March 2013 Professional Agent

professional agent march | 2013

Wh at’s Inside?

Are You a Professional......... 12 Insurance Agent?

Attention Students!.................14 Insurance Proposals...............16 PIAW Winter Get-Away..........22 Grow Your Agency................. 24 How to Make a Difference.....31 Coming Events.. .....................38

www.piaw.org

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Interested in becoming part of the Couri family? Visit our website, couriagents.com or give Steve Albinger a call at 800-444-1215.

2 MARCH 13

From the

President Tracy Oestreich, CIC, CPIA, AU — President, PIA of Wisconsin

Making a Difference Together All of our committee volunteers have been hard at work since our committee kick-off meetings back in September, 2012. I would like to share with you the items each committee has been working on. If you would like to join one of our committees, please contact our PIA office in Madison, or give me a call! We would love to have you help us make a difference in our industry.

Kits for Kids.” We will work with the Salvation Army to help fill backpacks full of school supplies and distribute them to children in need in your area. You will be receiving our “School Kits for Kids” informational packet soon! Lastly, the committee is working on initiatives/programs to help attract young people to our vibrant industry. Stand by for more to come!

The Convention Committee works year round planning and organizing the PIA of Wisconsin Annual Convention and the PIA Annual Winter-Get-Away. This year’s 64th Annual Convention runs from Wednesday July 31st through Friday, August 2nd, 2013 at Chula Vista in Wisconsin Dells. Full details will be announced soon. The Annual Winter-GetAway was held about 5 weeks ago and was a great success!

The Automation Committee has kept busy organizing a social media presence seminar which will take place on Wednesday, March 27th, 2013. Let PIAW help you build and utilize your business social media presence. This workshop offers a hands on step-by-step guide on how to build and utilize your business’ social media pages for the most success. Register now for this event!

Our Education Committee also works year round determining the educational needs of our members. The committee selects topics, locations, dates and speakers for all hosted education events including Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR), William T Hold seminars, Dynamics of Service, Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) and Hot Topic seminars – just to name a few.

Agent Services provides products and services to benefit the members of our association. The committee is in process of completing a “Teen Driving” brochure and a brochure focusing on “Off to College – Are Students Protected?”

Watch for these new products coming your way soon.

The Public Relations Committee continually works to promote a positive image and awareness of the professional insurance industry and PIA to the public. This committee keeps busy by picking and reviewing the effectiveness of current PSA (Public Service Announcements) and the press release program. Several of our agency members use the press releases with local media and receive great responses.

The committee is also in charge of our annual charity program. (Perhaps you recall the “Cell Phones for Soldiers” charity over the last 2 years). This years charity is “School

The Young Professionals Committee (YPC) continues to develop the network of our members through social and educational events. The Annual YPC Brewer game outing on the “Harley Deck” is coming up on Wednesday, May 1st. Our 10th annual YPC golf outing is set for Wednesday, July 31st at Chula Vista in the Dells. Thanks to the huge success of the annual golf outing, the YPC committee will award TEN $2500 scholarships later this year to high school seniors and college juniors and seniors. Check out the PIAW website at www.piaw.org for details and rules. Applications are due by April 1st. We are committed to attracting young professionals to our industry by awarding $25,000 in scholarships this year! (continued on page 29)

MARCH 13 3

Memos from

Madison Ron Von Haden, CIC — Executive Vice President, PIA of Wisconsin

The Value of Service WHAT HAVE YOU DONE for me lately? All of us ask that question, whether overtly or subconsciously, every time we review an invoice for a voluntary product, service or membership. Our perception of the value of the service determines whether we pay the bill or set it aside. Every PIA member agency will make that value decision when they receive their membership dues renewal invoice. It’s my firm belief that the PIA dues investment is easily justifiable.

How much would it cost you to drive to Madison and back each time a legislative proposal is brought forward that impacts your business? The expenses for gas, meals, parking and lodging could amount to thousands of dollars each year. And those expenses do not include the missed sales or customer service opportunities you would leave to your competitors.

How much would it cost you to develop sales brochures, informational brochures, producer and employee agreements, create newspaper ads, or get answers to technical questions?

How much would it cost you to search for high quality education and designation programs, sales and management articles or compare Errors & Omissions contracts to properly protect your agency?

How much would it cost you to fly to Washington to meet with legislators, testify at hearings, give input to insurance regulators and monitor critical issues that affect your livelihood?

If you attached a hard dollar cost to the benefits you get from your membership, you would immediately see that the dues investment is miniscule in relation to the value

received. That’s why over 600 agencies in Wisconsin support PIAW each year.

I admit that I am supremely biased but if you do the math, the result is obvious.

WE ARE VERY PROUD of our two PIAW members who serve in the State Legislature. Representatives John Nygren and Mary Czaja understand our business. They get it!

Both are ardent supporters of small business and have the insurance expertise to coach their colleagues in the intricacies of insurance.

Both John and Mary are valuable resources to PIA members and Wisconsin citizens as insurance legislation gets considered or introduced. Most insurance issues do not make the front page of the newspaper and do not create huge photo-ops so the glamour of public recognition is not a reward for hard work on these issues. Health insurance, certificates of insurance, electronic proof of insurance, “storm chaser” repair crew protections are issues that noninsurance legislators would not readily grab onto.

That’s why we need to support these two professionals, publicly and with contributions to their re-election.

HERE’S A THOUGHT . If an I-Pod can hold 10,000 songs and each song costs $.99, the value of the songs is $9,900.00.

Does you homeowners policy adequately cover you? How about your customers? Better add that to your check list.

AND REMEMBER …..A vacation makes you feel good enough to go back to work and poor enough that you have to.

Right in your backyard!

With Continental Western Group® in your backyard, you have the comfort of knowing we are responsive to your needs and the confidence of knowing we are dedicated to our partnership!

Call Fritz Weitendorf, our Wisconsin Representative at 1-877-643-0219 ext 3828.

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4 MARCH 13

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2012 An Outstanding Year for SIAA January 21, 2013 – Hampton, NH: The Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance has released their 2012 numbers, and is proud to report another year of significant growth as members wrote over $680 million in premium growth, 57% of it with Strategic Partner Insurance Companies. Total written premium for SIAA member agencies now exceeds $4.0 billion.

CEO Jim Masiello cites membership growth as a large factor. “SIAA’s growth continues at an astounding pace. We added 432 new members in 2012…that’s our fourth consecutive year signing over 400 new member agencies,” continued Masiello, “bringing our total signings to over 4300.”

“SIAA enhancements to the Alliance MarketFinder (www.apsmarketfinder.com) for easy access to hardto-write business) and the updated online SIAA Marketing Storefront are reflections of our commitment to the success of our members. Our storefront provides access to consumer lists and customized marketing materials in a creative, efficient and cost effective manner,” stated Masiello.

At the mid-year point, SIAA redesigned their consumer facing website www.insurancedeals4u.com intended to draw individuals and small businesses seeking out insurance solutions – and then forward those leads to member agencies. The site serves the needs of consumers by offering them the ability to search out a local member agency and by asking to have an agent in the region contact them directly.

Through both mechanisms, SIAA provided 6,500 contacts to members on an annualized basis.

In late 2012, SIAA Launched the Training and Learning Center (TLC) www.siaatlc.com. The TLC will be a central hub for training, education and agency development resources available to SIAA Member Agencies, currently offering online CE with Kaplan and WebCE. In the coming months, we will be offering materials from our numerous Strategic Partners and will launch the QuickStart program in February of 2013.

“All in all, we had a productive and successful year in terms of the financial success of our members, as well as the enhancements to SIAA membership we provide to members,” Masiello concluded.

SIAA is dedicated to the creation, retention and growth of the Independent Insurance Agency distribution system. SIAA provides independent agencies with the company access necessary to become instantly BIG. For more information on SIAA visit www.siaa.net.

MARCH 13 5

From the

Boardroom

By Kori Sagen, Sagen & Associates Insurance — Director, PIA of Wisconsin

Service? What is that?

So many businesses including insurance have forgotten what service means. Our industry is really about service more than anything else. A couple months ago I had an elderly gentleman (96 years young) come into my office looking for some help on paperwork that he had in his safe. He said he had already been to two agencies before mine to see if they could help him and they had refused. I asked him what he was trying to find out and he just wanted to know what all the papers were and if he needed them. After reviewing the large stack of paper, I found that he had several life insurance policies for himself and his deceased wife. We did some research and helped him clear it all up. He shed many tears during that time and it warms my heart to know that he knows what he has now. My concern is that he went to two

agencies for help before here......why did they refuse to help?

Service is about taking care of our customers……the people not the money they spend. My motto with my employees is “do the right thing and take care of our customers, the money will come.” It is doing what they expect and are looking for not what you want. I ask all new customers a few things, what, besides the price, is important to you in your insurance? How often do you expect to hear from us?

Most people are very grateful for these questions but it is important to follow through with that as well.

Life is short! Don’t forget to enjoy what you do and for me the large part of that is getting to know the people that make my business what it is, without them I don’t have a business.

HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE GROUP Imperium Insurance Company Houston Specialty Insurance Company Oklahoma Specialty Insurance Company Great Midwest Insurance Company All carriers are rated A– or better by AM Best.

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6 MARCH 13

$1,000,000,000 CELEBRATING ONE BILLION IN WRITTEN PREMIUM! DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH has pushed ACUITY over the $1 billion revenue mark! In the past 14 years, we’ve quadrupled our written premium and you are responsible for that. Thank you!

We have the agents, employees, and strategic plan to allow our growth to keep compounding on the path to becoming a multibillion-dollar insurer.

www.acuity.com For All That Matters

facebook.com/acuitywow

OCI Administrative

Actions Ted Nickel — Commissioner of the Office of Insurance

Madison, WI—OCI has taken the following administrative actions. In many of these cases the respondent denied the allegations but consented to the action taken. Any forfeitures paid in these administrative actions are deposited in the Common School Fund which is administered by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. The earnings from this fund are distributed to all public K-12 schools in Wisconsin and are used by school libraries to purchase books. Copies of the administrative action orders may be viewed online at https://ociaccess.oci.wi.gov/OrderInfo/OrdInfo.oci.

OCI is responsible for overseeing the operations and marketing of insurance companies and agents in Wisconsin. OCI encourages anyone with a question or a complaint regarding an insurance company or agent to contact the office at this toll-free telephone number: 1-800-236-8517.

Allegations

and

Actions Against Agents

Robert Allen Anderson, 13710 General Geary Ct., Fredericksburg, VA 22407, had his application for an insurance license denied for 31 days. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to disclose an administrative action taken by the state of Alabama on a licensing application.

conviction which may be substantially related to insurance

Felipe Santiago Arriola, 17901 N.W. 68 Ave., Apt. T-104, Miami, FL 33015, had his application for an insurance license denied. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI, failing to provide evidence of eligibility to work in the United States, and having multiple administrative actions taken by the states of Florida and Michigan.

FL 32244, had his application for an insurance license

David Richard Detjen, 4633 N. Haymeadow Ave., Appleton, WI 54913, had his application for an insurance license denied. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI and failing to provide evidence of life insurance licensure as required for the variable life/variable annuity line of authority.

Franklin Zachary Fecunda, 9004 Post Oak Dr., Arlington, TX 76002, had his application for an insurance license denied.

This action was taken based on allegations of failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI and failing to pay past child support due.

marketing type conduct, failing to disclose an administrative action taken by the state of Ohio on a licensing application, and failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI. Joseph Elton Haskell, Jr., 5023 Eagle Point Dr., Jacksonville, denied. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI and failing to provide evidence of resident surplus lines licensure.

Si Lorenzo Henderson, Sr., 798 Squirrel Ct., Kissimmee, FL 34759, had his application for an insurance license denied.

This action was taken based on allegations of failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI and failing to pay past child support due.

Tawnya Patsy Hylemon, 5215 Wiley Post Way, Ste. 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, had her application for an insurance license denied for 270 days. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI and having a criminal conviction that may be substantially related to insurance marketing type conduct.

Charles Fredrick Kimball II, 3050 English Oak Cir., Pensacola, FL 32526, had his application for an insurance

Todd R. Franke, 734 Bear Claw Way, Apt. 209, Madison, WI 53717, had his application for an insurance license denied for 31 days. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to disclose an administrative action taken by the state of Wisconsin on a licensing application.

license denied. This action was taken based on allegations of

Annie Christina Goodson, P.O. Box 281026, Cleveland, OH 44128, had her application for an insurance license denied.

This action was taken based on allegations of a criminal

This action was taken based on allegations of failing to

8 MARCH 13

failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI and failing to provide evidence of resident surplus lines licensure.

Sarah Malaise, 104 E. Mason St., Unit 606, Milwaukee, WI 53202, had her application for an insurance license denied. pay Wisconsin delinquent taxes due and failure to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI. [continued on page 10]

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OCI Administrative Actions [continued from page 8] Tiae D. McCormick, 3600 E. Commerce Pl., Orlando, FL 32808, had her application for an insurance license denied.

This action was taken based on allegations of failing to disclose an administrative action taken by the state of Wisconsin on a licensing application and failing to promptly and completely respond to inquiries from OCI. Benitza Flores Montgomery, 3015 Erin Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113, had her insurance license revoked and was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $250.00. These actions were taken based on allegations of failing to report an administrative action taken by the state of Arkansas and failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI. Carl Verdell Moore Jr., 3931 Tudor Court, Columbus, IN 47201, had his application for an insurance license denied.

This action was taken based on allegations of failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI and having a criminal conviction which may be substantially related to insurance marketing type conduct.

Michael Lawson Pierce, 12895 Heydon Hall, Roswell, GA 30075, had his application for an insurance license denied for 31 days. This action was taken based on allegations of administrative actions taken by Wisconsin and other states.

Allegations

and

Glynis Aundrea Snell, 1278 Edwin Street, Soperton, GA 30457, had her application for an insurance license denied. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI, having an administrative action taken by another state, and being party to a lawsuit or arbitration involving allegations of fraud, misrepresentation, misappropriation or breach of fiduciary duty.

Thoga Viswam, 826 Inman Ave., Edison, NJ 08820, had his insurance license revoked, was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $500.00, and was ordered to not reapply for licensure for a period of two years. These actions were taken based on allegations of signing a signature on a document without proper authority, failing to respond to OCI, and failing to appear at an administrative hearing.

Matthew J. Yakich, N68W24940 Stonegate Ct., Apt. 209, Sussex, WI 53089, had his application for an insurance license denied for 31 days. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to disclose a criminal conviction on a licensing application

Actions Against Companies

Berry and Roxbury Mutual Insurance Company, 4766 Highway KP, Cross Plains, WI 53528, was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $500.00. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to comply with a previous examination order.

Medina Mutual Insurance Company, 500 Plaza Dr., Marshall, WI 53559, was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $5,000.00. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to comply with a previous examination order.

GERMANTOWN MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY W209 N11845 Insurance Place PO Box 1020 Germantown, WI 53022-8220 Phone (262) 251-6680 Fax (262) 623-3130 www.gmic.com

SERVING POLICYHOLDERS AND INDEPENDENT AGENTS IN WISCONSIN SINCE 1854 10 MARCH 13

Nancy J. Robinson, 3330 S. 92nd St., Apt. 4, Milwaukee, WI 53227, had her application for an insurance license denied for 31 days. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to disclose criminal convictions on a licensing application.

Safeco Insurance Company of America, 62 Maple Ave., Keene, NH 03431, was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $3,000.00 and was ordered to cease and desist from issuing improper nonrenewal notices to policyholders. These actions were taken based on allegations of issuing improper nonrenewals of insurance policies.

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Are you a

Professional Insurance Agent?

Brian Martin Partners Mutual Ins. Co.

by Brian Martin, Partners Mutual Insurance Company

As an insurance company representative working on a PIAW committee, my perspective may differ a little when it comes to my definition of “Professional” in terms of insurance.

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However, before I expound, let me take this opportunity to thank my colleagues, both company and especially the agents, who volunteer their time to be a part of a PIAW committee. Getting to know a few of the people in the leadership of the PIAW, I am convinced the organization is in very good and strong hands. This is an organization that you can be proud of and rest assured is working for your best interests.

practices to hone his or her skill. Michael Jordan, who many

So, what does being a Professional Insurance Agent mean?

“Dictionary.com” has several meanings listed under the word professional, but the one that I feel best describes an insurance agent is “a person who is expert at his or her work.”

in order to maintain your insurance license. Are you doing

Expert in its own way has connotations as well. This means you are looked to for advice, to be a leader, to have an opinion, to be ready with an answer when asked a question, etc. And if you don’t know, be willing to find out.

knowledge, to be the expert you are expected to be? Are you

As a company representative, I expect the agent to be the ultimate professional. I expect the agent to know his clients, to know the clients’ insurance needs, to understand the hazards and exposures of the clients. The professional agent must be able to readily communicate these to his or her companies and then back to the client. The Professional agent must be able to develop a relationship with clients and with company representatives. We need each other. The best results, I’ve found, come when there is a strong relationship between client, agent and company—a Professional relationship.

knowledge and continue to become a better Professional, by

Another definition of Professional is used to refer to an athlete, such as a professional golfer or basketball player.

To become a professional athlete, one has to have a certain level of talent to obtain professional status. To become the very best professional athlete, one practices, practices and

on developing two new brochures/pamphlets for your use,

12 MARCH 13

consider to be the best basketball player ever, was also considered to be the hardest worker – the first one to the gym and the last to leave. He wanted to be the best, to work his craft harder than anyone.

What are you doing to “practice” your talents, to improve your skills? You are required to obtain educational credits the bare minimum to get by, or taking advantage of the educational opportunities available – many through the PIAW – to “practice” your Profession of Insurance, to increase your the first one in the office, the last to leave? (If you own your business, you often are.) But even if you don’t (own your own business), you can practice your skill, improve your taking classes, being involved in networking groups, keeping up with changes in the industry or other means.

By being a part of a PIAW committee this year, it has challenged me to get to the “top of my game” - to be able to contribute to a very worthy cause. I hope that many of you take advantage of the many resources that are available to you through the PIAW, beginning with the website, www.

PIAW.org.

The PIAW Agent Services Committee is currently working one on teen drivers and one for students away at school. Stay tuned for additional information soon.

Good luck and have a great and Professional 2013.

n

March 27, 2013 SECURA – Appleton, WI 10:00am – 3:30pm (lunch provided)

$50 – Members $70 Non-Members *Limited number of laptops available. We welcome you to bring your own, if possible.

PIAW Is Your Partner For Success!

LET PIAW HELP YOU BUILD AND UTILIZE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE!



AGENDA We are offering a hands on stepby-step seminar on how to build and use your business’ social media pages for the most success. ��� ���

Facebook LinkedIn

Twitter YouTube

��� ���

10:00 am - 10:30 Intro to Social Media 10:30 am - 12:00pm Set up your Business Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/ YouTube Pages 12:00 pm – 12:45 Lunch 12:45 pm – 3:00 How to Utilize Social Media & your Pages 3:00 pm – 3:30 Questions

Yes, sign me up for the Social Media Seminar I will be bringing my own laptop __________ I need to use a provided laptop ________ A temporary email address will be provided to you for the initial set up of your social media accounts. You will be able to change the email if you wish and instruction to do so will be given.

Do you have approval from the owner of the business to set up these accounts in their business name Owners email address _______________________________________________ Name & Designations: ___________________________________________________________________ (Please Print)

Agency/Company: ______________________________________________________________________ Address/City: _____________________________________________ State: ________ Zip: __________ Telephone: ______________________________________________ Email Address:_________________________________________________________________________ Payment Information

Check Payable to: PIAW

Enclosed

Charge to: MC

VISA

AMEX

DIS

Card Number: ________________________________________________________________________

Professional Insurance Agents of Wisconsin, Inc. 6401 Odana Rd. Madison, WI 53719 [P] (608) 274-8188 (800) 261-7429 [F] (608) 274-8195 (866) 203-7461 www.piaw.org

Name on Card: ________________________________________ Expiration Date: ___________________

Confirmation will be emailed upon receipt of registration. Cancellation policy: No refunds without 7 days notice. Substitutions from the same agency are accepted, but please notify PIA as soon as possible with the change.

MARCH 13 13

A

!

N O I T TTEN

St

s t n e ud

The PIA of Wisconsin's Young Professionals Club wishes to award:

TEN $2,500 Scholarships!!!

FIVE for High School Seniors

and

FIVE for College Juniors or Seniors

Go to www.piaw.org to fill out a scholarship form.

Sponsored by:

14 MARCH 13

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{

GIGGLES

The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. —Robert Bloch

MARCH 13 15

Insurance

Proposals

a potentially powerful

E&O Prevention Tool

Most agencies and their respective producers probably look at the insurance proposals they provide to customers and prospects as one of the key tools that will determine whether they land the account. In many respects, this is correct. While a great proposal does not guarantee success, a poor proposal almost certainly guarantees failure.

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Typically, the insurance proposal is broken down by line of business and lists the coverages offered/proposed and the corresponding premium. That’s fine and probably serves the purpose. For example, say you are providing a proposal to a hardware store. The store’s owner undoubtedly knows the hardware store business well, but how knowledgeable is he or she on the finer points of the insurance business? Imagine you are the hardware store owner who is receiving this proposal.

Does the proposal help you understand the insurance program? Does it include references to terms such as ACV/ RC or co-insurance? Are these terms defined?

Educate customers and prospects If your proposals are structured strictly to provide an overview, you may be missing an important element – one that may actually play a role in landing the account while also providing some quality errors and omissions protection. What is it? Look for your proposals to educate your prospects and help them understand their insurance program. Educating customers and prospects has been shown to be a key issue in minimizing E&O claims activity.

If an E&O claim developed, the defense attorney (defending the agency) and the plaintiff’s attorney (defending your customer) would review the agency file as well as all of the specific documents involved in the procurement of the coverage. You can bet that the proposal provided will be reviewed in depth. The goal is to ensure that when this occurs, the proposal helps your case, not hurts it.

16 MARCH 13

Customers and prospects heavily rely on proposals to make informed purchasing decisions. The best proposals clearly lay out the coverages offered, with documentation ultimately being made to detail what was – and was not – purchased. To ensure there is no misunderstanding, it is highly suggested to secure the insured’s signature/acknowledgement detailing his or her buying decision.

Moreover, to ensure thoroughness and consistency, the agency should have a standard template detailing what the proposal should include and how it should be communicated.

Without this, the potential exists that proposals will lack the necessary detail and explanation.

Key ingredients of a proposal • Detailed explanations and definitions of key terms. Just because the agency understands the terms does not mean the client does. Educating your client on the finer points of the proposal will help him or her better understand the insurance program and should also help minimize the potential for an E&O claim. As you present the proposal, look for opportunities to ensure that the prospect understands the material. Avoid abbreviations if there is any chance the customer will not understand they mean.

• Easy-to-understand information. The language should not be above the ability of the prospect to understand it.

• Reference any mortgagee or loss payee you know of.

• Be as detailed as necessary. For example, if you are providing a proposal for Commercial Auto and some

drivers are excluded, a reference to the excluded (or conversely acceptable) drivers is appropriate. When dealing with Workers Compensation, based on the corporate structure of the entity, reference should be made to whether the policy affords coverage for sole proprietors/partners. On General Liability, it should be clearly stated if the policy is “subject to audit.” For a Professional Liability/ D&O policy, provide clarification on issues such as “retro date” and whether the defense is within or outside of the limit of liability.

• Where applicable, include a statement that clearly denotes that higher limits are available. This would certainly be applicable in references to an umbrella or excess limits policy.

• Include A.M. Best information for each of the carriers, with an explanation of what the rating means. It is recommended to use the exact definition as provided by A.M. Best.

• Include a disclaimer. There is no way the proposal can include every single aspect of the insurance program. A disclaimer, such as the following, will provide a degree of E&O protection: Information contained in this proposal is intended to provide you with a brief overview of the coverages provided for reference purposes only. It is not intended to provide you with all policy

exclusions, limitations and conditions. The precise coverage afforded is subject to the terms, conditions, and exclusions of the policies issued.

In addition, if your agency has relied upon information provided directly by the prospect, consider including a statement such as “this proposal is based on information provided and we cannot attest to the accuracy of this information.”

• If any of the carriers referenced is non-admitted, provide an explanation of what this means. Verbiage such as the following is suggested: The insurance company does not participate in any of the insurance guarantee funds created by (the applicable state) law should the insurance company become insolvent and be unable to honor claim payments.

A clearer understanding At the end of the day, while your proposals may be a little longer, your client will have a much clearer understanding of the coverages proposed and how they work. This could very well be the difference that helps you land the account. Plus, if a problem develops down the road, the detail provided in your proposal could be key in the defense of your agency. n Curtis M. Pearsall, CPCU, AIAF, CPIA President, Pearsall Associates Inc. and Special Consultant to the Utica National E&O Program

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*PIA National membership, when required, must be current at all times. **Only available if 100% employer paid and if the employer and 100% of the employees enroll.

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For additional information about PIA Trust Insurance Plans, please contact your local PIA Affiliate or call the Plan Administrator at 1-800-336-4759. Additional information is also available on-line at www.piatrust.com.

Policies or provisions may vary or be unavailable in some states. Policies have exclusions or limitations which may affect any benefits payable.

Underwritten by Unimerica Insurance Company, Portland, ME. Administered by Lockton Risk Services.

18 MARCH 13

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE REFORM! 3 DAYS ONLY – SPACE WILL GO QUICKLY

WWW.PIAW.ORG

Register your key business clients, your client’s attorneys, CPAs and human resource personnel.

National expert, Jerry Rhinehart, CIC, CLU, ChFC, RHU, will address the following questions and much more!

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NATIONAL HEALTH CARE

4 WI CE CREDITS 8:00 – 11:45 a.m.

May 14 Holiday Inn - Rothschild May 15 Radisson - Green Bay May 16 Paul Davis Restoration – Milwaukee

How will the Affordable Care Act affect me, my family and my business?

What will a health insurance plan look like in 2014? What will it cover and for what policy limits?

Are there taxes, fees and penalties that my impact me and a business?

As a business owner do I have to provide health insurance for my employees?

What might happen to a business owner if they provide a plan now but stop in 2014?

It is possible to have a penalty even if a high quality health insurance plan is provided to the employees?

Will income paid to employees impact potential penalties that could be levied on the business owner?

I have heard a lot of conversation about the “Exchange”, what it is and how might if effect me?

PIA Members and Guests $65 each Non Members and Guests $90 each Fee includes continental breakfast & program.

*******************************One form per attendee please, plus non-licensed guest/s.*************************** ______May 14

______May 15

______May 16

Total Amount Enclosed $________

Full Name_____________________________________________Nick Name ____________________________ Agency/Company ____________________________________________________________________________ Address__________________________________________City_______________State__________Zip _______ Phone__________________________________Cell or After Hours ____________________________________ Email___________________________________________WI License Number __________________________ Guest/s Name____________________ ______________________ ________________________ _____Check Payable to PIA _____ M/C

_____ Visa _____ AMEX _____ DIS

Card #_______________________________________________________ Exp. Date ______________________ Return to: PIAW, 6401 Odana Rd., Madison, WI 53719 Fax: 608-274-8195 Register online www.piaw.org Confirmation will be emailed upon receipt of registration. No refunds without 7 days notice, substitutions only.

Call PIA for assistance. 1-800-261-7429 MARCH 13 19

Certified Insurance Counselor Each Approved for 20 Wisconsin CE Credits Commercial Property

LIFE & HEALTH

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May 1-3, 2013 Radisson / Oneida Casino – Green Bay, WI 920-494-7300 $99 rate through 4/14/13 includes full breakfast

• commercial property coverages • commercial property cause of loss forms • COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ENDORSEMENTS Patrick Deem, CIC

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• life insurance concepts

• health insurance concepts Daniel Engelhardt, CIC, CFP, LUTCF, LIC, RFC

• time element coverages • commercial inland marine coverages Marjorie Segale, CIC, CISR, RPLU, ACSR, AFIS, CRIS, CISC

• long term care insurance • disability income insurance • business continuation and succession planning Hudson Clayton Bush

• businessowners policies • commercial property case study John Dismukes, CIC, CPCU, AII, AIS

• RETIREMENT PLANNING AND ANNUITIES • PLANNING FOR PERSONAL NEEDS Fred Stoor, CIC

WI CE Course # 66246

Day One: 8:00 – 5:15

WI CE Course # 66244

Day Two: 8:00 – 5:00

Day Three: 8:00 – noon, Optional Exam 2:00 – 4:00

$390.00 per Institute. Register at www.piaw.org or call 800-261-7429.

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GrowandYo u r A ge n c y

Improve

Your M a rk e t i n g

by Tracking These 12 Items Independent agents should be winning in the personal lines marketplace, even dominating. Is there any other industry where companies selling just one option have a majority of the market share over other companies in that industry selling multiple options of the same product?

Think of cars, ice cream, or appliances.

The company selling multiple brands consistently beats companies selling just one option.

by Chuck Blondino

A

And yet, in the world of personal lines insurance where independent agencies have multiple insurance carriers to sell and choose from, independent agents have around 33% of the personal lines market share. (A.M. Best 2011 data) It’s been this way for 5 years, almost no movement. Many agencies claim they’re growing a little, but it takes 1.7% growth per year just to keep up with the population increase and stay flat with market share. (US Census Bureau, 2000 to 2010 population annual growth average)

Marketing an independent agency is different from marketing an insurance company. Large insurance companies need to drive greater name recognition. But like all small businesses, insurance agencies need to be more efficient, more cost effective. Simply put, your marketing efforts should be the result of knowing where your new business comes from, and how much revenue you make from the new business, so you can focus on how to drive in more and keep more.

While most agencies change little in size of their personal lines books, there are a select few high growth agencies consistently increasing their total personal lines books by 10 to 24%. (Safeco NW Region top 25 personal lines high growth agencies study in 2011) Comparing these commonalities of these agencies, it’s clear that they stand out in their tactics of sales methods, training, and support. One thing really was truly unique: These agencies tracked their marketing efforts and knew what was effective and what was not. (For the purposes of this article we’ll keep the discussion to personal lines, but many of the tracking metrics that follow will work for commercial as well.)

To gain back some of that market share, independent agents will need to get more effective with their marketing. Let’s take a look at what the high growth agencies specifically track to help achieve their high growth numbers. These tracking methods can help you grow too.

24 MARCH 13

These to 25 growth agencies tracked 12 common items. They fall into 3 categories: new business, average revenue per client, and retention. Here’s a look into each of the 12, along with a few key target examples so you can see how you compare. As you read through this, put a mental check mark by all that you’re currently tracking in your agency.

New Business Item 1: Total new business items—This is fairly easily tracked through agency management systems. Most can say how many new policies were written. But it gets tougher from here.

Item 2: Where each new policy comes from—Here’s the big one. The most important question each person must ask on every call is, “How did you hear about us?” Everyone knows it. Without this, everything else falls apart. You can tell where the business comes from, what ad dollars are most effective, where to focus your efforts and more, just from this question. Once asked, then the tracking begins. The more detailed you get, the more you’ll learn. Here are 10 basic tracking categories: Total new business items 1. # from cross sell efforts 2. # from client referrals 3. # from mortgage referrals 4. # from real estate referrals 5. # from walk ins 6. # from phone books 7. # from print ads 8. # from website 9. # from Facebook 10. # from other You can also track on a much deeper level. You can break out referral leads by each producer’s clients. You can track referrals by individual mortgage companies, real estate agencies, title companies and credit unions. This helps you understand which centers of influence are high quantity referral sources and thus where to spend time enhancing relationships. Or you can view the low production sources so you can either change focus or drop the lead source completely.

Item 3: Close ratio by category­—Learning your close ratio by category can also be a big boost. It’s clear where you should spend your time if you know for example that your close ratios for mortgage companies and certain captive agent referrals are near 80% and other methods are at 25%.

Some of these agents who track close ratios know that their client referrals are closing around 70%, while other agencies know they close client referrals at 35%. Digging further, those with the higher close ratios are only considering true client referrals to be those where the person referred is calling for a quote. Agencies with the lower close ratio are accepting any name and phone number given by a client as a referral, but this means that the prospect may or may not be ready to look into insurance at the time you call, and the agency is spending resources to continue to call and follow up on each lead. Both methods can work, and several agents say that they want to encourage the behavior of giving any referral.

But if you are tracking everything, at least you’ll know which ones are most effective.

Item 4: Monthly close ratio by producer—This is an excellent training tool. If you know your agency closes referrals at 55%, but that your 3 producers are closing referrals at close ratios of 70%, 50% and 35%, then you’ll know where you should focus your sales training internally. Sounds easy, but you can’t do this if you don’t track close ratios!

Average revenue per client Item 5: Total premium—Another easy one to track. This needs to be done for all personal lines in the agency, not just by carrier, so compile the totals and read on.

Item 6: Total policies—Also easy to track by totaling all of your policies by carrier into one agency number.

Item 7: Total number of clients—This equates to total households. Pull the total number of addresses from your agency management system to get this tally.

Item 8: Average number of policies per client—Divide total policies into the total number of clients to get this number.

This is one of the most helpful statistics you have to tell you how your team is cross selling your book. A rough average of number of policies per client to use is 1.6. If you’re averaging 1.4, you know that one of the first things you should do is a big cross sell effort throughout your book. Cross selling boosts both new business and retention so if your average policies per client are 1.6 or less you should focus your marketing efforts here first.

What is the high end ceiling for average policies per client?

Very few agencies average 3 or more policies per personal lines client. It’s challenging to move your book one tenth of a point in this category. But if you track it monthly and can see growth over 3 months of 1.72, 1.73, 1.74, you know you’re making solid progress on cross selling. If not, you may want to do some cross selling mailings with phone call follow ups. Or it may show a need for you to do more internal sales training on cross selling to protect your clients properly.

Item 9: Average premium per policy­—To find this amount, divide total premium by total number of policies.

Item 10: Average revenue per client—This is more challenging, but it’s the jewel of tracking numbers for every agency. To determine the average revenue per client, multiply the average premium per policy by average policies per client. For example, if your average premium per policy is $1000, and your average policies per client is 1.6, then your average premium per client is $1600.

Now multiply your average premium per client by your average commission. For example, $1600 average premium per client times your average commission of 13% would equate to average revenue per client like this: $1600 x .13 = $208 average agency revenue per client.

What is a good target range for average revenue per client in personal lines? Heavy non-standard agencies selling (continued on page 26) MARCH 13 25

Grow Your Agency (continued from page 25) mostly monoline auto will be in the $140 - $180 range. In low catastrophe areas average preferred agencies will see $190 to $240. In more affluent areas or places with increased catastrophe exposure the average revenue per client is higher, averaging $280 to $325 per client.

Once you know this number, and you know where your business comes from, you can easily track your return on your investment. Agents who know these numbers are shooting for a 1 to 1 first year return on all of their marketing. For example, if you’re spending $1000 per month on phone book ads, and your average revenue per client is $200, then you know you need to write 5 new clients each month to get a 1 to 1 return.

If you’re not, then you may want to consider shrinking your marketing in that area. If your newsletters are driving a 1 to 1 first year return or better based on the increased referral traffic, then you know your marketing there is paying off.

Retention Item 11: Retention for your entire book each month—To determine your monthly average retention, you’ll need to know:

Item 12: Average length of time clients stay with you— Determine the number of years each client has been with you.

Tracking in whole years as opposed to months is easier when you start. Add up all the years clients have been with you (this will be big). Then divide that total and divide by the number of clients you have. This will give you the average length of time clients stay with you. Excellent marketing tactics should deliver a $1.00 return for every $1.00 spent or better in the first year, but you get a much better picture for how profitable your marketing is when you know how long you retain your clients on average.

Keep tracking each of these metrics and you’ll enjoy seeing how your monthly report card can drive growth and stronger profitability. n Chuck Blondino is the Northwest Region Marketing Director for Safeco Insurance, Member of Liberty Mutual Group. Chuck can be reached at Chuck.Blondino@Safeco.com. This article reflects the views of the author and is not an official statement by Safeco Insurance.

• Total policies from 12 months ago • Total policies as of the last month end • New business total policies written over the past 12 months For example, let’s say 12 months ago you had 1000 policies.

At the end of the 12 months ending last month you had 1150 policies. Subtract the 250 policies you wrote new over the 12 months from the ending total of 1150 and you kept 900 or 90% of the original 1000. (Be sure you’re not counting rewrites as new!)

Is focusing on retention worth it? Here’s how to find out.

Multiply your current annual revenue by your current retention rate. Do that over 10 years. Don’t add in new business; just see what happens to your current book over 10 years. Then multiply the same starting annual revenue by a retention number 3 points higher over 10 years, and calculate the difference. Here’s what it looks like for a $1 million revenue agency that moves it’s retention from 88% to 91%: $1,000,000 Rev.

88.0%

91.0%

Difference

1st Year Income

880,000

910,000

30,000

2nd Year Income

774,400

826,100

53,700

3rd Year Income

681,472

753,571

72,099

4th Year Income

599,695

685,750

86,054

5th Year Income

527,732

624,032

96,300

6th Year Income

464,404

567,869

103,465

7th Year Income

408,676

516,761

108,085

8th Year Income

359,635

470,253

110,618

9th Year Income

316,478

427,930

111,451

10th Year Income

278,501

389,416

110,915 882,689

26 MARCH 13

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AUTO • HOME • BUSINESS • LIFE • HEALTH MARCH 13 27

Attention Utica E&O Policy Holders:

Through a new partnership with Vertafore, PIAW is offering FREE access to Sircon online licensing and continuing education management services.

The following PIAW education classes are approved for Utica’s premium discount.

Please contact Darcy at PIA for details.

1-800-261-7429 or dbrown@piaw.org

Login to: www.piaw.org and get started today!

USING SIRCON SERVICES, YOU CAN: • APPLY FOR A LICENSE • RENEW YOUR LICENSE • LOOK UP AVAILABLE COURSES • CHECK LICENSE RENEWAL STATUS • CHECK LICENSE APPLICATION STATUS • REQUEST A LETTER OF CERTIFICATION CERTIFI • UPDATE YOUR NAME OR ADDRESS • FIND YOUR LICENSE NUMBER/NPN • CHECK YOUR STATUS WITH A STATE • MAINTAIN YOUR FIRM ASSOCIATION • UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS • UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS • PRINT YOUR LICENSE

• Any CIC Update • CIC Agency Management • CISR Agency Operations • Dynamics of Service • PIAW Ethics and E&O Seminars • PIAW Conducted In-House Seminars

Education Schedule: www.piaw.org or 1-800-261-7429

© 2011 Vertafore, Inc. Vertafore, the Vertafore logo and design, Unleash your potential, and the Vertafore trademarks listed are owned by Vertafore, Inc.

On Deadline: How to deliver results when they're due Meeting deadlines shows that you take your work seriously and that you value other people's time.

Even outside of work, the ability to keep your promises on time shows your commitment to doing the right thing. Here are some important tips for hitting your deadlines (without driving yourself to exhaustion): Start with specifics. What exactly is the deadline?

Clarify whether "end of the week" means 5 p.m. Friday or first thing Friday morning.

And hammer down the results: What does your boss want/ How will he or she measure your effectiveness?

•

• Negotiate. Is the deadline realistic? Try not to accept an assignment you can't complete on time. Suggest alternative dates, or work out what other tasks you should put on hold in order to give the deadline the attention it deserves.

• Break the task down. Take a look at what's involved, and identify the individual steps you need to take in order to achieve your goal. Lay them out on a 28 MARCH 13

calendar in step-by-step form so you know what you've got to achieve, and you can monitor your progress.

• Get started. Don't procrastinate on step one. Focus on beginning without getting overwhelmed by the number of steps or the magnitude of the task ahead of you.

• Build in a buffer. As you schedule your work, give yourself a cushion of time—mark the due date a few days ahead of the actual deadline, for example.

This will help you deal with changes or last minute emergencies.

• Stay in contact. Let your boss or whomever you're accountable to, know where you are on the project.

He or she will fee more confident about your abilities, and you'll be able to alert the powers that be about potential roadblocks before they become full-blown crises threatening the deadline.

• Enlist assistance. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Your boss, a friend, or a co-worker will probably be willing to pitch in if you explain the circumstances and the stakes honestly.

From the President (continued from page 3) Our Membership Committee along with our great staff at PIAW and PIA National, work to find ways to attract and retain our membership. The committee contacts prospects and current members to discuss member benefits. The committee, along with our board of directors, is always discussing how to create new resources and benefits for the issues our agency and company partners face each day. As I have said before, we make up the finest association in the state making a difference together.

The Legislative Committee continues to enhance the ongoing relationships with the OCI, the chairperson of the Senate and Assembly Insurance Committees, and the Governor’s office. Several members of the committee attended “Business Day In Madison” back on February 13th – sponsored by the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce association. The line up of speakers was excellent, which included Governor Walker. Consider joining us for the annual “Day On the Hill” co-sponsored by WAHU (Wisconsin Association of Health Underwriters) and PIA. The event is being held at the Concourse Hotel in Madison on Tuesday, March 19th. Join us and take the opportunity to also make legislative visits that afternoon. We will offer a scholarship again to a PIA member to attend the Federal Legislative Summit (FLS) in Washington D.C. The FLS is where all the PIA state affiliates come together on Capitol Hill to lobby for our members with their U.S. Senators and Representatives. The FLS takes place in mid April and I am looking forward to attending this event.

As you can see, PIA stands committed to its members – YOU! We can all make a difference together to help our members and our industry. Thank you for being a member of our awesome association. HAPPY EASTER to you!

Get 24 WI CE Credits on a NEW-NAIFA CE cruise

For more information, visit www.cecruise.org

Choose 5 of 9 to improve your 9 to 5.

CISR EDUCATION FOR INSURANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS

It still takes 5 courses to earn a CISR designation but now you have the flexibility of 9 course options. This allows you to focus on what’s important to you. We understand not everyone learns the same way or even at the same pace, so we offer courses in the classroom, online and in-house.

Find out how CISR can improve your 9 to 5. Call or visit us on the web today.

• • • • • • • • •

Commercial Casualty I Commercial Casualty II Insuring Commercial Property Insuring Personal Auto Exposures Insuring Personal Residential Property Personal Lines Miscellaneous Agency Operations Elements of Risk Management Life & Health Essentials

www.piaw.org 1-800-261-7429 MARCH 13 29

2013 PIAW Charity SchoolKits for Kids

30 MARCH 13

Donate School Supplies

How to make a difference

M

to Your Local Schools

Many elementary students start their first day of school with no pencils, crayons, paper, or a back pack to bring their school papers to and from school.

Teachers are faced with seeing this on a daily basis and many times reaching into their own pockets to purchase supplies for a young student. They will spend about $350-400 out-of-pocket on supplies for their students.

Young children feel embarrassed when they do not have the same things that other kids do, and this is amplified especially when they do not have simple things such as new crayons, their own supply of paper, or their own bottle of glue. These simple things that many of us think are easily attainable can make a child feel ashamed about coming to school to simply learn.

For the past several years PIA of Wisconsin has asked our 600+ agency members and our 50+ company members to help us sponsor a charity. This year the PIAW is partnering with the Salvation Army in putting together SchoolKits for Kids. We will begin our campaign April 1st and run this until July 1st.

PIAW and the Salvation Army are very excited about partnering for this need.

When you decide that your agency would like to participate, contact piacharity@bmpr.com. We will have you matched up with your local Salvation Army. They will work with you to gather donations, provide you a place to drop off items so these supplies stay in your local community and schools. We will also have a volunteers from the Salvation Army available at designated times at the

by Jodi Cordes, PIA Public Relations Committee annual convention at the Chula Vista in August if you would rather to drop off items at this time.

The biggest need for school supplies is for elementary students through 8th grade. Items needed include: • Crayons • Scissors (blunt ended for younger kids, pointed for the older ones) • No. 2 Pencils (Stick with classic pencils) • Small handheld pencil sharpeners • Erasers • Water-based markers • White glue/glue sticks • Highlighters • Loose-leaf Paper • Notebooks • Folders • Rulers • Construction paper • Box for younger kids to hold supplies • Backpacks Please join the PIAW in the SchoolKits for Kids effort. Contact piacharity@bmpr. com if you will be participating in our annual charity. There will be materials available for you to help the campaign to get the word out to your community and customers.

As you collect items let the PIAW office know how you are doing with the number of supplies and backpacks you collect. Share pictures of your efforts so we can share with others. Your local newspaper will usually be happy to run a story on your generous efforts.

Individually we can all make a difference; together we can make a statement! n MARCH 13 31

2013 Ethics & Hot Topics Anyone Can Attend! All Approved for the Utica Premium Discount!

4 Credit CE Day: $65 PIA Member / $90 Non Member 8 Credit CE Day: $145 (includes lunch) The full days, also known as William T. Hold Seminars, are an approved CISR update option.

No dues required.

John Dismukes CIC, CPCU, AAI, AIS

Patrick Deem, CIC

march 21

Hilton Garden Inn – Milwaukee Legal & Ethical Responsibilites (Patrick Deem) 4 WI Ethics CE - Course #64288

8:00 – 11:45 a.m.

april 30

Cranberry Country Lodge – Tomah 8:00 – 4:15 p.m.

Things I Wish I Knew 40 Years Ago: Personal & Commercial Lines, E&O Prevention, Ethics (John Dismukes) 8 WI CE, 3 of 8 Ethics - Course #s 67952 & 67953

NOVEMBER 12 Radisson – Green Bay 8:00 – 4:15 p.m.

Insuring Toys, Certificates of Insurance Additional Insureds, Workers Compensation (John Dismukes) 8 WI CE – Course # Coming December 10

Hilton Garden Inn – Milwaukee 1:00 – 4:45 p.m.

Ethics & Legal Considerations (John Dismukes) 4 WI Ethics CE – Course #61059

For more information & registration options please visit www.piaw.org or call 1-800-261-7429

Attention CICs! Exciting update options.

CIC Graduate Ruble Seminar July 18 & 19, 2013 | Hilton Garden Inn – Milwaukee, WI October 3 & 4, 2013 | Marriott Madison West – Middleton, WI 16 WI CE (4 are optional Ethics)

visit www.piaw.org or call PIA at 1-800-261-7429

GIGGLES 32 MARCH 13

{

The trouble with jogging is that by the time you realize you're not in shape for it, it's too far to walk back. — ­­ Franklin Jones

Certified Insurance Service Representative Open to Anyone!

8 WI CE Credits Course #67877

NEW! COMMERCIAL CASUALTY 2

This course will strengthen your ability to have productive, assured interactions with your commercial customers in the area of commercial casualty exposures and coverages. You will improve your understanding in each of these areas.

• Business Auto Exposures and Coverages

April 10 • Brookfield April 11 • Green Bay

• Workers Compensation & Employers Liability Insurance Policy • Commercial Umbrella and Excess Liability Policies

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CLASS SCHEDULE

Instruction 8:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Group Lunch 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Optional Exam 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Register at www.piaw.org or call 800-261-7429

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MAPLE VALLEY MUTUAL Insurance Company “The Promise You Can Trust” Maple Valley Mutual’s vision is to be the best smaller mutual insurance carrier in northeastern Wisconsin.

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34 MARCH 13

WISCONSIN PIA IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE CPIA DESIGNATION PROGRAM The PIA of Wisconsin is a proud sponsor of the Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) professional designation program. The CPIA designation is comprised of a series of Insurance Success Seminars. These three, one-day workshops teach practical "before", "during", and "after" the sale techniques for insurance producers, sales managers, account managers and company marketing representatives.

Participants leave with ideas that will produce increased sales results immediately. In fact, The Insurance Success Seminars are guaranteed: Implement the principles covered in these sessions and experience a 20% increase in personal production within six months, or your registration fee will be refunded!

To maintain the CPIA designation, CPIA’s must fulfill an update every two years by attending an Agency Management Boot Camp, or attend one of the core Insurance Success Seminars, or attend a Pro-to-Pro Retreat, or maintain an active membership in the AIMS Society.

The AIMS Society is a national organization dedicated to providing interactive marketing and sales training, ongoing resources and networking opportunities to insurance professionals.

You can attend the CPIA courses in any order. No Test. Approved for 7 Wisconsin CE credits.

CPIA 1 - Position for Success

CPIA 2 – Implement for Success

CPIA 3 - Sustain Success

During this program, participants are encouraged to focus on internal and external factors affecting the development of effective business development plans.

Factors discussed include a review of the state of the insurance marketplace; analysis of competitive pressures; necessary insurance carrier underwriting criteria; and consumer expectations and understanding.

During this session participants will be provided with specific tools for analyzing consumer needs; will learn to utilize risk identification techniques to gather pertinent prospect information; will develop skills necessary to assimilate information gathered into a customized protection program; and will participate in exercises designed to promote effective delivery of proven solutions.

This program focuses on fulfilling the implied promises contained in the insuring agreement. Students will review methods of providing evidence of insurance coverage; will discuss policies and procedures for controlling errors and omissions including policy review and delivery, endorsements, claims-processing, and handling of client complaints. This course includes a review of the Professional Expectations; the Law of Agency; and Legal and Ethical Standards.

CPIA 2 – May 1, 2013 CPIA 3 – September 11, 2013

Radisson Kelmann Corporation CPIA CPIA11 - November 9, 2011 CPIA 2 - February 15, 2012 CPIA 3 - August 1, 2012

Green Bay, WI Wauwatosa, WI Radisson Marriott Madison West Grand Geneva Resort Fall 2012 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton, WI Middleton, WI Lake Geneva, WI Dates to be Announced Course Schedule 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

8:30 – 4:30 Lunchp.m.

On Your Own 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Registration Fee per Seminar: Includes Materials, Coffee in the AM & Soda in the PM at > PIA Member $155.00 or call PIA at 1-800-261-7429 Register www.piaw.org > Non Member $190.00

Fee Per Course (does not include lunch): PIA Member $155.00 / Non Member $190

Register at www.piaw.org or call PIA at 1-800-261-7429

MARCH 13 35

O n -L i n e E d u c a t i o n On-Line educatiOn OppOrtunities thrOugh piaW

All Open to Anyone & Everyone !

For The New Employee (MERG) – no CE

[

New Agency Employee Orientation F o r T h eService New Employee (MERG) - NO Delivering •Quality N e w A g e n c y E m p l o y e e O r i e n t a t i o n Open Personal Lines • D e Coverage l i v e r i n g Q uBasics ality Service tO Commercial Lines • P e r s o nCoverage a l L i n e s CBasics overage Basics • C o m m e r c i a l L i n e s C o v e r a g e B a s i c sAnyOne

Pre-Licensing Pre-Licensing • Insurance • Insurance • Securities • S e c u r i t i e s

CE

[

• • • •

WI CE William T. Hold Seminars Willia m T. Hold– 4Se min a r s – 4 WI C E

• Variety • Vof a r Topics iety of 12 Topics

Flood – 4 WI CE

Floo d – 4 WI CE • NFIP Approved • NFIP Approved Ethics – 4 WI CE

Ethics – 4 WI CE

CISR C I SOnLine R O–n8LWIi nCEe – 8 W I C E • • • • •

• Comm e r c i a l CResidential a s u a l t y I Property Insuring Personal • Comm e r c i a l CAuto a s u aExposures l t y II Insuring Personal •

I n s u r i n g C o m m e r c i al Property Insuring Commercial Property • Insurance Personal Residential Property Insuring • I n s u rCommercial i n g P e r s o n aCasualty l A u t o E Exposures xposures Agency • P e r sOperations onal Lines Miscellaneous • Agency Operations

For more information and registration visit www.piaw.org or call (800) 261•7429.

For more information and registration visit www.piaw.org or call (800) 261-7429 MARCH 12 21

36 MARCH 13

Colors: Black • Modified By: PMH File Location: PrepressMAIN:Active:R:Rockford Mutual Insurance Company_RMIC:RMIC-Ads:RMIC-Ad_3-625x5_WI Pro Comments:

the agent is our customer ► We strive to provide one-stop shopping to our agents by meeting both their Personal and Commercial Lines insurance needs.

► All our initiatives are focused on making it

easy to do business with us, with the goal of helping our agents grow their revenues.

Since 1896

ROCKFORDMUTUAL I N S U R A N C E C O M P A N Y Putting Lives Back Together

SM

When the unexpected happens...

► We firmly believe that the independent agent model is the best distribution channel for our products both today and in the future.

M U T U A L

I N S U R A N C E

For information about becoming a Partners Mutual Insurance agent, please contact our marketing department at Schumann.Lyn@PartnersMutual.com 20935 Swenson DriveWaukesha, WI 53186www.partnersmutual.com an affiliate of Penn National Insurance

Where Better Service Matters  Since 1931

Rely on RMIC

Contact our Marketing Department at 815-489-3158 Rockford Mutual Insurance Company P.O. Box 5626 • Rockford, IL 61125 www.rockfordmutual.com

MARCH 13 37

PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS OF WISCONSIN, INC.

OFFICERS

DIRECTORS Mr. Dennis Kuhnke, CIC, CPIA PIAW National Director Jack C. Loyda & Associates, Ltd. 4414 N. Oakland Ave. Shorewood, WI 53211 Phone 414-332-5150 Fax 414-332-7267 dkuhnke@loyda.com

Mr. Jeff J. Glass, Vice President A.F. Glass Insurance Agency PO Box 1149 Lake Geneva, WI 53147 Phone 262-248-5555 Fax 262-248-5544 jglass@glassinsurancecenter.com

Mr. John W. Klinzing, CIC Affiliated Ins. Agencies of WI, LLC 3830 Atwood Ave. Madison, WI 53714 Phone 608-310-3924 Fax 608-441-8787 johnk@affiliatedllc.com

Ms. LouAnn Herriges, CIC, CISR Treasurer Johannesen-Farrar Inc. PO Box 347 Delavan, WI 53115 Phone 262-728-2631 Fax 262-728-2312 louannh@jfinsurance.com

Mr. Brian MacGillis, CPIA MacGillis Agency, Inc. W3934 County Highway H PO Box 100 Fredonia, WI 53021-0100 Phone 262-790-0000 Fax 262-790-0004 brian@macgillisinsurance.com

Mr. Rick Clements, LUTCF, MDRT Secretary Clements Ins. Agency, Inc. 317 N. 6th St. Wausau, WI 54402 Phone 715-842-1664 Fax 715-848-3337 rick@clementsagency.com

Ms. Kathy M. Mulder Nolan Insurance Agency LLC PO Box 238 Brandon, WI 53919 Phone 920-346-2241 Fax 920-346-5600 kmulder@nolanins.com

Mr. Steve Rodgers Premier Insurance Services 400 E. Cedar St Pulaski, WI 54162-8828 Phone 920-822-3695 Fax 920-822-1177 srodgers@premiercommunity.com Mr. Dennis Rupers, CIC, CISR Don Rick, Inc. PO Box 465 Portage, WI 53901 Phone 608-742-5548 Fax 608-742-5540 dennis@don-rick.com Ms. Kori Sagen Sagen & Associates 1002 1st Center Avenue Brodhead, WI 53520 Phone 608-897-9100 Fax 866-803-5135 kori@sageninsurance.com

STAFF PIA of Wisconsin, Inc. 6401 Odana Road Madison WI 53719 Phone: 608-274-8188 Toll Free: 800-261-7429 Fax: 608-274-8195 Toll Free Fax: 866-203-7461 www.piaw.org Ronald Von Haden, CIC Executive Vice President rvonhaden@piaw.org Mandy Behrens Administrative Assistant mbehrens@piaw.org Darcy Brown Member Benefits Coordinator dbrown@piaw.org Heather Falk, CISR Bookkeeping hfalk@piaw.org Becca Prestbroten Special Project Coordinator bprestbroten@piaw.org Brenda Steinbach Education & Convention Director bsteinbach@piaw.org

20-22

CIC COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Milwaukee (20 WI CE)

21

ETHICS Milwaukee (4 WI Ethics CE)

27

SOCIAL MEDIA SEMINAR Appleton

10, 11

CISR COMMERCIAL CASUALTY #2 Brookfield, Green Bay (8 WI CE)

1-3

CIC LIFE & HEALTH Green Bay (20 WI CE)

14, 15, 16

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE REFORM Rothschild, Green Bay, Brookfield (4 WI CE)

12-14

CIC Agency management Milwaukee (20 WI CE–4 are Ethics)

19, 20, 21

CISR AGENCY OPERATIONS Brookfield, Green Bay, Madison (8 WI CE)

17

CISR LIFE & HEALTH Milwaukee (8 WI CE)

June 2013

May 2013

1 CPIA Green Bay (7 WI CE)

July 2013

August 2013

38 MARCH 13

Mr. Trey Neher, CIC, CISR THZ Insurance Group 420 E. Northland Ave. Appleton, WI 54911 Phone 920-730-0123 Fax 920-833-6870 tneher@thzins.com

1 YPC Brewer Game Milwaukee

September 2013

Coming Events

April 2013

March 2013

Ms. Tracy A. Oestreich, CIC, AU, CPIA President Anderson Ins. Associates, Inc. W177N9856 Rivercrest Dr., Ste. 215 Germantown, WI 53022 Phone 262-789-8500 Fax 262-754-6038 tracyo@iaanetwork.com

18-19 CIC/ruble Milwaukee (16 WI CE, 4 of 16 optional Ethics) 31

64 th ANNUAL CONVENTION Wisconsin Dells

1-2

64 th ANNUAL CONVENTION Wisconsin Dells

10

CISR AGENCY operations Rothschild (8 WI CE)

11

CPIA Wauwatosa (7 WI CE)

11, 12

CIC AGENCY MANAGEMENT Rothschild (20 WI CE)

24, 25

CISR PERSONAL AUTO Green Bay, Brookfield (8 WI CE)

Š 2013 Society Insurance

One experienced employee.

Small detail. Big difference.

On average, Society underwriters remain with the company for more than 10 years, giving you the full benefit of our knowledge and expertise. Meanwhile at other insurance companies, the position is more likely to turn over a few times.

And when you’re a busy agent trying to get the job done right, that can feel like a few times too many. If you agree that details like these can make a big difference, give us a call at 888-5-SOCIETY or visit societyinsurance.com.

6401 Odana Road Madison, WI 53719 Change Service Requested

Professional Insurance Agents of Wisconsin, Inc. 6401 Odana Road • Madison, WI 53719 (608) 274-8188 • (800) 261-PIAW • FAX (608) 274-8195 • TOLL FREE FAX: (866) 203-7461 www.piaw.org

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Agency Name_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address_______________________________________________ PO Box_______________________________________________________ City, State, Zip_______________________________________________ County_______________________________________________________ Phone_______________________________________________________ FAX_________________________________________________________ E-mail Address_______________________________________________ Website Address______________________________________________

Primary Contact Information:

The Primary Contact will receive a copy of the Wisconsin Professional Agent magazine and all mailings from PIA State and National.

The Primary Contact will have voting privileges at both PIA State and National.

Name & Designation

DOB

Gender

Employment Status

Part-time

Magazine

Nat’l Voting

Privilege

o o

Male Female

o o

o

Corporation

Licensed Owner Licensed Producer

INCL INCL

o

Agency Information: Agency Type:o Sole Owner

o

Top 3 P&C Companies (list in order)

Partnership

Other Association affiliated with_____________________________

1)__________________________ 2)__________________________ 3)____________________________

Which Agency Management System are you using____________________ E&O Carrier_______________________________________Exp. Date______________ Annual P&C Prem. Vol._____________________________

Calculate Membership Amount Due:

Part-time employees count as one-half. If count ends in half, drop half. # Owners_________+ # Producers_________+ # Licensed staff_________+ # Unlicensed staff_________= Total Agency Size_______________ DUES SCHEDULE

Total Agency Size $Amount Total Agency Size $ Amount 1 335 16 890 2 375 17 930 3 415 18 965 4 450 19 1005 5 490 20 1030 6 525 21 1070 7 570 22 1105 8 605 23 1145 9 640 24 1180 10 675 25 1220 11 710 26 1255 12 750 27 1295 13 780 28 1330 14 815 29 1370

15 855 30 & Over 1400 I certify that the information on this application is true and correct.

Signed_______________________________ Dated_______________________

Total Amount from Dues Schedule $_______________ Send:

o

Check

o

MC

o

VISA

o

DIS

o

AMEX

Card No._________________________________________________________ Exp. Date_________________________________________________________ Name as it appears on card:__________________________________________________ Billing address if different from above: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Payments to PIA are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. However, they may be deductible under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code as a business expense.