Oregon Agent Spring 2017 by PHCC-WI

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OREGON

Agent

CONTENTS

Spring 2017

Page 18

Page 16 IIABO Office 6 Centerpointe Drive, #430 Lake Oswego, OR 97035 Phone: 503-274-4000 Fax: 503-274-0062 Toll Free: 866-774-4226

Page 12

IIABO Staff Directory Executive Vice President Jim Perucca jimp@insureoregon.org

Vice President Education & Finance Tyra Dressel tyra@insureoregon.org Asst. Vice President Agency Products & Services Abby Kahl abbyk@insureoregon.org IIABO Lobbyist Roger Beyer roger@rwbeyer.com

The Oregon Agent is a publication of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Oregon and is published quarterly by Blue Water Publishers, LLC. IIABO reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject advertising that does not meet IIABO qualiﬁcations or which may detract from its business, professional or ethical standards. IIABO and Blue Water Publishers, LLC do not necessarily endorse any of the companies advertising in the publication or the views of its writers. The publisher cannot assume responsibility for claims made by advertisers, content provided by the editor, or for the opinions expressed by contributing authors.

For more information on advertising, contact : Eric Johnson Blue Water Publishers, LLC phone: 414.708.2059 fax: 414.354.5317 eric@bluewaterpublishers.com

The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

Letter from the President, Kay Hunkapillar

10 IIABO Leadership – 2016-2017 12 Agency E&O Considerations When Using Social Media 16 The One Key Factor that Leads to Sales Success or Failure 18 Procedures and Why They Really Matter 22 Is the Future Positive for Small Traditional Agencies? 26 Conquering the Biggest Enemy of the Salesperson 28 Oprah, Arnold, and Peyton Open a Competing Agency in Your Town

ADVERTISER INDEX

Sr. Vice President Marketing & Communications Barb Demings barbd@insureoregon.org

AmTrust North America Anderson and Murison Berkshire Hathaway Guard Burns & Wilcox Contractor Connection EMC Insurance Grange Insurance Association Griffin Underwriting Services

25 24 29 9 31 3 5 2

Imperial PFS Insurance Agency Network Liberty Mutual Mutual of Enumclaw Preferred Property Program RT Specialty Ron Rothert Ins Services Western National Insurance

30 21 32 19 14 27 17 7

FROM THE IIABO PRESIDENT

Kay Hunkapillar

President, Wheatland Ins. Ctr., Inc.

On May 4, 2017, the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) will host their annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. During this event, over 1,400 agents from across the country will converge for a “Day on the Hill.” All 50 states and the District of Columbia will be represented and will be scheduling visits with their respective legislators. The IIABA is a powerful lobby for independent insurance agents, and the Legislative Conference allows us to display the depth of our grass roots. Agents begin the day with a breakfast briefing and insights from a variety of legislators, both Republican and Democrat. Over the years, the breakfast audience has heard from Presidents Clinton and Bush, and key leaders such as former Speaker of the House John Boehner. You don’t attract this caliber of speaker unless your organization is recognized as a major influence in Congress. Up on the Hill, we tell our legislators about the importance of state regulation, and how state regulation kept insurance companies solvent during the financial meltdown of 2008. We will also talk about the role of the agent in the distribution of crop insurance and how the flood insurance program needs further reform. We will also thank our legislators for extending TRIA and passing the national licensing law.

and expert. The purchase of even the most basic policy is complicated and requires the services of a trusted advisor. Putting a “face” on our business and educating legislators and staff is one of the most important things the IIABO does for its membership. This year Oregon will be represented by our National Director, Ed Davis (Salem), IIABO President-Elect Brett Slater, First Vice President Steve Smelley, board member John Timm, Past President Trisha Fulwiler, Executive Director Jim Perucca and myself. We also need to pay attention to the legislative work done in Salem. Our lobbyist is Roger Beyer and our political action committee is OIPAC. OIPAC SUPPORTS THOSE CANDIDATES WHO ARE WILLING TO LISTEN TO THE NEEDS OF INDEPENDENT AGENTS – BOTH AS AGENTS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A SMALL MONTHLY CONTRIBUTION OF OIPAC. Go to www.iiabo.org and under the “Advocacy” tab click on OIPAC. You will find easy to follow steps to make a contribution – either one time or monthly. If you would like to learn more about our efforts in DC, OIPAC, or to get involved in the IIABO, give me a call. I’d love the opportunity to hear from you. Kay Hunkapillar President IIABO Wheatland Insurance Center, Inc.

The IIABO will constantly remind legislators of the important role the independent agent serves as advisor, advocate

Your association staff: Executive VP

Jim Perucca

503-274-0583

Sr. Vice President

Barb Demings

503-274-4000 ext. 126 barbd@insureoregon.org

Vice President

Tyra Dressel

503-274-4000 ext. 131 tyra@insureoregon.org

Asst. Vice President

Abby Kahl

503-274-4000 ext. 123 abbyk@insureoregon.org

Toll Free Numbers:

The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

1-866-77-IIABO or 1-866-774-4226

jimp@insureoregon.org

WHY Walk

when you can soar?

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Contact Abby Kahl, Assistant VP Agency Products & Services Phone: (503) 274-4000 ext 123 Toll Free: (866) 774-4226 Email: Abbyk@insureoregon.org Insurance products underwri en by Westport Insurance Corpora on, Overland Park, Kansas. Westport is a member of Swiss Re Corporate Solu ons and is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

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2016 - 2017 IIABO LEADERSHIP The IIABO Board of Directors is a diverse group of insurance professionals representing the varied interests of agents throughout the State of Oregon.Â We would like you to learn more about these volunteer leaders and the years of experience they bring to the association.

Kay Hunkapillar President, IIABO President, Wheatland Ins. Ctr., Inc. Pendleton, Oregon - 46 years

Brett Slater President Elect, IIABO Chief Operating Officer, Slater & Assoc. Insurance, Inc. Tualatin, Oregon - 26 years

Steve Smelley Vice President, IIABO Chief Operations Officer, PayneWest Insurance Beaverton, Oregon - 25 years

Trish Fulwiler Past President, IIABO President, J.D. Fulwiler & Co. Portland, Oregon - 24 years

TJ Sullivan Legislative Chair, IIABO Huggins Insurance Services Salem, Oregon - 18 years

Keith Blackerby Finance Chair, IIABO Chief Operating Officer, Bisnett Insurance Offices throughout Oregon - 28 years

Ed Davis National Director, IIABO Maps Insurance Services Salem, Oregon - 49 years

Lyndsay Kooistra Young Agents Chair, IIABO LaPorte Insurance Portland, Oregon - 14 years

Mark Atkinson Board Member President, Atkinson Insurance Group Portland, Oregon - 25 years

The Oregon Agent â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2017

Debbie Flores Board Member KPD Insurance, Inc. Springfield, OR - 29 years

Gary Githens Board Member Data Breach Specialist Brown & Brown NW Bend/Portland, Oregon - 35 years

Greg Horner Board Member Commercial Lines Producer, Insurance Partners, LLC Portland, Oregon - 20 years

Joe Hubbard Board Member Managing Partner, The Protectors Insurance Medford, Oregon - 31 years

Marty Kantola Board Member Owner, Chet Hill Insurance Portland, Oregon - 30 years

Debbie Krambeal Board Member President, CAL/OR Insurance Specialists, Inc. Brookings, Oregon - 32 years

Matthew Pidcock Board Member Co-Owner, Valley Insurance LaGrande, Oregon - 17 years

John Timm Board Member President, Timmco Insurance, Inc. Portland, Oregon - 39 years

Brian Wilbur Board Member Owner, Pacific Insurance Partners Forest Grove, Oregon - 21 years

Insurance carriers and service providers do not serve on the IIABO board of directors, but support the association as Associate Members, Sponsors and Exhibitors. If you want to learn more about the IIABO, or if you would like to get involved, please contact any of these individuals. If you are not a member, please email Jim Perucca, jimp@insureoregon.org for information on membership.

Spring 2017 • The Oregon Agent

Agency

E&O CONSIDERATIONS When Using SOCIAL MEDIA By Sabrena Sally, CPCU

ot a day goes by without my email containing an invitation to join a social networking site. Whether used for business contacts, maintaining contact with friends and family, or to reconnect with acquaintances from years past, the use of social networking sites is rapidly increasing. According to one internet research firm, 2008 saw the use of social networking sites overtake email by Internet users across the world. Much discussion has taken place on how to best harness the power of social networking for the benefit of your insurance agency. ACT and other organizations have written extensively on the power of social media to enhance agency online marketing and to generate “virtual” referrals. The focus of this article, however, is to examine the risks that agencies need to take into account when they take advantage of these opportunities to broaden their reach. I will examine the more common errors and omissions risks that can be associated with the use of social networking, along with steps you can take to mitigate those risks. If you are not familiar with social networking sites, here is a brief discussion of the most common functionalities. This is by no means all-inclusive, as the technology changes daily. Most sites offer the ability to create a homepage 12

The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

following a template provided by the site. Depending on the site being accessed, the profile template may be limited to key information you wish to be known about your agency along with an uploaded photo, or it can be as robust as a site containing multiple photos, videos, and links to other sections of the site (as well as to other sites) containing additional content you have created and posted. Users of the site typically invite other users to join their community, and the invitee is free to accept or decline. Most sites also offer blogs, chat rooms, forums, and search capabilities to help locate other users based on your chosen search filters.

RULES OF THE SITE

Posted privacy statements and user agreements are standard on social networking sites, and most also include a list of “do’s and don’ts” to follow when using the site. Although containing lengthy legal terminology, it is in your best interest to fully read a site’s user agreements and privacy statements before agreeing to the terms of usage. User agreements tend to be very broad in favor of the site owner, commonly giving the rights to the site to use all content posted by users, and retaining the right to remove, discard or withhold user posted information at any time. User agreements usually state that the site assumes no responsibility to monitor disputes between users, and contain hold harmless/indemnification agreements in favor of the site for damages suffered by the site as a result of content posted by a user or as a result of any actions of the user while using or misusing the site. Now, let’s assume you have read the user agreements, privacy statements, and “do’s and don’ts” of a site you have chosen to use. You are ready to sign up. But wait! Don’t hit that submit button too quickly. Instead, take some time to consider what type of errors

and omissions exposures your agency may face by using the site.

OVERVIEW OF E&O EXPOSURES

The exposures can range from advertising, contractual liability, defamation, offering erroneous recommendations, and may even extend to antitrust issues. These are not new exposures to your agency, but the nature of social networking sites does impact errors and omissions exposures in several ways. Information entered on social networking sites is able to achieve instantaneous worldwide distribution in a matter of seconds. An electronic record is also created which can survive indefinitely. In addition, discussions taking place on these sites tend to be more casual and take place more quickly then even email communication, making it easier for a statement to be taken out of context. Let’s drill down to the most common errors and omissions exposures faced by agencies using social media.

CONTRACTUAL LIABILITY

The user agreement on the site most likely contains a requirement that you hold harmless and indemnify the site. The agreement at one popular site is quite broad, stating: “....you shall indemnify and hold us harmless from any damages, losses and costs related to third party claims, charges or investigations, caused by your failure to comply with this agreement, including without limitation your submission of content that violates third party rights or applicable laws, caused by any content you submit to us, or caused by any activity in which you engage through the site.” That provision in itself is amazingly broad, but it becomes even more so when you look at the definition of the site agreement. The site agreement

in this particular case states that you must comply with all applicable laws, the “Do’s and Don’ts” posted on the site, the notice and takedown procedures of the site, the site privacy policy, and any other notices of the site. Loss Control Tip: • Read the user agreement, privacy statement, and “do’s and don’ts” thoroughly. Consult with your legal counsel if needed to be sure you have a full understanding of the liabilities to which your agency is agreeing.

ADVERTISING LIABILITY

You most likely will create some type of agency home page, so let’s look next at advertising exposures. The insurance regulations in several states specifically mention Internet advertising. For example, this excerpt from NY L Circular: Letter No. 5 (2001) is both specific to Internet advertising and broad in scope: “Advertisements that appear on the Internet are subject to all applicable existing statutory and regulatory guidelines and restrictions applicable to advertisements in any other medium.” It is clear that the same level of care should be given to agency advertising on social networking sites as is given to the agency’s traditional advertising. Where the line can easily be blurred, however, is when an individual agency owner or employee uses the agency name, logo, or other advertising identifier as part of their personal social networking site. Does that then constitute advertising for which the agency can be held liable? That question has yet to be settled. The agency’s exposures from advertising on these sites can be mitigated by following the same legal vetting Continued on Page 14 >>

Spring 2017 • The Oregon Agent

Continued from Page 13 >>

process as is used for traditional advertising. An agency procedure should also be established that addresses to what extent employees have permission to link to the agency’s sites, or use the agency name, logo, or other advertising material on their personal sites (more on this procedure later). Loss Control Tips: • Be sure your agency advertising on the site complies with all statutory and regulatory guidelines. • Establish an agency procedure addressing employee linking to agency sites or use of agency name, logo, or other advertising on their personal social networking sites.

DEFAMATION Most social networking sites feature Oregon Agent blogs, chats or forum discussions. 7.675X4.9 Participating in these discussions can Gen Umbrella

present exposure to defamation, or in this case libel since the discussion

is in written form. Your agency has always faced exposure to defamation from verbal discussions and written communications. On social networking sites, however, discussions taking place on blogs and in chat rooms or forums tend to be less formal, may include more opinion than fact, and tend to move quite rapidly between many parties. In fact, the popular site Twitter limits text comments to no more than 140 characters. The end result is that it is much easier to make a statement that is taken out of context. Unlike verbal discussions, comments made on the interactive features of social networking sites or in blogs that accompany online articles are captured electronically and can be stored indefinitely, further exacerbating the issue of less formality. Keeping in mind that commercial speech – speech which proposes an economic transaction – is entitled

only to limited First Amendment constitutional protection, there is a real question as to the level of First Amendment protection business representatives will receive when they write or respond to a blog. The answer is not yet clear. As this area continues to develop, you would be well served to consult with legal counsel experienced in First Amendment law for guidance on creating the agency’s policy regarding the content you will permit on blogs on your agency’s behalf. Loss Control Tip: • Consult with qualified legal counsel for guidance on the agency’s policy on blogging.

PRIVACY ISSUES

Closely tied to defamation is public disclosure of private facts, which occurs when someone reveals information that is not of public concern, and the disclosure of the information would be offensive to a reasonable person.

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The interactive spaces on social networking sites are not secure spaces for discussing personally identifiable information.

AGENCY PROCEDURES FOR SOCIAL WEB USE

Agency procedures for social networking should require employees to keep their discussions professional and they should distinguish between statements of fact versus those of opinion. Comments that can be construed as leading or participating in attacks on either individuals or businesses should be avoided. Employees should limit their focus to a generalized discussion of an insurance topic. When a discussion becomes specific as to an identifiable risk or individual, it is no longer appropriate for an interactive space, and should be moved offline. Once moved offline, a discussion specific to an identifiable risk or individual should then move into the agency’s established workflow process. This provides the standard servicing and documentation that would occur had this discussion taken place in person, via phone or within email. Loss Control Tip: • Establish written agency procedures addressing employee use of social networking sites, including: • Who within the agency has permission to participate on behalf of the agency • Define acceptable behavior (professional, fact versus opinion, no leading or participating in attacks on individuals or businesses) • Employee sites should make clear they reflect their own views and not those of the agency • Identify when a discussion should be moved offline and into agency workflow • The consequences of noncompliance.

INCORRECT ADVICE

Agencies face exposure every day when rendering or failing to render professional services. Operating in the virtual world of the social web is no exception. Whether it is the advertising of agency services provided as part of the agency home page or comments made in a chat area discussion, the standard of care in providing professional services is no less than what exists in more traditional venues. The standard disclaimers used on your agency’s voice mail, email, and website also should be used on social networking sites. The same agency procedures your staff follows regarding risk analysis, recommendations, and documentation also apply to all content and discussions on social networking sites. As mentioned above, the interactive features of social networks do provide unique challenges. The written procedures your agency establishes to address social networking will not only guide agency staff behavior while using these sites, but will also help protect your agency against allegations of errors and omissions. Loss Control Tips: • Use standard disclaimers such as those used in voice mail, email, and on website • Be clear in the agency’s procedures that established processes and workflows apply to all discussions and service focused on an identifiable risk or individual or business generated through the social network site. Armed with an awareness of the main errors and omissions exposures that can arise from use of social networking sites, you are almost ready to take advantage of the opportunities presented while still protecting your agency against

unexpected exposures. But before getting started, give careful thought to what your goals are in using these tools. Do you plan to use sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn more as another venue in which to advertise your agency? Or, are you considering jumping in with both feet and actively participating in or running an interactive discussion to generate new “fans” who can become prospects? Once you have decided on your goals, consult with qualified legal counsel. By following the advice of qualified counsel that is specific to your planned use of these sites, and applying the loss control tips I just discussed, you will be ready to enjoy all the benefits of social networking with the peace of mind of knowing you have taken steps to mitigate the risks. This article is intended only for educational or illustrative purposes and should not be construed to communicate legal or professional advice. You should consult legal or other professionals with respect to any specific questions you may have. Further, the statements and/or opinions contained are those only of the author and do not constitute and should not be construed to constitute any statement, opinion or position of Swiss Re. Sabrena Sally, CPCU is Senior Vice President of Westport Insurance Corporation, a Swiss Re company, who manages the Big “I” Agency Professional Liability Program. Sabrena can be reached at sabrena_sally@swissre.com. Sabrena produced this article for the Agents Council for Technology (ACT), a part of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. For more information about ACT, visit www.independentagent. com/act. This article reflects the views of the author and should not be construed as an official statement by ACT. Spring 2017 • The Oregon Agent

The One Key Factor that leads to Sales Success or Failure

While one could argue that there are many factors determining sales success or failure, I find that 99% of the time, success or failure really comes down to one item. If you have this one item in place, success is virtually guaranteed. If you don’t, failure is virtually guaranteed.

other factor for failure, it would be the miniscule exception. 100% of the time in my experience, I’ve been able to tie failure back to a lack of activity. Here are some rules to follow to ensure you have the proper amount of activity in your sales day.

The Key Success Factor and How to Ensure it Exists and Thrives in Your Sales Plan

Rule 1: Know your numbers

We all know you need the basics: product knowledge, the ability to get in the door of qualified prospects, get attention, solve problems, get agreement, answer objections, present, close, and follow through, among other things. We also know that your primary job is to produce… to sell. Other equally relevant truths that relate more closely to the key success factor are: • Sales is a numbers game; the more people you talk to the more business you’ll do. • The harder you work, the luckier you get. • The more calls you make, the faster you figure it out. • And, production cures all that ails you, or, as my dad used to say, “You could be in the middle of your worst sales slump ever… down, depressed, and hopeless and yet, if you simply found an order on the ground, one you had absolutely nothing to do with closing, but it was a good order that counted toward your quota, you’d instantly be back on top of the world.” All of that said, the one item that determines success or failure more than anything else is your activity level. Specifically, making the calls necessary to make the contacts, get the qualified prospects, and make sales necessary to exceed your quota. Every time I’ve seen someone fail in sales, it’s because they didn’t make enough calls to talk to enough qualified prospects. Every time. While I suppose there could be some 16

The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

You have to have annual, monthly, and weekly goals and break those down to the daily activity necessary to make them happen. If you’re going to make $250,000, and each sale is worth $5000, you need to make 50 sales or roughly 1 per week. Based upon 50 sales, how many proposals do you need to get out, how many people do you need to talk to, and how many calls do you have to make every day?

Rule 2: You have to exceed your numbers Once you know your numbers, you need to exceed them. We tend to underestimate the amount of time, effort, energy, money, and in this case, number of calls, that it will take to achieve a goal. As a result, increase your daily number by at least 20%. So if the number you came up with under Rule 1 is 50 calls a day, increase that to 60.

Rule 3: You have to hit your numbers every day no matter what Your most important task every day is to hit your numbers. Period. It is always more important than anything else you do. I’ve seen top salespeople make calls from airplanes, hospitals, police stations, and almost anywhere else you can imagine. I’ve also seen them make calls at night, on weekends, during holidays, and at all other times imaginable. In one case a salesperson who had just totaled his car, jumped in a cab with torn pants and some bumps and bruises to finish making his sales calls for the day. By the way, he was more effective that day because he had a great story to tell when he showed up. He also displayed extraordinary dedication and commitment to his prospects.

Rule 4: Be consistent Consistency keeps you sharp, builds the habit of making the calls, and keeps you in a good frame of mind. If your goal is 300 calls for the week, Monday through Friday, and you try to squeeze those calls into two or three days, you’ll become overwhelmed and you’ll have difficulty building the self-discipline that comes with daily, consistent action. Also, if you aren’t making calls every work day, your calls will have some rust on them. In other words, when you are doing anything other than making calls, your brain slowly starts to forget what to say and how to react to situations that arise during calls. So if you only make calls on two, days during the week, there is a lot of time for your brain to start to “forget”, making you far less sharp and effective. One of the best ways to be consistent is to time block the same hours every day to prospect.

Rule 5: Have someone hold you accountable While you ultimately have to hold yourself accountable, it’s a good idea to also have someone else hold you accountable to your daily numbers. Preferably it’s your boss or manager, but it can really be anyone who you’ll feel enough pressure reporting to.

Rule 6: Keep getting better

Rule 7: Use the phone and in-person calls to reach out to prospects If you think e-mail or social media is just as effective as a phone call or in-person visit for reaching out to prospects, you’re delusional. When you are attempting to do business with people, you have to call or visit in-person first. You can send an e-mail, physical mail, LinkedIn request, or something else afterwards, but never as an initial contact to determine if they may be a qualified prospect. First, you can’t even be sure they got the e-mail or social-media message, and second, it’s weak and says you don’t have the confidence in yourself or your product to have a live interaction. If you’re looking for a way to avoid the hard work of making live calls, STOP IT! Pick up the phone and/or get in the car and go talk to people. Lots of people. If you make the calls necessary to fill your pipeline with tons of qualified prospects, everything else will take care of itself. 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 29 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.

Read, watch, and listen to information and use that information to make your calls more efficient and effective.

Spring 2017 • The Oregon Agent

Procedures And Why They Really Matter By Brandie Hinen

//// Okay, Okay. I Know It’s Not The Sexiest Of Topics. ///////////////////////// After all, you’d much rather hear about ways to increase revenue, make your Sales Teams being more accountable, your Service Teams more efficient, and your Carriers a little more amiable. But, truth is, one of the ways to really do all of these things is by presenting a united front, getting your ducks in a row, and making sure that everyone could play musical chairs if they had to in the event of a change in personnel, an epic flood, or like we’ve seen more and more, some nasty kind of virus that leaves no one or their family untouched, even those that normally are not off sick (I’m one of those that was hit last year!). Over the years I’ve seen many agents spend thousands of dollars on a Procedures Manual,... one you’ve bought... one you’ve paid a consultant to come in and do... or one you’ve struggled for years to implement but can never quite seem to get there.

Most Of You Know Why

What I find interesting is that most of you know why you should have one. It surprises me that as we work with

helping fix agency headaches, and I bring up the topic of Procedures, most of you shake your heads sadly because you know there is a discrepancy in what you aspire to and the reality sitting on the bookshelf or the internal hard drive. Many of you KNOW you should have a consistent set of procedures that will help you… …have written guidelines to how and what, …bring consistency to your team, …establish and use a clear, concise training program. And yes, this makes a big deal when it comes to the thinking ability and skills to make sure you avoid pitfalls in lost renewals, screw ups and forgetfulness, infighting between Sales and Service Teams when there are missed expectations and things fall through the cracks. Procedures and Protocol is important so that the organization has a standard way of doing business. Each of us comes from different backgrounds, different levels of work experience and different ways of

processing information. Procedures should be written for everything you do and in such a way that someone new that has never had the fun and enjoyment of knowing the insurance industry could sit down, read the document, compare it to the computer screen, and reasonable make their way through the process. You should be using the Manual for self-mastery, new hire training, promotions and clarifying duties and responsibilities. And remember: creating procedures does not have to involve a huge $10-20,000 consultant fee or a long, grueling burden on your team. Although most will tell you it can take 6 months to get a Manual done, we have a track record of getting them done in agencies of all sizes in 6 WEEKS! That’s right, so take heart!!! In fact, Procedures is just one of the topics that is included in our program. Here is how we teach it: 1. First, identify your current state of the Procedures Manual you have. If Continued on Page 20 >>

The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

Continued from Page 18 >>

you don’t have one that is complete and up to date, no worries, we’re here to help. 2. You must have a formal template that is easy to read and recognize what procedure and what department the document was created for. 3. Next, think of being a brand new employee who does NOT know anything about your industry. OR ask someone from a different department to read over and follow the instructions on the procedures. If your least experienced team member can do the task quickly with little explanation or training, you’ve done a great job. If no, you’re not alone. Many manuals are written without thought of who will actually be using them! 4. Have a buddy system and second set of eyes for everything that is done, even for super experienced team members. 5. Start by forming a committee that will take on any and all procedures that need to be created or updated. 6. Create the list of items, most commonly done first.

It also has the ability built right in to circle objects or place arrows pointing to, in this case, the areas of the Procedure that you are highlighting for the list of steps. But watch out!! Jing can be addictive! I have found thousands of uses, such as taking copies of policy provisions and pasting them in an email, using it to send an image, an instruction on where to find something on line, etc. Jing is one of those little things for me that has made a BIG difference.

Benefits For Leaders

As you can imagine, Procedures and Protocol is not just for employees. As leaders, you have specific job related duties that may require a procedures sheet.

8. Once that is done, then have an alternate team check their work and perform the task from scratch. See # 4 above.

For example, we have a document called “Culture Curriculum” that includes the expectations and responsibilities of those on our team. You can create one of these for yours, and/or consider that it may be convenient to take time to create a Leadership Manual for: • Running special management reports • Operational duties • Bookkeeping responsibilities • Employee evaluations instructions, protocol, etc.

Great Tools To Make Work Easier

Sales Teams Are Not Exempt!

7. Have a small team of 2 take on three (3) to six (6) procedures for that week, depending on your situation. REMEMBER, they are doing the work anyway, let’s get them to just stop and take screen shots along the way!!

We have found that the easiest way to accomplish this task is to use screen capture software from TechSmith, a well-known, safe download. We recommend a free product called 20

Jing. (Just type Jing in your search engine or use this hyperlink. It places a little SUN at the top of your desktop and allows you to drag and capture objects as large as a screen or as small as a punctuation mark! You will find that you will use Jing for all kinds of things, as the program will save objects as a PNG file, OR just allow you to copy & paste into a document.

The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

Do you have a Producer Forms Manual? You know, a 3 ring binder that all producers have that includes things that are pretty important tools for a Sales Team member?

They should include items related to the Sales Process as well as team efficiency and how to’s with Carrier applications, relationships. For example, you should have main tabs in your binder for: • SALES PRINCIPLES; STRUCTURES • CLIENT CARE; MAINTENANCE • ACCOUNTING; BILLING; AUDITS, ETC. • AGENCY MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES If not, this is something that should be included in a special section of your Procedures Manual on the shared internal drive and in writing, since we all know that having a written binder is sometimes easier to reference for Sales Teams who are out and about! As you can read, we have been doing this for some time and know some of the best tips and tricks, as well as some of the red flags and snags! Just like last month, there is much more in the way of word documents, video, and other agency’s examples that I cannot share in this format, so, if you want a copy of some of the program details, email me at brandie@ PowerhouseLearning.com or call (208) 316-7656. About the Author: Brandie Hinen is known for her ability to help implement change. She is the President of Powerhouse Learning and was featured at the 2015 National Young Agents’ Convention in New Orleans. 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 800-7792430, E-mail info@agencyconsulting. com, or visit www.agencyconsulting. com for information about the content of this article or PIPELINE subscription information.

STEVE PEARSON | President | 415.623.5147 | spearson@isugroup.com

Spring 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ The Oregon Agent

Is The Future Positive For Small, Traditional Agencies? By Chris Burand

s the future positive for small, traditional agencies? As with most broad looking-into-the-future answers, it depends. It depends on knowledge, commitment, and recognizing reality.

KNOWLEDGE I find one reason many small, traditional agency owners are discouraged when looking into the future is partially caused by a lack of knowledge. Sometimes they read too much industry press written by inadequately knowledgeable people and sometimes they just don’t read. (As Mark Twain famously asked, “What is the difference between a man that doesn’t read and one that can’t read? Nothing.”) The inaccurate information being written and causing consternation includes the aging industry, the inability to develop new people, and how a few heavy advertising direct writers are having all the success. First, the industry is not really aging. Individuals are aging, as are their peers, making it seem like everyone around them is aging. The average agency owner age has not changed materially since I’ve been in this industry which has been 25 years. It was 56-58 years old then and its 57-59 years old now. Writers expressing concern the industry is nearing collapse because of aging agency principals are simply Chicken Littles. Second, the ability to develop new people has never been better. The resources for testing, hiring, educating, and training new people are of far higher quality and abundance than any time in my career. The problem I see is that few agency owners know of the resources or they do not use the resources appropriately. Third, the heavy direct advertising is having an effect. It is successful. However, it is a strategy that ONLY APPLIES IF the company/agency is big enough to spend enough AND if the client target is not primarily interested in more than a superficial transactional relationship. The independent 22

The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

insurance agency system WAS DESIGNED TO AVOID BOTH CONDITIONS. The carriers that originally distributed insurance through independent insurance agencies did not advertise to the general public because they relied on their agents to advertise. Those agents in turn advertised generally on a community platform and marketed on a social platform. The advertisements were at the Little League park, high school yearbooks, local newspapers, and so forth. The marketing was through relationships and true social networking versus electronic social networking. These methods worked because the client target was someone wanting a relationship. Going forward then the question becomes, who is your client target and if it is people wanting superficial transactional relationships, can you afford to advertise adequately?

COMMITMENT The question is not only can you afford to advertise adequately, but will you commit to advertise so significantly? Your advertising budget may have to quintuple. Historically agencies, especially smaller ones, have not had to make much of a commitment once established. This is because once established, agencies’ retention rates were adequate to generate safe cash cows and since a great many agency owners were satisfied with the cash generated, they could just ride along. I hear the concern in many agency owners’ voices these days because they see they have to make a commitment and they don’t want to do so. One reason they enjoy the business is the flexibility they have and a commitment can sorely limit that treasured flexibility. The emotion tied to committing oneself to building a future is what causes so many to wonder about their future. On the other hand, approximately 5,000 new agencies have been created in the last five years. That is an amazing number and many of these agencies have made a commitment to the future. They haven’t yet experienced the cash cow and flexibility so they’re just busting their butts to pay the bills. They don’t really have the same concerns. They are playing offense to win and the traditional agents are playing to not Continued on Page 24 >>

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Continued from Page 22 >>

lose. Playing to not lose is rarely a winning strategy and insurance carriers recognize the difference when appointing agencies.

ACCEPTING REALITY The reality is that owning and running an independent insurance agency is going to get tougher. More business operational knowledge will be required, more insurance technical knowledge will be required, and more leadership will be required. Instead of resting on one’s sales, reality is that no amount of volume will ever be enough. For example, historically in small towns many agencies would grow to some large percentage of the market and then plateau because the reality was that with their market share, they could not grow much more. The new reality is that it is time to start selling insurance in the next town over.

Going forward, this industry has a great future for Thrivers, but maybe not Survivors. The solution many such agencies have latched onto is a cluster or aggregator. Done well, clusters and aggregators may be a solution, but the majority of these entities have been established sloppily. Sloppiness seems to abound because the members do not want to make a true commitment to an enterprise that ultimately requires a true commitment. These entities are partnerships and any partnership that truly succeeds requires a complete commitment. Going forward then, the future is truly bright for those willing to make a true commitment to building their agencies every single day. This means selling every day. This means developing people using the great tools available. A&M Assoc Ad OR PRINT.pdf

10/20/15

12:35 PM

The reality is that more structure is required to minimize E&O exposures, to appeal to younger employees, and to develop new employees more effectively. The reality is that your companies are no longer going to depend on just agencies to make their sales. They know some people only want superficial transactional relationships and they’re going to advertise to that audience. They know some agency owners are committed and they know some are not, they know some listen to too many tall tales about what is happening and they know some are quite well informed. In sum, the reality is that in the past, to put in the terms of the wonderful book by David McNally, The Eagle’s Secret, Survivors could do just fine in this industry. Going forward, this industry has a great future for Thrivers, but maybe not Survivors. In fact, I don’t think I have seen more opportunity for Thrivers than ever before because historically, the ease with which Survivors survived was an important impediment to Thrivers thriving. Companies protected Survivors, customers would not leave Survivors easily, and the historic independent agency distribution model was designed to protect Survivors. The upheaval pressure Survivors are feeling, causing them to question the future of small traditional agencies, is directly correlated to their position as Survivors. Thrivers are not concerned about their futures because their futures are so bright, they have to wear shades. Chris Burand is president of Burand & Associates, LLC, an insurance agency consulting firm. Readers may contact Chris at (719) 485-3868 or by e-mail at chris@burand-associates.com. NOTE: None of the materials in this article should be construed as offering legal advice, and the specific advice of legal counsel is recommended before acting on any matter discussed in this article. Regulated individuals/entities should also ensure that they comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Copyright 2013 by Chris Burand. Reprinted with Permission

The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

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Spring 2017 • The Oregon Agent

CONQUERING THE Biggest Enemy OF THE SALESPERSON A salesperson’s most important activity is talking to qualified prospects. The biggest enemy of the salesperson is anything that distracts him or her from working on that most important activity. Distractions come in many forms, some obvious and some not so obvious. Here are those distractions along with their solutions.

Distraction #1: Cell phone, email, text messages, false emergencies, and other similar items

Distraction #2: Paperwork

Paperwork, other than filling out an order with a customer, is for after or before prime prospecting hours. It’s okay to Recently I was helping a call center increase their number of make a quick note, record something on an order form, or calls. The first thing I did was observe everyone to see how write down something you need to work on later, but you they typically make calls. I watched one individual pick up are never working on letters, proposals, or doing anything the phone, start to dial, and then stop because he got a text that can be done off-hours. message. He read it, responded, and then went back the phone, hung it up, and started to redial. Just then an email chime sounded and he looked Distraction #3: Servicing accounts to see who it was from. Once again, he hung You may occasionally need to service ~ ~ up, then redialed. He got voicemail, left a accounts, but this should be done to a Distractions That Keep message, then brought up his CRM to enter minimum and it should only be done for the You From Your Most the information for that call. For the next 20% of your accounts that are giving you 80% Important half hour I watched as callers got distracted of your revenues. I see many salespeople get Activity by everything from the above items, to trips adamant about servicing every aspect of every to the bathroom and to fill up water bottles and account. While they justify this as taking care of cups of coffee. As a group, they averaged 2.5 calls in the customer, they are really doing it to avoid the the 30 minute period. Yes, one call every 12 minutes. hard work (fear and discomfort) of prospecting. You may have to do some servicing, just do as little as possible. The key here is single-minded focus. Ideally you are timeblocking as many items as possible, but especially your Distraction #4: Looking for a quicker, faster, easier way to most important: prospecting calls. If you’re in the office, put prospect other than picking up the phone or calling in person together a prospect list and then remove all distractions. All prospecting should be done either in person or by phone. Shut off your cell phone and email, clear all paperwork and Skype and other similar methods are also okay. The point is other items off your desk, and focus. Make notes right on to be talking live, in real time with prospects. Email, social the list and enter notes into the CRM later. You may even media, mailings, and other similar indirect methods that put up a sign up saying you cannot be interrupted. In any don’t allow you to actually talk to someone, are distractions case, you have one focus for at least the next hour: make as from effective prospecting and nothing more than another many calls as possible. If you’re on the road, again, focus on way to avoid the hard work (again, fear and discomfort) of calls. Do not be distracted by the phone or other items in or making live calls. You can and should still use these methods, outside the car that may prevent you from making as many but only after you have reached out via phone or in person. prospecting calls as possible. The group above, once they removed all distractions, was able to average 13 calls in 30 Distraction #5: Talking to prospects who are not qualified minutes as opposed to 2.5. Stop pretending that ugly duckling is a swan. You know the

The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

truth in your gut. Either get rid of them immediately or give them one last chance to do business with you.

Distraction #6: Majoring in minor things Minor things include: cleaning your desk, rereading the letter you’re about to send out, doing preparation work, and all other “minor” items you should be doing before or after prime time.

Distraction #7: Anything else that gets in the way of calling on qualified prospects This could be a doctor’s visit, a car accident, an earthquake, weather, friends wanting to chat, or anything else under the sun. Regardless of what happens during the day, your primary focus needs to remain on hitting your daily number of qualified prospects. Make sure anything you have control over does not interfere with “prime time.” Do not schedule doctor or dentist appointments, the plumber, the electrician, or anything similar during prime hours. When something unexpected arises, that you don’t have control over, like a car accident, weather, or similar event, ask yourself, “How can I still get all my calls in?” A few years back, the number one sales rep for a Fortune 500 company was out making prospecting calls when he got in an accident and totaled his car. He was okay, just

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 28 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 johnchapin@completeselling.com www.completeselling.com Linkedin: johnchapin1 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com johnjchapin Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnjchapin

some minor bumps, bruises, and cuts, and his pants got torn a little. Though paramedics urged him to go to the hospital just to be safe, he refused and jumped in a cab to complete his sales calls. While making his calls, he wondered how he may actually be able to use the car accident as an advantage. Two prospects came to mind that he was unable to get anywhere with. He thought, “Today’s the day.” He walked into each prospect’s office with his ripped pants and obvious cuts on his nose and forehead, approached the receptionist, stuck out his card, announced who he was there and see and finished with, “You have no idea what I’ve been through today to see him.” Each receptionist looked at him with some uneasiness, slowly took his card, and went off to get the prospect. The end result: he was able to see both prospects, tell a good story, show his dedication and commitment, and he eventually got one of those prospects as a customer who, down the road, became one of his largest. Your most important task every day is hitting or exceeding your prospecting numbers. Period. It is always the most important thing you do. Your creative brain will either come up with excuses to avoid this hard work or find ways to get it done regardless of what comes up in your day, including car accidents. Use your head and find all ways, both obvious and creative, to prevent distractions and get as many calls in as possible.

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Spring 2017 • The Oregon Agent

Oprah, Arnold, & Peyton Open a Competing Agency in Your Town… By John Chapin

Scary thought, right? Why? Because you know within three to five years they’d own 90 to 100% of the business in the area and if you weren’t out of business, you’d be hanging on by a shoestring. There are several reasons why this group, even with no prior experience in your industry, and even without their celebrity status to rely on, would absolutely dominate your market. Here they are. Reason #1: Completely unreasonable, some might even say insane, commitment If you called their business at midnight on Saturday, how long do you think it would be before you spoke to a live human? Either instantly or within five minutes. How many times would you receive less than stellar customer service or feel like a nuisance to the person answering the phone? Zero. 28

The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

How many times would something not be followed up on? Okay, you get the point. People at the top don’t judge themselves and their organizations based upon what’s reasonable or “acceptable;” they hold themselves, and those around them, to the highest standard possible. This completely unreasonable commitment starts at the top and flows all the way through the organization. How many negative

people will you find in the New England Patriots locker room? How many people not doing their job or not holding themselves and others accountable? Right. Zero. The amount of time, effort, and energy they put in is also disproportional to what others would deem “reasonable.” They are always full-on, pedal-to-themedal. Michael Phelps was in the pool

for eight hours a day, every day, for years before his first Olympics. The best know that seeking “balance” will not get you to the top, never mind keep you there. You need to get unreasonable in what you expect of yourself and others if you’re going to get to and stay at the top.

Reason #2: Focus on differentiation and domination versus competing The great ones aren’t just looking to be better than the competition and win more business, they’re to be completely different and own the entire market. Look at any leader from FedEx to Apple to Umpqua Bank. What do they have in common? They shifted the paradigm and completely changed the way their industry was looked at and perceived. Forget best practices. They went outside their industries and broke the mold to create something new.

These leaders also take full advantage of any and all means at their disposal to win. The New England Patriots have used drop-kicks, eligible and ineligible receivers, linebackers chipping Marshall Faulk and receivers in Super Bowl XXXVI, and numerous other plays and concoctions that have the most experienced officials going to the rule book and instant replay... And other coaches and teams complaining afterwards. Do they push the envelope? Yes. Anyone great over the long haul does. The best aren’t simply looking for their slice of the pie, they want the whole pie. It amazes me how many companies tell me their annual growth target is something like 3%. And that is in a good market. In a good market you can hit 3% in a coma. If you asked Oprah, Arnold, and Peyton for their growth goal, what do you think it would be? 25% or more. Every year.

Oprah, Arnold, and Peyton would also dominate the airwaves and sound waves. You’d see and hear them everywhere. From Chambers of Commerce, to community events, to fund raisers, to radio, television, magazines, social media, billboards… They’d be ubiquitous. You wouldn’t be able to get away from them. Do as much business as possible at the highest service level possible. Exploit your advantages and do everything you can to ensure everyone knows about you and how you’re unique.

Reason #3: An all-or-nothing, do-or-die, burn-the-boats mindset The great ones always play with desperation as if their life depends upon winning. Even when far ahead, the best still compete with urgency as if they are losing. They don’t wait for 9/11, a stock market crash, or an Continued on Page 30 >>

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economic downturn to get motivated and moving. They chase business as if they are down to their last dollar and are facing serious threats to their business now. The best of the best turn over every stone, pursue every avenue, and make sure they’ve done everything possible to win. They burn the boats behind them, cut off all escape routes, determined to win or die trying, there is no return home without victory.

Reason #4: Complete ownership and responsibility for success and failure The best know the economy, the market, the government, or anything else, does not determine victory or defeat, they do. They realize that, even in the most difficult conditions, someone is knocking it out of the

park and doing more business in spite of the reason everyone else is using for failure. The best are contrarians. When everyone else is cutting costs and expenses in an attempt to survive, they double efforts and expand into the market place. They significantly increase efforts and outreach. The best create their own economies. Those at the top always focus on and get better at the basics of doing the work necessary, building relationships, getting better at selling, keeping a good attitude, preparing for the price objection, and building value. Remember that success is up to you; you own it and control it. Provided you have solid goals and strong enough reasons why you need to get there, you’ll get there.

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The Oregon Agent • Spring 2017

The best know they are going to exceed their goals and completely dominate their market and that is their single, laser focus. There is simply no doubt they are going to win their industry’s version of the Super Bowl. They take massive action; again, some would say unreasonable, insane action, to make it happen. Whereas most people far underestimate the amount of work it will take to achieve a goal, the best far overestimate the amount of effort necessary and get to work with a raging fire in their belly. And if they fail? They continue until they succeed. No white flags… no retreat, no surrender.

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