Aggressive Agents - October 2014

More Information about Aggressive’s “Cajun Christmas” at www.CajunXmas.com

Free Internet Marketing Boot Camp In This Edition FREE INTERNET M ARKETING BOOT CAMP ............................................ 1 HOW TO CLAIM GOOGLE, YAHOO & BING LOCAL SEARCH FOR FREE ..... 1 HOW TO CREATE FREE YOUTUBE PROMOTIONAL & CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL VIDEOS. ..................... 2 HOW TO CREATE A FREE NICHE WEBSITE ........................................ 2

Santa is coming early for Agents & CSRs of Aggressive Insurance.

HOW TO CREATE A FREE E-MAIL M ARKETING PROGRAM ................... 2

Your entire office is invited to attend “Cajun Christmas” for free.

HOW TO CREATE A FREE MOBILE SITE............................................... 2

You can earn up to 10 hours CE, attend a 5 hour County Mutual Pre-Licensing or any of the 10 one-hour non-CE Internet Marketing seminars.

HOW TO GET POSITIVE REVIEWS AND CITATIONS IN GOOGLE, YAHOO & BING FOR FREE .............................. 2 HOW TO USE FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN & TWITTER FOR BUSINESS FOR FREE ..................................................... 2 “THAT’S A GREAT IDEA!” ............... 5 R.I.P. - RETIRED IN PLACE.............. 6 60 SECOND ETHICS ........................ 8

Plus enjoy dinner in the Horseshoe Casino Riverdome.

All compliments of Aggressive Insurance.

The Big Three’s focus on local businesses has resulted in a dramatic change in search results compared to the past. Now, independent insurance agencies have one huge edge over the national competitors: a local address.

All attendees get the link to this 23 page “How To” Booklet

More information inside this edition of Aggressive Agents.

Bring your laptops & iPads for a “Hands-On” Boot Camp.

You’ll learn …

How to claim Google, Yahoo & Bing Local Search for free Are you taking advantage of Google, Yahoo and Bing’s new focus on Local Search?

Continued on page 2

Aggressive Agents

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October 2014

More Information about Aggressive’s “Cajun Christmas” at www.CajunXmas.com

“Free Internet Marketing Boot Camp”

How to create a free Mobile Site You’ll learn how to easily create great-looking websites that are specially formatted for touch-screen viewing on smartphones.

Upload your logo, select your color scheme, and add your content. It's that simple!

Continued from page 1 How to create free YouTube promotional & customer testimonial videos.

Post them everywhere … on your website, Blog, Facebook, etc. I’ll show you how to set up a YouTube Channel.

Make your website and mobile web pages visually stimulating with images and video. Upload your own photos or graphics, or embed your favorite video clips from YouTube.

How to create QR (Quick Response) Codes for free Take your mobile website into the real world with QR codes that can be placed on just about anything that can be printed - advertisements, posters, brochures, mailers, business cards, whatever. Best of all, the program generates the QR codes for you and tracks their performance, so you know how often your codes are being scanned over time.

All attendees get the link to this “How To” Booklet

How to get positive reviews and citations in Google, Yahoo & Bing for free More and more consumers research online before they contact your insurance agency. Positive reviews (and the way you respond to negative reviews) are taken seriously.

How to create a free Niche website Why Niche Web Sites?

There are millions of insurance websites already on the Internet and there are thousands more being added every day. Those millions of sites and pages are your potential competition….unless you specialize. You don’t need to waste time and energy trying to compete. Niche websites are the way of ‘not competing’.

I’ll share 10 Ways for your agency to get positive reviews (plus a customized handout for your clients).

How to grade & improve your website & mobile site for free

Be a Laser Beam not a Flashlight

You make your money selling insurance not creating websites but it’s important that you know if the person you are paying to make your agency visible on the Internet is doing their job!

How to create a free E-mail Marketing Program Wouldn’t it be great if you sold every lead on the first call? This free program allows you to stay in touch with clients and to follow up with potential clients.

How to use Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter for Business for free

How to create a free Electronic Mini-Billboard for your agency Put that unused computer monitor to use by creating a free slideshow of your insurance products and services. The free software and pictures are a snap to use!

Aggressive Agents

Centralize all of your social media channels in one place for easy access to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. All attendees get the link to this “How To” Booklet Page 2

October 2014

More Information about Aggressive’s “Cajun Christmas” at www.CajunXmas.com

Aggressive's "Cajun Christmas" December 1-3, 2014 at Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, LA Wednesday, December 3rd 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: "Ethical Business Practices": 2 hours Ethics CE County Mutual Pre-Licensing Class (part 1 of 2) Internet Marketing Boot Camp: non-CE

Texas & Georgia Agents & CSRs are invited to attend "Aggressive's Cajun Christmas" on December 1-3, 2014 at the newly-renovated Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, LA.

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.: 3 hours CE "Insurance Advertising in Texas": 3 hours CE County Mutual Pre-Licensing Class (part 2 of 2) Internet Marketing Boot Camp: non-CE

FREE Continuing Education FREE County Mutual Pre-Licensing FREE Internet Marketing Boot Camp FREE Cajun Christmas Dinner FREE Midnight Madness Giveaways

Free Registration at www.CajunXmas.com Agenda Tuesday, December 2nd 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: "Ethical Insurance Dilemmas": 2 hours Ethics CE County Mutual Pre-Licensing Class (part 1 of 2) Internet Marketing Boot Camp: non-CE 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.: "That's a Great Idea!": 3 hours CE County Mutual Pre-Licensing Class (part 2 of 2) Internet Marketing Boot Camp: non-CE

Special Room Rate only $49.00 We are creating a rooming list from the seminar

6:00 p.m.: Dinner in the Riverdome

registrations. If you plan to stay overnight at Horseshoe Casino. please indicate your check-in / check-out dates and room type when you register for the seminars

Enjoy Dinner Celebration then try your luck at the tables or explore all that Bossier City has to offer!

12:00 p.m.: Midnight Madness Giveaways

Aggressive Agents

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October 2014

More Information about Aggressive’s “Cajun Christmas” at www.CajunXmas.com Pause You let the question go thinking the accident would appear on her MVR or CLUE report, but when you run the reports there is no claim or violation. There has obviously not been enough time for the accident to hit the reporting agencies. What do you do?

"Ethical Insurance Dilemmas” Ethics & Conflicts of Interest A conflict of interest happened when a personal or agency has a personal (usually financial in nature) incentive to act or make a decision that is not in the best interest of another party to whom such a duty is owed.

Case Study #4: Ethics & Marital Status Ms. Jones is applying for insurance on two cars in response to letters from the DMV. During the application interview she claims to be single, but you know she is married and her husband has an extensive driving record. And, you also know he routinely drives one of the vehicles.

Profitable agencies are at the very nature a conflict for the consumer due to commissions.

To write a policy at a loss to the agency is not in the best interest of the employer.

What would you do?

When you confront her with this information she claims she use to be married but they are separated.

The letters from the DMV only have her name on them.

Case Study #1: Ethics & Lienholder During the application interview you notice a lienholder on the bill of sale. It is a lienholder you know requires proof of insurance to secure his loans.

However, when you get to the coverage questions and the applicant sees the premiums he tells you that he doesn’t want comp and collision. He can’t afford the down payment. You explain that you noticed the lienholder on the bill of sale and know they will require comp and collision. He tells you the lienholder told him he did not have to buy full coverage. Do you challenge the applicant by calling the lienholder?

Are you required to report the unlisted driver to the DMV? Do you report you suspicions to the insurance company? Should you even bind coverage for her if you believe she is not being truthful?

Case Study #5: Ethics & the Lowest Rate If you use a comparative rater do you have to offer the lowest rate every time? If so, why? If not, why not?

Case Study #6: Ethics & the Absent Underwriter

Case Study #2: Ethics & Commissions

You know that the insurance company has guidelines about limited business use. You have the opportunity to write a new account but the applicant has stated business use that slightly exceeds the company’s guidelines.

A client new to the agency has asked you to find them the best rate possible because they are on a limited income and really can’t afford to pay much for insurance. After quoting all of your companies you find one company whose rate is significantly lower than all of the rest. It is so much lower you can add a roadside assistance policy and still beat the rate they are currently paying. The additional coverage will not affect the down payment and it will only cause a slight increase in the monthly payments. Adding the coverage will significantly increase the amount of commission the agency will earn for the application. Do you attempt to sell the coverage?

Do you just add the coverage without a detailed explanation?

The underwriter you normally use has granted several exceptions of this nature in the past.

Unfortunately the underwriter is on a two week vacation and the applicant’s current policy expires in 3 days.

The substitute underwriter is known to “go by the book” and not give exceptions.

Do you rationalize “if my regular underwriter were here, I’d get the exception” and submit the app with incorrect information? Is anyone put at a disadvantage by this action? If the company regularly makes underwriting exceptions, can the agent assume they will make the exception in this case? Would this be grounds for material misrepresentation or E&O?

Case Study #3: Ethics & MVR A casual acquaintance you know from your son’s grade school has come into the office to apply for auto insurance. During the interview you are surprised when she answers the question about violations and accidents in the past three years by saying she has none. You know she was involved in an accident just three weeks ago in front of the school and from your point of view it looked like it was her fault.

Aggressive Agents

Come earn 2 hours free Ethics CE and share your thoughts on Tuesday morning, December 2nd at Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, LA. Page 4

October 2014

More Information about Aggressive’s “Cajun Christmas” at www.CajunXmas.com

Employee / Employer Relationships Test Your Employer Management IQ Test The following short quiz consists of 4 questions and (allegedly) tells whether you are truly ready for 'management'.

1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe and close the door.

This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

“That’s a Great Idea!”

The wrong answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant and closes the door.

Everyone who shares their ideas on agency management, agency marketing, customer service & employee / employer relationships are eligible for prize drawings at Aggressive’s Cajun Christmas on Tuesday nd afternoon, December 2 at Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, LA.

The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door.

This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your actions.

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference; all the animals attend except one. Which animal does not attend?

Here are some examples to think about:

Agency Management

The correct answer is: The Elephant. The Elephant is in the refrigerator.

IT’S IN THE CARDS

This tests your memory.

We all rely on our more experienced employees to help train the new hires. How well do they explain the step-by-step procedures?

OK, even if you did not answer the first three questions, correctly, you still have one more chance to show your abilities.

Try this little experiment: After your new hire has been trained on a task, ask them to write down each step on numbered cards so their trainer may complete the task. It will become quickly evident in which areas a little more training is necessary!

4. There is a river you must cross. But it is inhabited by crocodiles. How do you manage it?

The correct answer is: You swim across. All the Crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting!

Hang on to the cards with the finished written instructions to help in training the next employee (or for this one to refer back to!)

This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

Customer Service

According to a Leading Management Consulting firm, around 90% of the management professionals they tested got all 4 questions wrong.

Kindness is a hard thing to give away. It keeps coming back to you!

Courtesy & consideration for your associates, your employer and visitors is a must.

Make plans to attend our Aggressive “Cajun Christmas” Ethical Business Practices CE on December 3rd and learn the latest Tips ‘n Tools for Insurance Agency Management in Texas.

Be kind to everyone you meet. You have no idea what's going on in their lives and you might just be the answer to their prayers.

No one ever complained about being treated too nicely.

Aggressive Agents

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October 2014

More Information about Aggressive’s “Cajun Christmas” at www.CajunXmas.com

R.I.P. - Retired in Place

In both cases, the employee’s desire to diminish his/her role is accommodated, but not at an excessive cost to the agency.

By Al Diamond Much of our work at Agency Consulting Group, Inc. revolves around agency perpetuation. We help families pass ownership, transfer ownership to employees, merge agencies, and we sell them at the most favorable prices available. One of the stumbling blocks we encounter in this process is an employee (or owner) who wishes to “Retire In Place”. That is, they want to be relieved of the pressures of:

A more prevalent problem is when employees (or an owner) feel that they have ‘paid their dues’ and now wish to maintain their compensation levels and image in the agency, but no longer want to do the job for which they were paid in the past. No agency can afford to maintain ‘dead wood’ in the employee ranks, regardless of past service. The employee was PAID for that past service.

Whether employee or owner, the greatest impact on the agency from an RIP is not in their financial cost. The greatest impact to the agency is in the cost to the morale of the employees who remain to manage and operate the agency. They will either immediately or eventually feel cheated when they must, in effect, do the work while the employee (or the owner) continues to be paid without the responsibilities that formerly came with the job. This cannot be permitted in the employee ranks. The agency owner has the ability to take a pay cut and replace his efforts with a new employee hired for that purpose.

However, even owners will find that employees react much better to working and productive owners than they do to owners who are perceived as RIP, living off the efforts of the agency’s other employees.

Pick 1 or More: __ Management __ Dealing with companies __ Dealing with customers __ Dealing with employees __ Selling __ Paperwork __ Change However, they will graciously stay on to “help with the transition.” How do you deal with an owner or a key employee who desires to stay with the firm with less responsibility? How does he affect the morale, value, and cash flow of the agency as it attempts to change to a new set of owners? The way you answer these questions can spell the difference between success and failure of perpetuation plans in the short and long term.

Another part of the RIP problem with respect to owners occurs in the sale of the agency following which the old owners remain with the agency for a time to “transition” the accounts. If their role is not truly productive and active, they will be perceived by both the new owners and by the employees as RIP.

In the case of an employee, the answer should be simple. Regardless of the value of that employee over the years, the future compensation of that employee is determined by his/her value to the agency in the future – not in the past. While this sounds like a simple answer, it is not so simple for loyal owners who feel that they owe much to employees who have been with them for many years. That loyalty does not extend to the new owners after a sale or perpetuation and they will not want the liability of maintaining an employee who served the old owners well, but is no longer is productive in his/her role.

The simplest approach in the case of a buy-out is to retain the owner for a specified period for the ‘transition.’

If both of you know that he will be in place for one year and one year only, it relieves the pressure of carrying his salary ad infinitum. This is usually an excellent idea because he can assist in the renewal process of some of his business under new ownership.

But how do you deal with the partner who just wants to ‘scale down?’ This may or may not include sale of stock. We fell that if any owner wishes to change his work efforts, it must be correlated with a change in compensation, regardless of the ownership of the agency. You get paid for what you do now, not for what you have done over the last forty years. The reward for past efforts lies in the enhanced value of the asset. If the scale down is in concert with the sale of his stock, the new owners must be assured that the selling owner intends to scale down his efforts, not coast. This requires the execution of a new job description, portraying the new duties and responsibilities of the job.

The solution is by defining the productive value of an employee’s role as it transitions. If a producer decides to RIP he may fit into the role of Account Executive, responsible for the maintenance of a book of business, but no longer expected to generate new business goals.

This is certainly a valued role, but not one valued as highly as that of a producer. The compensation level should be adjusted accordingly. A CSR who decides to RIP may be qualified to process, but no longer wishes the responsibility of customer contact. She should also be given the opportunity to remain a viable and valued employee, but at an adjusted compensation.

Aggressive Agents

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More Information about Aggressive’s “Cajun Christmas” at www.CajunXmas.com 8. He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them.

R.I.P. - Retired in Place Obviously, an owner or employee who has ‘Retired in Place’ negatively affects your cash flow. You are, in effect, paying someone without an appropriate return on the investment. The agency’s value is not affected unless the individual is RIP with the added benefit of an employment agreement. Unfortunately, many of the buyouts and acquisitions that we see include an employment agreement that not only legally binds the agency to payments, but simultaneously lowers the value of the business by the gross amount due in the employment agreement. This is not a negative implication if the agreement supports an active, valuable employee. However, if the agreement supports an RIP, you are being hit by the double whammy of lowered cash flow and reduced value.

9. This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot.

10. This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts, the better.

11. Got a full six-pack but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together.

12. A gross ignoramus -- 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus.

13. He does not have ulcers, but he is a carrier.

14. I would like to go hunting with him sometime.

15. He has been working with glue too much.

16. He would argue with a signpost.

Finally, an RIP will certainly affect the morale in the office. Imagine a busy office with one individual having no responsibilities. In the best case, he simply would not be visible while everyone else is working. In the worst case, he could disrupt the office with socializing or with pet projects that yield no return for the business.

Whether the individual is a family member, partner or formerly a key employee, the other employees will know that he is being carried. This will lower morale and cause frustration to the other hard-working employees in your business.

17. He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room.

18. When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell.

19. If you see two people talking, and one looks bored, he is the other one.

20. A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on.

21. A prime candidate for natural de-selection.

If the RIP situation may arise in your office as the ownership transfers, control the situation by defining the value of the retiring owner. His value in the business will be coming to him in the payout of the stock being sold.

His future value to the firm must be decided by determining those duties and responsibilities that he is willing to assume or maintain. A job description and measurable objectives will go a long way in resolving the difficulties before they arise.

22. Donated his brain to science before he was done using it.

Quotes you don't want to see on your annual reviews:

26. If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you would get change.

23. Gates are down, the lights are flashing but the train is not coming.

24. Has two brains: one is lost and the other is out looking for it.

25. If he were any more stupid, he would have to be watered twice a week.

27. If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean.

1. Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and has started to dig.

28. It is hard to believe that he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm.

2. I would not allow this employee to breed.

29. One neuron short of a synapse.

3. This employee is really not so much of a has-been but more of a definite won't-be.

30. Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled.

4. Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap.

31. Takes him two hours to watch 60 Minutes.

5. When she opens her mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet.

Make plans to attend our Aggressive “Cajun Christmas” Ethical Business Practices CE on December 3rd and learn the latest Tips ‘n Tools for Insurance Agency Management in Texas.

6. He would be out of his depth in a parking lot puddle.

7. This young lady has delusions of adequacy.

Aggressive Agents

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October 2014

More Information about Aggressive’s “Cajun Christmas” at www.CajunXmas.com

60 Second Ethics

If you have sound character, you will find that you generally do not worry about your reputation.

If you must be deceitful, be sure you never try to deceive your best friend — yourself.

Thomas Jefferson once said that a majority is one man with the courage of his convictions. If you have the courage that comes from the sincere conviction that you are a person of sound character, an honest, dependable, kind, and caring person, you will never have to worry about what others think of you. If you know in your own heart that you are a good and decent person, you can meet life's challenges head-on and without fear of what others think.

A better understanding of what you are about -- your goals, your dreams, and your aspirations -- leads you to a better understanding of those around you. It is critical, therefore, that you be honest with yourself at all times.

The moment you begin to deceive yourself is the beginning of the decline in your character; it is the beginning of a process of rationalization that permits you to justify unacceptable behavior. Make sure you are a person whom you like, a person of sound character. If you don't like yourself, how can you expect others to like you? Step back and examine your behavior as logically as possible. Ask yourself, "Am I the kind of person I would like to be with?" Developing good character traits is like achieving any other objective. Determine where you wish to be and then develop a plan for getting there.

Attend well to your character, and your reputation will look out for itself.

Most of us at one time or another have been misunderstood by those who are important to us. They thought we planned to take an action they disliked when in truth our intentions were to proceed in an entirely different direction. Such misunderstandings are usually quickly righted and life goes on. The same is true with character and reputation. If your reputation is for some reason misaligned with your character, it will soon quickly right itself when others discover for themselves that you are not at all the kind of person they had assumed you were. If your foundation is strong, you never need to be concerned about such misunderstandings. Others will learn soon enough what kind of person you really are. Spend your time and energy in constant self-inspection and self-improvement, building strong character, and you will never have to worry about what others think of you.

Self-respect is the best means of getting the respect of others.

Have you known people who can't stand to be alone for any length of time? The chances are good that those folks don't like themselves very much. They need others around constantly to validate their own existence. Sadly, the people who need others the most are usually those whom others least like to be around. Because they don't like themselves, other people seldom do either. The surest way to command the respect of others is to become a person you like being around. Identify the characteristics you admire in others and make a conscious effort to develop them yourself. Your selfrespect begins to grow the moment you decide to take the first step toward becoming the kind of person you know you can be: a success.

Falsehood does evermore have a way of publishing itself.

It is virtually impossible to conceal the truth forever. It is the natural order of things that the truth will eventually come out. This single fact is the foundation of our judicial system and the basis on which all human relationships are formed. A business, professional, or personal relationship built upon a lie cannot long endure, but one that is founded on truth and equality of benefit for the participants is unlimited. Make it a practice to tell the truth in all that you do -- even when it doesn't matter -and you will form a habit of truthfulness. You will know instinctively that it is better to tell the truth and face the consequences than to launch a falsehood that will eventually make itself known to the world.

It’s mighty easy to justify dishonesty if you make your living from it.

The subconscious mind makes no moral judgments.

If you tell yourself something over and over, your subconscious mind will eventually accept even the most blatant lie as fact. Those whose lives and careers have been destroyed by dishonest behavior began the process of self-destruction when they convinced themselves that one slight infraction of the rules wouldn't matter. When you sell yourself on an idea, make sure the idea is positive, beneficial to you, and harmless to others. Just as negative thoughts and deeds return to their originator, so do positive ones. When you practice honest, ethical behavior, you set in motion a force for good that will return to you many times over.

Aggressive Agents

Make plans to attend our Aggressive “Cajun Christmas” Ethical Business Practices CE on December 3rd and learn the latest Tips ‘n Tools for Insurance Agency Management in Texas.

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October 2014