September 2015 Wisconsin Professional Agent

professional agent SEPTEMBER | 2015

What’s Inside?

Be a People Manager....... 12 "Error or Omission"............. 16 Overcome Common........... 20 Sales Obstacles Education Section (see yellow tab pages)..... 22 Labor vs. Leisure................ 32 A Producers Role............... 34 PIAW Legislative................ 36 Conduit

Digital Editions of PIAW Magazine Available at www.piaw.org

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2 SEPTEMBER 15

From the

President Rick Clements, LUTCF, MDRT — President, PIA of Wisconsin

Let's Get the Word Out! “INSURANCE IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK”. I AM PROUD to be PIA. I came from a background in the captive agency and have seen both sides of the industry. The independent agency system is the best. PIA is a vital part promoting and maintaining that system.

My focus this year as your president is twofold: 1 – Develop a plan to engage the next generation 2 – Create new ways to tell the PIA value story This will be the work of the vairous commitees and the board. You can help. This is a people helping people business and I know many of you have stories of how you helped a person, a family or a business. Tell your story. If we all don’t let others know, especially the next generation, who will?

There were networking opportunities and great CE classes including a mock E&O trial put on by actual lawyers in that field. There was a trade show with many vendors and companies willing to discuss ways to help your agencies. There were also several great motivational and educational speakers.

Our committees are comprised of member agents and company reps who get their direction from the rest of the membership. The committees then report to the Board who take action on what the membership has dictated they want.

Come to the committee kick-off meeting September 9th at the Marriot West in Middleton from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. In three hours you will have the opporutinity to see what the PIA is made up of and hear what the various committees do.

For those that were at the annual convention in Wisconsin Dells you were able to hear my story and see what the PIA does for its members and our industry.

I ask you, what are the ways the association needs to adapt so that it can still remain important in the lives of agents and address those future generations? What are your thoughts on the PIA of the future? Please feel free to send your comments to me ( rick@clementsagency.com) or our Executive VP Ron Von Haden (rvonhaden@piaw.org) .

There was a great golf outing organized by PIA Young Professionals to raise money for scholarships for those going into the insurance field.

I would hope that each of you would feel a part of this great associaton, believe in its purpose and be proud to say “I am PIA”.

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SEPTEMBER 15 3

Memos from

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

Ax the Tax! PIA Agency Marketing Guide: By now PIAW members should have received the latest edition of the PIA Agency Marketing Guide. This guide focuses on case studies of independent insurance agents working in communities across America. These agents have agreed to share their secrets to success so that other agents can learn from their experiences.

Agents looking for practical advice on how to leverage new technologies will find many concrete tactics in this publication. Agents looking for creative twists on more traditional marketing tactics will also find much to learn. Agents looking for help with their digital marketing will find guidance on marketing automation; marketing to mobile devices; leveraging online reviews, video and visual content; advertising on Facebook and practical tips for using social media to build their brand and find new clients. Remember that you may also read current and past editions of the PIA Agency Marketing Guide online at www.PIAAgencyMarketingGuide.com.

AX THE CADILLAC TAX. A looming new tax imposed on high cost insurance plans under the federal health care law is scheduled to take effect in 2018. It’s a 40% excise tax to employers on individual policies costing more than $10,200 a year and a family policy which costs over $27,500 per year.

Both the employer and the worker’s contributions are counted toward the cost and the tax is levied on the amount above the $10,200 threshold. For example, a plan that costs $15,200 would be taxed on the $5,000 that was above the threshold, resulting in a $2,000 tax liability. The imposition of such a tax would immediately push employers to reduce health cover-

age for employees to stay below the value limits. Obviously, that would cause more out-of-pocket expenditures for those who have their insurance coverage reduced.

Republicans, Democrats, unions and employers, including the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and municipal government entities have joined together to mount an offensive against the tax.

Critical to the discussion is the fact that the anticipated tax income is an important source of funding for the Affordable Care Act. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the tax will generate $87 Billion over a decade. Elimination of the tax could create a huge hole in ACA funding.

PIA National is committed to working on elimination of the tax. In May of this year, PIA sent a letter to the IRS, offering valuable comments on the proposed tax and suggestions for reducing the impact on consumers. PIA agrees that controlling health care costs is important but says the tax would have a disparate impact on certain classes of individuals and employers. The letter cited a survey estimating the tax would impact 31% of employers in 2018 and 51% of employers by 2022.

You can be certain that there will be a lot of noise in Congress in the coming months about the impact of this new tax. You can also be certain that nothing will be done by Congress until their back is up against the implementation date.

AND REMEMBER …..A GOVERNMENT THAT CAN GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT CAN ALSO TAKE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE.

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SEPTEMBER 15 5

From the

Boardroom Jodi Cordes, CIC, CRM — Treasurer, PIA of Wisconsin

The Richest Man in Town WOW!!!!! This year’s convention was another success. I hope those that attended the convention were also able to see VJ Smith. VJ shared a very heartfelt story about Marty, a man that affected many lives as a cashier at Walmart. I laughed, I cried, and I left with the thought “this is how my parents and grandparents were raised, respect people”. If we just make some simple changes in how each of us treat others on a daily basis, our personal lives would be more fulfilled, our businesses would be more successful, and we could change someone’s life that we don’t even know. Look people in the eye… Listen, really listen… And say Thank You! I wanted to share some of the things I learned about Marty, which VJ shared in his presentation and in his book, The Richest Man in Town: The actions that Marty displayed in his everyday life were so simple, so meaningful to so many.

Marty was a master at making other people the center of attention.

He did something different – he actually listened to people.

He looked people right in the eye to thank them, and he sincerely meant it.

Marty believed you have to look people dead in the eye when you shake their hand.

VJ Smith summed things up with three things: • Relationships matter most in life.

• Try to do a little more.

• Only you can make you happy.

im

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In one or two minutes of time we have the opportunity to define ourselves as human beings. How many times in a day do we only have 1-2 minute conversation with our clients or co-workers? What you say in that time can be lasting. What you give, you will get all back and then some. It doesn’t cost anything to have a conversation with someone, just your time. Couldn’t you spare an extra minute if you knew it would make a difference to someone and make you feel better as a person? Make a difference and look that person in the eye, shake their hand and listen to what they have to say.

While the PIAW convention has brought many great, inspiring speakers—V.J. Smith’s story of Marty is right at the top for me. After leaving the convention, I immediately decided to read V.J.’s book, cover to cover, that Sunday evening. The story was very much as presented but it hit me more personally by having the opportunity to sit, read and absorb this story on my own. And all over again… I laughed, I cried, and I finished feeling inspired. Even if you were at this presentation, you should read this book to hear the story again. If you were not able to attend the convention, you MUST read this book. As one of Marty’s friends put it, “We need more Marty’s in this World!”

On behalf of the PIAW Board of Directors, and the Convention Committee, I would like to say THANK YOU to all those that there able to attend the convention.

And to all, plan ahead for our 2016 Winter Convention in Minocqua in February and the 2016 Annual Convention in Green Bay, with the opening kick-off party at Lambeau Field!!! I look forward in seeing you there.

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SEPTEMBER 15 7

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

Marivel Alvarez, 8727 Westfield Dr., Dallas, TX 72543, was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $500.00 and was ordered to provide certain information to OCI. These actions were taken based on allegations of failing to timely report an administrative action taken by the state of Colorado and failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI. Todd W. Bishop, 4403 Swan Ave., Wausau, WI 54401, had his insurance license revoked. This action was taken based on allegations of owing delinquent Wisconsin taxes.

Renae Grilliot, 1615 Braden Dr., Normal, IL 61761, had her application for an insurance license denied. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to retake a licensing examination and failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI.

agreed to the issuance of a two-year restricted insurance license having certain employment and reporting requirements. This action was taken based on allegations of having a criminal conviction that may be substantially related to insurance marketing type conduct.

Cindy S. Kern, 141 Butternut Dr., Strum, WI 54770, had her application for and insurance license denied. This action was taken based on allegations of having unpaid civil money judgments and failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI. Matthew R. McFadden, 3510 Custer St., Manitowoc, WI 54220, had his insurance license revoked. This action was taken based on allegations of owing delinquent Wisconsin taxes.

Xiaoling He, 3300 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Ste. 220, Norcross, GA 30092, was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $500.00. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to disclose a criminal conviction on a licensing application.

Thomas P. Reim, P.O. Box 892, Bismarck, ND 58502, had his application for an insurance license denied for 60 days. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to disclose administrative actions taken by the states of North Dakota and Wisconsin on a licensing application.

Patricia D. Hernandez, 2845 Silver Springs Ct., Yorkville, IL 60560, had her application for an insurance license denied.

This action was taken based on allegations of failing to provide evidence of resident state surplus lines licensure and failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI.

Vadim Srug, 5833 Meadowood Dr., Madison, WI 53711, had his application for insurance license denied. This action was taken based on allegations of having criminal convictions that may be substantially related to insurance marketing type conduct.

Corey P. Jansen, 718 S. Lee St., Appleton, WI 54915, had his application for an insurance license denied. This action was taken based on allegations of having criminal convictions that may be substantially related to insurance marketing type conduct.

Martin A. Stella, 185 26th Ave., Racine, WI 53403, had his insurance license revoked. This action was taken based on allegations of owing delinquent Wisconsin taxes.

Kelly M. Kallman, 4735 Stratford Dr., Greendale, WI 53129,

Matthew R. Sturm, 512 N. 10th St., Apt. 42, De Pere, WI 54115, had his application for an insurance license denied.

This action was taken based on allegations of having crimi[continued on page 10]

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OCI Administrative Actions [continued from page 8] nal convictions that may be substantially related to insurance marketing type conduct and failing to respond promptly to inquiries from OCI.

convictions to OCI.

Taahiraa Thomas, 6919 N. 40th St., Milwaukee, WI 53209, had her insurance license revoked. This action was taken based on allegations of owing delinquent Wisconsin taxes.

license reinstatement and agreed to fully comply with any res-

Joseph P. Urso, 4410 Saint Andrews Dr., Middleton, WI 53597, was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $500.00. This action was taken based on allegations of failing to timely report criminal

priating investment client funds and having pending criminal

Allegations

and

Stephen R. Voboril, 4000 S. Calhoun Rd., New Berlin, WI 53151, agreed to never reapply for Wisconsin insurance titution order that may be issued in a pending criminal case.

These actions were taken based on allegations of misapprocharges that may be substantially related to insurance marketing type conduct.

Actions Against Companies

American Retirement Life Insurance Company, 11200 Lakeline

Boston, MA, 02116, was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $500.00.

Blvd., Ste. 100, Austin, TX 78717, was ordered to cease and

This action was taken based on allegations of failing to com-

desist accepting Medicare supplement applications that do not

ply with an examination order.

comply with Wisconsin law. This action was taken based on allegations of soliciting and accepting Medicare supplement applications prior to consumer Medicare eligibility dates.

MercyCare HMO, Inc., and MercyCare Insurance Company, 580 N. Washington St., Janesville, WI 53547, agreed to pay a forfeiture of $5,000.00 and agreed to comply with Wisconsin

Employers Insurance Company of Wausau, 175 Berkeley St.,

insurance laws related to insurance premium assistance and

Boston, MA 02116, was ordered to pay a forfeiture of $500.00.

reporting requirements. These actions were taken based on

This action was taken based on allegations of failing to com-

allegations of conditioning financial inducements to certain

ply with an examination order.

consumers that were not otherwise contained in an insurance

Fidelity National Title Company, LLC, 601 Riverside Ave.,

policy and failing to timely report an acquisition.

Jacksonville, FL 32204, was ordered to pay a forfeiture of

Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin, Inc., 2400 S. 102nd St., West

$500.00 and was ordered to timely disclose administrative actions taken by other jurisdictions. These actions were taken based on allegations of failing to disclose an administrative action taken by the state of Indiana to OCI within 30 days.

Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 175 Berkeley St.,

10 SEPTEMBER 15

Allis, WI 53227, agreed to the issuance of an amended forfeiture of $500.00 and agreed to reply promptly in writing to all inquiries from OCI. These actions were taken based on allegations of six instances of failing to provide information to OCI as directed.

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To Drive Performance,

Manage the Whole Employee

by Marty Martin, Psy.D.

The term “human resources management” is essential in business. But have you noticed that the majority of the literature about the topic focuses on the “resources” and the “management” aspects but barely addresses the “human” element? As a result, most managers see their employees as resources to be managed, and not as a whole person that can contribute so much more.

Managing the whole person means acknowledging that everyone is multi-dimensional and has numerous roles to balance in life—all of which affect job performance.

However, this goes much deeper than simply work-life balance. It’s about recognizing all aspects of an employee to ensure a work-life “fit” that benefits the company and each 12 SEPTEMBER 15

individual. In fact, when you focus on the whole person rather than just on an employee’s work performance, you build more meaningful connections with employees, which results in greater loyalty and productivity. Following are some suggestions for better managing the whole employee.

See the input, not just the output, of each employee

Look at the big picture, not just the day-to-day details

When managing the whole person, you need to look beyond the person’s job description. Look beyond the output (the deadlines, the expectations, and the day-to-day job duties) and start looking at the input factors, as these determine the quality of the output.

The average full-time employee works 2,080 hours per year… at the office. That doesn’t include time the employee puts in at night and on the weekends. With all of today’s technological innovations, more and more people are connected to work 24/7, even while on vacation. As the separation between work and life becomes narrowed—what many people are referring to as a “blur” of roles—a person’s ability to focus intently on any one role becomes more difficult, resulting in errors and burnout.

Input factors are the drivers and drainers in the employees’ lives that affect their job performance. Some typical input factors include: • The employee’s best time of day to get work done • What’s going on in the employee’s family • The employee’s physical, mental, and emotional health • Other stressors the employee has, such as being a caregiver to aging parents, being pregnant, being the only income-earner in the home, etc • What community or hobby events the employee is committed to Basically, it’s about paying attention to all of the different drivers and drainers of what motivates employees to either perform at the level of acceptable performance, to go above and beyond an acceptable level of performance, or to underperform to expectations. Because all of the various inputs affect the overall output, being aware of the input makes good business sense.

Acknowledge that everyone is multi-dimensional Many managers believe that finding out about their employees’ lives outside of the work role is intrusive. They don’t want to ask personal questions for fear of appearing nosey.

The good news is that you don’t have to ask questions to find out about people. You simply have to acknowledge the clues that are all around you.

For example, if you see photos of children in someone’s office, you don’t have to ask, “Are those your kids?” You can simply comment, “Those are beautiful children.” With that one acknowledgment, most people will open up, tell you who the children are, and offer lots more personal information. Likewise, if you see sports gear stashed away in a corner of someone’s cubicle, you don’t have to ask, “Do you play tennis [or whatever sport is evident]?” Instead, you can comment, “I’ve always been interested in tennis.” Again, the person will naturally start talking about the sport, the team or league she’s on, her accomplishments, and so much more. While it’s true that most people don’t want to sit through a session of 20 questions with their manager, they do enjoy being acknowledged—not just for their work, but also for their other interests.

In many organizations the managers set the expectation for this blur because they’re not looking at the big picture of what the organization accomplishes; rather, they are focusing on the day-to-day stressors, the errors, the requests for time off, or the employee’s lunch hour that was really an hour and a half. By keeping your eye on the day-to-day details, you’re missing the big picture of what your people really contribute.

In essence, you’re adding undue stress on everyone—including yourself. Of course, details are important, but it’s also vital to take a step back and look at the big picture so you can see your employees as people and not as parts of a machine to be fixed.

Take Management to a “Whole” New Level When you put the “human” element back into human resources management, you’re acknowledging the needs of the employees so they can perform better. When employees feel recognized as more than just a number on a monthly report, they tend to give you more discretionary effort or what’s called “citizenship behavior,” where they’re supportive of other employees and of the organization as a whole.

As an added benefit, when employees are more supportive of their managers, the manager’s workload becomes less stressful too. Ultimately, the sooner you recognize all the drivers and drainers that impact people and then manage them, the sooner you’ll be able to create a high-performing team.

Dr. Marty Martin, known for his state-of-the art content presented in an engaging, dynamic fashion, has been speaking and training nationally and internationally for many years. His second book, Taming Disruptive Behavior, will be published by The American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) in 2013. He is currently working on his third book, Do You Have Career Insurance? Dr. Martin is the Director of the Health Sector Management MBA Concentration and Associate Professor in the College of Commerce at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. For more information to obtain a free chapter of Do You Have Career Insurance? please visit his website: http://www.drmartymartin.com

SEPTEMBER 15 13

THINKING FOR TOMORROW TO HELP YOU AND YOUR POLICYHOLDERS TODAY

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SEPTEMBER 15 15

When Placing Professional Liability,

don't be the one to make the

"Error or Omission"

by Curtis Pearsall

As producers look to place coverage for their clients, there is a good chance that professional liability could be one of the exposures needing attention. When most agency sales staff think of professional liability (a/k/a errors and omissions), the following classes of professional business come to mind: travel agents, real estate agents, lawyers, medical professionals, accountants and others. While these the more common, there are over 100 additional professional occupations including appraisers, engineers, pharmacists, court reporters, funeral directors, speech pathologists, consultants, therapists and teachers that have a professional liability exposure.

Identify the exposure

Complete the necessary apps

How do you know if the account has a professional liability exposure? Although you can ask the prospect, he or she could be unaware of this aspect of the exposure or may believe his or her general liability (GL) policy will afford the necessary coverage.

Most professional liability carriers will require a completed application to provide a proposal. The carrier will have its own specific application in many cases, so it is best to secure those necessary apps upfront. As with any app, accuracy is extremely critical. A producer should not look to complete these apps based on the belief that he or she knows the “correct answers.�

It is highly suggested to meet with the client, ask the questions and document the answers accordingly. The client should be asked to review the app and, if the responses to the questions look correct, the client should then sign the app.

A great way to start determining if a professional liability exposure exists is through the use of an industry exposure analysis checklist. When placing the general liability exposure, ask your carrier underwriters whether they will include a professional liability exclusion on the GL policy. This will provide some indication that there is a professional liability exposure and that the GL does not intend to cover that exposure.

16 SEPTEMBER 15

Sufficient time Most professional liability carriers will request the app 30-45 days before the expiration date. There may have been times in the past where a carrier could turn around the app in less time, but don’t count on it … especially in a hard market where the application activity could be on the rise.

Review of the proposal This is an extremely important part of the process.

Professional liability coverage is normally written on a claimsmade form. A key aspect of claims-made policies is that it is rare to find two policies that are similar. Plus, the differences can be extremely significant. For these reasons, producers should always secure a complete specimen policy from the market. This specimen policy should be provided to the prospect for review and comments.

Issues that should be reviewed include: •

What activities are covered? A key area for a potential significant difference involves the description of covered professional services. This area must be reviewed by the agency and the client when coverage is being placed ini tially or being moved to a new carrier at renewal time. Is everything that your client does included? Just because the activity was mentioned on the application does not mean coverage for that exposure is being provided.

In addition, every professional liability policy has exclusions, so these should be reviewed by the agency and the client to determine, to what degree, those exclusions are of concern.

• Who is covered? This issue, typically addressed in the definition of “who is insured,” is a common area where profes sional liability policies can vary from one carrier to another.

The differences can include positions such as the board, temporary staff, former employees, spousal coverage etc.

• Is there “full prior acts” or a “retroactive date? ” This issue is huge and has been a major issue with professional liability coverage. For coverage to potentially apply, the date of the “error or omission” must be after any applicable retroactive date as noted on the policy. In other words, there is no coverage for any wrongful act that occurred

Since 1878

prior to the retroactive date. For the customer to have coverage for all prior wrongful acts, he or she should look to secure “full prior acts” coverage. If the professional liability contains a “retroactive date,” this should be brought to the customer's attention and the significance explained. If the coverage is moved to another carrier at renewal time, the new policy should have the same retroactive date as the expiring policy. If the carrier is providing a more current retroactive date, this is significant and potentially extremely damaging to your customer. Don't be misled by the premium differences because chances are the premium will be less because, essentially, the coverage is less.

• The limits and how they work. Since there is probably no “right” limit for your client, it is best for agencies to provide options for the client to consider. In the world of professional liability, limits are provided on a per-claim and aggregate basis, so options involving both should be presented. To avoid your client exhausting his or her limits because of one claim, it is suggested to provide options where the aggregate limit is a multiple of the per-claim limit. ­• The deductible. Professional liability policies will typically require the policyholder to pay a deductible in the event of a claim. The deductible can involve defense costs and the judgment, or possibly only require payment of the deductible if the client is determined to be liable. This is an important coverage issue that should be reviewed with the client so he or she understands his or her obligations at claim time.

E&O claims involving professional liability can be huge The professional liability line of business has generated a significant amount of E&O claims activity. When they happen, they can be extremely large, well into the multi-million dollar arena. Agency staff dealing with this exposure should be well trained on the product and how it works.

Curtis M. Pearsall, CPCU, AIAF, CPIA President, Pearsall Associates Inc. and Special Consultant to the Utica National E&O Program

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Homeowners • Farmowners • Commercial • Rental Properties • Seasonal Properties • Umbrella SEPTEMBER 15 17

Outstanding CSR of the Year AWARD Congratulations to Ericka Berceau, CISR, with The Starr Group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on being selected a national finalist of the Outstanding CSR of the Year Award. On behalf of The National Alliance, PIA will present her with a gold and garnet pin and $500 cash award. Read Ericka’s winning essay at piaw.org.

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SEPTEMBER 15 19

The

Salesperson's Handbook

Five Common Sales Obstacles and How to Overcome Them

by Paul Cherry

Lucy was a brand new salesperson who wanted to make a big impression. She did everything she could think of to establish relationships with prospects and wow them with her proposals. While she was not failing as a salesperson, Lucy was certainly not leading her team in sales either. After nine months of below average performances, she knew something had to change— but what?

Veteran salespeople know that while every customer is unique, the obstacles to a sale are predictably the same and occur rather frequently. Once you understand these obstacles and the strategies to overcome them, you will have all of the tools you need to make the sale.

Obstacle 1: Identifying and Communicating with the Decision Maker(s) Too often, salespeople will focus solely on their initial contact at an organization. Whether that person is a mid-level manager or an HR executive, they are probably not the only person who is going to have input on the proposal process.

Smart salespeople know that there are usually other decision makers who will have input in the deal, and the challenge is to figure out who they are and how you can meet with them.

In order to get the information you want, you will to have to ask your current contact some questions that might seem awkward. Some questions to broach the issue are: • What is your time frame for making a final decision?

• What criteria will you be evaluating to ensure you are making the best decision?

• What measurable outcomes are you looking to achieve?

Once you are able to determine who else will be involved in the decision making process, you can ask this follow up question: “I really appreciate this insight. So that I can propose the best solution that is going to meet the needs of everyone else involved, I would love to talk with these other individuals and get their input. When can I meet with them?”

Obstacle 2: Uncovering the Budget Nothing will derail a deal faster than a mismatch between your proposal and the customer’s budget. Unfortunately, prospects are often reluctant to discuss their budgets with salespeople. It is your job to press them further to get a number, or at the very least, a range of what their budget is 20 SEPTEMBER 15

for the project. There are two options to making this happen.

You can politely—but firmly—suggest that your prospect determine their budget prior to soliciting bids. Stress the importance of an advance figure, and express your interest in receiving them before you reconnect.

This approach puts the focus on the prospect, not you. It tells them that you care about them and their financial security and you do not want them to make a mistake.

The second option involves framing the interaction through the lens of recommending a program that best suits your prospect’s needs and expectations, and expressing how budget parameters can shape the direction for both parties.

If they say they cannot give you a number because they’re not the ones putting the budget together, ask to be introduced to those who are involved in crafting the budget. This will minimize price objections later on in the process, especially when you are put in front of people who are not as concerned with budget, as they are with their ROI.

Obstacle 3: Working with Customers Who Do Not Want to Commit There is nothing more frustrating that getting ready to close a sale, only to have a customer say, “I still need to think about it.” When this happens, a seasoned salesperson knows that he or she needs to follow up on the customer’s statement. You should respond by saying: “I can understand you need to think about this. After all, it is an important decision and you need to do what is best for you and your organization. Tell me, what specifically stands out from our conversation that is of interest to you?”

The goal of this question is to get clarification on how much the prospect is really interested in what you have shared and

whether or not the prospect feels they want to move forward.

Is there sincerity in the response, or are you being blown off?

Once you get an answer to your first question, you can acknowledge that the customer has concerns, and ask them what they are. Ask what is holding them back from making a decision, and then hopefully you can help alleviate their concerns and get the sale back on track.

Obstacle 4: Understanding the Customer’s Values Too often, salespeople get stuck on the issue of price. If you sell on price, you lose on price. As soon as someone cheaper comes along, a customer will not give you a second thought before cutting you loose. Instead of getting caught up in price wars, you need to steer a customer’s attention to other issues.

This means you need to ask your customers about value. What characteristics does the organization value in a vendor? Are they most concerned with good customer service, high quality products, speedy delivery, or ease of use? Once you get a customer talking about these areas, you can determine what their needs are and how you can position yourself to get those needs met.

Obstacle 5: Establishing Your Credibility Many salespeople make the mistake of spending an initial meeting talking all about themselves and their products. This is a mistake. During an initial call, your goal should be for the prospect to do 70% of the talking. Why? For two reasons: 1. You want to hear about his/her problems, goals, concerns and ideas.

2. You want to qualify if there is a genuine opportunity with this prospect.

You cannot do either of those things if you are trying to sell during the first meeting. As much as you want to sell yourself, you should never bring out PowerPoint, samples or company literature during an initial meeting.

What should you do at an initial meeting? You should start the meeting with a unique value opening statement, which is a 30-60 second description of who you are as a company and what you do. The value opening statement should detail the benefits of your company to the prospect, the impact that hiring you will have to their organization, and an immediate follow-up question to gauge their expectations and interest.

Remember Lucy? She started to utilize these tips and strategies with her customers. She found that she was able to ask great questions of her customers and this in turn led to increased sales and increased overall performance in her office.

Paul Cherry is President of Performance Based Results and is the leading authority on customer engagement strategies. He has more than 23 years’ experience in sales training, leadership development, sales performance coaching and management coaching. He is also the author of Questions that Sell: The Powerful Process for Discovering What Your Customer Really Wants and Questions that Get Results: Innovative Ideas Managers Can Use to Improve Their Team’s Performance. For more information on Paul, please visit www.pbresults.com. You can also reach him at 302-478-4443 or cherry@pbresults.com.

SEPTEMBER 15 21

education

Certified Insurance Counselor Each Approved for 20 Wisconsin CE Credits

AGENCY MANAGEMENT

PERSONAL LINES

September 23-25, 2015 Hilton Garden Inn Milwaukee Park Place – Milwaukee, WI 414-359-9823 $98 room rate through 8/21/15.

Approved for Utica E&O Premium discount!

December 8-10, 2015 Marriott Madison West – Milwaukee, WI 888-745-2032 or online at piaw.org: Group Code PATPATA $119 single rate through 11/7 includes in room wireless internet.

• THE AGENCY AS AN ORGANIZATION John Dismukes Jr., CIC, CPCU, AAI, AIS

• PERSONAL RESIDENTIAL COVERAGES Mary LaPorte, CIC, CPCU, LIC, CPIA

• managing & sustaining financial strength • human resources Emily Huling, CIC

• agency productivity & effectiveness • LEGAL & ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES Lisa Burnside, CIC, CPCU

• PERSONAL AUTOMOBILE COVERAGES • personal umbrella/excess coverages Jerry Kennedy, CIC

• RENTAL CAR COVERAGE Russell Deaton, CIC • CONDOMINIUMS John Dismukes, CIC, CPCU, AAI, AIS

WI CE Course # 69165 Includes 4 WI Ethics Credits!

Day One: 8:00 – 5:15

WI CE Course # 69169

Day Two: 8:00 – 5:00

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

$405.00 per institute. Register at www.piaw.org or call 800-261-7429.

Utica

Gives You the Credit You Deserve!

The following PIAW education classes are approved for the Utica premium credit.

• PIAW 2015 Agency Internet Boot Camp • Any CIC Update • CIC Agency Management • CISR Agency Operations • Dynamics of Service • Select PIAW Webinars • PIAW Conducted Ethics and E&O Seminars (classroom or in house) To register online and view upcoming CE courses visit www.piaw.org

22 SEPTEMBER 15

Please contact Darcy at PIAW to find out how you can benefit from Utica’s E&O Loss Control Program. dbrown@piaw.org or 1-800-261-7429

Open to Anyone & Everyone ! www.piaw.org

For The New Employee - No CE 6-8 Week Virtual Classroom •

• • •

New Agency Employee Orientation Delivering Quality Service Personal Lines Coverage Basics Commercial Lines Coverage Basics

Pre-Licensing Education Webinars: 2-3 WI CE, No Exam, No Proctor •

Over 20 Topics

Hot Topics: 4 WI CE • • •

Variety of Coverage Topics Ethics Flood

All 9 CISR Courses – 8 WI CE All 5 CIC Institutes – 20 WI CE

There is

more than one thing

new at piaw.org

PIA of Wisconsin now offers: Certified Risk Manager (CRM) Courses and Ruble Specialty Seminars.

800-261-7429

SEPTEMBER 15 23

education

O n -L i n e e d u c a t i O n

education

PEOPLE WHO EARNED THIS ALSO EARNED MORE

30,900 MORE OF THESE

PER YEAR.

If you’re looking to jump start a new career or make more with the one you are in, education is your best investment. Now, more than ever, it is important to invest in your greatest assets—yourself and your people. According to The National Alliance Producer Profile, commercial lines producers with the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation earn 30% more than those without the designation. To learn more about the CIC Program, call or visit us on the web.

The most successful training programs for insurance professionals

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

Attention CICs!

Exciting update options; they fill up quickly.

CIC Ruble Seminars October 14 & 15 | Graduate| Radisson ­­– Green Bay, WI January 20 & 21 | Graduate | Crowne Plaza – Milwaukee, WI 16 WI CE (Includes 4 optional Ethics)

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

On-Line Insurance Pre-licensing Education

www.piaw.org

Exam FX

Online Training & Assessment

Pass your insurance test fast.

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Insurance and Securities Pre-license Training 24 SEPTEMBER 15

7 Hours of WI CE Credit Each

All Programs Open to Anyone - Exam Not Required for CE!

It’s Easy to Register – Online, Fax, Phone, Mail

www.piaw.org

1-800-261-7429

PIA of Wisconsin, Inc. 6401 Odana Rd. Madison, WI 53719

1-608-274-8195

Registration Form

2016 CISR, Dynamics of Service Hot Topic/William T. Hold All are approved CISR update options.

Visit www.piaw.org for the CISR designation and CISR Elite process.

(E) Ethics (U) Utica Approved E&O Premium Discount CISR ELEMENTS OF RISK MANAGEMENT – Patti Gardner, CIC, CRM, CPCU February 17 Waukesha February 18 Madison

Registration Form

Course Title & Date: Full Name o Mr. o Ms. First Name Preference Designations

CISR COMMERCIAL CASUALTY 1 – John Dismukes, CIC, CPCU, AAI, AIS March 8 Green Bay

Agency/Company

CISR COMMERCIAL CASUALTY 1 – Patti Gardner, CIC, CRM, CPCU March 16 Madison

Address

CISR COMMERCIAL CASUALTY 1 – Sam Bennett, CIC, AFIS, CRIS, CPIA April 13 Waukesha

City ________________________State _____Zip

(E 3, U) WILLIAM T. HOLD SEMINAR – Sam Bennett, CIC, AFIS, CRIS, CPIA Topics To Be Determined, Includes 3 Hours of Ethics April 14 Rothschild

Phone (____) ____________Cell or After Hours (____) Email

CISR COMMERCIAL CASUALTY 2 – John Dismukes, CIC, CPCU, AAI, AIS April 18 Eau Claire CISR LIFE & HEALTH ESSENTIALS – Jerry Rhinehart, CIC, CLU, ChFC, RHU May 16 Waukesha (E 1, U) CISR AGENCY OPERATIONS – Angelynn Heavener, CIC, CPIA May 19 Madison CISR PERSONAL LINES MISCELLANEOUS – Todd Davis, CIC June 22 Rothschild June 23 Tomah

Method of Payment $170 per course includes lunch, limited break items and comprehensive notebook.

Check Payable to PIAW Enclosed o Charge to: o MC

o VISA

o AMEX

o DIS

Card Number___________________________________________

CISR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY – Gloria Thompson, CIC August 16 Waukesha

Expiration Date _________________________________________

CISR PERSONAL AUTO – Denise Semrow, CIC, CISR, AIS September 14 Rothschild September 15 Madison

Confirmation with details will be emailed upon receipt.

CISR PERSONAL RESIDENTIAL – John Dismukes, CIC,CPCU,AAI,AIS September 20 Waukesha CISR ELEMENTS OF RISK MANAGEMENT – Patti Gardner, CIC, CRM, CPCU October 27 Green Bay (U) DYNAMICS OF SERVICE – Denise Semrow, CIC, CISR, AIS November 16 Waukesha

Cancellations received in our office 10 days before the course are fully refunded; after that a $35 fee will be charged, whether you credit the balance to a future course or not. All cancellations must be in writing; email to bprestbroten@piaw.org or fax to 608-274-8195. Phone calls are accepted as the initial notice. No refunds unless the PIA is notified 24 hrs prior to course.

In accordance with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we invite all registrants to advise us of any disability and any requests for accommodation to that disability. Please submit your request as far as possible in advance of the program you wish to attend.

CISR COMMERCIAL CASUALTY 2 – Todd Davis, CIC December 6 Madison December 7 Green Bay

CISR 8:00 – 3:45 CISR Optional Exam 4:15 – 5:15

William T. Hold, Dynamics of Service 8:00 – 4:00

education

Professional Insurance Agents of Wisconsin, Inc.

For additional PIAW education visit www.piaw.org SEPTEMBER 15 25

education

H ot T opic /E thic S eminar

Anyone Can Attend! No Designation Required.

Approved for the Utica Premium Discount!

This William T. Hold Seminar is an approved CISR update option.

John Dismukes CIC, CPCU, AAI, AIS

SEPTEMBER 22

Radisson – Brookfield

8:00 – 4:00 p.m.

"Things I Wish I Knew 40 Years Ago" Personal & Commercial Lines, Ethics 7 WI CE, 3 of 7 Ethics – New Course #s $170 Includes Lunch Register at www.piaw.org or call 800-261-7429

Certified Insurance Service Representative Open to Anyone!

7 WI CE Credits Course #69351

LIFE AND HEALTH ESSENTIALS

This course will help build a better understanding of what your clients need to know about life and health insurance.

Explaining the benefits of having the proper life and health insurance is key to the financial wellbeing of your clients' families and businesses.

• • • • • •

Introduction to Life Insurance Term Insurance Permanent Life Insurance Health Insurance Concepts Regulation Consumer Driven Plans

CLASS SCHEDULE Instruction

Course Instructor

JoAnn Dickinson CPA, CIC, LUTCF San Antonio, TX

26 SEPTEMBER 15

Group Lunch Optional Exam

8:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.

OCT 13 • MADISON OCT 14 • GREEN BAY

$170 Per Course Includes Lunch

4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

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

education

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

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

Step Up To Elite Status CISR Elite, That is.

For CISRs who aspire to be more-who seek to distinguish themselves as Elite.

When you love what you do, and want to be the best, It’s time to step up. it time to Become a CISR Elite.

www.piaw.org 800-261-7429

More and more owners, managers, and producers are taking advantage of the solid education provided by the CISR designation program—and for good reason. The “S” in CISR could stand for “Sales” as well as “Service.” CISR courses are a perfect blend of foundational technical training and the skills producers need to create long-term relationships.

CISR courses are convenient one-day classroom courses—also available in self-paced online and in-house formats. The practical knowledge of risks, coverages, and exposures, complement the cross-selling and account-rounding skills taught in CISR courses.

CISR is a solution to satisfaction for your clients, the agency, companies, and you!

Contact PIA of Wisconsin today!

1-800-261-7429 • www.piaw.org

SEPTEMBER 15 27

education

Each approved 3 WI CECE Credits.

Each Approved forfor 2* or 3 WI Credits.Live.

Live.No NoTest.

Test. No No proctor.

Proctor.

Visit the Education tab at www.piaw.org for schedules descriptions, webinar demo and to register. Schedules are available two months out.

Ethics is offered each month.

•

Annuities: Turning Assets Into Income

•

BIP(idy) BOP(idy) BOO(ze): Turning Three Mundane Coverages Into Magic

•

CHAOS: Contracts, Hold Harmless, Additional Insureds and More

•

Contractors: Insuring the Liability Exposures

•

Contractors: Insuring the Property Exposures

•

Current Issues in Health Insurance

•

Cyber Master: Recognizing and Insuring Digital Assets and Electronic Risk

•

Ethics for Insurance Professionals (Ethics CE and Utica approved)

•

Ethics: Taking it to the Streets (Ethics CE and Utica approved)

•

Food Borne Illness and Insurance Coverage

•

Get in the Ring: Property Claims, Fights and Decisions

•

Group Insurance and Pensions

•

Lawncare to Lipstick: Coverage Concerns for the Self-Employed *2

•

Life Insurance Concepts for the P&C Agent

•

Not Your Grandpas’ Globe: Recognizing and Insuring Supply Chain Interruption *2

•

Personal Lines Complications: Because Simple is Just Too Darn Easy

•

Personal Lines Problems & Pitfalls *2

•

Seven Ways to Get Sued and How to Avoid Them (Utica approved)

•

Social Networking: OMG or E&O? (Utica approved)

•

The Ever-Evolving Affordable Care Act

•

The Human Asset Puzzle: Risk Managing Life, Health and Disability Insurance

•

What We Learned: Claim & Coverage Issues from Catastrophes

•

Words Mean Things and Insurance is a Foreign Language (Utica approved)

Fee per Webinar: $50 PIAW Member, $60 Non Member Contact Brenda at 1-800-261-7429 or bsteinbach@piaw.org for in-house webinar opportunities!

28 SEPTEMBER 15

Agency Internet Boot Camp

Steve is the leading authority on insurance technology, productivity & profitability.

with Steve Anderson, CIC

October 13, 2015 Radisson – Green Bay, WI 8:30 – 4:00 (45 minute lunch, on your own) • Approved for 6 WI CE Credits #71537 & Utica Discount • CPIA Update Option This Seminar will provide a hands-on opportunity for participants to learn various applications that will successfully extend the physical insurance office to a new online office environment.

Students will explore solutions that allow prospects and customers to access the same, and more, services in a 24/7/365 online environment as they currently enjoy when visiting a physical office or calling on the phone. Of vital importance will be the errors and omissions loss prevention considerations necessary, and privacy/security concerns.

PIAW Member $155.00 Non Member $190.00 Register online at www.piaw.org or call 1-800-261-7429

SEPTEMBER 15 29

education

here when it matters most there when it matters most there when it matters most there when i

Competitive

In today’s crowded marketplace, Sheboygan Falls remains highly competitive in price and product offering.

Price - Personal and commercial lines rates consistently among the most competitive in the state.

Product – Superior products with enhanced coverages.

And Sheboygan Falls agencies benefit from a total compensation package that’s one of the best in the industry.

To learn more visit www.sheboyganfallsinsurance.com or call Connie Jones at 800-242-7698 ext. 2800

Remaining competitive in price, product and agency compensation… another way Sheboygan Falls is “There When It Matters Most.”

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PIA Trust Insurance Plans INSURANCE PLANS DESIGNED WITH LOCAL AGENTS IN MIND As a PIA Member* serving Main Street America, you and your employees have access to a variety of highquality, competitively priced insurance plans.

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PIA SERVICES GROUP INSURANCE FUND

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No medical underwriting necessary up to guaranteed issue limits.

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.

30 SEPTEMBER 15

Find an Agency Management System Vendor . . .

with help from Since our hugely successful and informational Automation Seminar in May, PIA of Wisconsin has been receiving many inquiries regarding the PIAW. Agency Management System vendors. As a service to our members, we have developed a special section on our web site to list the name, contact information and short description of vendors that agencies can contact for questions and inquires.

Please visit our website to view the list, www.piaw.org.

Get Online With PIA Eservices

the We look for the best independent agents and build relationships that last the duration. We are committed to the independent agency system as the only means to deliver our products. Because of that, we work hand-inhand to help our agencies grow profitably.

Our agents set us apart.

For information about becoming a Partners Mutual Insurance Agent please contact Brian Martin at 262.432.3439; Martin.Brian@PartnersMutual.com or Mike Ottman at 262.432.3418; Ottman.Michael@PartnersMutual.com.

Websites | Social Media | Blogs | and More!

www.pia-eservices.com SEPTEMBER 15 31

The Line Between

Labor & Leisure

by Margaret Page

At one time the line between our labor and our leisure was abundantly clear. 9:00 am to 5:00 pm was work. Evenings and weekends were for play.

Today, in the age of entrepreneurship, new workplace order—where going to the gym happens on the job and chatting at the cooler is encouraged—the line between personal and professional time is blurred.

It’s important to remember that whether you are spending a day on the golf course with a client, or speaking to one of your friends in a board meeting, the rules of the games are still the same.

1. Good grooming is essential. It’s great that you ran 5K with a client during your lunch break or took a spin class with your assistant. Always take the time to have a shower or at the least rinse off. Nothing affects someone’s credibility more than poor grooming. If you worked up a sweat, you need to take time to refresh--no matter how much work you have crammed into your day.

2. Loud language lingers. If you drop a “language bomb,” the effects of it will linger. And like all bombs, language bombs spell danger. The words you use leave a lasting impression on those around you. Although Sandra Bullock’s slip at the 2014 Critics’ Choice Movie Awards may have awarded her a few startled chuckles from the crowd, it also overshadowed her acceptance speech. Do a quick search of 32 SEPTEMBER 15

“Sandra Bullock + Acceptance Speech” and you’ll find dozens of videos and commentary on the slip, with very few details about the actual monologue. Drop an “f” bomb and the following occurs: credibility goes down; caution goes up!

3. Meet people in their “Model of the World.”

The Golden Rule, “treat others as you would have them treat you,” is no longer enough in this age of connectivity.

Instead, the order of the day is the Platinum Rule: “treat others as they would have you treat them.” Some people prefer to use e-mail to communicate, while others use texting, social media and Skype. And, yes, there are still those who prefer a phone call. Everyone has a PMoC (Preferred Mode of Communication), so it’s best to find out what that is for each business contact—and use it.

And that’s just the first step.

If you want to build lasting relationships with clients and colleagues, know and appreciate their model of the world.

For example: perhaps you’re working with a client that has specific days of the week blocked off for meetings. Note this so that you are certain to schedule meetings on those specific days. Having this awareness—and meeting people in their model of the world—goes a long way in building strong business relationship.

4. How far do we go? How much of your own personal challenges—or successes—do you share with your clients or

colleagues? Even though you’ve become friends with some of your business connections, there needs to be some level of professionalism that is considered when sharing personal information. It would not, for example, be appropriate to share the gruesome details of your spouse’s infidelity with someone you work with—no matter how close you are. Keep the information at a classified level if you’re reaching out for support from co-workers, and refrain from seeking advice from clients or your boss when it comes to your personal life. Instead seek out someone from HR for support, or find a coach or therapist you can work with.

The converse is true here; when you are on the receiving end of the conversation, be available to lend and ear to those that need it. Just be very careful not to get pulled into personal drama. The line can become very blurred if you open the

How do you want people to feel when they interact with you?

Worse? Exactly the same? Or better? You really do have the power to make or break someone’s day. Sometimes it’s the simplest gesture that makes the biggest impact.

Imagine if you approached life, business, and everything else that matters with a vision of leaving it better than you found it. Or each time you did something you wanted to do it better than the time before. If you set the bar at this height you will always have a job, a career, a place to go, and people who want to be connected to you in some way.

While it’s true that the way we conduct business these days has changed, the way we present ourselves is fundamentally the same. If you are well groomed, speak profoundly, connect with others, and make a positive difference in the world you will succeed at work and at play.

door too wide. Take the time to listen, and encourage them to get professional support if needed.

5. Leave things better than you found them. What things? Everything: people, plans and projects–whatever you are involved in. Sometimes we don’t realize the implications of our interactions. Too often “average” and “good enough” are the standards that people reach for. While average is great for your blood pressure, it is not inspiring in the workplace, and it is not likely to inspire others around you.

Margaret Page is a recognized etiquette expert, speaker and coach, who helps people and organizations be more professional. She is the author of The Power of Polite, Blueprint for Success and Cognito Cards — Wisdom for Dining & Social Etiquette. She is the founder and CEO of Etiquette Page Enterprises, a leading Western Canadian training organization. To learn more about Margaret follow her on Twitter and Facebook or sign up for her Etiquette blog or Etiquette Edge Newsletter. To contact Margaret, please visit her website at http://etiquettepage.com/, or call 604 880 8002.

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SEPTEMBER 15 33

A Producer's

Role... There are no “Producer Pills”

by Al Diamond

As you can imagine, after visiting a thousand or so agencies over a 40 year period, I’ve met a lot of folks whose title was Producer. Most of them were part-time producers at best. Some of them had been producers, but had filled their pot and were now servicing their clients, only writing a few new policies each year to replenish their books of business or when a new client was referred to them. Relatively few were actively “producing” insurance accounts for living.

Even in trying economic times, smart agents understand the critical need for “feet on the street”, bringing new clients to the agency on a regular basis. If I could bottle “Producer Pills” I could make a fortune and satisfy the growth needs of agents all over the country.

But there are no “Producer Pills.” Only one of every seven people on earth has the characteristics of a producer, and unfortunately, many of them do not end up in sales jobs. What are those characteristics?

34 SEPTEMBER 15

According to Sue Nordhaus of Insurance Hiring Systems, some of the characteristics of good producers are the ability to learn, reason and solve problems combined with good verbal skills, high energy levels, strong assertiveness and sociability skills, decisiveness and independence. ZeroRiskHR, a great testing service for our industry based on the KinsellHartman Profile, suggests that producers have relatively high intuition and empathy, strong results orientation and decisiveness, focused adherence and organizational skills, only moderate self-view but focused self-awareness and high

self-expectations. Students of the K-H Profile understand how to measure for each of these traits and we highly recommend that no employee, especially producers, is ever hired without using a tool to supplement the interview and reference process. The cost is next to nothing when compared to the cost of hiring the wrong person.

But before hiring a producer, the agent must decide what the producer’s role in the agency will be. If you want your producers to be full-line insurance agents who are advisors to their clients, who will help them with their endorsement needs, deliver certificates, take pictures of their property and be the coach and counselor to the agency staff, you are describing a completely different person than the “Producer/ Hunter” that defines the personality of a salesperson in most other industries.

Please don’t get me wrong - There is nothing wrong with the full service insurance agent. Most agency owners fit that mold as do most existing insurance agents who call themselves producers. But hiring someone who will be a great counselor and servicer is quite different from hiring the “hunter” personality that loves to track down his prospects with dogged determination until the kill is made. The hunter doesn’t necessarily enjoy dressing, retrieving or cooking the kill. He knows those are important tasks, but he would leave those to someone else – so he can go “kill” something else.

I am suggesting that we need the “Farmer” personality who cultivates his prospects and clients, tending them with loving care and reaping the harvest in due time. They are called Account Executives in professional insurance agencies. Without them we would be trading clients every few years as they made new relationships with other agents while we let them grow or die on their own.

But we are overloaded with farmers. The insurance industry has become overpopulated with people who are average to excellent farmers, but not very good hunters. That’s only acceptable if all of our clients are like cattle, willing to go along with pretty much anything that we give them.

Unfortunately, the cattle are straying at ever-increasing rates.

We had better develop into cowboys, actively herding our clients every year or go hire us some hunters.

Hopefully my illustrations above have you convinced that you need to hire some “hunters”. But what should there role be in the agency?

A producer in an insurance agency who fits the hunter profile will perform best if he or she is responsible for building relationships with prospects toward the conclusion of converting the prospect into an agency client. The best producers we have encountered are those who are familiar with their market specialties and are in agencies whose service staff understands those same specialties. These agencies typically contract with carriers who are also good at writing these tar-

get markets in the agency’s marketing territory.

Be aware of the following stumbling blocks in order to set your new producer up for success:

1. Producer Characteristics – A “farmer” will shepherd clients while a “hunter” will find the kill. Determine the personality that meets the agency’s goal.

2. You are likely to find some systemic failures in your service process if your staff only understands personal lines, but you have a producer start selling commercial property or casualty insurance. Sell what your service staff understands.

3. We once had an agency ask us to assist them in creating a marketing program for a product that their lead carrier was “hot” on writing. The only problem was that there were only five potential clients within a hundred miles of the agency. Bad idea!

4. Sell in the areas that your carriers provide the strongest products and competitive prices. If you are selling to auto repair shops because there are a lot of them in the area, but your carriers don’t have stronger products or competitive pricing, you and your producers will quickly become frustrated. It may have nothing to do with their skills in sales.

The key to success remains in the functions that you, as the agency owner, ask your producer to accomplish. Everyone is better in accomplishing focused tasks than they are in accomplishing diverse tasks. The best producers are focused on creating and evolving relationships based on showing the prospect how much more valuable your agency is than their current provider of insurance services and products.

Creating relationships sometimes involves prospecting or warming prospects to the history, strengths and services of the agency. Producers will always do better if the prospects are pre-warmed – allowing the prospect to have a familiarity with the agency. The producer then continues going back to qualified prospects until they establish a trusted and friendly relationship. That relationship is enhanced by providing services and value until the prospect realizes that he would benefit from a long-term relationship with the agency.

Please call us for information about the Asset Protection Model, our Relationship Selling model that includes this form of producer activity and role as integral to the client/agency relationship. 800-779-2430.

Reprinted with permission from The Pipeline, published by Agency Consulting Group.

SEPTEMBER 15 35

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I realize the importance of political contributions to the future of the Professional Insurance Agents of Wisconsin and our customers. I want to be part of the process leading to success in achieving PIA’s goals in the Wisconsin Legislative arena. Please hold my contribution as a deposit in the PIA Legislative Conduit account to be used at my direction. I understand that I will be contacted in the future, by telephone, email or direct mail, to authorize the use of these contributions. I will be asked to respond with my signature on appropriate authorization forms.

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36 SEPTEMBER 15

MI ST AKES D O N ' T M A T T ER I N T H E L O N G RUN e .

As a student, Isaac Asimov had a literature professor who once lectured on the limitations of knowledge. As Asimov writes in his book, The Relativity of Wrong, his prof said that in every century people thought they'd discovered how the universe worked, and they'd always been proven wrong. Thus, he argued, anything we say now about the nature of the universe must also be wrong.

Asimov's response? "When people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong," he told the professor. "When people thought the Earth was spherical they were wrong. [Earth actually bulges at the equator.] But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together."

Humans make mistakes, but that doesn't mean the truth is always beyond our reach.

ARE YOU totally

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®

WWW.IMTINS.COM

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA • 800.274.3531 • WWW.IMTINS.COM

SEPTEMBER 15 37

PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS OF WISCONSIN, INC. OFFICERS

DIRECTORS

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

Mr. Thomas Budzisz BWO Insurance Group, LLC 2111 E Rawson Ave. Oak Creek, WI 53154 Phone 414-768-8100 Fax 414-768-8110 tom@bwoinsurance.com

Mr. Michael Keener, CIC Keener Insurance Solutions, LLC W 175 N11081 Stonewood Dr Ste 105 Germantown, WI Phone 262-293-9144 Fax 262-293-9254 michael@keenersolutions.com

Mr. Brian MacGillis, CPIA Vice President 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. Jeremy Cordova, CIC Cordova Agency, Inc. 716 E 2nd St. Merrill, WI Phone 715-536-9576 Fax 715-539-3349 jeremy.cordova@cordovaagency.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. Sandy L. Hardrath, CIC, CPIA Ansay & Associates 4712 Expo Dr. Manitowoc, WI 54220 Phone 920-370-4283 Fax 920-682-7799 Sandy.Hardrath@Ansay.com

Mr. Dennis Kuhnke, CIC, CPIA PIAW National Director Robertson Ryan & Associates Inc. 330 E Kilbourn Ave. Suite 650 Milwaukee, WI 53202 414-271-1561 Fax 414-271-3012 dkuhnke@robertsonryan.com

Ms. Jodi Cordes, CIC, CRM Treasurer A.F. Glass Insurance Center P.O. Box 1149 Lake Geneva, WI 53147 Phone 262-248-5555 Fax 262-248-5544 jcordes@glassinsurancecenter.com

Ms. LouAnn Herriges, CIC, CISR Anderson's Insurance Associates 17500 W. Liberty Lane New Berlin, WI 53151 Phone 262-789-8500 Fax 262-754-6038 louannh@iaanetwork.com

38 SEPTEMBER 15

October 2015

Coming Events

March February January December November 2016 2016 2016 2015 2015

September 2015

Mr. Matt Cranney, CIC, CRM Secretary M3 Insurance Solutions, Inc. 3133 W Beltline Hwy Madison, WI 53713 Phone 608-273-0655 Fax 608-273-7783 matt.cranney@m3ins.com

Mr. Sean M. Paterson, CIC Allied Insurance Centers, Inc. 12750 W. North Ave. Brookfield, WI 53005 Phone 262-782-5373 Fax 262-782-6327 spaterson@alliedinsurancecenters.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 Darcy Brown, CPIA Member Benefits Coordinator dbrown@piaw.org Heather Falk, CISR Bookkeeping hfalk@piaw.org Mandy Penn Executive Assistant mpenn@piaw.org Becca Prestbroten Administrative Assistant bprestbroten@piaw.org Brenda Steinbach Education & Convention Director bsteinbach@piaw.org

22

HOT TOPIC / WILLIAM T.HOLD SEMINAR Brookfield (7 WI CE, 3 are Ethics)

23

CIC AGENCY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE Milwaukee (20 WI CE, 4 are Ethics)

13

AGENCY INTERNET BOOT CAMP Green Bay (6 WI CE)

13, 14

CISR LIFE & HEALTH ESSENTIALS Madison (7 WI CE)

14-15

CIC JAMES K. RUBLE GRADUATE SEMINAR Green Bay (16 WI CE, 4 of 16 are optional Ethics)

4

CISR COMMERCIAL CASUALTY 2 Rothschild (7 WI CE)

5

CISR COMMERCIAL CASUALTY 2 Brookfield (7 WI CE)

8

CISR PERSONAL RESIDENTIAL Middleton (7 WI CE)

8-10

CIC PERSONAL LINES Middleton (20 WI CE)

20

CIC JAMES K. RUBLE GRADUATE SEMINAR Milwaukee (16 WI CE, 4 of 16 are optional Ethics)

17, 18

CISR ELEMENTS OF RISK MANAGEMENT Waukesha, Madison (7 WI CE)

24-26

CIC COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Madison (20 WI CE)

8

CISR COMMERCIAL CASUALTY 1 Green Bay (7 WI CE)

9

CIC LIFE & HEALTH Green Bay (20 WI CE)

Preferred Risk Types: – Operations that specialize in custom short-run precision machining operations, including prototype development – Operations whose processes generally involve more sophisticated production equipment and operations – Operations that do not produce any of their own products and do not provide design services

West Bend knows

Precision Metalworking.

At West Bend, we’re proud of our broad base of knowledge when it comes to commercial risks. Over the years, however, we’ve developed extensive expertise of certain risks and the skills needed to underwrite them.

That’s why we’re more competitive in writing these classes.

Like precision metalworking.

If you have a precision metalworking risk, contact your West Bend underwriter. We look forward to sharing our expertise with you, and providing the best coverages necessary to protect your valued customers.

SEPTEMBER 15 39

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

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