e-Insight - December 2018 by Big I Illinois

Recruiting new talent. Target marketing. Competing for new business. Perpetuation planning.

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Editor & Advertising - Deann French | Graphic Design - Rachel Romines

the journal of trusted choice independent insurance agents of illinois

December 2018

CONTENTS 11

Blue Wave Hits Illinois By Phil Lackman

How to Avoid Losing Customers to Competitors By John Graham

20 7 Trusted Choice

Top Ways to Use Cash in Your Agency By David Tralka Why You Should Take Rejection Personally By John Chapin

15 e-Insight

In This Issue

23 25 30

9 26 29

IIA of Illinois News Classifieds

22 Young Agents

Regular Features Associate News

Industry Industry News People in the News

INSIGHT

Insight is the official publication of the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (IIA of Illinois). The magazine is published monthly for the members of the IIA of Illinois, with the office located at 4360 Wabash Avenue, Springfield, Illinois 62711-7009; Consumer Website: www.ChooseIndependent.com. The IIA of Illinois welcomes letters discussing concerns of the insurance industry, articles, editorials, other matters of interest to the membership. The editor reserves the right to edit and select submissions for publication. Address submissions for review to dfrench@iiaofil.org.

2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017

info@iiaofil.org | www.iiaofil.org | (800) 628-6436 or (217) 793-6660 | Fax: (217) 793-6744 The Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (IIA of IL) has been providing members with a sustainable competitive advantage since 1899.

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Board of Directors Executive Committee

ABRC

Chairman of the Board | Ryan Hite (309) 688-7316 | ryan.hite@eaglerockins.com

AMTRUST

President | Patrick Muldowney (312) 595-7192 | patrick.muldowney@alliant.com

APPLIED UNDERWRITERS

President-Elect | Bill Wirth (618) 939-6368 | billw@wirthagency.com

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EMC INSURANCE

GRINNELL MUTUAL

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INSURANCE ASSOCIATES OF AMERICA

Regional Directors

IPMG

Region 1 | Lisa Lukens (618) 942-2556 | salibainsurance@gmail.com

IPRF

Region 2 | Joseph Heneghan (618) 639-2244 | joe.heneghan@hwcrins.com

KEYSTONE

Region 3 | Jay Peterson, AFIS, LUTCF (217) 935-6605 | jay@peterson.insurance

THE IMT GROUP

Region 4 | Michael Gonet (815) 339-2411 | mike_gonet@hotmail.com

TRANSCOM GENERAL

Region 5 | Patrick Taphorn, CIC, CSRM (309) 347-2177 | ptaphorn@unland.com

WA SCHICKEDANZ/INTERSTATE RISK PLACEMENT

Region 6 | Teresa Fleming (815) 849-5219 | tess@leffelmanassoc.com

WEST BEND MUTUAL

IIA of Illinois Staff Education Director, CRM Manager Shannon Churchill - (217) 321-3004 - schurchill@iiaofil.org Vice President of Communications Deann French - (217) 321-3022 - dfrench@iiaofil.org Products & Services Administrator Melissa Hilgendorf, RPLU, CIC, CISR - (217) 321-3012 - mhilgendorf.indep12@insuremail.net Accounting & Admin Services, Tradeshow Admin Tami Hubbell - (217) 321-3016 - thubbell@iiaofil.org Director of Human Resources/Board Admin Jennifer Jacobs - (217) 321-3013 - jjacobs@iiaofil.org Sr. Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Mark Kuchar - (217) 321-3015 - mkuchar@iiaofil.org Chief Executive Officer Phil Lackman - (217) 321-3005 - plackman@iiaofil.org

Central/Southern Marketing Representative Lori Mahorney - (217) 415-7550 - lmahorney@iiaofil.org Vice President, Agents Insurance Services Brian McSherry, CIC - (217) 321-3018 - bmcsherry@iiaofil.org Office Administrator Kristi Osmond - (217) 321-3007 - kosmond@iiaofil.org Digital Communications/Web Administrator Rachel Romines - (217) 321-3024 - rromines@iiaofil.org Director of Membership Services Tom Ross, CRIS, CPIA - (217) 321-3003 - tross@iiaofil.org Communications Assistant Tyler Scott - (217) 321-3023 - tscott@iiaofil.org Products & Services Administrator Janet White, CISR - (217) 321-3010 - jwhite.indep12@insuremail.net Sr. Products & Services Administrator Carol Wilson, CPIA - (217) 321-3011 - cwilson.indep12@insuremail.net

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It was Free…and it was Spectacular In April Trusted Choice Illinois Launched a FREE DIGITAL AD CAMPAIGN for its members. Results from the sixmonth campaign are real... and they are spectacular. The Trusted Choice Digital Ad Campaign was designed around three components: email, retargeting and mobile. Here are the results: EMAIL: The email campaign consisted of 100,000 emails per month sent to qualified insurance intenders who had opted in to sharing their email address. The list was updated and scrubbed every 90 days. Entercom built the list by targeting the areas surrounding the agencies of campaign participants. 90% of the roughly 6,400 clicks from the emails went directly to the agency website. The remainder of the clicks went to TrustedChoice.com Email Success Benchmarks Open %: 7-9% Clicks: 0.75%+ TC Numbers Open %: 11.0 -12.61% Clicks: .86 – 1.34% RETARGETING: Those that opened the initial email were retargeted with TC.com ads for another week. (Research shows consumers need to see something 7-12 times before taking action.) As soon as the responder opens the email, Entercom collects that email address and uses data onboarding to follow them across various devices, i.e.. mobile, desktop, tablet - outside specific applications. This is a feature that ENTERCOM built into the campaign that takes it a level above traditional retargeting. december 2018

Retargeting Success Benchmarks Clicks: 0.15% TC numbers Clicks: .76-.84% MOBILE CAMPAIGN: Agent Office Targeting: This is the geo-fencing portion of the campaign. To quote Entercom, “The Trusted Choice mobile numbers are through the roof.” This targeted through mobile devices anyone entering the tight area around the agency. Each participating agency had a virtual fence drawn around their location. Insurance intenders entering this fence receive TC ads delivered through a wide variety of proven popular apps. This type of targeting is designed to facilitate immediate service. According to Entercom, Google considers .16-.30% to be the average engagement for such a campaign. Entercom routinely boasts numbers around .6% Our campaign at 1.02%is the highest number our Entercom team has ever seen! Geo-Farm – Tradeshows: This component was added about midway through our campaign. We asked Entercom to target attendees of popular conferences held around Illinois over the last year. Entercom had captured the longitude and latitude of attendees of these past events and targeted them with TC ads. The list included 10 different conferences. Benchmarks for success: .30% successful .60% very strong TC number: .70% incredibly high

insight

INDUSTRY

Cross-Industry Fraud is Accelerating and Becoming More Costly National Survey of Financial, Insurance, Healthcare, Retail, Communications and Government Fraud Professionals Reveals Growing Interest in Sharing Data and Working Collaboratively Across Industries to Help Reverse the Trend LexisNexis® Risk Solutions has released its fourth annual LexisNexis® Fraud Mitigation Study, which revealed a noticeable increase in the number of organizations encountering fraud committed across multiple industries. For the first time since the study’s inception, there was a five-point jump with 89 percent of fraud professionals now reporting cases of cross-industry fraud (compared to 84 percent in 2017). As a result, fraud mitigation professionals are increasingly interested in teaming together and sharing data to help combat the trend. The fourth-annual study, which surveyed more than 800 fraud mitigation professionals from five industry sectors and government, tracks the prevalence and cost of fraud that is connected to more than one industry. For instance, someone falsifying tax returns may also be falsifying mortgages, automobile insurance claims, health care claims or human services benefit claims. “Cross-industry fraud cases are statistically speaking much more expensive for organizations than fraud that happens due to one isolated event,” said Vikram Dhawan, Senior Director of Product Management for Identity and Fraud at LexisNexis Risk Solutions. “The vast expense from these complex cases in turn raises the cost of services for every consumer. Our study shows that the volume and cost of cross-industry fraud is increasing, so it’s in the best interest of organizations to work together to share information and available data in the interest of prevention. By doing so, fraud can’t be used as a competitive advantage because sooner or later it impacts everybody.” The financial repercussions of cross-industry fraud cases are increasing, the study suggests. Eighty percent of organizations report that these cases had a moderate-tohigh financial toll (up from 78 percent last year), with more than half causing extreme/high financial impact. Some industries suffer worse than others. Fraud mitigation professionals from financial services and insurance organizations see the most cross-industry fraud, with financial services organizations experiencing the highest financial impact (59 percent), compared to 43 percent for the communications industry, which sees the least financial impact. The Fraud Threat from Stolen Identities In addition to gauging cross-industry fraud patterns over time, the Fraud Mitigation Study also looks at general fraud trends, with a focus this year on fraud that results from compromised identities. The 2018 findings showed that identity theft (47percent) continues to be the fraud scheme of greatest concern to fraud mitigation professionals (up 6 points from last year). It also was identified as the type of fraud scheme that most professionals (18 percent) said to have increased for their organizations year over year. december 2018

Identity theft is often facilitated with personally identifiable information obtained in a data breach. The rise of high-profile data breaches in recent years was also a contributing factor to fraud prevalence, many respondents said. In total, 40 percent of organizations said that they experienced an increase in fraud due to these breaches, with 45 percent of financial services and 44 percent of healthcare organizations most often agreeing. As such, the study found that the majority of organizations (62 percent) have taken additional steps to protect their customers from identity fraud in the past year, and roughly half of these organizations have also increased the use of data analytics and verification against a list of known compromised identities. Similarly, organizations are spending more resources trying to prevent suspicious transactions (40 percent) rather than to prioritize safe transactions (25 percent). Other key findings in the 2018 Fraud Mitigation Study include: • Data analytics usage - Over three-quarters of those surveyed are using both external data and analytics solutions in their fraud mitigation programs. Fraud mitigation professionals are primarily using behavioral analytics, continuing the shift away from more rudimentary data analytics methodologies like business rules or ad hoc database searches. • Customer interactions – When asked in which customer interactions are they seeing the most fraud, nearly half said fraudulent claims and refunds (49 percent) were the top incidents, followed by servicing customers (44 percent) and application/underwriting fraud (25 percent). • More transactions move online – When asked if more of their organization’s transactions and services moved online over the past three years, a majority (60 percent) said yes, with healthcare and financial services organizations seeing the most online movement (67 percent each). • Spending priorities – Organizations are targeting investments in several key areas to fight fraud. While these areas vary widely by industry, technological systems are seeing the most investment across industries (24 percent), followed by training (20 percent) and investing in more staff (19 percent). To learn more about the key findings, read the 2018 LexisNexis Fraud Mitigation Study at https://risk.lexisnexis. com/insights-resources/research/2018-fraud-study. LexisNexis® Risk Solutions harnesses the power of data and advanced analytics to provide insights that help businesses and governmental entities reduce risk and improve decisions to benefit people around the globe.

insight

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government

Blue Wave Hits Illinois By Phil Lackman

The “Blue Wave” swept over Chicago and the suburbs leaving in its wake complete Democratic control of Illinois state government and two fewer Republicans in the Illinois congressional delegation. Illinois’ gubernatorial election was the most expensive in United Sates history with Republican Governor and Democratic challenger JB Pritzker combining to raise and spend more than $250 million, most of it their own money. Democrats in Illinois now control all six constitutional offices, expanded their numbers in both legislative chambers with veto proof majorities and now have unfettered control of the redistricting process following the 2020 Census. Governor Billionaire businessman JB Pritzker defeated Governor Rauner by over 14 percentage points. An additional two candidates took close to 7 percent of the vote. Rauner, down consistently in all polls, was never able to overcome a budget impasse he largely created, social issues that angered his base and a national democratic trend. Pritzker ran on a progressive agenda that included a progressive income tax, a public healthcare option, legalization of cannabis and social issues that appealed to a large number of Illinois voters. Statewide Offices Kwame Raoul won by a larger than expected margin over Erika Harold in the Attorney General’s race, Jessie White was reelected to a historic 6th term and Comptroller Mendoza (who since the election has announced she will run for mayor of Chicago) and State Treasurer Frerichs easily won reelection. If Mendoza is successful in her mayoral race Governor Pritzker will appoint her replacement and there will be an election in 2020 to fill the remainder of the term. General Assembly The wave impacted both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly with several suburban republicans seats won by democrats. Senate democrats under the leadership of President Cullerton picked up three seats expending the democratic majority from 37 to 40. Republicans, under the leadership of Bill Brady, will have 19 seats.

december 2018

In the House, Speaker Madigan picked up at least six seats, for a veto proof majority of 73 with one race still outstanding. Like the Senate, most of the gains were in traditionally suburban Republican districts. The 101st General Assembly will convene in January with an unprecedented number of new members due to retirements, runs for another office and defeats. With Pritzker’s election as chief executive and the number of new democratic legislators, expect a noticeable shift to the liberal progressive legislative agenda next year. For independent agents and the insurance industry former NAIFA president and State Farm agent Jeff Keicher-R was successful in the Dekalb based 70th district, independent agent Matt Hunt-D lost to incumbent Margo McDermed-R in Will County and independent agent Mike Babcock-R lost by 258 votes to appointed incumbent Monica Bristow in the metro-east based 111th district. The 101st General Assembly will be sworn in on January 9th, The Governor and Constitutional Officers will be inaugurated on January 14th. Sometime after January 14th Governor Pritzker will announce his key staff and cabinet appointments, including a new Director of Insurance. We look forward to working with all of the newly elected and returning Constitutional officers, members of the General Assembly and their staff on issues impacting agents and the insurance industry. Finally, independent agents lost two good friends in the Illinois congressional delegation. The wave swept out incumbent republicans Peter Roskam, where Sean Casten won in DuPage County and Randy Hultgren, who was defeated by former Obama administration staff member Lauren Underwood in the suburban, exurban 14th. Both races were impacted by the anti-Trump blue wave and changing demographics in the suburbs. Republican Congressman Rodney Davis won narrowly in the central Illinois based 13th district and Mike Bost won in southern Illinois based 12th district. Illinois is expected to lose one, possibly two seats following the 2020 census further reducing the states’ influence in congress. Phil Lackman is CEO of IIA of IL. He can be reached at (217) 321-3005 or plackman@iiaofil.org.

insight

HOW TO

AVOID LOSING CUSTOMERS TO COMPETITORS

By John Graham Many times you hear a salesperson say, “We service the heck out of our customers. They’ll never leave us.” But then a competitor walks away with an account. No one saw it coming or what went wrong. You work hard getting new accounts, take servicing them seriously, and yet they still leave. Why? Think about it this way: you buy a new car-it’s just what you wanted. But after a year or so, you start thinking about the new models. That’s when little things about your current car start bugging you-it doesn’t have this-or-that, there’s a squeak, the technology is outdated. Before you know it, you’re back in the showroom. It’s no different with customers. When competitors come calling, they’re ripe for the picking. All of a sudden, the list of little things that fester over time gets longer. Before you know it, you’re sacked, replaced by a competitor. It’s the accumulation of seemingly minor issues that do the damage and make customers vulnerable. To help avoid it happening, here’s a check-list for keeping customers:

1. BE IRRITATION AWARE.

By themselves little things accumulate in a customer’s mind, tolerated and quietly dormant until something triggers a reaction. “I’ll call you back about that,” but you forgot. “I’ll get on it right now,” but you didn’t. Minor irritations to be sure, but over time, they become a big issue. That’s when the competitor arrives.

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2. MEET DEADLINES.

“Sorry, Susan, would it be OK if I got that to you tomorrow?” although he knew the due date well in advance. If it happens once, that’s understandable. Twice and it’s seen as a pattern.

3. EXHIBIT SELF-CONFIDENCE.

Few things raise red flags faster than those who come across as wishy-washy and unsure of themselves. Surprising as it may seem, it can happen to people who take their work seriously and make a point of being thorough. Even so, their behavior can be interpreted as being doubtful and lacking in confidence.

4. BE A RESOURCE.

Make it a practice to keep your antennae tuned for ideas that may be of interest to customers. Then, pass them along. It’s not only helpful but a way to let them know you’re thinking of them.

5. BECOME A BETTER PRESENTER.

A regional rep for a steel company signed up for a public speaking class. “I’m not good enough on my feet,” he told the instructor. Months later, he received a big promotion and credited what he learned in the class as making the difference.

december 2018

6. GET BETTER ORGANIZED.

Smart salespeople know the value of being well organized. Intuitively, perhaps, they recognize that getting customers what they need fast helps being seen as reliable, someone they can count on.

7. DON’T TALK ABOUT YOURSELF.

Understandably, salespeople want to impress prospects and customers. Sometimes they try too hard; they don’t do themselves any favors by telling stories about themselves. It’s not what customers want to hear.

8. ASK QUESTIONS.

How many times do we need to be reminded that “telling isn’t selling”? Yet, there are times when the urge is so strong, it gets out of control. Just remember, asking questions works better since it gives customers and prospects a chance to do what they know best: to talk about themselves and what they do.

9. BE ATTENTIVE.

Salespeople know the danger of ignoring customers and do everything possible to avoid it from happening. But some customers see it differently. What they notice are subtle changes in attentiveness: “Have we heard from Lurleen lately?” or “When was the last time Carl was in?” A picture begins to take shape. Once it starts, it sticks.

10. BE ON TIME.

Keeping customers waiting is dangerous at any time. Calling or texting you’ll be late doesn’t cut it. Some may think, it lets you off the hook, it doesn’t. Customers, including those who don’t say anything, may feel differently. Being late may be ignored, but it’s not forgotten.

11. RESPOND RAPIDLY.

Those expecting a response have their own perception of “quickly.” Not yours. It seems a bit tough, but a good rule of thumb is 15 minutes to one hour for responding to both phone calls and email. This includes simply letting someone know you received their message and when you will get back to them.

12. ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS.

While optimism is essential if you’re in sales, it’s also useful to be bit pessimistic. It creates doubt, which will help you spot potential problems before disaster strikes. It’s better to be aware of what’s coming so you can correct it, while there’s still time.

13. LISTEN INTENTLY.

We all find ourselves thinking, “What did I just read? I can’t remember a word!” Our eyes were moving across the page, but we were thinking about something else. It’s the same with listening, including sales situations. The customer is talking and we’re thinking about what we will to say next. All it takes to avoid this is to take a few notes, just enough to capture what the customer is saying. Besides getting the message, you will impress customers that you’re focused on them.

14. WRITE SIMPLY.

The goal is to make everything you write as easy to read as possible. To do this, some suggest shooting for a 3rd grade reading level. Don’t laugh. It’s difficult, requiring skill to reach that level of clarity. However, a 5th to 7th grade level works well for capturing and holding attention. You can check your writing (memos, emails, white papers, proposals, etc.) using MS Word. Go to tools > spelling and grammar to see your scores. This article has a Flesch Readability Ease score of 66.8, fairly easy, along with a 6.8 grade level.

15. EXPRESS APPRECIATION.

Letting customers know you appreciate their business goes without saying-they like knowing you care. However, tickets to sporting events, gifts, meals at popular restaurants, or contributions to a customer’s favorite charity are thoughtful but weak substitutes for consistent top performance. That’s what justifies relationships. So, what’s the best strategy for keeping encroaching competitors away from your customers. Simple, see above-1 through 15. John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategy consultant and business writer. He is the creator of “Magnet Marketing,” and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas.” Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com or johnrgraham.com.

Those expecting a response have their own perception of “quickly.” Not yours. It seems a bit tough, but a good rule of thumb is 15 MINUTES TO ONE HOUR FOR RESPONDING TO BOTH PHONE CALLS AND EMAIL. This includes simply letting someone know you received their message and when you will get back to them.

december 2018

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THE FUTURE IS UNPREDICTABLE. OUR SERVICE NEVER IS. At Grinnell Mutual, we’ll be there for your customers when misfortune strikes. They put their trust in you. You can place yours in us. Trust in Tomorrow.® Talk to us today. AUTO | HOME | FARM | BUSINESS

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online journal at www.iiaofil.org/Resources/Insight

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More Than 30 New Laws Highlight Record Year for Fraud-Related Legislation december 2018

insight

Top Ways to Use Cash in Your Agency Learn How to Manage Your Liquidity and Earn Top Returns By David Tralka If your agency is doing well, you’re likely sitting on some cash that you can invest back into your business. But what’s the best way to use this capital? And how do you decide when to use your own funds versus borrowing from a bank? I often tell agency owners the first step is to ascertain whether you are a lender or a borrower. Every agency falls somewhere on a continuum between being a provider and a user of capital. If you’re a provider of capital, you’re making deposits and you have cash on hand. You need to pay attention to how you manage that liquidity. That means understanding the basics of cash management and the relationship you have with your bank: the fees, the return on your deposits, how much flexibility you have in moving money to capture yield. Those returns can add real value and can be used as a tool to improve your profitability. Extra cash can be put to good use by investing in your agency, creating even more value and generating future returns when you decide to sell. Squeezing even incremental returns from your cash flow can pay handsomely. It’s basically “free money” that goes right to your bottom line. Consider, too, the multiplier effect it has on agency value. Let’s assume your agency has a value of six times its cash flow and you’re able to increase your cash yield by $10,000. You’ve actually increased the value of your agency by $60,000 (because of the multiplier). That’s a pretty handsome return! Putting Extra Cash to Good Use That extra cash can also be put to good use by investing in your agency, creating even more value and generating future returns when you decide to sell. I liken it to a home owner who’s received a bonus from her employer. She may be tempted to spend that extra cash on a dream vacation, but the better choice might be to replace the aging furnace in the basement. A new, energy-efficient furnace not only reduces heating bills, but it also adds value to the house. At some point the furnace absolutely will need to be replaced. But if the home owner has already spent her capital, she’ll be forced to borrow-making the purchase of a new furnace even more expensive and possibly tying up funds she may need for other things, such as a new roof or car.

The same can be said for your agency. If you’re doing a good job of managing your capital, you should have additional funds you can free up each month to invest in the equivalent of an energy-efficient furnace. Indeed, infrastructure is one of the smartest investments you can make in your agency and one of the first options to consider if you have additional cash on hand. Like the home owner, you may be tempted to put off spending on new equipment. Sure, the phones work, and you have computers. But how old are they? How efficiently are you running your office? New systems can increase staff productivity, reduce downtime, and improve customer service. Upgrading your equipment and software is essential to growth, and automation can make you more competitive and attractive to a buyer if you are selling your agency. When I speak to owners who want to grow their agencies, they usually tell me their primary goal is to increase revenue. There are several ways to do that, the top ones being adding new producers and improving customer service, followed closely by advertising and referrals. Tapping your extra cash is the perfect way to grow in these areas. Growing Organically I’m a huge proponent of growing organically. Simply put, organic growth is the value you create when you invest in your own agency. Inorganic growth occurs when you purchase another agency or a book of business that someone else has developed. Organic growth is almost always your best bet. It has a better return because you’re not borrowing money and tying up your capital. Organic growth takes time and discipline, but it offers the highest rewards. Although inorganic growth is an attractive strategy when agency values are rising, old-fashioned “sweat equity” still delivers a better return. McKinsey & Company published an interesting analysis last year, The Value Premium of Organic Growth, that bears this out. After looking at the performance of 550 U.S. and European companies over 15 years, McKinsey found that those with more organic growth generated higher shareholder returns than those whose growth relied more heavily on acquisitions. The main reason: Companies don’t have to invest as much up front for organic growth, and the return on capital is lower for inorganic growth. continued...

december 2018

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To use our house analogy again, consider two home owners with identical incomes and nearly identical houses. One has invested in her house each year whereas the other has deferred improvements in favor of a luxury car. Five years go by, and each decides to sell her house. The first one is told by her real estate agent that the home will fetch top dollar and doesn’t need any work to get it ready for market. The second one is told she will need to spend $50,000 in upgrades just to make her house comparable to others in the neighborhood. Which home owner would you rather be? Sometimes making improvements to your house, whether it’s new windows, carpeting, or an updated bathroom, isn’t very exciting. Yet the payoff is much greater than if you didn’t do anything at all. In the agency world, we measure that payoff in increased sales, new business, and profitability. Firms that enjoy high levels of organic growth also tend to have higher percentages of new commissions compared to the prior year, which is sometimes called sales velocity. Of course, commissions are just one measurement. You can also look at new leads, policies written, closing ratios, and retention rates. Whatever you look at, chances are the agency owners who invested in their business are faring better than their peers who did not. Organic growth also means finding ways to reduce costs and create greater efficiencies. Think about what happens when a national company buys a local agency. The first thing it does is start evaluating expenses. The new owner invariably does the things you may have thought about but didn’t have the discipline to do yourself: reduce your staff, limit producer compensation, and invest in a new office management or CRS system. Watching your expenses also frees up more capital that you can use to grow your agency. It allows you to invest in professional development for your team, add a customer service representative, or purchase additional advertising.

When Should I Borrow? To be sure, there are times when even well-run agencies should think about borrowing. Instead of dipping into your working capital, it may make sense to borrow to pay the cost of bringing on a new producer or acquiring new office equipment. Even fast-growing agencies may decide to borrow for some expenses, such as buying a building versus leasing space. Agency perpetuation and mergers and acquisitions are perhaps the greatest reasons why an agency might decide to borrow. As agency principals approach retirement, they begin to consider ways to pass their firm on to the next generation - whether that’s family members, their partners, or an outside buyer. These kinds of succession plans generally involve some type of borrowing. Agencies that are looking to enter new markets may choose to purchase a book of business or another agency. These acquisitions typically involve a loan or some type of buyout. Remember, investing in your agency is a lot like investing in a house. The more you can “do it yourself,” the greater the returns and the more capital you’ll be able to retain to do other things you want, such as eventually retire. Having a plan for how to spend your capital prudently and strategically is the surest way to grow and successfully perpetuate your agency. David Tralka is president and CEO of InsurBanc, a division of Connecticut Community Bank, N.A. He is responsible for keeping the bank focused on being an innovative provider of financial products and services for the independent agency community. An expert on agency mergers and acquisitions, agency perpetuation and financing, he has presented at numerous venues nationwide.

Watching your expenses also frees up more capital that you can use to grow your agency. It allows you to invest in professional development for your team, add a customer service representative, or purchase additional advertising. december 2018

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Why You

Should Take

Sales Rejection Personally By John Chapin All of us have heard, pretty much since week one of our sales careers… don’t take sales rejection personally. You know the mantra: “They’re not rejecting you, they’re rejecting your product or service.” I have to admit, I agreed with that for my entire 31-year sales career until a recent experience changed my mind. About two weeks ago I was calling insurance agencies to let them know about a sales seminar I was doing for one of the local State Insurance Associations. Typically this is a very warm call where I simply state my name, the name of the association I’m doing the seminar for, whith which they usually have a very good working relationship, state who the seminar is for, the ultimate benefit to the target audience, and let them know I’m sending them an e-mail with the details. This takes about 15 seconds. The call is

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a layup because there’s no real sale involved, I’m simply e-mailing information about a seminar that offers a large benefit to the target audience. Every call I’d made in the past, about 1,200 of them, had gone fine, but on this day, one particular call did not. When I finished speaking, the person on the other end of the phone said, “Thanks for the offer, but I’m all set.” This was not a normal response and it threw me off for a second. My brain did a quick scan for possible reasons for the prospect’s answer and the most obvious was, he doesn’t have a need because he doesn’t have any agents (the target audience) working for him. I responded immediately with, “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you didn’t have agents.” He said, “I do. But they know everything.” I was instantly taken aback. In fact, I was downright

december 2018

offended. My intense reaction caught me by surprise because it’s far from typical for me. Any type of rejection usually rolls off my back. I responded with, “You’re kidding, right?” His reply, “Nope, they know everything.” I then launched into a series of questions and statements, breaking about five or six rules of selling. “I have a brand new agent who did $16,000 in commissions his first six weeks in the business. I also have a 73-year-old, 48-year veteran agent, who doubled his income in nine months. I’m the top insurance sales trainer in New England and your people are all set? They know everything? Let me ask you, what do they carry in their hands into a cold call? Where do they park in a client’s parking lot? Are they getting through the gatekeeper to the decision maker in major accounts 95 to 98% of the time?” You know what he came back with, don’t you? Right. “Thanks, I’m all set.” I know, consider the source and ‘win the battle, lose the war.’ This person obviously wasn’t my market because he didn’t believe in training and improvement. For some reason though, none of that seemed to matter to me in the moment. In addition to breaking the five or six rules such as: Rule #1: Agree, and Rule #2: Ask questions versus throw a bunch of stuff on the wall and hope something sticks, I became completely unglued. I didn’t care that I was being combative and argumentative, another broken rule. All I could focus on was: how dare he dismiss me with such a backhanded, brush-off response such as: “I’m all set.” As I regained my composure and debriefed after the call, one thing became crystal clear: I was so sold on my seminar and its ability to help any and all insurance agents, that I took the rejection personally. I also realized that the personal rejection I felt after that call was like rocket fuel. I was now like a man possessed. I was extremely motivated to call as many people as possible. I imagined that many of them would be his competitors who would then use my techniques against him. I also imagined everyone buzzing about how good my seminar was and somehow it would get back to this prospect and he’d realize what he missed. A little crazy maybe, but remember, emotion is not logical. And nothing motivates like the right emotion. The personal rejection I felt was almost the same as if someone told me I wasn’t good enough, or there was something I couldn’t do. Whatever it was, it lit a fire in my belly that carried me for about three days and frankly, whenever I need a little motivation even two weeks later, I think about that call.

The advantages of taking sales rejection personally: Advantage #1: It strengthens your resolve. This is about the motivation that I mentioned above. Think about the things in your life that mean the most to you: family, friends, being a good example for your kids, perhaps your faith, other causes that are important to you, or proving yourself to others. These are all things that you take personally, and they are all things you’re willing to fight for and in many cases probably even die for. This fight and belief is one you want to have about your product or service if you are going to go out and get beat up and rejected. The average salesperson calling on a major account gets rejected 11 times before they get an appointment. If you don’t have a ton of motivation and resolve, how are you going to persist and get through the 11 rejections? Advantage #2: It strengthens your soft underbelly. When I looked more closely at the premise of not taking sales rejection personally, something occurred to me. It seems as though “not taking things personally” is simply a way to protect one’s fragile ego. While it’s true that a healthy ego is important in sales, it’s also important to have a strong ego, in other words, an ego that doesn’t fold like a lawn chair or cheap suitcase when times are tough. As a result, if someone is able to take rejection personally and have the strength of ego to endure the impact of that, it means that they’ll not only have the motivation to face the rejection necessary, but they’ll also be strong enough to thrive in both sales and in life. In short, taking rejection personally will serve to toughen you up. John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer with over 26 years of sales experience. He is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year: Sales Encyclopedia. He can be reached at johnchapin@completeselling.com.

While it’s true that a healthy ego is important in sales, it’s also important to have a strong ego, in other words, an ego that doesn’t fold like a lawn chair or cheap suitcase when times are tough. december 2018

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YOUNG AGENTS

AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

ABOUT THE YOUNG AGENTS The purpose of the IIA of IL Young Agent Network is to encourage younger professionals, and those new to the business, to become engaged in and aware of all aspects of the insurance industry. The YA network fosters talent, promotes education and provides opportunities for growth to future industry leaders.

Help us cultivate future industry leaders.

WHAT

A YA Ambassador is an IIA of IL Associate Member who, by virtue of their position, is visiting the offices of member agents and regular attendees of IIA of IL events. The Ambassador Program is designed to encourage younger insurance professionals to utilize the resources of the IIA of IL YA Network.

WHY

Company Representatives have access to agents and know where to find the next industry leaders. As an Ambassador you will help young agents connect with IIA of IL and the Young Agents Network.

BE AN AMBASSADOR 26

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www.ILYoungAgents.com

HOW

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple! You are doing most of the work already. When you visit an agency and meet a young professional, let them know the value of Young Agents Network. You will be provided with materials to share with prospects. Then forward their contact information and they will be added to the network. december 2018

ASSOCIATE NEWS

Thank you to our Associate Members.

Diamond Level Members

Platinum Level Progressive Nat Gen Premier

Gold Level AAA Insurance Agent/Broker Review Company Arlington/Roe Blue Cross/Blue Shield of IL

Silver Level Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company Imperial PFS Nationwide

Surplus Line Association of Illinois The IMT Group West Bend Mutual Insurance Co.

Bronze Level A.J. Wayne & Associates AMERISAFE Aon Programs Atlantic Specialty Lines Auto-Owners Insurance Co. Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Companies Burns & Wilcox, Ltd. Chicagoland Carstar Columbia Insurance Group Continental Western Group Donald Gaddis Company, Inc. Donegal Insurance Group Echelon Property & Casualty Insurance Co. Encompass Insurance Erie Insurance Group Foremost Insurance Group Forreston Mutual Insurance Company Grange Insurance Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund Illinois Public Risk Fund Indiana Farmers Insurance Interstate Risk Placement IPMG J. C. Restoration J M Wilson Kemper december 2018

Keystone Insurers Group, Inc. KPA, LLC dba Succeed/KPA Liberty Mutual Madison Mutual Insurance Company MarshBerry Maximum Ind. Brokerage, LLC Mercury Insurance Company of IL MetLife Auto & Home Midwest Insurance Company Motorists Insurance Group Nationwide NHRMA Mutual Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Compensation ProAg Management Inc. PuroClean Rockford Mutual Insurance Co. Safeco Insurance ServiceMaster DSI Society Insurance Specialty Risk of America Transcom General Agency Travelers United Fire Group Utica National Insurance Group W.A. Schickedanz Agency, Inc. Western National Insurance Westfield Insurance Company insight

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IIA OF ILLINOIS NEWS Education Classes december

CIC - Ruble Seminar Elk Grove Village

New Members january

23 31

CIC - Agency Management Rolling Meadows Farm Agents Council Mid-Winter Meeting Springfield

february

20 26 27

CIC - Commercial Casualty Rolling Meadows CISR - Commercial Casualty 1 Rolling Meadows CISR - Personal Auto Springfield

member agency Eclipse Insurance Agency, LLC DuQuoin, IL J Squared Insurance, LLC Wheaton, IL Kishwaukee Valley Insurance Agency, Inc. Woodstock, IL Rali, Inc. Park Ridge, IL Russell R. Dixon, Inc. Wheaton, IL For information regarding IIA of Illinois membership or company sponsorship, contact Tom Ross, Director of Membership Services, at (217) 321-3003, tross@iiaofil.org.

december 2018

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industry news

GO Bop Launches Positive Change for Small Businesses, Agents Writing GuideOne Insurance

IBHS Introduces OFB-EZ Spanish Edition to Help Hispanic-Owned Businesses Prepare for Disasters

GuideOne Insurance launched an online quoting portal speeding agent business in a growing insurance segment. GO BOP, GuideOne’s Business Owners Policy portal, delivers instant quotes and binds business in eight small business categories in as little as 10 minutes.

Many small businesses are unprepared to respond to a weather disaster like a blizzard, or other business disruptions such as a structure fire or long-term power outage.

GuideOne now writes business owners policies for churches, contractors, distributors, offices, real estate, restaurants, retail and service businesses. Optional coverage for cyber is available and includes cyber exposures like identity recovery, data breach, computer attacks and extortion in one form. Agents will know a client’s eligibility within fewer than 15 questions on two screens thanks to GO BOP’s third-party integrations that pre-fill data and support underwriting decision-making. GO BOP launched in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and West Virginia, expanding nationally in 2019 to diversify GuideOne’s portfolio and increase market share. The 70+-year-old insurer was founded with a commitment to social responsibility and says the focus on Main Street businesses is the next step in transforming the GuideOne brand.

Statistics show one in four businesses that close due to a disaster will never reopen. Developing a business continuity plan should be a high priority for all small businesses across Illinois so they can survive and quickly recover from costly interruptions, which can exceed $3,000 per day of disruption. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IHBS) provides key guidance for small businesses to prepare for any type of disruption with its widely acclaimed OFBEZ (Open for Business-EZ) business continuity toolkit. The demand for this free, eight-module risk management program has expanded to the surging Hispanic business marketplace, prompting IBHS to create a Spanish edition of the OFB-EZ toolkit. In conjunction with the rollout of the OFB-EZ Spanish edition, IBHS has also introduced new guidance for tracking essential business equipment during a disaster. Know Your Equipment provides a path for small business owners to highlight equipment essential to staying open before, during and after a disaster. This OFB-EZ module is available in English and Spanish. Learn more about IBHS at disastersafety.org.

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december 2018

Hand in hand with the workplace, there is OSHA. For decades, OSHA has required employers to track any instance of work-related injury or illness in an OSHA log. Now they have taken things one step further by requiring employers to electronically submit injury data for review each year. You likely remember this rule first went into effect July 1, 2018, and hopefully you made your clients aware or helped them comply. Now it’s important to let clients know that for 2019 and all years moving forward, the deadline will be March 2.

What data must be submitted? The data required to be submitted depends on establishment size. For the March 2, 2019 deadline, data for each establishment should come from that establishment’s completed 2018 OSHA 300A form. How does electronic submission work? You can visit the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) on the OSHA website. This secure site allows you to electronically submit your OSHA recordkeeping information one of two ways. You can upload a CSV file containing your OSHA Form 300A data for all establishments. Or, you can create profiles for each establishment and then enter and submit OSHA 300A data for each one.

To comply with the OSHA electronic recordkeeping rule, employers must submit their records electronically via CSV or manually - and can be held to substantial fines or imprisonment for failing to or fraudulently doing so. This blog will overview the important points to keep in mind regarding this requirement as the March 2 deadline approaches. Who must comply? To help define the new electronic reporting requirements, OSHA has based them on size of an establishment. You must determine the establishment’s peak employment during the last calendar year to determine what required data to provide OSHA for each establishment. To help clients establish their employee count, simply count each full-time, parttime, seasonal, and temporary worker as one person. Establishments with: • 250+ employees are required to keep OSHA injury and illness records and electronically submit information from the OSHA form 300A. • 20-249 employees classified in industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses are required to keep OSHA injury and illness records and electronically submit information from the OSHA Form 300A. • Less than 20 employees are required to keep OSHA injury and illness records do not have to submit information electronically to OSHA under this rule.

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december 2018

W. A. Schickedanz Agency, Inc.

Interstate Risk Placement, Inc.

300 West Main Street PO Box 445 Belleville, IL 62222

7320 N. Villa Lake Dr PO Box 3765 Peoria, IL 61612

Phone: (618)233-0644 Fax: (618)233-0672

Phone: (309)692-8544 Fax: (309)693-0402

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industry news

What Your Clients Need to Know About the March 2 OSHA Deadline

Coverages You Need . . . from a Name You Can Trust! Protecting Your Clients’ Many Interests . . .

Berkshire Hathaway

GUARD

Insurance Companies

Nationwide operations • A+ A.M. Best Rating We have agency appointments available. Go to www.guard.com/apply! Workers’ Compensation • Businessowner’s Policy (Property and Liability) • Commercial Auto* • Commercial Umbrella/Excess • Professional Liability* • Homeowners and Personal Umbrella* • Disability* • and More (*Select States)

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december 2018

Melissa Hilgendorf, CIC, CISR, IIA of IL Products & Services Administrator, has been awarded the insurance designation of Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) by the Professional Liability Underwriting Society(PLUS). The Society is a nonprofit organization with membership open to persons interested in the promotion and development of the professional liability industry. The RPLU designation is conferred by the Society on persons who complete the necessary parts of study in the program and meet the PLUS experience and ethics requirements.

Central Insurance Elects CMO, COO The Central Insurance Companies have announced the election of Evan Purmort, CPCU, AU, AIAF to Chief Marketing Officer effective August 1, 2018 and Cindy Hurless, AIS, AINS to Chief Operating Officer effective October 8, 2018. As Chief Marketing Officer, Purmort is responsible for the company’s regional operations, communications, distribution, and industry relationships. He previously held the position of Vice President – Northeast Regional Office Manager. Purmort joined Central in 2003 during high school in the Mail and Supply department in Central’s Home Office. After graduating from Miami University of Ohio in 2008, he became a Commercial Lines Technician in the Southeast Region. He was promoted to Commercial Lines Underwriter before transferring to the Southwest Region in 2011 as the Marketing Manager for Arizona. He was promoted to the Southwest Management Team in 2012 as a Commercial Lines Supervisor and was then promoted to the position of Personal Lines Manager in 2014. He has earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associates in Claims (AIC), and Associates in Insurance Accounting and Finance (AIAF) designations.

In Memoriam

Jeffrey A. Thompson, age 62, passed away from natural causes on Saturday, October 20, 2018. He was born on November 11, 1955, the son of Arthur and Marilyn (Smith) Thompson. He is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Nancy, his children, Mary Thompson (Zak Kassing) of Chicago and John (Molly) Thompson of New Orleans, as well as Marilyn (his mother), siblings Marianne (Joe) Haake and David (Carla) Thompson, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded by his father, Arthur Thompson, and his brother, Chris Thompson. Thompson was a graduate of St. Paul the Apostle Grade School, Joliet Catholic High School, Bradley University, and obtained his MBA from Loyola University. He worked for Aetna Casualty & Surety in Chicago for seven years in their Bond and Commercial Underwriting Departments and then joined an agency in Naperville. After eleven years of specializing in commercial insurance and bonds, Thompson bought the Cornolo Agency in Lockport. In 2005 he moved the agency to Joliet and formed Northern Insurance Service, Ltd. This agency is now part of a network of agencies located in the Chicagoland Area. Thompson was a lifelong resident of Joliet, and an active member of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce, Exchange Club, and served on the board at Joliet Catholic Academy. He demonstrated a strong commitment to his community and worked hard to help those around him. The staff and Board of the IIA of IL extend their sincere condolences to the family and friends of Jeff Thompson.

In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Hurless’ responsibilities will include oversight of the company’s Services, Claims, Underwriting, and Loss Control operations. Hurless earned her BA in Business Administration from Hope College. She joined Central in 2002 as Manager of the Mail/Supply and Commercial Lines Services departments, and was promoted to Vice President of Customer Services in 2004. She has earned the Associates in Insurance Services (AIS) and Associates in General Insurance (AINS) designations. She serves as a member of the IIABA’s Agents Council on Technology, Van Wert City Schools Board of Education, VWAPF Board, and YWCA Board. The Central Mutual Insurance Company was founded in Van Wert, Ohio in 1876 and has evolved into the Central Insurance Companies, a successful property and casualty group providing insurance for more than 350,000 automobiles, homes, and businesses in 23 states. Central is based in Van Wert and operates regional offices in Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, and Van Wert. The Central group of companies has combined assets of over $1.6 billion. Central’s A.M. Best rating is A (Excellent).

december 2018

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people in the news

Hilgendorf Earns RPLU Designation

CLASSIFIEDS

for the insurance professional by the insurance professional

OPPORTUNITIES/SPACE AVAILABLE/RETAIN OWNERSHIP

13. We are a 100 year old Northbrook agency looking to discuss any mutually beneficial opportunity. Our producers, mergers, clusters and agency purchases receive 50% commissions on new and renewal business without any expenses. We can provide: office space, phones, agency management system, service renewals and changes. The companies we represent are: Badger Mutual, Employers Mutual, General Casualty, Guide One, Hartford, Kemper, Progressive, Rockford Mutual, Safeco, State Auto, Travelers and Met Life. Contact:

Nancy Solomon Martini, Miller & Schloss, Inc. (847) 291-1313 Ron@martini-miller.com

AGENCY WANTED.

20. Since 2004, Central Illinois Agents Group LLC has been providing independent agents with a variety of markets with contingency opportunities. Agents have availability to several markets that they may not be able to sustain or maintain on their own. We have markets for personal, commercial, agricultural and crop insurance lines. Let us help you get to the next level.

Visit www.ciagonline.com for contact information.

SHARED SPACE FOR RENT

99. 6400 SF office located at 127 N. Walnut St., Itasca, has availability for startups, insurance agents, salespeople, consultants, professionals, etc.; who are in need of class A space without the cost. Monthly fees range from $375 and include: Receptionist/Clerical, internet, conference rooms, kitchen, classroom/break room. Printing and clerical services are also available. Short term or long-term rentals are available. Wed are in downtown Itasca across from the Metra station. Close to expressways. For information contact:

Dino Gavanes 630-779-0566 or dino_gavanes@advisersinc.com

AGENCY/AGENTS/PRODUCERS WANTED.

02. Forest Park/Oak Park agency for over 60 years, will meet your needs by providing space, markets, marketing & sales support, automation, merging with or purchasing your agency. Perpetuation/ Succession Plans, BuySell Agreements also available. We have experienced, educated and dedicated staff for you and your clients. Have access to our numerous companies, office services and many other resources. Retain ownership in your book with contingency. Please look closely at us- we are an agency you want to do business with! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done it before, we know how- we make it easy! Visit our website at forestagency.com/agents.html, or call for a confidential discussion and a list of Agency benefits. Dan Browne will provide an agency evaluation/appraisal at little cost to you. Please call:

Dan Browne or Cathy Hall Forest Agency (708) 383-9000 dbrowne@forestagency.com

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december 2018

Expect big things in workers’ compensation. Most classes approved, nationwide. It pays to get a quote from Applied.® For information call (877) 234-4450 or visit auw.com/us. Follow us at bigdoghq.com.