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.

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.