FYI Express - November 2014

More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

EXPRESS “What You Don’t Know Can’t Help You!” … Eddie K. Emmett, Editor / Publisher

Do CSRs have to be licensed?

Do CSRs have to be licensed?

In This Edition DO CSRS HAVE TO BE LICENSED? .. 1 CAP DAT ACORD WILL BE SIMPLY EASIER ACORD FORMS ................ 4 20 SECOND “ELEVATOR SPEECH” MADE EASY .................................... 6 TOP 10 REASONS WHY AGENTS SELL THEIR AGENCIES ................. 10 HOW MUCH IS YOUR SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH CARE TAX CREDIT WORTH? .......................... 14 SETTING YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS APART FROM THE COMPETITION.... 16 WHAT IS THE #1 MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE IN E&O LOSS PREVENTION? .............................. 20 HOW TO CONNECT WITH ANYONE . 22

The answer is “Yes” if: The CSR is a person who sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance.

The CSR receives commission on insurance sales.

If they are handling only Personal Lines P&C, a Limited Subagent license should do the trick.

The CSR handles endorsements and reinstatements.

The CSR gives quotes for insurance.

The CSR completes insurance applications.

The CSR handles renewals.

The CSR answers coverage questions.

So just what can an unlicensed CSR do?

Mostly managerial and clerical tasks only indirectly related to the above tasks. I’m not so sure they can even take payments since that is a vital part of insurance sales.

Check out O.C.G.A. § 33-23-4 in the “Laws & Regs” link at the bottom right corner of www.GAInsurance.org for a more murky explanation.

FYI Express

So what should an unlicensed CSR do?

Page 1

The sponsor is responsible for their actions, a state exam is not required and they can take the required 20 hour pre-licensing course from the comfort of their desks for only $79.00 at www.Georgia-Agents.com.

It gets even better than that!

CSRs may study the 20 hour Limited Subagent course, take an exam and download a Certificate of Achievement for free. It serves as great refresher training on Personal Lines such as auto, home and renter’s insurance.

Continued on page 2 November 2014

More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

In all these years of representing independent agents, I have been increasingly concerned with what is happening to the American Agency system because of commoditization.

Do CSRs have to be licensed?

Continued from page 1 But if the CSR handles lines other than Personal Lines, a full blown agent’s license is required.

In fact, five years ago I wrote an article on that topic for Rough Notes. (see http://www.roughnotes.com/rnmagazine/2010/july2010/2 010_07p032.htm) Amazingly, the situation about the GEICOs of the world has become much worse…at least for our guys.

The Georgia Department of Insurance encourages the insuring public to report any complaints about insurers, agencies and agents.

The first thing checked is whether or not the person in the complaint is properly licensed for that transaction.

I could give you play-byplay of the many attempts the industry has made over these years to get the agency force to realize that they simply cannot compete in the commodity “game”..

Essentially, nothing has happened. Agents still believe that the long-term answer to their survival problem is that they, the independent agency force, will continue to survive on “relationships”.

Here’s the scenario if the CSR is found to be in violation of O.C.G.A. § 33-23-4: Any person who willfully violates this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to punishment as provided in Code Section 17-10-3, relating to punishment for misdemeanors.

Code Section 17-10-3: By a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 or by confinement in the county or other jail, county correctional institution, or such other places as counties may provide for maintenance of county inmates, for a total term not to exceed 12 months, or both.

But they have absolutely no system to build and maintain those relationships.

That applies to the CSR, the agency owner, and the insurance companies who paid commissions to unlicensed entities.

I wonder if they assign adjoining jail cells.

To understand this even better, go to www.agenciesonline.biz Go to “Monday Morning"….and find the two on The McKinsey Report…..Their comparison of independent agencies with the travel agency business ten years ago got everyone’s attention.

www.FYIExpress.com FYI Express

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November 2014

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Check it out at www.FYIExpress.com or www.Georgia-Agents.com

More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

Cap Dat ACORD will be Simply Easier ACORD Forms

Self Service Certificates

We started our ACORD forms products under the name Simply Easier ACORD Forms.

Permanent Certificate Log for Audit

When we added the ability to save the ACORD forms we named that product Cap Dat ACORD for capture data ACORD. Kind of geeky, huh?

We have added many features since then including a mobile app named ACORD ONE. Check out feature highlights below.

We thought all the names were getting confusing. So we are consolidating all products under the original name - Simply Easier ACORD Forms.

The products are not changing. There is no change in ownership of Cap Dat ACORD or ACORD ONE or Simply Easier ACORD Forms.

You will just see the CAP Dat ACORD logo go away and be replaced by the Simply Easier ACORD Forms logo.

Major Features of Simply Easier ACORD Forms DATA INTEGRATION You can map our product to any data base or management system which will allow data integration.

Simply Easier ACORD Forms believes the data belongs to you and your can move it anywhere you wish using our very simply data integration tools.

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E-Signatures and digital signatures can be added to any document inside or outside of our product. Plus we have pre-installed e-signature fields on all our ACORD forms.

Learn More about Simply Easier ACORD Forms ESignatures MOBILE ACORD FORMS We offer the only truly mobile ACORD forms through our mobile ACORD ONE app.

Our full Simply Easier ACORD Forms product is designed to run perfectly on your iPad or Android tablets.

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PUBLISH FORMS TO YOUR WEB SITE Using our Forms Publisher, you can publish any ACORD form on your web site and have the completed form and the data securely stored in your Simply Easier ACORD Learn More about Simply Easier ACORD Forms Data Forms account.

Integration Custom designed forms are something we are glad to do for you.

CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE CENTER Learn More about Published Forms We genuinely appreciate your using our service. We are Bulk issue of thousands of certificates with one click working hard to make it better and better every day. for renewals Duke Williams, CPCU FYI Express Page 4 November 2014

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More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

20 second “Elevator Speech” made easy

Introducing the Complete Zalma Insurance Claims Library Now Available from National Underwriter

I wonder if you know about this.

An "elevator pitch" is a very short answer to the question, "So, what do you do?"

http://www.nationalunderwriter.com/referencebookstore/property-and-casualty/zalma-insuranceclaims-library.html

Here is a simple, sure-fire formula to craft your own Elevator Pitch.

Insurance Claims: A Comprehensive Guide

This simple 3-Part formula is easy and works.

Insurance Claims: A Comprehensive Guide is the one resource that enables insurance professionals, producers, underwriters, attorneys, risk managers, and business owners to successfully handle insurance claims from start to finish—employing proven, practical techniques and best practices every step of the way.

Part 1 is to ask a question beginning with the words "Do you know?" or "You'd be surprised".

This identifies the pain or need that your marketing service addresses.

Agent: "Do you know most folks have no idea what is covered in their insurance policies? Until it’s too late.”

Mold Claims Coverage Guide

Part 2 of the formula is to use the words "What I do" or "What we do" - followed by a description of the service you deliver.

Today, mold claims are common, but they continue to grow in complexity, involving not only property damage but bodily injury as well. Mold-related lawsuits have dramatically increased over the past few years, and the numbers continue to rise. Coverage requirements—and related issues—can be complicated and confusing.

Agent: "What we do is help individuals and businesses gain control of their insurance needs and budget."

This resource will remove the complexity and allow the insurer, insured, property owner or developer

Part 3 of the formula presents a big benefit, by starting with the phrase "so that..."

and their counsel to deal with mold quickly and effectively and, if possible, avoid unnecessary litigation.

"...so that my clients can go back to running their lives, and not worry about the unknown"

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That's just one example,

This insightful and practical two volume resource was envisioned and written by nationally renowned expert Barry Zalma, and it thoroughly explains how to identify construction defects and how to insure, investigate, prosecute, and defend cases that result from construction defect claims.

Go ahead, try it. Use your own words, but follow the format.

PS...Funny, I've never actually used an elevator pitch in an elevator, but everywhere else.:-)

FYI Express

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November 2014

Georgia e gia Geo gia Georgia Georgia Geo gia Georgia Homeowners

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More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com Assuming they move out of the neighborhood, that means that the average customer or family is worth about $35,000 in business over those seven years. So, the next time they complain about a carton of spoiled milk, give them their money back! Is it worth upsetting a customer over a few dollars, when they are worth $35,000? Of course not!

Four in ten senior executives in larger companies don’t know the lifetime value of their customers. That’s according to MarketingChart

Once you know the lifetime value, you must know what to do with it. Here is a five step solution: 1.

Calculate: Determine the lifetime value of the customer. How much the average customer spends each time they buy, how often they buy in a year, and how many years do they buy? This is a bit of a simplification, but a good start.

s who quoted a Forbes and

2.

Communicate: Share this information with employees so they can make better decisions.

Sitecore study that surveyed 312 senior executives in North American companies. Not only did 40% of the leadership surveyed not know the financial value of their customers, over half of them don’t plan to. In other words, they don’t care or see the merit in this important number.

3.

Demonstrate: Give them examples of the kinds of decisions they can make; refunds, exchanges, upgrades, and more.

4.

Recognition: Recognize when employees make good decisions. Encourage them to do more of the same.

5.

Teach: Conversely, if an employee makes a bad decision, help the employee feel good about trying to make the right decision and confident about what to the next time.

This absolutely surprises me. If the leaders of these organizations don’t know, then you can expect that the employees don’t know either. Yet when employees know and have clarity about the lifetime value of the customer, they can make better customer-focused decisions.

6.

Share: Tell the story. Share the good – and even the bad – examples that demonstrate how employees are making decisions based on the lifetime value of the customer. It’s part of their ongoing training. In short, knowing the value of a customer makes sense. Here is a simple guideline: Manage the interactions you have with your customers with the lifetime value in mind, with each and every interaction.

Let’s look at a simple example that most of us can understand. We’ve all gone grocery shopping. Several studies indicate that an average customer of a grocery store spends from $80 to $200 each week. Let’s make this easy. Let’s say that the average customer spends $100 each week. Assuming he or she takes a couple of weeks off for vacation, that’s 50 weeks they buy groceries, which comes out to $5,000 each year. But, it’s even more than that. Because we’re talking about the lifetime value – not the annual value.

In short, knowing the value of a customer makes sense.

Here is a simple guideline: Manage the interactions you have with your customers with the lifetime value in mind, with each and every interaction.

Copyright ©MMXIV, Shep Hyken – www.Hyken.com

The average family moves about every seven years.

FYI Express

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November 2014

"Cajun Christmas" December 1-3, 2014 Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, LA More Information about Aggressive’s “Cajun Christmas” at www.CajunXmas.com Texas & Georgia Agents & CSRs are invited to

12:00 a.m.: Midnight Madness Giveaways

attend "Aggressive's Cajun Christmas" on December 1-3, 2014 at the newly-renovated Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, LA. 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

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

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 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

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

Aggressive Agents

October 2014

More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

Top 10 Reasons Why Agents Sell Their Agencies 6. Partners who hate each other – they fell out of “love” years ago but the situation has become so intolerable to one or more of them that sale is preferable to continuance.

By Al Diamond of Agency Consulting, Inc.

Every month Agency Consulting Group, Inc. has received several calls from well-intended agents asking for our help buying other agencies. If they have agencies now, they have struggled with the question, “How can I acquire agencies?” There are agents that may have attempted to buy one or more agencies unsuccessfully.

Or they may not currently own an agency and can’t figure out how to find and approach an existing agency to offer to buy them. The commonality among all of these potential acquirers is their willingness to take the financial risk of buying an agency, either with their own money or by borrowing money.

5. The finally realize that they can’t manage.

Agencies grow around agents. Unfortunately, many of these agents may be good (or adequate) salespeople, strong (or adequate) technicians, but not particularly good at managing other people. The longer they do it and/or the larger they get the more they hate the managing side of their business until being acquired (or merging) to take them out of managing sounds really good to them.

4. Retirement – Whether by loss of health or or loss of the “heart” for the business, some agents actually want and expect to retire into something else or out of the insurance business.

My first question is always, “Why would an agent want to sell to you??” The answer always is, “I have the money to buy it,” or “I’m willing to get the money to buy the agency”, or “I want to own my own business.”

Notice, that the answers are non-responsive to the question. No one has thought of why a SELLER would want to have that particular buyer take over their agency!

In fact, it is more important in acquiring agencies to concentrate on the reasons agents sell than in the reasons you might want to buy. If you concentrate on these reasons, you will find yourself much more selective in your screening process (and much more successful in your acquisition trail).

2. Some agents actually want to get back to selling! It doesn’t matter whether the agent has been making money or not. At some point in the career, they realize that they are no longer HAPPY. They may be financially sound, but they loved the selling (and the servicing process) and they haven’t done either in years.

An agent who realizes that may be ready to sell the agency or to merge in order to get back to what he loves instead of what he “must” do to make the agency successful.

Here are the “Top 10” reasons that agents might be willing to sell their agencies: 10. They are burned out. This is rarely the only reason an agent sells, but it is a contributing factor along with any number of the following other reasons that an agent might be ready to sell.

9. Lone Ranger Production– These are the agents who have been carrying the production responsibilities of the agency on their own shoulders. They either have incompetent, RIP (Retired In Place) or non-productive producers (or have never had any real producers) and the agents, themselves, are simply tired and know they cannot sustain retention or growth for much longer.

8. Personal Problems – Death of a spouse, divorce, mid-life crisis, empty nest – these are all reasons that an agent’s “oomph” for the business may wain.

7. The agent is too small to be profitable, can’t support his carriers, or has opportunities but needs markets that he can’t get on his own. These agents may be younger than retirement age but need to be acquired or merged in order to progress their careers.

FYI Express

3. Getting their asset value out of the business – You don’t have to retire in order to need or want the asset value an agent has built in his agency. While an agency is never worth a multiple (of anything) as a formulary for value, every agency certainly has a specific value based on hundreds of variables. Some agents realize that they can still work and earn a good living even after they cash out their value to benefit them in some other aspect of their lives.

1. The most prevalent reason for an agent to sell his agency is that he is not making money. Sometimes profitability decreases because costs continue to rise and revenues are diminishing. Agents with older staffs find themselves unable to take the steps necessary to trim staff in accordance with changes in revenue or enhancements of technology. Sometimes it takes an acquirer to do that which the former owner should have done to return the agency to profitability.

If you desire to purchase an agency for any reason, it would be wise for you to concentrate on the reasons that particular agents SELL instead of reasons you want to BUY an agency. Every agency for sale can have 10 or 15 suitors if they look for them.

Continued on page 12

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November 2014

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More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

Top 10 Reasons to Sell Continued from page 10 To the degree that you identify one or more of the “Top 10 List” above in potential acquisition candidates you will stand a much better chance of succeeding in your quest. The more reasons you find in any candidate the better the chance of a successful acquisition. The more reasons in the more important categories (the single-digit Reasons) the more likely and faster the transaction.

But the reason we get so many contacts from potential buyers is that, while they feel they can obtain the needed funding for an acquisition, they don’t know how to find them.

The answer is simple to explain and difficult to execute. Unless an agent simply wants the most money possible for their agency and doesn’t care to whom it is sold, you must create a trust relationship with any agent with whom you desire to create an association. And that relationship involves personal visits and a friendship.

Business brokers will try to advertise for and refer any number of potential associations to a buyer. However, most insurance agents consider the transfer of their business more like transferring a family pet than transferring a building.

FYI Express

When transferring a building, you really don’t care to what use it will evolve – just that it is sold for a fair price.

When transferring a business like an insurance agency, you are transferring relationships with employees and with clients, many of whom have become friends and who you fully expect to see again after the sale (unless you are dying or moving out of the area). Of course there are some agencies in which few relationships exist.

These are the Enterprise Businesses that build a trade because they have the right markets and are located in a convenient location (like a dry cleaner or drug store). As long as those businesses continue to operate as before, they are expected to yield the same results as their history has reflected.

However, when transferring an insurance business whose relationships with clients have evolved from personal trust relationships with the agent or staff, it is critically important to maintain those relationships for the value of the agency to be warranted. The agent is often very concerned that the employees and clients be treated properly because he will still be around to gain their ire if his sale of the agency results in a lesser relationship or service for his client/friends.

Continued on page 14

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November 2014

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More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

Top 10 Reasons to Sell Continued from page 12 For that reason most agents want more than just a fair price (although that is still important). They want to know that they are leaving “their” business in trusted hands and that their clients and staff will be treated well and fairly.

This is the reason that sellers need to be comfortable with a buyer’s history, capability and ability to manage the agency. When you seek the acquisition of an agency, MAKE FRIENDS with the prospects and visit them often to build a relationship. Your agenda is to determine how many and which of the Top Ten reasons affect the agent in question. You want the other agent to be comfortable enough with you that when he feels the need to transfer the agency, he thinks of you first. You may certainly use consultants like us to penetrate an area to find which agents are considering the sale of their business, but it is still your job alone to establish the trust relationship that will make the target agent comfortable dealing with you as a buyer.

Reprinted from The PIPELINE, the national newsletter for agency principals. The PIPELINE is published by Agency Consulting Group, Inc., a leading consulting firm for independent agents in the U.S. for over 30 years. Call 800-779-2430, Email info@agencyconsulting.com, or visit www.agencyconsulting.com for information about the content of this article or PIPELINE subscription information.

The ability to recognize a problem is valuable.

Having the solution to that problem will cement a relationship.

Your Producer Online subscription from The Rough Notes Company, Inc. can help you find solutions to problems in your current customers’ insurance protection and to use that solution-finding-knowledge in soliciting and gaining new customers.

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 Reichart’s created their dream home by remodeling a house they had purchased in Huntington Beach. However, when that home was totally destroyed their insurance company refused to pay for the loss.

Click http://www.roughnotes.com/in_action/v94.10.2014/ to view the October edition of Producer Online IN ACTION to see what the courts decided.

How much is your Small Business Health Care Tax Credit worth?

When you buy health coverage for your employees through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace, you may qualify for a tax credit worth up to 50% of your premium contributions.

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The new Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Calculator helps small employers determine if they’re eligible to buy SHOP coverage for their employees, while the new SHOP Tax Credit Estimator lets small employers learn the size of the tax credit they could get for contributing to coverage for their employees through the SHOP. https://www.healthcare.gov/blog/how-much-is-yoursmall-business-health-care-tax-credit-worth

FYI Express

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November 2014

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More Information about Georgia Insurance Agents Alliance Membership at www.Georgia-Agents.com

Setting your Local Business Apart from the Competition Keeping your local business ahead of the competition can be a make or break tactic, especially in areas where it isn’t economically sustainable to have several of the same businesses. Marketing tactics and practices widely differ when we’re comparing local businesses to franchises and corporations. There are certain things you should keep in mind to help set yourself apart from the local competition.

Hands down the biggest place to start is through local listings like Google or Yelp. We dedicated an article to this a few weeks ago, but we can’t stress the importance of creating continuity with your local listings and claiming them. 80% of consumers use search engines to find local businesses, which immediately puts you at a huge disadvantage if you’re not being populating.

Another key tactic is to know your competition. Don’t be afraid to do some reconnaissance. Assessing successful businesses is an amazing resource for your own development, so isolate what it is that they’re doing that keeps customers coming back – whether it’s the service, the pricing, the atmosphere, etc. Check out their website as well and what kind of social media presence they have, and the client response they’re receiving on them.

These are great ways to network with other businesses and create cross-promotion.

Always be sure that you’re never overlooking the value of your current customer base. We’ve previously discussed just how powerful these existing clients are to the success of your business, but they’re also a fountain of useful information. Creating an incentive for them to fill out a survey can help you figure out what you’re doing that has customers coming back and use this to focus on your strengths.

It’s also important to commit to your brand. It’s easy to lose customers if your vision is too broad or hard to define. For example, don’t offer car oil changes and a moving business under the umbrella of the same company. Creating a targeted, precise product and message takes time and patience, but helps customers see you as an expert in what you offer.

Many business owners ask me to look at every part of their local search presence and show them what's busted and how to fix it. It's what I call a local SEO audit.

After doing enough audits, you see patterns. Here are the top 7 problems I find (and can help fix):

With local competition it’s good to know what they’re offering, but it’s even better to know what they’re not offering. See what their weaknesses are and ways you can step in to offer that solution. Typically, your business isn’t going to be exactly the same as the competition, and there will be differing target markets that you can expound on. Also, sometimes it’s hard as a business owner to look at your own business objectively. It’s much easier to do this with a competitor, which can allow you to see holes in what you’re both offering, or ways they can improve, which you can apply to your business.

Offer a guarantee on your services and product that is stronger than your competition’s such as a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, or a promise that if you don’t offer the lowest price, you’ll match any competitor in the area’s price. Add ‘icing on the cake’ for your customers. There should be something relatively costeffective that you can add as an additional feature for free that can help sway customers in your direction when they’re deciding between you and a competitor.

Problem 1: Lousy title tags. Especially the title tag on the landing page of the site (usually the homepage).

They usually have way too many keywords (more than 2-3), and are written in a way that turns off human visitors (AKA potential customers).

Businesses win huge points with the local community when they’re involved in sponsorships or charitable organizations. By sponsoring a children’s Little League or providing food donations to an event, you’re creating word of mouth buzz, which is a highly effective marketing tool, regardless of the size of your business.

You should also get involved with your city’s Chamber of Commerce or small business association.

Problem 3: Inconsistent business info on citations (local-business directory sites). I'm talking about your name, address, and phone number. Short of having your listing removed by Google, this is the #1 rankingskiller. This is especially a problem on the sites that are a little trickier to manage, like ExpressUpdate.com, CitySearch, even Yelp.

FYI Express

Problem 2: No name / address / phone info on the site. Every page should have the basic business info, resembling the following: Your business name 123 Main St. City, state, ZIP (000) 867-5309 (By the way, here's a post of mine with more detail: http://www.localvisibilitysystem.com/2014/03/10/10guidelines-for-putting-nap-info-on-your-site-for-localseo/)

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Setting your Local Business Apart from the Competition Continued from page 16 Problem 4: No or few reviews from customers (and no plan for getting them).

Problem 5: Not having a page on the site for each specific service offered. This is probably the best way to snag some extra visibility in the organic rankings (the ones for local businesses).

Problem 6: Lean citations. In other words, not having an in-depth description on Yelp, or not bothering to have more than one category on CitySearch, or not specifying "keywords" on SuperPages. You don't want your citations to be "name, rank, serial number."

Problem 7: Over-optimizing the site. Having 10 links on the same page that all read the same, having every link contain your main keyword and your city, having 15 different pages that "target" different cities but are basically clones of each other...you get the idea. If it looks weird to humans, it probably looks weird to search engines.

(Those are only the suggestions that affect local rankings and visibility. I'm not even counting the usability / customer-conversion issues that I often find.)

Anyway, that's just a quick rundown. Go forth and see which screws you can tighten up today.

Phil

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November 2014

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What is the #1 most important objective in E&O loss prevention?

Agents E&O Tips http://www.agentseotips.com/ This is a very good question and one that I am asked on somewhat of a frequent basis. Actually this exact question was asked on a recent webinar I conducted for my good friends at the PIA Western Alliance.

The suggested approach is to document these conversations in the agency file but also with an e-mail / letter back to the client memorializing the conversation.

This puts the responsibility on the client to advise you if their understanding of the conversation is different from yours.

Developing a strong E&O culture is certainly easier said than done. It takes a solid commitment from senior management who “walk the walk” and “talk the talk”. The hiring and development of the “right” staff that know the importance of E&O prevention is also extremely important. Obviously education and knowledge are vital for the agency staff and it is also not a bad idea for the agency to have a strong focus on education of their clientele. Account reviews, newsletters, exposure analysis checklists can all play a very important role in the E&O culture. So when trying to answer the immediate question at hand – what is the #1 most loss important objective in E&O loss prevention, it seems that E&O loss prevention is like a puzzle consisting of a lot of pieces that are basically all tied into each other.

So what’s #1? It really is good documentation…documentation that is prompt, accurate, detailed and professional and is restated back to the customer in some form of written communication.

Attention: Insurance Companies, MGA’s, Premium Finance Companies & Insurance Industry Vendors:

But what is the final piece of the puzzle that will complete it? The issue of documentation. Without a solid commitment to documentation, it is much more likely that should an E&O claim develop, the likelihood that the agency will prevail in that E&O litigation is significantly reduced. The various conversations, whether they be with prospects, current clients, carriers, wholesalers, etc., need to be documented. The documentation standard of 30 years ago was to document the conversation in the agency file. That standard is probably not good enough anymore. There have been so many underlying claims where it was discovered at claim time, that there was a misunderstanding between the respective parties. Without documentation, these scenarios developed into a “he said, she said” contest and the outcome of these are tough to predict.

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How to Connect with Anyone

by John Chapin Before you can sell or influence anyone, you have to make a positive connection so they like and trust you.

Here are some keys to connecting with anyone.

1) When in Rome…

If you’ve ever visited a non-English speaking country, you undoubtedly tried to learn a few words or brought some sort of translation tool with you. Of course you did that so you could communicate and travel most effectively. Perhaps you also did it to show respect. If you didn’t, you were probably viewed as an arrogant American. Also, your trip was probably not as pleasant as it would have been if you at least “tried” to play by their rules.

Think of this example whenever you are communicating with anyone. We all communicate at differing speeds and at differing levels of directness.

Some people are very animated and speak quickly, others speak more slowly and don’t move much. In addition to speed of speech and movement, some people are direct and to-the-point, while others add more words and have a softer style. As a result, you want to match and mirror these two qualities. If they use lots of gestures and speak quickly, do the same. If they speak slowly and are not very animated, slow down and limit your gestures. If they are short, direct, and to-the-point, use few words. If on the other hand, they want to talk and take a softer approach, then match this style. Key points: do not match someone perfectly, they’ll think you’re mocking them, also, you want to remain authentic, so just make subtle adjustments where necessary. You also want to match communication in email and written form. If someone uses names, greetings, etc., do the same. If they put everything they need in the subject line, your response should be short and to-the-point.

2) Listen, give, and make it all about the other person.

I say generally because about 5% of the population will take complete advantage of this. On the other hand, 95% of people are mirrors. In other words, the more you listen, give, and make it about them, the more they’ll be willing to listen, give, and make it about you. This also works when it comes to accepting people and their ideas. The more open and accepting you are of them, the more open and accepting they will be of you.

3) Agree wherever and whenever you can.

People need to be important and their first instinct is to be right whenever possible. That’s why people speed up when you try to pass them on the highway and people rush the gate to be first on the plane. A funny thing happens though when you let other people be right or go first, their second instinct kicks in which is altruism.

This is similar to the mirror effect is #2 above. As soon as you let someone go before you in line, they insist on letting you go first, as soon as you accept their way of doing something, all of a sudden your once preposterous idea, is now worth trying. Your objective here is to be likeable, agreeable, and get along with people as much as possible, and to be happy and accommodating versus being right.

4) Tune into their favorite radio station: WIIFM (What’s in it for me?)

Why should they be interested in what you are talking about? What will they get out of it? When speaking, focus on them and use “you” statements versus “I” statements as much as possible. Try to get behind their eyeballs and ask what this means to them in their world and why they would be motivated to act one way or another. Speaking of motivation and what’s in it for them, verbal accolades, giving gifts, money, and proverbial and literal pats on the back go a long way. On that same note remember, what gets rewarded gets repeated.

5) The best question you can ask…

The best question you can ask your boss: “What one thing can I do, that if I do it at the highest level possible, will be of most value to you and the company?”

Generally speaking, the more you listen, the more you give, and the more you make it about the other person, the more they will like you.

FYI Express

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How to Connect with Anyone Continued from page 22 To a co-worker or a customer: “What can I do to help you do your job or make your job easier?” To your significant other, a close friend, or family member: “What can I do to make your life easier?” Very few people have ever been asked these questions. When you ask these questions and act upon the answers, it will have a profound positive impact on how people view you.

6) Give people what they want.

We all want to be liked, feel important, and believe that we matter. A key to fulfilling all these needs is to treat everyone you meet as if he or she is the most interesting person in the world, because to them they are. Give people your time and respect and take a personal interest in them and what makes them unique.

Always be personable and professional, treat people as equals, and give people an out and a way to save face if they make a mistake.

The more you can see things from their perspective and act in their best interest, the better you’ll connect, the easier and happier your life will be, and the higher your sales numbers will be.

John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer. For his free newsletter, or if you would like him to speak at your next event, go to: www.completeselling.com.

John has over 26 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year: Sales Encyclopedia.

For permission to reprint, e-mail: johnchapin@completeselling.com.

John Chapin 508-243-7359 - 24/7 # 1 Sales Rep w 26+ years experience, Author of the 2010 sales book of the year: SALES ENCYCLOPEDIA The most comprehensive "how-to" guide on selling.

LINKEDIN: once logged in find me under: johnchapin1

At the end of the day it really is all about people and relationships. Roughly 86% of your happiness or sadness will somehow be affected by other people.

FYI Express

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/johnjchapin TWITTER: http://twitter.com/johnjchapin Page 24

November 2014

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Thanksgiving Quiz Puzzle

Clues _________________ The rock where the Pilgrims landed. _________________ The tribe that celebrated with the Pilgrims. _________________ Another name for corn. _________________ The Pilgrims wanted freedom of _____. _________________ The ship on which the Pilgrims sailed. _________________ Meat which the Indians supplied for the first Thanksgiving. _________________ A popular root vegetable that would not have been served at the first Thanksgiving. _________________ Number of days the first Thanksgiving celebration lasted. _________________ A large orange member of the squash family. _________________ The month in which the first Thanksgiving celebration was probably held. _________________ The first Thanksgiving was actually a _____ festival. _________________ Pilgrims loyal to the Church of England, but wanted to reform it. _________________ Pilgrims who wanted to sever all ties to the Church of England. _________________ The first Native American who met the Pilgrims. _________________ The English-speaking Native American who helped the Pilgrims grow crops. _________________ The last name of the colony's governor.

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The Southern Hispanic Insurance Society of Professional Agents (SHISPA) is a nonprofit organization sponsored by Southern Insurance Underwriters, Inc. (SIU). SHISPA is based on three pillars: [1] Hispanic agents willing to learn and grow their business through insuring commercial business, [2] A comprehensive commercial property & casualty educational program conducted in Spanish, and [3] Access to numerous insurance carriers through Southern Insurance Underwriters, Inc. The Hispanic population in the U.S. and specifically in the Southeast has grown tremendously in the past 10 years. As of the last Census, there were over 2.3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States, generating $345 billion in sales. Unfortunately, before SHISPA, there has not been adequate access for Hispanic Insurance Agents to serve this growing segment of commercial insureds.

Many Hispanic insurance agencies have a large book of non-standard personal auto insurance business. Wes Duesenberg, Jr., CEO of SIU, explained, “SHISPA is designed to not only educate the agents, but provide them the tools and resources to grow and diversify their portfolio of commercial insurance. The program is unique as one-on-one reinforcement occurs during the six week training sessions and continues with ongoing Continuing Education.”

SHISPA sessions, led by Rodolfo Vaupel, Assistant Vice President of Hispanic Agency Services, covers: risk exposures, risk management, products, underwriting criteria and regulatory requirements. The agents earn a total of 18 hours of CE credits addressing coverages of Restaurants, Convenience Stores, Commercial Transportation and more. “It is very enjoyable to see almost immediate results in sales increase from agents that were previously not exposed to commercial insurance sales and who are now not only selling this new line of business in their agencies, but also doing it in a way, from the very beginning, with the mentality that they will not be the traditional transactional insurance agent, but the professional risk advisor they need to be for their customers,” stated Mr. Vaupel. Mr. Vaupel has over 25 years of experience in the insurance field and is currently an adjunct instructor of Risk Management at Georgia State University.

One Hispanic Agency Principal that has graduated from the SHISPA program commented: “SHISPA has given my agents the knowledge and the confidence to assist the insured with commercial coverages. Now when an insured seeks coverage, the agents are able to obtain completed applications and qualify the insureds needs almost immediately. An added benefit is the ability to educate the insureds about the coverage they need for their business.”

In the inaugural year, SHISPA has successfully graduated more than 140 individual agents and certified 40 agencies as charter members of SHISPA. To learn more about SHISPA or to contact a SHISPA agent, visit www.shispa.com or call 1844-SHISPA-2.

About Southern Insurance Underwriters, Inc. Southern Insurance Underwriters, Inc. (SIU), based in Alpharetta, Georgia is a Managing General Agency serving independent agents throughout the southeast for fifty years. SIU understands the importance of competitive markets, innovative technology and personalize service. SIU provides access to over 120 markets, spanning: Commercial Property & Casualty, Commercial Transportation, Personal Property, Professional Lines and Standard Lines. With a staff of experienced and reliable underwriters, SIU can quickly turnaround almost any risk ranging from simple to highly complex hazards. ###