New Mexico Mutual is proud to announce
that we can now take care of your Ticketing Information
Now boarding your out-of-state workers’ compensation clients... From now through March 31, 2011, qualify for Southwest Airlines gift cards by using our new program. Give us a look! $500 Southwest Airline Gift Card Drawing • For an out-of-state application submitted, the agent/CSR name will be placed in the drawing once. • For any out-of-state policy that is bound with premium less than $25,000, the agent/CSR name will be placed in the drawing twice. Bind it with us! $100 Southwest Airline Gift Card • Qualify by binding any out-of-state account (can include any new New Mexico business premium towards the premium goal) with premium of $25,000 to $49,999. $250 Southwest Airline Gift Card • Qualify by binding any out-of-state account (can include any new New Mexico business premium towards the premium goal) with premium of $50,000 to $100,000. $500 Southwest Airline Gift Card • Qualify by binding any out-of-state account (can include any new New Mexico business premium towards the premium goal) with premium over $100,000. The preferred workers’ compensation insurance carrier of the Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico, New Mexico Mutual wants your business! Just submit a completed Accord application, loss runs and emod worksheet to your underwriter and we’ll take it from there. Fact information for New Mexico Mutual Out of State Program Midland Management Corporation/PMA Companies – AM Best Rating - A- VIII Submission requirements Accord Application Loss Runs – 3 to 5 years E-mod Worksheet
Underwriters for out-of-state program Evelyn Symonds Renee Pagan reneep@newmexicomutual.com evelyns@newmexicomutual.com 505-343-2827 505-343-2852
Requirements to bind Signed Accord Application Down Payment Direct bill from Midlands Management Corporation
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customers with out-of-state exposure.
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All states are eligible for Other States Coverage Program except the “monopolistic states” of North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming.
We are now where your clients need us to be.
SM
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www.NewMexicoMutual.com • 1-800-788-8851
Save the Date! Legislative Mixer La Posada de Santa Fe Hotel, Resort & Spa Please pencil in Wednesday, January 26th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. We will send out more information on this event as the date draws closer.
“insurance from people who know mining”
We offer Workers’ Compenasation Insurnace for:
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Coal mines: surface and underground coal truckmen
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quarries sand and gravel digging
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other types of mining mining related risks
For more information, contact Bryant Brown, V.P. Marketing • 1.800.448.5621, x 249. 3490 Independence Drive • Birmingham, Alabama 35209 WWW.AMERICANMINING.COM
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“La Voz� is the official monthly publication of the
Independent Insurance Agents of NM 1511 University Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87102. (505) 843-7231. Fax (505) 243-3367. Web site www.iianm.org. This publication is intended to provide accurate and authoritative information on the subject matter covered, but is distributed with the understanding that neither IIANM, nor any contributing author, publisher, contributor or advertiser is rendering legal, accounting or any other professional service and assume no liability whatsoever in connection with its use. Further, the electronic links to our advertisers and/or contributors found in this publication are provided as a courtesy to our readers and do not necessarily indicate an endorsement by IIANM.
Features
"The Voice" of Independent Agents since 1934
o VZ
Comparing Apples to Oranges
07
Claims Made vs Claims Made & Reported Policies
11
Data Capable of Delivering Immediate Benefits
13
News items from members of Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico and the general insurance industry are encouraged. The advertising deadline is the fifteenth day of the month, preceding publication.
Avoid Being Left Behind in 2011
15
Small Deposits, Big Connections
18
Rethink How You Open
20
Advertising rates are available upon request.
Is Liquor Liability Needed in a B.Y.O.B. Establishment?
22
Car Accidents By Occupation
25
What's the Big Deal About Written Procedures?
26
IIANM's 2011 Calendar of Events
28
Please contact Rachel Sheffield at rachel@iianm.org for details
IIANM Staff President/CEO Thom Turbett, CIC
In Every Issue
VP Of Membership Services Lorri Gaffney
Tech Talk
08
Director Of Communications Rachel Sheffield
Education Edge
30
December's Clickable Calendar
31
Odds n Ends
33
IIANM's Partners Program
34
Director Of Insurance Programs Carmen Reese Porter, ACSR, CISR Receptionist / Member Services Associate Renee Rivera
2010-2011 Officers
Advertiser Index Acuity
12
American Mining Insurance Company
04
Burns & Wilcox
10
Vice-Chair Scott Jones
Colonial General Insurance Agency, Inc.
16
Infinisource Payroll
17
Secretary/Treasurer PJ Wolff
Litchfield Special Risks, Inc.
19
National Director Sam Conlee
Market Finders, Inc.
06
Neff Risk Services, Inc.
14
New Mexico Mutual
02
Chair Kathy Yeager
Immediate Past Chair Alma Franzoy-Capron
Page 6
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Apples
to
Oranges
by Bill Wilson
You've seen the commercials: "Call now and save 15% or more on your car insurance!" Unfortunately, when someone is selling substandard coverage or service, their only marketing ploy is price. So, their advertising campaign leads consumers to believe that the only difference between insurance companies is price. Here's proof that you can't compare apples to oranges.... "Our insured's auto was stolen and destroyed. The carrier denied the claim because his keys were in the car and there was no sign of forced entry. According to the adjuster, the policy does not cover theft without evidence of forcible entry." Any time a claim is denied, the adjuster has an obligation to show explicitly in the contract where the loss is not covered, and the insured/agent should read the policy to determine whether coverage exists or not. Under the current ISO PAP policy, there is no requirement of evidence of forced entry to substantiate a theft claim..."theft" is simply the unlawful taking of someone else's property. Likewise, there is no exclusion if a vehicle is stolen as a result of someone leaving their keys in the car. According to several of our faculty members who have reviewed a lot of auto policies, it is very unusual for them to include policy language that excludes theft under these circumstances. Most of our faculty had never seen a policy this restrictive in recent times. However, the policy in question is not an ISO form. According to this proprietary company form: "This policy does not apply under Part IV to loss due to theft under Coverage D of Part IV if evidence exists that forcible entry was not required to gain access to the automobile and violation of the steering column and/or the ignition system is not present. "Forcible entry means felonious entry by actual force and violence evidenced by visible marks on the exterior of the automobile and the destruction of the lockable steering column; or evidence of actual force to gain entrance to the premises on which the automobile is garaged at the point of entry."
Based on the above, it seems clear that the claim is not covered and there does not appear, under the contract, to be any recourse for the insured. This points out a valuable lesson that all (auto) policies are not equal. Anyone choosing coverage based solely on price may get what they pay for. I took a look at the insurer's web site and the slogan says, "An Insurance Program with a Difference." So, the insured was warned. The personal auto insurance section indicates that they insure nonstandard exposures and that their policy forms are "nontraditional." That certainly appears to be the case. I point this out, not in criticism of this insurer – they have the right to offer a contract that fits their underwriting standards and clientele, and to price it accordingly – but rather to illustrate that price is no basis for comparison between products or companies. It's incumbent upon the agent in particular, and the industry in general, to better educate consumers about what their premium dollar actually pays for. Likewise, it's essential that agents be well-versed in the coverage variations among policies...even a "deluxe" policy can include language that's more restrictive than a "standard" ISO form. In one HO condo claim, water from a broken water pipe in an upstairs unit resulted in extensive damage to the subject unit. The "deluxe" condo policy excluded water damage that originated outside the "residence premises." This term was defined as the unit itself. The ISO condo form, on the other hand, excluded water damage that originated outside the BUILDING, so it would have covered the loss. It "pays" to read those policies!
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Page 7
The Anderson Agency Report
How to Manage Text Messages by Steve Anderson Whether you like it or not, text messaging as a communication option with clients is upon us—and it's not going away. According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project, 72% of adult cell phone users now send and receive text messages, up from 65% in September 2009, and 58% in December 2007. This represents an average of 10 text messages sent and received by adults every day. Currently, teens average 50 text messages sent and received on an average day.
•T-Mobile: [Phone Number]@tmomail.net •Verizon: [Phone Number]@vtext.com
Your staff, especially producers, already uses text messaging to communicate with clients and prospects. Agencies have not created a process and procedure to capture this client communication as part of client documentation.
•Virgin Mobile: [Phone Number]@vmobl.com *Note: The format for all phone numbers is 10 digits with no dashes (e.g. 2125551212).
In this article we will look at some of the technology and tools currently available to help an agency manage the text messaging process within their organizations.
Google Voice is a free telephone service provided by Google that lets users unify their phone numbers, allowing them to have a single number through Google Voice that rings a call through to all of their phones. Google Voice has a number of unique features, including call transfer between a user's devices, multi-party conferencing, conversion of voice calls to text messages, cut-rate international calling, and voice message transcription.
Send a text using simple e-mail Each wireless cellular carrier offers an e-mail option that allows you to send a text message to a cell phone using a standard e-mail program like Outlook. The person receiving the message still has to pay for these messages—but you won't have to. To send a message, simply enter the person's phone number, along with the appropriate carrier-specific e-mail address into the TO: field in Outlook. The text of your e-mail will appear on the person's phone as an SMS text message. To use this method, you need to know the individual's cell phone service provider. Below are the e-mail addresses for some of the common carriers: •Alltel: [Phone Number]@message.alltel.com •AT&T: [Phone Number]@txt.att.net •Nextel: [Phone Number]@messaging.nextel.com •Sprint: [Phone Number]@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Page 8
Google Voice text service
One of the services allows you to send a text message to a single or multiple recipients. There are several ways to send text messages from the Google Voice Web site. •To send a quick text message, simply click the text button at the top left of the page, above the inbox label. Enter the phone number, type your message, and click send. •You can reply to a voicemail or phone call by clicking the text link near the bottom of the voicemail call. Enter the text information and click send. Google Voice will maintain a history of the text messages sent and received, which will help with documentation. Important texts sent and received between clients can be copied and pasted into the client record as part of the agency management system.
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Figure 2: Read the text reply in your inbox.
Using Outlook to text Outlook Mobile Service (OMS) is an optional feature of Outlook 2007. With it, you can send and receive text (SMS) messages between Outlook and mobile phones in a manner similar to e-mail messages. OMS works in conjunction with a text messaging gateway service provider. There are several services that are approved by Microsoft. We choose to use SMS Officer. There is a charge to send and receive text messages. SMS Officer allows you to purchase credits that can be used to send and receive text messages worldwide. Each credit lets you send one SMS text message or reminder, up to 160 characters in length. For 500 credits, the cost is $33. With OMS, composing and sending a text or multimedia message is now as quick and easy as creating and sending an e-mail message. After the message is sent, you can see it in the Sent Items folder in your inbox. To create a new text message, simply click on File | New and select Text Message. The dialog box shown in Figure 1 will display. Simply choose the correct contact in the TO: field (which will display the contact's mobile phone number). Type your message, and remember to keep it under 160 characters. Characters beyond the 160 limit will roll over to a second text message. Click Send (just like e-mail) to send your message. Figure 1: The Text Message dialog box works just like e-mail. If someone replies to your text message, their reply will show up in your Outlook inbox with a text message icon (See Figure 2). You can also send a message both as an e-mail message and as a mobile message to multiple contacts at the same time.
Receive reminders and calendar summaries In addition to sending text messages to other individuals, you can also use the service to send your own cell phone reminders and calendar summaries. It can be very helpful to have a summary of your schedule appear on your phone each day. And having your reminders appear there, in addition to on your computer, can make all the difference when you are on the move and away from your computer at a crucial time. OMS gives you a rich collection of ways to get reminders and calendar summaries delivered to your phone (see Figure 3). Figure 3: Mobile notifications allow reminders to be sent to your phone. In addition to receiving calendar summary reminders at the end of every day, you can also set up Outlook to forward important e-mail messages to your phone in the form of a text message. For example, you can create a list of people whose e-mails should be immediately forwarded to you as text messages. If your Outlook calendar and inbox are synchronized with your mobile device, these text notifications may not be necessary as you may already be receiving them directly.
Client documentation Most agency management systems integrate with Outlook and allow the user to attach Outlook messages to the client record within the agency management system. Using OMS for text messaging would help streamline the client documentation process and procedures. Sent text messages are stored in the Outlook Sent Items folder and can be attached to the client file. Similarly, text replies from the client are delivered to the user's Outlook inbox and can also be attached to the client file.
Text messaging is not going away. Its use is continuing to grow. Agencies need to begin experimenting with text messaging and learning how to effectively manage this new communication method. The tools highlighted in this article are simply a few of the options available. We strongly recommend that any process you choose be tested well before implementing it throughout the organization. Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Page 9
www.scottsdale.burnsandwilcox.com
Who has the ability to handle all your specialty insurance needs?
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Answer is Your Specialty Insurance Professionals
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Claims Made Versus Claims Made and Reported Policies:
What’s the Difference and Does It Matter?
When it comes to coverage provided, the differences between Claims Made policies and Claims Made and Reported policies are extremely significant. Professional liability policies for Insurance Professionals are typically written on one of these forms. It is critical to understand the two when purchasing professional liability insurance to protect yourself and your business. Claims Made Coverage A Claims Made Policy provides coverage for an injury or loss if a claim, such as receipt of a demand letter or service of a lawsuit, is first made during the policy period. Claims Made policies provide broader coverage and contain more liberal reporting requirements than Claims Made and Reported policies. The major distinction between the claims made form and the claims made and reported form is that under a claims made policy form the insured typically need only report the claim "as soon as practicable" or promptly, but not necessarily during the policy term. On the other hand, Claims Made and Reported Policies, as the name suggests, require that the claim be made and reported during the same policy period. • This wording under a claims made policy may read: "This is a claims-made policy which applies to 'claims' first made during the policy period or any extended reporting period." • Sample insuring language: "We will pay on behalf of the insured 'loss' for which the insured is legally liable caused by a 'wrongful act' committed by an insured arising out of 'professional services' rendered to others. • This type of insurance applies to "'potential claims' and 'claims' first made against the insured during the 'policy period' arising out of a 'wrongful act' taking place on or after the retroactive date". Claims Made and Reported Coverage A Claims Made and Reported Policy also requires that the claim be made during the policy period. However, this policy form also requires that the claim be reported to the carrier during the same policy period in force at the time the claim was made. (Some states may provide for an automatic reporting period of 30-90 days providing the insured a grace period to report claims). While often less expensive, Claims Made and Reported coverage is much more restrictive. • Sample wording under a claims made and reported policy: "We agree to pay on behalf of the insured such 'loss' to which this insurance applies sustained by the insured by reason of liability imposed by law for 'loss' caused by any 'wrongful acts' committed by the insured, arising out of the conduct of the business of the insured in rendering services for others".. • This insurance applies to ”wrongful acts” only if: 1. The “wrongful acts” did not occur before the Retroactive Date, if any, shown in the Declarations or after the end of the policy period, and
by Karen Thurlow
2. “Loss” because of the “wrongful act” results in a “claim first made and reported to us” during the policy period. How do these differences play out in real life? Case Study An insurance agent is insured by Carrier A for policy period July 1, 2008 through July 1, 2009. On June 27, 2009, the agent is served with a lawsuit alleging that the agent failed to procure the appropriate coverage for her client. On July 1, 2009 the agent changes carriers and moves her coverage to Carrier B. On August 4, 2009, the agent reports the claim to Carrier A. What is the result? If the agent was insured by Carrier A on a claims made and reported policy form, there is no coverage. The claim was made during the policy period but not reported during the same policy period. What will Carrier B’s position be if its policy is written on a Claims Made and Reported form as well? No coverage. Due to the fact that the claim was made during Carrier A's policy period, the claim was not made and reported during carrier B’s policy period. What if the agent had renewed its claims made and reported coverage with Carrier A? No coverage. Claims Made and Reported forms do not typically provide continuous coverage and the reporting requirement is typically strictly enforced (i.e., that the claim be reported during the policy period in which the claim was made). If the agent's coverage through Carrier A was provided on a claims made basis, the claim is covered. There is coverage under the policy issued by Carrier A because the claim was made during that policy period and, for the purpose of this article, was reported promptly. Lesson learned While the agent was continuously insured, there is still a gap in coverage under the claims made and reported form. Because of the less onerous reporting requirements under the claims made policy form, the claim can be reported after the policy period has ended without jeopardizing coverage as long as the claim was made within the policy period and reported promptly. The distinctions between Claims Made and Claims Made and Reported policies do make a difference. While a Claims Made and Reported policy may cost less than a Claims Made policy in the short run, it is because the Claims Made and Reported is a more restrictive form of coverage. It's important to keep this is mind the next time you recommend or buy professional liability coverage, as the Claims Made and Reported form could end up costing you in the end. Swiss Re Disclaimer
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Page 11
trust. Page 10
acuity.com
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Data From Today's Connected Vehicles Capable of Delivering Immediate Benefits to Auto Makers, Insurers, Insured Drivers Leveraging existing automatic crash notification technology in more than 8 million connected vehicles on the road today in North America could generate immediate savings to auto insurers - with little investment - by simply providing earlier notification of a vehicle loss, said Dave Ferrick, senior vice president and general manager at Cross Country Automotive Services.
Ferrick noted that almost every accident scene tow in the U.S. and Canada today is handled by local law enforcement authorities, driving up costs for insurers and policyholders with multiple towing events and the storage of damaged vehicles by vendors whose prices, response times and customer service levels may fall short of insurance carrier benchmarks.
Ferrick said immediate savings in accident claims costs would be realized by insurers and their policy holders by enabling insurers' access to relevant information about vehicle accidents. He noted that too often discussion about telematics-based insurance focuses around the challenges of using location-based data from telematicsenabled vehicles for rate-setting purposes.
Through automatic collision notification triggered by air bag deployment and other in-vehicle crash sensors, a connected vehicle services provider such as ATX Group, a business unit of Cross Country, learns of accidents and sometimes their severity before notifying emergency responders. With vehicle owner's permission, ATX could also notify auto insurance carriers to enable a faster removal of the vehicle from the accident scene and a faster claims handling process.
Ferrick presented at "Creating Markets for Connected Vehicle Data," the latest industry forum conducted by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a non-profit research organization dedicated to conducting research on significant issues related to the future direction of the global automotive industry. "These are easy, first steps that deliver clear, tangible benefits to vehicle owners and makes them comfortable in entrusting the insurance industry with their data," said Ferrick, whose company manages data and voice calls with drivers associated with nearly 6 million roadside events annually. "In just about every roadside incident, consumers want help at the scene, want to contact their loved ones and, in significant accidents, want to notify their insurance carrier."
Source: NewsRx
"From the insurance carriers' perspective, the quicker they can process the claim, the quicker their policy holder gets the car back in the driveway," Ferrick said. "Accelerating the process directly translates into higher customer satisfaction with the carrier, reduced costs for towing and repair, and less risk of the claim resulting in disputes and higher claim costs." Cross Country's roadside services unit provides accident scene management, vehicle release management and total loss screening services to more than 30 North American insurance carriers, providing coverage to approximately 40 million vehicles. Cross Country also operates one of the largest networks of independent roadside assistance and towing service providers with more than 20,000 suppliers across the U.S. and Canada serving more 76 million motorists.
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Page 13
Avoid Being
Left Behind
in 2011
by John Graham
cause it focuses on the consequences of an action or an idea. And that’s a valuable commodity in the workplace. Even after three years of economic gloom, the predictions about 2011 range from optimistic to less so. In some industries, the landscape remains desperately arid, while for others, the green shoots that poked their way to the light are actually growing stronger. Speculating about the year ahead is an interesting exercise, but one that may not have much value. What may be more useful are certain guideposts that can help point the way for a beneficial 2011. 1. Get your employment record straight. Anyone who reviewed resumes over the last decade recognized one fact stood out like the proverbial sore thumb: job-hopping. Employees often moved from one job to the next in a matter of months, let alone a year. For many, this was the plan. While the “plan” may have brought pay hikes, it also created an interesting unintended consequence. Once the recession hit, performance became an employee’s most valuable asset, not a string of jobs on a resume. It takes time to master an understanding of a company, along with its products or services and most importantly, its customers. This is what has value to employers today. 2. Job security depends on strategic thinking. We might also call this “goal thinking” or recognizing the objective and then pushing aside anything that doesn’t bring value to reaching it. Needless to say, strategic thinking is a rare commodity in the workplace. “Total immersion is the best way to learn a new language,” says Michael Watkins of Genesis Advisers. “Immersion is important because people need significant ‘soak time’ in a milieu in order to build powerful mental models.” It’s fun to sit around and dream up clever “stuff,” whether it is a product promotion, a new smart phone app or a sales campaign. But it’s something quite different to come up with solutions that contribute to making that app of value to users or a sales campaign more than a glitzy gimmick. In effect, the ability to think strategically is significant be-
3. The necessity of technological competence. Although society appears to place importance on technological competence, how much of a connection is there, for example, between such competence and success in school? The results of a large, recently reported survey of secondary students in England revealed the answer. It appeared that students didn’t make a connection between “scholastic success and information and communication technology.” In fact, the belief in the value of such competence was low compared with the use of technology in other areas of their lives. It seems doubtful that the workplace is very much different, particularly when a substantial percentage of those who are unemployed are technologically incompetent. 4. It’s not what we do but how we think. "There is a fundamental shift in rules from manual-based work (where you follow instructions and an increase in productivity means doing the steps faster),” blogs author Seth Godin, “to project-based work (where the instructions are unknown, and visualizing outcomes and then getting things done is what counts.)." The latter requires grasping the task, thinking through the implications, developing a plan, implementing it and evaluating the results. Ironically, such initiative is as necessary behind the counter at McDonald’s as it is in the c-suite, and every place in between. It is often missing in both. 5. Jump at small opportunities. It’s popular today to talk about “less is more,” although there are indications that we don’t believe it. Salespeople are often impatient for the moment they can move up and go after the “really big accounts.” In the same way, national attention takes precedence over local stardom. We grab every “Top 100” list we can find and add the names to our prospect list. A marketing executive took a call from a company president for a small order of a particular promotional product, but over the next 30 years, that first order grew into a steady flow of very good business. continued...
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Page 15
Colonial General Insurance Agency
Commercial Lines/Brokerage Department Founded in 1985, Colonial General Insurance Agency, Inc. is a wholesale General Agency providing quality insurance products to the Independent Insurance Agent. Colonial General specializes in both standard and non-standard business. Our Property and Casualty business includes:
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Avoid monthly or annual membership fees, use Colonial General for your Preferred Business Owners Policies. We have several markets available to give you the best quote possible. For additional information contact your underwriter.
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With 2,500 active producers under contract, Colonial General operates in eight states throughout the South-West. Our offices are located in Murray, Utah and Scottsdale, Arizona. Most of all, we pride ourselves in our friendly customer service and our ability to help our producing agents with their many insurance needs.
Please contact our Utah office for all your Transportation needs! P.O. Box 571770, Murray, Utah 84157 Phone: (801) 562-1188 Wats: (800) 594-8900 Fax: (801) 562-2218 Toll Free Fax: (800) 332-9285
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You will never pay a fee to access our companies. No volume or binding contracts.
continued... No one wants to get burned today. It’s too costly. Buyers want to see how we perform. Do we take small orders seriously? If we do, they are more likely to give us more of their business. 6. Look at the long term. The last time Marc Buoniconti moved his arms and legs was when he made a tackle for The Citadel in 1985. Although a quadriplegic since that fateful moment, he has become a mover and shaker, having raised $350 million to find a cure for paralysis. Almost hidden in the last part of a USA Today story about this determined man, Marc reports that his medical care runs from $500,000 to $600,000 a year. Who pays for it? All his medical expenses are covered by a “catastrophic insurance policy” his father had taken out. That’s serious long-term thinking. The issue is not about having objectives in life or on the job, but creating the personal infrastructure to make sure we get there. Without that, we become like so many people, subject to forces well beyond our control.
The college might have stated, “93% of our graduates land a job fast,” followed by, “Get the details here.” Start with the benefit, not the name of the school. In the same way, a person looking for a job in advertising might use the same space this way, “My ad sold 342 pairs of jeans. Check it out here.” Now, visitors are ready to listen to your story. A name of a person, a product or a company doesn’t become important until someone is hooked. It’s the same with everything we do. The year ahead will be pushed one way and then another by an endless series of events beyond our control. The eight tools may help move our prospects for success several notches, which might just make it a very good year. John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm. He writes for a variety of business publications and speaks on business, marketing and sales issues. Contact: 40 Oval Road, Quincy, MA 02170; 617-328-0069; Blog: grahamcomm.com/wordpress. Website: grahamcomm.com.
7. Put yourself on the line. My wife and I play a game as we walk through Newport, RI, on weekends. We guess which stores and restaurants will make it and which won’t and we speculate about the outcome, one way or the other. One example is the attractive Gelato shop that opened in a good location on a high-traffic street. As soon as we tried it, we gave it a “doomed” rating because of tiny portions and high prices. It closed at season’s end. A retail store opened on the same main street, but in something of a less desirable location. It featured interesting and fun, non-clothing items for the home (such as the “Gone to Newport” sign we have at home). It seemed to have a plan to make it, particularly since it was friendly and owner-managed. Before long, it was gone––across the street to a larger space. It’s a productive game for figuring out who has a winning concept and why and whose idea is problematic. It’s a good exercise in testing one’s business acumen. 8. Focus on what’s important. Surprisingly, this doesn’t include your own name or the name of your company, whether you’re an employee or own it. If this seems a little crazy, it isn’t. Take the ad, for example, that a college in Boston ran on boston.com. Attracting the attention of prospective students seemed to be the objective. Yet, the headline was the name of the school and the sub-head was its location. It was a missed opportunity and a costly mistake. This is no different than placing an ad for a job and using your name as the headline and the name of the town where you live as the sub-head. What would that attract? Not much; just a few people who say, “I saw your name on a website.” Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Page 17
SMALL
DEPOSITS,
BIG
Co n n ec t io ns Connecting with people is simple, but not easy. However, connection is a necessary ingredient in both business and personal relationships. The simple part is that we have been given numerous guidelines for connecting with people, ranging from spiritual writings and prophets to business and personal relationship consultants and therapists: •The Golden Rule: Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. •The Platinum Rule: Do unto others, as they would have you do unto them. •The Bible: Love thy neighbor. Other suggestions run the gamut: •Talk about them until they ask about you. •Make your impression in the first 10 seconds. •Adapt your style to their personality. •Relationships aren't 50/50, they're 110/110. •Go the extra mile. I think you get the point. There are many suggestions for developing connections or relationships with others. So why do we have so much difficulty? The answer is that we are all different, and we have different perspectives, tastes, and emotional baggage! For instance, I have a great friend whom I've known since college. We have an open, honest, and mutually supportive friendship that has weathered over four decades. Yet, if I watch him in a social setting, I am always disturbed by his "over-friendliness," something that I find obsequious. If someone approached me in that way, I would probably run in the other direction. Yet, he has built a successful business on his salesmanship (and women adore him). We're great friends, but we are very different. In a retail auto dealership, they acknowledge different personalities with what they call the "turn over." If a sales person can't close a deal, the customer is "turned over" to another sales person. The new sales person doesn't have any additional or different tools to use in closing the deal; he or she just has a different personality that might click better. When I worked at a dealership, the inside joke was that maybe the customer didn't like a person with facial hair, or someone who was overweight, or someone who spoke with Page 18
an accent. The bottom line is that the dealership acknowledged that people have different tastes and that another person might better be able to make the sale. The primary difference, when it comes to the commercial insurance industry, is that agencies and producers have time to develop relationships. Auto dealers have just a couple of hours to convince a stranger to trust them enough to spend money. Investing time to develop a connection is hard work, but the time and effort you spend is well worth it when you earn the right to the prospect's time and consideration. There are numerous tools to help you along this developmental path: •Social media - Allow prospective clients to start to get to know you and to assess the level of expertise that you bring to the table. •Newsletters - Provide useful business information, rather than self-serving advertisements. •Testimonials - Enable current clients to endorse your capabilities to their peers. •Live seminars - Bring expert advice to numerous clients and prospects who have the opportunity to interact amongst themselves during the breaks. •Community activities and charities - Participate in local events so people can experience your leadership abilities and willingness to work on behalf of others. •Associations - Join key associations for the markets that you serve. Making connections takes time, effort, and persistence. Let others get to know you, as you get to know them. Then, once a connective foundation has been properly established, you can move to the next stage of commitment: creating and nurturing a client relationship. Remember, most savings accounts are built with lots of small deposits (unless you win the lottery). Unfortunately, too many people focus on winning the big prize and fail to make the small deposits. A good friend of mine is a specialty clothing manufacturer. Although he has mega-clients, such as major department store chains, he first built his business on small "mom and pop" boutiques. Today he has over 5,000 of these small establishments as his clients, along with a few exceptionally large clients. His foresight in developing a wide range of various clients in all sizes and shapes has enabled him to successfully grow and prosper, even in today's challenging economic times. As he put it, "Our huge base of small shops enables us to serve the large accounts, yet know that we can survive without them—as long as we maintain our relationships with our fundamental base." If you put in the time, connections will be made, and relationships will follow. Jack Burke is the president of Sound Marketing, Inc., host/ producer of Audio Insurance Outlook and author of Relationship Aspect Marketing and Creating Customer Connections. Jack can be reached at 1-800-451-8273
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
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Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Page 19
Rethink How You
Open
Most salespeople take how they open a sales call for granted. The opening is a place to differentiate yourself and get your calls (especially first calls) off to a great start. But it requires taking the time to plan how you will open. Although it takes a small amount of time, you create the foundation of the entire call with your opening.
Maximize the impact of the opening of a sales call.
Remember these five important steps when you open—salespeople who master them create a competitive advantage: 1. Don't forget about rapport. Prepare for rapport. In addition to what you prepare, look for rapport cues. Be sensitive to customer signals, but don't bypass rapport. People buy from people they like when all else is fairly equal (and sometimes when it is not). 2. Rethink your purpose. Instead of saying, “I am here to tell you about us and what we do in …” say, “I am here to learn more about your objectives and share with you what we do in …” (for a first meeting) or “Before I discuss what I have prepared, I'd like to learn about …” 3. You probably are well prepared, so leverage your preparation. Say, “In preparation for the meeting, I have … (example: discussed X with our specialists, researched …)” This will help you gain credibility and more time.
by Linda Richardson
4. Give a prospect 30 to 60-second overview of your credentials and check if there are any questions. Tailor it to your prospect. 5. Lead out of the opening by going into needs vs. your presentation! When you are ready to wrap up the opening, do so with a question that sets the expectation you will be asking questions. This will also help you gain client cooperation. Remember, you have already let the client know you prepared for the meeting, so this will help the client want to give you information. For example, “So that I can focus on what the priorities are for you, may I ask a few questions about … before I share with you what I have prepared?” Then you are in the need dialogue where you can question, listen, and drill down so you can be persuasive when you present. These opening steps may seem like small points, but in fact, many, if not most, producers skip one or several of them. When you open the call effectively, you open the dialogue. By giving in the opening, you will get a lot more in the remainder of the call!
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Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
By Richard McKenny, CIC, National Trusted Choice Board Member
Taking Advantage of Trusted Choice in your Community and with your Customers As a New Mexico Trusted Choice member, you are afforded many free options to promote your agency with your community and your customers. We know that your agency is busy and how hard it is to look for new ideas to promote your agency and retain business. By going to the Trusted Choice website (www.trustedchoice.com) you will find many ideas and unique tips to promote your agency over the competition. Below, are just a few ideas that you can easily take from the Trusted Choice website and paste into your agency newsletters, or day to day correspondence to your customers or your local media. Just click on the Trusted Choice website and you will see how easy it is! General Insurance Topics • Homeowners Undervaluation • 3 Insurance Questions • Is your home fully insured? • Business Insurance • Power Surges • Does Volunteering Your Time Mean Volunteering • Tree Roots and Sewer Lines Your Insurance? • Do you need life insurance? Seasonal Insurance Topics • Insuring Significant Others • Hurricane/Flood Insurance • Is your health insurance right for you? • Pool Safety • Life Insurance • Prepare your home for winter • Saving Money on Insurance • Protect Christmas Gifts • Travel Insurance • Spring Safety Checklist • Why you need an umbrella • Summer Party Safety • Valentines Day Valuables Commercial Insurance Topics • Water Safety • Discontinued Operations • Winter Fire Risks • Insuring the Theft of Customer Information Insurance Topics for Gadgets Homeowners Insurance Topics • Illegal Music Downloads • Flood Insurance • Is GPS Covered by your Auto Policy? • Home Renovations and Updating Your Insurance • Mobile Devices - Does Insurance Tag Along? www.trustedchoice.com
Is Liquor Liability Needed in a BYOB Establishment? Some private clubs allow patrons to bring their own liquor, perhaps providing set-ups. Some restaurants permit customers to bring their own wine for a corkage fee. Some spas provide complimentary wine. An amusement center allows liquor in private party rooms. A caterer serves alcohol provided by a client. Do these businesses need liquor liability coverage?
Q
"I am teaching AAI 82A today and a question was posed about the need for liquor liability for a BYOB situation. Would the establishment or event need liquor liability coverage? I don't believe so because of the exclusion - the insured is not in the business of manufacturing, distributing, selling, serving or furnishing alcoholic beverages. Do you agree? Secondly, what about establishments like spas or hair salons that are now giving clients a glass of wine while services are being performed? Wouldn't they be 'furnishing' alcoholic beverages and need liquor coverage? I believe the exclusion for liquor liability would apply in this case. Your thoughts?"
Q
"We have a client that has a fine dining restaurant. They do not serve any liquor. They are contemplating permitting their patrons to bring their own liquor. Since they are not providing the liquor, our thinking is they would be fine relying on the CG 00 01 for liquor lawsuit issues since they are not are in the business of manufacturing, distributing, selling, serving or furnishing alcoholic beverages. Would you agree that there is no reason to pursue a separate liquor liability policy at this point? We are still going to recommend they have one of their waitresses be certified in liquor training to be able to watch for drunkenness to avoid being involved in a lawsuit if the patron becomes drunk on the premises and gets in an accident leaving the premises."
Q
"We have a situation where our client owns a concert hall that he rents out to musicians. None of the musicians carry insurance. One musician wants to allow BYOB. Obviously, there will be no charge, but the musician will have servers that will pour the drinks and receive tips for it. I am advising our client that we get him a quote on separate GL coverage for the hall that includes liquor. The liquor coverage is to address the serving of the BYOB. The GL is to try to protect the building package policy that may start getting dragged in on concert claims because none of the entertainers are carrying insurance. Do you agree on the need for liquor coverage?"
Q
"I have a client that runs an amusement center. They Page 22
allow customers to lease a room for company parties/ events. The insured does not have a liquor license since they do not furnish alcohol. They do allow customers in the format of a private party/event to bring their own alcohol. My client is looking for a second opinion to mine that the CGL does not exclude coverage for this type of situation. Any thoughts that I'm not thinking of here?"
Q
"In your opinion is it important for a liquor store to carry Liquor Liability? While I’ve seen it both ways most of the carriers do not include it under their BOP unless as an option and in some cases you have to purchase it as a totally separate policy. Unless they are selling liquor for consumption on premises is it needed? I was always told that unless you were in the business of selling liquor for consumption on your premises, you did not need to purchase liquor liability."
A
We had a similar question to the spa/salon scenrio that involved a pottery group. They were providing wine (just before the participants placed pottery in a 1200 degree kiln). I’d say that furnishing or serving wine is part of their business. Similarly, it is very common for a caterer to provide a barternder or servers at a function where the alcohol is furnished by the client...they are certainly in the business of serving alcohol. Below are some VU faculty comments on these scenarios.
faculty response
On the BYOB situation, there may be no need for liquor liability coverage but ONLY if they NEVER serve alcohol. Many years ago when much of our state didn’t have liquor by the drink, I’d sometimes go to BYOB places. One restaurant allowed you to bring wine and the waiters poured it for you. There’s an argument that they are "serving" alcohol. At one nightclub we moved from one table to another table. The waitress moved all of our drinks for us. Was that “serving”? I’m not sure. Probably not, but if someone has a serious injury that arises from liquor, you can bet they’ll be sued and there might not even be defense coverage under the CGL. In the instance I just mentioned, I had a little bit of liquor left in a bottle and the server
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 201
10
B.Y.O.B. VU Faculty
poured it into my glass and discarded the bottle. That gets closer to serving. The bottom line is, if you allow liquor on the premises, you’d better have perfectly trained servers who never make a mistake. Otherwise you probably need liquor liability coverage. Personally, if ANY liquor is available on my premises, I'm going to look into liquor liablilty coveraege. If I’m the agent I’d also clarify all of this with the insurer to make sure our interpretations of the exclusion jive.
faculty response Liquor Liability
This is what the ISO CGL policy says:
"Bodily injury" or "property damage" for which any insured may be held liable by reason of: (1) Causing or contributing to the intoxication of any person; (2) The furnishing of alcoholic beverages to a person under the legal drinking age or under the influence of alcohol; or
ment where liquor is consumed rely solely on a CGL policy. The trained server you mention might help (assuming she doesn’t quit, is never sick, and is there all the time), but you’ll never be able to employ people who are never negligent. I’d present the situation to the insured and advise him to seek the advice of his attorney. If he wants to go without liquor liability coverage, I’d have him document that in writing. Whoever told someone that a liquor store doesn't need faculty response liquor liability coverage should turn in their agent license. Or at least take 2 minutes and read the CGL exclusion.
On the amusement center question, you have to be careful as an agent to adjust (3) Any statute, ordinance or regulation relating faculty response very claims prior to their occurrence. I to the sale, gift, distribution or use of would NEVER tell someone they don't need a alcoholic beverages. certain coverage based on vague descriptions of scenariThis exclusion applies only if you are in the business os. This requires the insurer's opinion and probably some of manufacturing, distributing, selling, serving or case law research for your area. furnishing alcoholic beverages. Whether this exclusion is triggered depends on the facts of each case. I would focus less on sales and more on "serving" or "furnishing." If it is conceivable that someone affiliated with the premises might pour a drink for someone, you may have a problem. I can imagine someone cleaning up during the event and, preparing to throw away a bottle, notice there is still something in it and pour it for the person before discarding the bottle. Trial lawyers do a great job of discovering little things like this or questioning the establishments employees asking them if they might do something like this or if it's likely it was ever done. Better safe than sorry. Suggest the coverage then document the insured's declination.
faculty response
On the fine dining establishment question, I would be very wary about suggesting/recommending that an establish-
The 1973 CGL liquor liability exclusion did create coverfaculty response age issues for an owner or lessor of premises in certain circumstances, thus leading to the owner being named as an additional insured on liquor liability (Dram) policies. The 1986 CGL changed that, but it's best to confirm this with the insurer. Any time you have a business that permits the consumption of alcohol on its premises, they are going to be included in a lawsuit that arises from the alcohol. The CGL should apply in many instances but who knows when an adjuster will say that the insured is “furnishing” (i.e., making available) alcohol simply by providing a facility where it is consumed? While it’s probably covered, confirm this in advance with the carrier.
faculty response
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Page 23
Did You Know?
IIANM Members receive exclusive discount pricing
Page 24
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
Who crashes the most?
Car accidents by occupation It's not clear exactly why drivers in certain professions crash more, but Quality Planning Corp., a company that validates policyholder information for car insurance companies, has collected statistics about car accidents and speeding based on profession.
accidents and 39 speeding tickets. No big secret why — have you ever seen a realtor without a cell phone glued to his or her head?
"Insurance companies may look at those professions and say, 'Hmm, these are risky people,'" says Tim Cox, spokesperson for Quality Planning.
5. Enlisted military personnel
Some insurers will take your profession into account when they calculate your car insurance rate. Some professions are eligible for discounts. However, it's a very small factor in a complicated formula. Your driving record, claims and credit history, age, gender, where you live and the type of car you drive are just a few others that matter. Students are by far the worse offenders — perhaps because of their youth and inexperience behind the wheel. Every 1,000 students average 152 accidents and 87 speeding tickets annually. But look out behind you! They are closely followed by doctors and lawyers. Here are the top 10 crashers, along with Insure.com's own speculation on the reason for their crash rates. The No. 1 worst car crasher: Doctors! 1. Doctors Per year, every 1,000 doctors average 109 accidents and 44 speeding tickets, landing them at the top of the list. Are these sleep-deprived residents and interns too tired to stay on the road, or do they just enjoy playing God in traffic? 2. Lawyers Per year, every 1,000 lawyers average 106 accidents and 37 speeding tickets. No need to chase ambulances when you're already at the scene of an accident! 3. Architects Per year, every 1,000 architects average 105 accidents and 72 speeding tickets. They may make a living at the drafting table, but on the road they can't seem to draw the line. 4. Real estate brokers Per year, every 1,000 real estate brokers average 102
Per year, every 1,000 enlisted military personnel average 99 accidents and 78 speeding tickets. Hey, you're not driving tanks, and cars are not targets!
The #1 Worst Car Crashers: DOCTORS!
By Insure.com
6. Social workers Per year, every 1,000 enlisted social workers average 98 accidents and 33 speeding tickets. Looks like their concern for others doesn't extend to fellow drivers. 7. Manual laborer Per year, every 1,000 manual laborers average 96 accidents and 77 speeding tickets. For everyone's sake, these guys need a brake. 8. Analysts Per year, every 1,000 analysts average 95 accidents and 40 speeding tickets. Perhaps if they analyzed how much they could save with a good driver discount, they'd be more careful. 9. Engineers Per year, every 1,000 engineers average 94 accidents and 51 speeding tickets. It's probably not a good idea to use a slide rule while driving. 10. Consultants Per year, every 1,000 consultants average 94 accidents and 50 speeding tickets. Perhaps they could give themselves advice on how to be better drivers. Others that made the list but rank below 10 include nurses, librarians, insurance agents, dentists, accountants, politicians, firemen, law enforcement personnel and salespeople.
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
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What's the big deal about Written Procedures?
by Chris Burand
Developing written procedures is time consuming, costs money, and can be an aggravating process but the investment is absolutely worth it. Perhaps the biggest reason for developing procedures is personal accountability. When procedures are enforced, all employees, including owners, are required to follow them. This creates considerable personal accountability and a lot of agency owners do not want personal accountability. They do not want to follow rules, so the agency never develops or follows procedures. But is the pain of following procedures and being personally accountable worth it to increase productivity, increase profits, improve the development of new people, increase revenue, and significantly decrease errors and omissions exposure? Agency owners simply can't have it both ways. Consider what an agency jeopardizes without written procedures: • Without written procedures: How can a new staff person know how to process and service accounts correctly? Sure, an experienced person can tell them. But without procedures, can you be sure they are told everything-and told everything correctly? What if different people do things differently? Who does the new person believe? This certainly makes learning and training much more difficult. • Without written procedures: How can an agency defend against a plaintiff's argument that the agency is liable because they did not follow procedures? Some attorneys turn this argument around by suggesting agencies should not have procedures because they can be defended with the argument, "They have no procedures so how can they do anything wrong?" I understand this is a legal defense, but this also suggests the agency is incompetent. They have no rules and no standards so of course they messed up. Reality is that if an agency has good procedures that are followed, the odds of a claim significantly decrease. • Without written procedures: How do you manage your people? How can you prevent mistakes without procedures or rules? How can you define a mistake without rules?
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Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
manual does not fall into disuse. When the shock of the system upgrade is over, the agency can return to the keystroke manual and upgrade it then. 6. Keep procedures up-to-date! Procedures manuals are living documents. They are never complete. So once a month, update a procedure. Also, teach a procedure once a month. Have different people do the teaching.
• Without written procedures: How can you ever prove an employee is not doing his or her job if there is no job definition, if there is no instruction on how to do the job, no set of rules pertaining to the job, no consistency, and if no two people have the same standards? So how do you get started? Here are a few tips for developing written procedures: 1. Don't do it all by yourself. Seek guidance from an expert. There are experts who specialize in procedures so you are less likely to miss something. More important, agencies that try to do it by themselves usually take far too long trying to get everything right. They get lost in the details and never finish. The few times I have seen agencies develop quality procedures manuals on their own, the person developing them had almost no insurance experience so they could focus on the end result without getting caught up in the details. 2. Do not buy boilerplated procedures manuals and try to customize them. Too often this is a waste of good intentions and money because the staff does not develop enough vested interest in the process. I have, however, seen a couple of excellent and reasonably-priced boilerplate procedures manuals. Once an agency's procedures manual is complete, these boilerplate manuals make good investments as a final check to make sure the agency has not missed anything easy.
Finally, audit compliance: • Procedures are worse than worthless if people do not follow them. The attorneys are right about this point. So it is important to audit compliance with procedures. The first go-around should be educational rather than pure auditing. Don't just audit staff compliance either--audit producer compliance as well. Too many agencies make the mistake of acting as though procedures only apply to staff. • Pick 10 to 20 files a quarter per person and have your most knowledgeable and detailed person go through them to determine if procedures have been followed. If this does not work, audit everything. A complete audit is expensive and difficult, but some agencies learn they have no alternative. Typically, the agency has to hire a full-time auditor. Good procedures--that are followed--pay for themselves many times over. Isn't it worth it to develop good procedures and live by them? Visit IIANM’s
“Agency Management” Area
3. Involve the entire agency so that everyone has a vested interest. When employees develop procedures along with the help of an expert, they have enough vested interest to want to see them succeed. Additionally, they learn the procedures as the procedures are developed (so they do not have to read the procedures manual to learn it). Adults learn by doing. 4. Cut the process into small steps, but keep the project moving. 5. Consider two manuals. Develop one for basic procedures and one for the agency management system. One benefit of this approach is that the job is not so overwhelming. Another benefit is that basic procedures are partially unrelated to the agency's management system so there is room for flexibility. My experience is that when agencies upgrade their agency management system, they rarely update their procedures manual simply because upgrading the management system is itself overwhelming. With two different manuals, at least the procedures Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
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2011 -Tentative-
Calendar of Events January 11th & 12th 13th 17th 26th
Property & Casualty License Exam Review Life & Health License Exam Review Office Closed - Martin Luther King Day Legislative Mixer
Kitty Leslie
IIANM IIANM La Posada
February 8th & 9th 10th 21st
Property & Casualty License Exam Review Life & Health License Exam Review Office Closed - Presidents Day
IIANM IIANM
March 3rd 8th & 9th 10th 23rd & 24th
AAI 83A Principles Agency Management Property & Casualty License Exam Review Life & Health License Exam Review 50th Annual Education Seminar
Kitty Leslie
IIANM IIANM IIANM
April 5th 6th 7th 12th & 13th 14th 22nd 28th
ACSR #2 Personal Auto ACSR #8 Commercial Auto AAI 83B Agency Company Relations Property & Casualty License Exam Review Life & Health License Exam Review Office Closed - Good Friday Free E&O Class
IIANM IIANM IIANM Las Cruces
May 3rd 4th 5th 9th 10th & 11th 12th 30th
ACSR #3 Personal Lines Related Coverages ACSR #9 Commercial Lines Related Coverages AAI 83C Agency Financial Management IIANM/NMM Golf Tournament Property & Casualty License Exam Review Kitty Leslie Life & Health License Exam Review Office Closed - Memorial Day
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June 7th 8th 9th 14th & 15th 16th
ACSR #4 E&O Loss Control ACSR #7 Commercial Liability AAI 81A - Principles of Insurance Property & Casualty License Exam Review Life & Health License Exam Review
IIANM IIANM IIANM IIANM IIANM
Office Closed - Independence Day ACSR #5 Professional Development AAI 81B - Personal Lines Property & Casualty License Exam Review Life & Health License Exam Review Southern Seminar Property & Casualty License Exam Review
IIANM IIANM IIANM Las Cruces Las Cruces
ACSR # 6 Commercial Property TBD AAI 81C Commercial Property Insurance Property & Casualty License Exam Review Life & Health License Exam Review
Roswell Roswell IIANM IIANM IIANM
July 4th 6th 7th 12th & 13th 14th 20th & 21st (tent) 20th & 21st (tent)
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September 5th Office Closed - Labor Day 7th & 8th (tent) Last Chance Seminar (tentative) 13th & 14th Property & Casualty License Exam Review 15th Life & Health License Exam Review 21st & 22nd(tent) 77th Annual Convention (tentative)
IIANM IIANM
October 11th & 12th 13th
Property & Casualty License Exam Review Life & Health License Exam Review
IIANM IIANM
November 8th & 9th 10th 24th & 25th
Property & Casualty License Exam Review Life & Health License Exam Review Office Closed - Thanksgiving
Kitty Leslie
IIANM IIANM
December 1st 6th & 7th 8th 26th
IIANM Holiday Party Property & Casualty License Exam Review Life & Health License Exam Review Office Closed - Christmas
IIANM IIANM IIANM
IIANM’s
EducationEDGE Insurance Education Programs in New Mexico are critical to a successful and profitable career in the insurance industry. Every year, we offer exciting opportunities to expand your professional horizons. All of these education programs are designed to help insurance agents thrive in the most competitive of marketplaces. The pre-licensing classes are designed to be a review for the state licensing examination. We recommend that students be familiar with the study material prior to attending class.
Pre-Licensing Study Materials
Pre-Licensing Classes
To see a list of what is available and to purchase your study materials online, click here.
Study materials are NOT included in class prices. Property & Casualty Review Class (2 days)
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Regular Price: $150 Member Price: $120
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- December 9 - 10 8am - 5pm - January 11 - 12 8am - 5pm
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The FINE PRINT: IIANM reserves the right to cancel/reschedule classes. Please call ahead to verify when classes will run. Decisions will be made three days prior to class. Cancellations received after 5 business days, will be assessed a $50.00 cancellation fee. Cancellations received on or after deadline and ‘no shows’ will forfeit the registration fee altogether. A substitute is always welcome, with no extra fee, but prior notification would be appreciated.
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Give us a call: (505) 843-7231 (800) 621-3978
Mail in: 1511 University Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87102
Fax in: (505) 243-3367
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
December's Clickable Calendar - Click on a class to register online -
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2
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e Offic sed Clo
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31
New Mexico’s Job Bank We’ve re-vamped our Job Bank. Looking to fill a position within your agency? Trying to find a job but don’t know where to look? Whether you are looking for somewhere new to share your special skills or an employer looking for quality, professional employees, we are there to lend a helping hand. Click here to take advantage of IIANM’s Career Center. Do you have an agency you’re trying to sell, or in the market to buy one? Check out our Classifieds!
Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico - www.iianm.org - * December 2010
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Virtual Risk Consultant a “No-Brainer for Most Agencies” Decrease E&O exposure and increase sales with this valuable tool. The benefits of increasing sales while lowering E&O exposure have Big “I” members from across the country flocking to purchase the Big I Advantage® Virtual Risk Consultant Powered by Rough Notes (VRC). And those who have purchased it are glad they did. A recent survey of registered VRC users found that 92% were extremely satisfied and would recommend VRC to other agents. Starting at $250 a year, the VRC is an easy-to-use agency resource website offering:
Risk Exposure Analysis Tools:
Commercial and personal risk exposure analysis information at your fingertips with hundreds of industries, including narrative descriptions, minimum coverages and suggested WC, ISO GL, SIC and NAIC codes. The popular “Coverages Applicable” material, customized questionnaires and E&O coverage checklists are also included.
Reference and Proposal Tools:
Reference materials to make sure agency staff understands the product they are selling and help create winning proposals. Included are access to ACORD forms, PF&M and a glossary of insurance terms.
Marketing and Prospecting Tools:
Access to articles on various insurance topics that the agency can share with customers, post on their websites or use to create a client newsletter. There are also hundreds of professionally-written building business letters so you can spend more time selling and less time writing. Gain a competitive advantage by purchasing the exclusive VRC today. Visit www.independentagent.com/VRC to learn more, view a product demo and purchase the tool.
E n ds
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Linda Talley's Body Language Blog
Consumer Articles Click the title to view a listing of Virtual University articles that have been rewritten from a consumer perspective. These articles are provided in Microsoft Word format, except where noted, and were developed so that IIABA members could use them in their communications (newsletters, flyers, web site, etc.) with their clients or in local media publications. You are free to personalize these articles for your agency, including adding your byline, but be wary about changing the technical content.
Click the title if you want to think differently, act differently and relate differently, then you need to understand the nuances of body language in order to be a congruent leader, to close sales faster and serve your customers better!
Bosses share their peeves - and advice on getting ahead The secret of success in any career usually boils down to some basic advice: Work hard, get results—and don’t annoy your boss. CareerBuilder. com asked some managers what their employees do that really ticks them off: • Focusing on your needs instead of the boss’s. Instead of asking, “Can I work from home three days a week?” frame your request so it addresses what your manager wants: “What would I have to do in order to telecommute?” • Lack of punctuality. Bosses notice when you habitually walk in a few minutes late or always leave early. • Not double-checking your work. Don’t assume that spell-check will catch every error. Reread your e-mails, and add up your figures again, before sending out anything that could make you and your manager look foolish. • Expecting your manager to answer everything. Instead of automatically asking your boss for help, make an effort to solve the problem or find the answer on your own. Otherwise you’ll seem lazy or uninvolved in your work. • Not paying attention. Before asking the boss for information, check to see whether he or she has already communicated it to you. A manager who puts a lot of time and effort into providing everything you need to know will wonder about your skills if you constantly ask questions like, “What time is the meeting again?” • Lack of enthusiasm. Managers who are committed to their organization’s success expect at least a basic level of interest from their employees. Beyond just scoring points for enthusiasm, taking an active interest in your job will reduce the number of mistakes you make due to inattention. • Being self-centered. Career coach Bettina Seidman told CareerBuilder one of her pet peeves: “Employees who forget that no matter what their job is, they work in a business that needs to make money.” The 12 Scams of Christmas
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