e-Insight - May 2023 - Non-Member

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Why Renewals are the Worst Time for Account Rounding

Board of Directors

Executive Committee

Chairman of the Board | Jay Peterson, AFIS, LUTCF (217) 935-6605 | jay@peterson.insurance

President | Kevin Lesch (630) 830-3232 | klesch@arachasgroup.com

President-Elect | Allyson Padilla (618) 393-2195 | allyson@blanksinsurance.com

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

Secretary/Treasurer | Cindy Jackman, CIC, CISR (800) 878-9891 x8745 | cjackman@arlingtonroe.com

IIABA National Director | George Daly (708) 845-3311 | george.daly@thehortongroup.com

Regional Directors

Region 1 | James Sager (618) 322-9891 | james@sagerins.com

Region 2 | Ray Roentz (618) 639-2244 | ray.roentz@hwcrins.com

Region 3 | Christopher Leming (217) 321-3185 | cleming@troxellins.com

Region 4 | Bart Hartauer, CIC (815) 223-1795 | hartauer@hartauer.com

Region 5 | Noele Tatlock (309) 642-6855 | ntatlock@unland.com

Region 6 | Thomas Evans, Jr. (779) 220-6564 | tevans@crumhalsted.com

Region 7 | David Jenk, Esq. (312) 239-2717 | djenk@nwibrokers.com

Region 8 | Charles Hruska (708) 798-5700 | chas@hruskains.com

Region 9 | Lindsey Polzin (630) 513-6600 | lpolzin@presidiogrp.com

Region 10 | Mohammed Ali CS (847) 847-2126 | mali@aliminsurance.com

At-Large Director | Amiri Curry (847) 797-5700 | acurry@assuranceagency.com

At-Large Director | Jeff McMillan (815) 265-4037 | jeff@mcmillanins.com

At-Large Director | Patrick Muldowney (312) 595-7192 | patrick.muldowney@alliant.com

At-Large Director | Luke Sandrock, CIC (815) 772-2793 | lsandrock@2cornerstone.com

Committee Chairs

Budget & Finance | Cindy Jackman, CIC, CISR (800) 878-9891 x8745 | cjackman@arlingtonroe.com

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

Farm Agents Council | Steve Foster (217) 965-4663 | s.foster@ciagonline.com

Government Relations | Dustin Peterson (217) 935-6605 | dustin@peterson.insurance

Planning & Coordination | Nick Gunn, CIC (309) 691-1300 | nickgunn@nixonagency.com

Technology | Brian Ogden (217) 632-2206 | brian@ogdeninsurance.com

Young Agents | Renee Crissie (224) 217-6577 | renee@crissieins.com

Director of Information and Technology Shannon Churchill - (217) 321-3004 - schurchill@iiaofil.org

Director of Education and Agency Resources Brett Gerger, CIC - (217) 321-3006 - bgerger@iiaofil.org

Accounting & Admin Services Tami Hubbell, CIC - (217) 321-3016 - thubbell@iiaofil.org

Director of Human Resources, Board Admin Jennifer Jacobs, SHRM-CP - (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, IOM - (217) 321-3005 - plackman@iiaofil.org

Central/Southern Marketing Representative Lori Mahorney, CISR Elite - (217) 415-7550 - lmahorney@iiaofil.org

Director of Government Relations Evan Manning - (217) 321-3002 - emanning@iiaofil.org

Office Administrator Kristi Osmond, CISR - (217) 321-3007 - kosmond@iiaofil.org

Director of Communications Rachel Romines - (217) 321-3024 - rromines@iiaofil.org

Director of Membership Services Tom Ross, CRIS, CPIA - (217) 321-3003 - tross@iiaofil.org

Products & Services Administrator Janet White, CISR - (217) 321-3010 - jwhite.indep12@insuremail.net

Director of Prof. Liability & Ins. Products Carol Wilson, CPIA - (217) 321-3011 - cwilson.indep12@insuremail.net

Lots of companies make promises about how much your client can save if they switch their business insurance.

Well, here’s our promise – they can save everything.

Every memory. Every detail. Everything they’ve worked hard to build.

Protect what’s important for your client with a policy from an insurance company you can trust.

The worst brings out our best.®

The NFL Carrier Draft

The NFL Draft. Always a time where (as Bear fans, stay out of this Taphorns) we can take a look at our team, reassess, and dream of what will be in the coming months.

The last few years, the draft has occurred during our Federal Legislative Conference. The discussion of what could be often trails into what could have been when I start discussing draft picks with my fellow agents from Illinois as well as agents from other states. I forlorn over the picks the Bears didn’t make that end up becoming prominent stars and instrumental pieces in championship teams, outside of Chicago.

This year we took it one step farther. This year we compared the NFL Draft to the insurance industry (possibly because I needed to write this article) but also because we are insurance geeks and sport and business are always great topics of conversation.

So here it is, if we had a draft of Insurance Carriers, who would you choose and why? What factors would go into the selection of those carriers.

This topic was broached to the agents at the bar, ( I mean table) and this is what was decided.

You need to have your A carriers, B Carriers C and D Carriers.

A Carrier: Always Quoted, first choice and business is always driven towards this carrier, strong base commission, good profit sharing program and relationship is something valued by all parties in the agency

B Carrier: Necessary to have based on industries/niches written, not first choice but always quoted

C Carrier: Developing a relationship, may need it to compete for business in a niche you have, may be regional, or may be a new niche that you are trying to get into.

Finally, we added a D Carrier: this is the company that every agency has, but no one knows why. They don’t get quoted, they never show up…someone should have cancelled the contract but no one ever shows up to ask for production. Often, we hold onto the contract because we know they will help that one client.

No matter what level the carrier, Relationship, Technology, Underwriting, Coverage, Claims and financial sustainability are all attributes that are valued in the carriers the agents look for and they all play an important role in our independent agent ecosystem.

TRUST US TO BE THERE FOR THE LONG HAUL

We’ve been protecting our customers with quality insurance since 1909. And we’re financially strong, earning an “A” (Excellent) rating from AM Best since 1991. We’ll be here when you need us, with coverage you can count on. Trust in Tomorrow.® Contact us today.

By ThreeFlow

EDGE = Excellence, Development, Growth, and Education

We Nailed It!

The IIA of IL Young Agents Committee hosted another successful EDGE Conference on April 13-14 at the Holiday Inn in Bloomington/Normal. This conference is unlike any other in the industry. With the focus on professional development gained through unique programming, it was easy to see why the EDGE Conference is still one of the most highly regarded professional development programs for insurance professionals in the Midwest.

The Young Agents Committee packed a punch with speakers flying in from all over the country! First up was David Carothers. He is not only the principal of a successful agency in Florida but also the owner and founder of a marketing firm, investment group for start-up and struggling agencies, creator of an insurance training solution, podcast host, and creator and producer of the first-ever insurance reality show. Carothers used his expertise to explore the ins and outs of a hard market and why it occurs. He also explained how he uses technology to streamline his processes and workflows. For example, frequently, he uses ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot released last fall. In fact, he used ChatGPT to create questions for the panelists in his second session, a discussion with panelists Cindy Jackman of Arlington/Roe, Chris Knox of The Horton Group, Brian Ogden of Ogden Insurance and Brent Timmerman of The Hanover. And ChatGPT nailed it!

ChatGPT comes with plenty of warnings. It can create wrong or biased information, and users shouldn’t rely solely on ChatGPT. I’ve never used it, but while writing this article, I decided to give it a shot! And…wow.

By Rachel Romines

Here is what I typed into the ChatGPT website:

“Write a paragraph about using ChatGPT in the insurance industry.”

Here is what ChatGPT wrote:

“ChatGPT could be a valuable tool in the insurance industry, as it has the ability to provide quick and accurate responses to customer inquiries. With its natural language processing capabilities, ChatGPT can understand and interpret customer questions and provide relevant information about insurance policies, claims, and other related topics. This can help insurance companies to improve their customer service and enhance the overall customer experience. Additionally, ChatGPT could also be used to streamline insurance underwriting and claims processing by automating certain tasks and improving the efficiency of the process. Overall, incorporating ChatGPT into the insurance industry could lead to improved customer satisfaction, increased efficiency, and a more competitive market.”

Ok, I’m hooked. I had to try one more thing:

What I typed:

“How can I use ChatpGPT in my insurance agency processes?”

ChatGPT:

“There are several ways you can use ChatGPT in your insurance agency processes to improve efficiency and customer service.

Firstly, you can integrate ChatGPT into your website or mobile app to provide a chatbot service that can answer frequently asked questions about insurance policies, claims, and other related topics. This will help customers to quickly find the information they need and reduce the burden on your customer service team.

Secondly, ChatGPT can be used to automate certain tasks in the insurance underwriting and claims processing process. For instance, it can help to verify policy details and assess the validity of claims, which can help to reduce the workload of insurance agents and speed up the process for customers.

Finally, ChatGPT can also be used to provide personalized recommendations to customers based on their individual needs and preferences. For instance, it can help customers to identify the most suitable insurance policies based on their age, occupation, and other factors, which can improve customer satisfaction and retention.

L-R: Cindy Jackman, Chris Knox, David Carothers, Brent Timmerman, and Brian Ogden

Overall, incorporating ChatGPT into your insurance agency processes can help you to provide better customer service, streamline your operations, and stay competitive in the marketplace.”

But… I digress. I could spend all day in ChatGPT. For now, I’ll write the rest of this article…

Special guest, John DeJulio, wrapped up day one of the event with “Sell and Create Desire to Close Quickly!” DeJulio, an international speaker, has given presentations worldwide and helped countless processionals enhance their sales processes to achieve their goals. This unique course showed attendees how to create a lead-generating machine, target the right audience, and so much more!

To end the day, everyone enjoyed Music Bingo – it’s like regular bingo, but better! Everyone enjoyed listening to music from every genre, singing along, and dancing! It was the perfect ending to a day chock-full of learning.

Day two featured two more speakers. Chris Cline, of Agents Council for Technology (ACT), started the day with “Slow Down to Speed Up.” Cline used this concept to explain why it’s important to be nimble and innovative but also act with intent when it comes to aligning strategies to business decisions.

Andrew Bartlett of OotBox Media wrapped up the 2023 EDGE Conference. He discussed effective marketing strategies for insurance agencies and emphasized the importance of understanding your target audience and tailoring your messaging and branding to resonate with them.

We would not be able to hold this event without the generosity of our advertisers, sponsors, and exhibitors.

Thank you to:

AmTrust Insurance

Applied Underwriters

Arlington/Roe & Co.

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies

Bliss McKnight, Inc

Branch Insurance

BriteCo Jewelry & Watch Insurance

Donald Gaddis Company

ePayPolicy

Hippo Insurance

Illinois Mutual

Indiana Farmers Insurance

Insu Serve1 - Insurance Virtual Assistants

IPFS

JM Wilson

Roush Insurance Services, Inc.

STONEMARK, INC. “Premium Finance Group”

WA Schickedanz/Interstate Risk Placement

Does the EDGE Conference need an update? We want your opinion! If you’ve ever attended an EDGE Conference, the Young Agents Committee would like to get your feedback. What do you like about the event? What do you not like?

What would you like to see at the event in 2024? Send me all your thoughts and opinions at rromines@iiaofil.org.

Rachel Romines is the Communications Director and Young Agents Liaison for the IIA of IL.

David Carothers

John DeJulio

Chris Cline

Andrew Bartlett

Thank you to our Associate Members.

Diamond Level

Platinum Level

Progressive

Surplus Line Association of Illinois

Gold Level

Arlington/Roe

Blue Cross/Blue Shield of IL

Keystone Insurance Group, Inc.

Pekin Insurance

Silver Level

Imperial PFS

IMT Insurance

SECURA Insurance

West Bend Mutual Insurance Co.

Bronze Level

A. J. Wayne & Associates

AAA Insurance

AMERISAFE

AmTrust North America

Auto-Owners Insurance Co.

Badger Mutual Insurance Company

Berkley Management Protection

Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Companies

BluSky Restoration Contractors

BriteCo Jewelry & Watch Insurance

Central Illinois Mutual Insurance Company

Chubb

Columbia Insurance Group

Continental Western Group

Cornerstone National Insurance Company

Cowbell Cyber

Donald Gaddis Company, Inc.

Donegal Insurance Group

EMC Insurance

Encova Insurance

Erie Insurance Group

Foremost Choice Property & Casualty

Forreston Mutual Insurance Company

Frankenmuth Insurance

Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company

IA Valuations

Illinois Mine Subsidence Ins. Fund

Illinois Public Risk Fund

Indiana Farmers Insurance

Insurance Program Managers Group

J M Wilson

Liberty Mutual/Safeco Insurance

Madison Mutual Insurance Company

Main Street America Insurance

Maximum Independent Brokerage, LLC

Mercury Insurance Group

Method Workers Comp

Midwest Insurance Company

Nationwide

NHRMA Mutual Workers’ Compensation

Previsor Insurance & Missouri Employers Mutual

PuroClean Disaster Services

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company

ServiceMaster DSI

SERVPRO of Gurnee

Society Insurance

SPRISKA - Specialty Risk of America

Travelers

UFG Insurance

UIG - The Agent Agency

Utica National Insurance Group

W. A. Schickedanz Agency, Inc./Interstate Risk Placement

Western National Insurance

Westfield

Association

College Athlete Advertising Campaign

April marked the end of the IIA of IL’s first campaign with MOGL - a marketplace connecting college athletes with brands everywhere. With help from a grant from Trusted Choice, the IIA of IL created a campaign with athletes to explain the importance of an Independent Insurance Agent.

The MOGL team, with input from IIA of IL staff, reached out to many college athletes, starting with those from Illinois or attending college in Illinois, and then expanded to well-known national schools.

In all, 17 college athletes posted to their social media feeds on the importance of a Trusted Choice Independent Agent. The goal in this campaign was to not only explain the difference between an independent and captive agent, but to also encourage these young athlete’s followers to visit TrustedChoice.com to find a local agent.

Go to https://tinyurl.com/TC-Campaign to view the wrap-up video.

IIA of IL CEO Phil Lackman currently serves as Vice President of Independent Agent Association Executives (IAAE), a group of executives from states under the Big “I” Umbrella.

This month, Phil virtually attended IAAE’s second annual summit, a collaborative effort to improve communication between the states and the Big “I”.

IIA of IL members and association staff attended the Big “I” Federal Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. in late APril. Twenty-four Illinois members and staff attended 13 congressional meetings spread out between two days. We had extremely productive meetings with many members of congress and/or their staff. Staff returned from the event at press time. Here is a sneak peek of some of the photos from the visit to our nation’s Capital. Read the full update on the event in the June issue of Insight.

May 24 8:00 am - 4:00 pm • Virtual Class

This course strengthens your ability to have productive, assured interactions with your commercial customers in the area of commercial casualty exposures and coverages. In this course the focus is the Business Auto Policy, the Workers Compensation Policy and Excess Liability Policies. You will improve your understanding in each of these areas.

Topics: Business Auto Exposures and Coverages, Workers Compensation & Employers Liability Insurance Policy, Commercial Umbrella and Excess Liability Policies

www.iiaofil.org/education

New Members member agency

Fox River Insurance Services, Ltd.

Naperville, IL

The Grady Agency

Mount Sterling, IL

Mitul Patel Insurance Agency

Shaumburg, IL

Southwest Insurance Center

Plainfield, IL

Tower Insurance and Risk Management Services

Lombard, IL

bronze associate member

BriteCo Jewelry & Watch Insurance

Evanston, IL

For information regarding IIA of IL membership or company sponsorship, contact Tom Ross, Director of Membership Services, at (217) 321-3003, tross@iiaofil.org.

Pre-Licensing, CIC, CISR, E&O, Ethics, Flood, Webinars

for the insurance professional by the insurance professional

INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENCIES WANTED

17. We are an Independent family-owned agency located in the Chicago area. We are looking to expand through growth and acquisition. If you have a small to medium sized agency and are looking to sell, call or send us a message. We are strictly looking for Personal Lines and Small Commercial accounts with preferred companies.

GALO Insurance Agency, Inc

(847) 832-0888

steve@galoagency.com

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.

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! We’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 Insurance

(708) 383-9000

www.forestinsured.com/mergers-acquisitions

We Make Hiring Easier +

CareerPlug will provide IIA of IL members access to a free account that can be used to post jobs, manage applicants, and improve the organizations’ employment brand. Association members can also access a “Pro” version of CareerPlug for a special rate to take hiring to the next level. Learn

CareerPlug’s hiring software helps agents attract more qualified candidates, identify the right candidates with confidence, and improve hiring results.

THINK UFG for simple insurance solutions

Simple solutions for complex times® is more than just our tagline at UFG Insurance.

We’ve made it our mission to create simple solutions for doing business with us, which begins with providing trusted insurance protection and service that exceeds expectations.

For a carrier committed to making insurance simple, think UFG.

After all, insurance can be complicated and we all deserve simple solutions in these complex times.

INSURANCE

Simple solutions for complex times

Get 3 Months Free + Free Upgrade:

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Benefits

of the Integrated Plan:

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Auto-sync invocies into your AMS to streamline accounting

Automate your invoice notification process

Allow insureds to set up AutoPay

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Ready to get started? Go to epaypolicy.com to schedule a demo or call a product specialist at 844-372-9300

Our Preferred Payment Processor for Insurance