected.

8. Create a Strategic Plan around the solutions to permit you to exercise your new strengths in the progression of your business.

Agency Consulting Group, Inc. 507 N. Kings Highway Cherry Hill NJ 08034 | info@AgencyConsulting.com P: 800-779-2430 | F: 856-667-6224 Copyright Š 2015 Agency Consulting Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

GIAA Marketing Tip It's an online photo editor that's easy to use, fast, fun, and free.

To get started, go to: http://www.picmonkey.com/ and click on 'Touch Up' at the top of the page. You'll be asked to select an image on your computer or from Facebook.

We strongly recommend the creation of a Strategic Plan to surround and encompass the solutions that you are implementing to strengthen your business. That business plan will allow you and your successors to continue your progress and to avoid similar crises in the future.

Here is the list of how to address the problems in your agency, with or without our help.

1.

Some of the options are: Blemish Fix

Identify the REAL problem.

Wrinkle Remover

2. Take responsibility for the results of your business.

Spray Tan

3. Clear the air of all blame. It is a useless exercise and cannot be a part of the solution.

4. Determine the causes of the problems in your agency and address the potential solutions for each one.

5. Ascertain the human and financial cost of the solutions and determine whether you have the human assets, are willing to spend your valuable time in the solution and can afford the financial cost to solving the problems.

Aggressive Rocks!

And then, just play with the settings on the left.

Teeth Whitener Yes, in a few seconds you can give yourself a VIRTUAL makeover, ha-ha!

You can also do more traditional editing with the 'Edit' option from the home page.

Basic functions are free, and there's a paid upgrade which costs a whopping $3 a month, so it will hardly break the bank. It's a GREAT alternative to Photoshop, which is way too complicated for most people to use.

GIAA Membership has More Benefits! Join at www.Georgia-Agents.com.

Page 11 of 12 September 2015

The insuring agreement dilemma

If you have the knowledge to see the problem, you will also have the ability to discover the solution.

The Producer Online IN ACTION is a monthly reminder of how you can turn the knowledge gained from The Producer Online into powerful sales opportunities.

The umbrella concept is relatively simple: umbrella policies pay when the underlying policy’s limits are exhausted. However, when millions of dollars are at stake, very simple concepts can become very complicated.

Commercial liability umbrella policies vary significantly

See how the courts responded when the umbrella carrier thought the underlying policy’s limits had not yet been exhausted.

Click here to review the PF&M analysis of the Insurance

from one carrier to another. Key areas of difference are the insuring agreement, duty and right to defend, and when the excess coverage responds.

Services Office (ISO) Commercial Liability Umbrella Coverage Form and consider it as a guide to review other companies' commercial liability umbrella policies.

Was it really used up?

Which is better: An excess policy or an umbrella policy?

This court case refers to an "excess" policy. However, that policy could just as easily be an umbrella because the terms excess and umbrella are often used interchangeably. Interchanging these terms can lead to misunderstandings and cause significant gaps in Gasoline at Wagner's station leaked. The loss was

coverage. Excess policies and umbrella policies are not

substantial and Titeflex, the manufacturer of flexible

the same, even though both are used to provide coverage in excess of underlying coverage.

piping, was one of many defendants. Titeflex's underlying commercial general liability policy paid $1 million and its commercial liability umbrella policy paid $9 million. However the umbrella carrier thought the underlying policy should pay more because of multiple claims, multiple plaintiffs, and multiple time periods.

Click here for a PF&M article that briefly describes the differences between the excess and the umbrella policies.

Starting the conversation A commercial liability excess or umbrella policy is a very

Click here to see how the courts reacted to the umbrella carrier's demands.

important part of many commercial accounts. Although

Click here for an emarketing article you may want to put

provided could mean the difference between it surviving

on your website or send in a newsletter to highlight the

or going out of business when the claim amount is substantial.

differences between excess and umbrella policies in order to start a conversation with your clients.

Aggressive Rocks!

the insured may never have to use it, the coverage

Page 12 of 12

September 2015