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I O WA I N D E P E N D E N T A G E N T S
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VOLUME 28 / ISSUE 2 / SPRING 2010 / INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS OF IOWA
Independent Insurance Agents
Coach Dr. Tom Davis Spokesperson for Iowa’s Independent Agents the Trusted Choice!
INSIDE: 2010 National Legislative Conference Two Historic Changes Passed Iowa Big "I" Members Go To Washington Total Media Creates Iowa Big “I” Agent T.V. Advertising Program Health Insurance Market Share - Iowa
2010 IIAI Anual Rural Agents Conference Insurance Day On The Hill Ten Technology Tips To Enhance Your Agency’s Productivity How A Claim Is Made Big “I” Changes…BOLD MOVES…To Help You!
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I O WA I N D E P E N D E N T A G E N T S
President’s Report 2010 National Legislative Conference
Viewpoint is a publication of the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa. Viewpoint is published quarterly: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Viewpoint is mailed to Iowa insurance agents, Iowa Home Office Executives, Affiliate members, and other state associations and organizations.
Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa 4000 Westown Parkway West Des Moines, Iowa 50266 (515) 223-6060 • FAX (515) 222-0610 800-272-9312 (In-State only)
Advertising Editor Melissa Meiners
President
Jeff Bohnenkamp, CIC - Spencer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President-Elect
Mark Currie, CIC, CPIA - West Des Moines
Treasurer
Brian Petersburg - Decorah
Advertisers
by Jeff Bohnenkamp, CIC
41 Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies
Page 5
National Directors Message
4 Burns & Wilcox 21 Celina Insurance Group 28 EMC Insurance Co. 20 First Western Insurance
“Two historic changes were voted on and passed that will change the look and direction of our national association for many years to come.”
30 IIAI
by Tom Richardson, CIC Page 8
Directors
Iowa Big “I” Members Go To Washington
Paul Pohlson - Grinnell Terry McDonald, CIC - Iowa City Scott Morningstar, CPCU - Lisbon Jerry Mease - Winterset Eldon Hunsicker - Ottumwa Terry Friedman, CPCU - Dubuque Tim English, CIC - Dyersville John Dalton - Council Bluffs Steve Madsen - Marshalltown
25 AMERISAFE
38 Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co.
In This Issue
Tom Richardson, CIC - Keokuk
43 Acuity
Two Historic Changes Passed
National Director
Page 11
42 IIAI 33 IIAI 2 The IMT Group 25 IMWCA Iowa Municipalities Workers’ Compensation Association 31 Insurance Finance Corporation 7 Integrity Insurance 18 Iowa Municipal Insurance, LTD 10 Iowa Mutual Insurance Co. 41 JM Wilson
Total Media Creates Iowa Big “I” Agent T.V. Advertising Program
34 LeMars Insurance Co.
Page 13
21 M.J. Kelly Company
Health Insurance Market Share – Iowa
6 Merchants Bonding Co. 21 Northern States Agency 16 Pekin Insurance
Past President
Page 20
40 Rain and Hail
Chief Executive Officer
2010 IIAI Annual Rural Agents Conference Page 22
16 Ringwalt & Liesche Co.
Insurance Day On The Hill
6 Rural Community Insurance Services
Hans Boehm, CPCU - Boone
Bob Skow, CPCU, CAE bob@iiaiowa.org
Membership Operations Coordinator Melissa Meiners melissa@iiaiowa.org • Ext. 15
IIAI OFFICE STAFF
“During the Legislative Conference, Iowa was represented by 18 agents out of over 1,000 agents nationwide in attendance. In the 14 years that I have attended consecutively this is one of the largest turnouts ever.”
Technology & Communications Administrator Jeanne Reynolds jeanne@iiaiowa.org • Ext. 17
Membership Services Coordinator Marilyn Paul, CPCU, AIT, AAM, CPIW marilyn@iiaiowa.org • Ext. 11
Membership Services Coordinator Linda Brazelton linda@iiaiowa.org • Ext. 16
Membership Services Coordinator Brenda Kluger, MBA, CIC, CISR, CPIW brenda@iiaiowa.org • Ext. 14
Membership Services Coordinator Marie Huggins marie@iiaiowa.org • Ext. 22
Receptionist
Cindy Grim cindy@iiaiowa.org • Ext. 12
Page 26
Ten Technology Tips To Enhance Your Agency’s Productivity by Steve Anderson Page 29
How A Claim Is Made by Shirley Zelenski, Swiss Re Page 37
12 Progressive 32 RDS Group
10 State Auto Insurance Companies 15 SECURA Insurance Co. 24 Taylor Insurance Services 19 Vertafore 36 West Bend We would like to thank our advertisers for their support. This magazine would not be possible without them. THANK YOU!
Big “I” Changes…BOLD MOVES… To Help You! by Bob Skow, CPCU, CAE — Chief Executive Officer Page 39 MISSION STATEMENT: The Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa will be an unrelenting advocate of the business, professional and political interests of its members; doing so by working in the public’s best interest and with the highest ethical standards.
Alan Jay Kaufman Chairman, President & CEO
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|president’s report|
2010 National Legislative Conference by Jeff Bohnenkamp, CIC
H
aving put off the deadline date for the submission of this article, I find myself writing it while flying back from the 2010 National Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. What a week this has been. While on the drive to the airport on Tuesday, the National Flood Insurance Program was extended by Congress for a one month period after it expired on March 1st. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers Reform Act. This bill establishes NARAB as a private nonprofit entity. The legislation allows producers in good standings in their home state to receive additional licenses if they satisfy NARAB membership criteria. NARAB effectively creates one-stop producer licensing for additional licenses beyond the home state. My hope is, by the time you are reading this, the Senate has passed the bill also and it has been signed into law. During the Legislative Conference, Iowa was represented by 18 agents out of over 1,000 agents nationwide in attendance. In the 14 years that I have attended consecutively this is one of the largest turnouts ever. Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, Congressman Mike Ross of Utah, and Congressman Bruce Braley of Iowa were guest speakers. InsurPac, the Political Action Committee of Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America,
was established in 1975 to compliment IIABA’s Legislative Program. For the first time in 2009 InsurPac eclipsed the $1,000,000 mark for receipts in a calendar year, affirming its place as the largest property and casualty insurance industry PAC in the country and one of the largest federal PAC’s among all industries. Less than 1% of all Federal PAC’s achieve this level. Iowa was recognized for meeting the National InsurPac goal for 2009, another first. Thank you to former Chairman Ed Butler for his efforts. Our new InsurPac Chairman is Forrest Schnobrich. Rest assured, Forrest will be in contact to encourage your continued or new involvement. The Iowa Agent Delegation met with our elected House and Senate members and their staff while on Capitol Hill. Subjects discussed included:
Health Care Reform, Opposition to Federal Insurance Regulation, Opposition to Proposed Cuts on Commissions for Federal Crop Insurance Programs, Extension of Individual Income Tax Rates and Permanent Reform of the Estate Tax Law. The delegation meetings were held in the elected official’s offices as well as in the Capitol Building itself. A special meeting with Senator Harkin was held in the Historic “Presidents Room” on the Senate side of the Capitol. While in the Capitol Chambers many members of Congress were seen in the hallways including the newest U.S. Senator, Scott Brown. After a day on the Hill we worked our way back towards the hotel and stopped at the Dubliner, an Irish Pub. We were welcomed by the owner, James Joyce. It turns out that James is a longtime family friend of former Senator John Culver
During the Legislative Conference, Iowa was represented by 18 agents out of over 1,000 agents nationwide in attendance. In the 14 years that I have attended consecutively this is one of the largest turnouts ever.
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|president’s report| and our present Governor Chet Culver. James knew that Governor Culver had returned from his Iraq Troop visit. While at the Dubliner, James introduced us to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, who toured Iraq with Governor Culver. The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America’s Grassroots Program is the backbone of the legislative advocacy on agents and brokers issues on Capitol Hill and in state capitals. IIABA’s 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees comprise a formidable grassroots constituency that ranks among the most respected on Capitol Hill. I encourage you as members to be active in local, state and national politics. In fact, more than 30 former insurance professionals currently hold seats in the U.S. Congress. IIABA’s grassroots strength lies not only in the agents strong relationships with the Federal Legislators, but also in the number of concerned agents and broker activities that can be mobilized at a moments notice by IIABA’s email “Action Alert” system. IIABA’s comprehensive grassroots website allows members to quickly contact their I encourage you as members to be active in local, state and national politics.
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| SPRING 2010
elected officials on issues essential to the likelihood of Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers. Thank you for allowing me to serve as
your president. It is indeed an honor to represent you, our members, on both the state and national level. Enjoy the spring weather, you’ve earned it.
Jenny Urbanek
Commercial Lines Field Underwriter
"Agents can
rely
on me to go above and beyond, working with them as an advocate in the field to underwrite and promote profitable growth - generating a win-win for everyone."
Discover the Integrity difference, contact Cathy Beaudin at 800-348-1741 ext. 8326.
|national director report|
Two Historic Changes Passed Changing the Look and Direction of Our National Association by Tom Richardson, CIC
T
he IIABA Spring Board Meeting held March 5 & 6 in Washington DC was a historic event for our national organization. Two historic changes were voted on and passed that will change the look and direction of our national association for many years to come. First, the national board of directors voted with a 2/3 majority of those present and voting, to adopt the “All-In” concept of making Trusted Choice participation part of the IIABA membership. What this means is that all members of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, (IIABA) will now become members of Trusted Choice, our new National Brand with the implementation to begin in 2011. Second, as a part of the adoption of the Trusted Choice brand, we will have new Big “I” logo’s which will merge the Big “I” logo with the Trusted Choice brand logo. One logo will be used as the Big “I” logo, and one logo will be used as the consumer brand. Both logo’s will incorporate the new eagle swoosh in the logo change. Many of you might wonder why these changes are taking place, and how does it impact us, as agents, and why all of these major changes by our national association? I’ll do my best to explain. I’m sure that most of you are aware that independent agents have been consistently loosing personal lines market share to the direct writers since
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| SPRING 2010
consumers began to turn to the internet to research and often purchase their personal lines products. In fact, independent agents market share has dropped by about 5 percentage points since 2004, and our market share continues to drop daily. That translates into billions of dollars in lost personal lines revenue to independent agents. Although IIABA The Trusted Choice® recognizes that we don’t have the financial resources to compete against the “Gecko”, “Flo”, “The Good Neighbor”, “The Good Hands”, einsurance, and on and on, we do have the power of the local independent agent, and the thousands of independent agents around the country. So, that brings me to the Third major topic of discussion and presentation of the meeting; the final steps of implementing a national IIABA program called ConsumerAgent Portal, (CAP) using the new Trusted Choice Brand as the foundation for this
new national initiative. I think CAP might be one of the more important programs initiated by the IIABA. CAP will use the Trusted Choice branding and provide Independent, Trusted Choice agents with a dominant web presence including an agent locator that Independent Insurance Agent will consistently appear in the Top 5 of insurance/auto insurance/home insurance searches on the most popular search engines. CAP will give independent agents a means to compete, regain, build and retain personal lines market share, as well as create a strong consumer brand for independent agents that will resonate with consumers in such a way that it will drive traffic directly to local independent agents. CAP is being developed now and is an ongoing project still in its infancy, however the IIABA Board of Directors has authorized the initial funding of CAP, and the project is moving forward rap-
Two historic changes were voted on and passed that will change the look and direction of our national association for many years to come.
|national director report| Ideas on the table and then discuss ways that we can forge some common ground for the future of our Trusted Choice® consumer brand. CONCEPT Should IIABA adopt the “All-In” concept of making Trusted Choice® participation part of IIABA membership through a plan to be approved by the Trusted Choice® Board and IIABA Board? If this concept is approved by the IIABA Board by a vote of 2/3 or more, the IIABA Board will be asked to vote on each of the components below to help give direction to the Trusted Choice® Board. If the concept is not approved by the IIABA Board by a vote of 2/3 or more, the Trusted Choice® Board will seek input from the IIABA Board and continue working with individual agencies, state associations and company partners to market the Trusted Choice® brand for participating independent insurance agents.
COMPONENTS
(examples below)
1. Should the IIABA logo and the Trusted Choice® logo take on a similar look and still provide the flexibility of use by agents? Alternatives A. Use a new Big “I” logo with an eagle swoosh and “Trusted Choice” tag line for the Association brand, and maintain the Trusted Choice® logo with the “Independent Insurance Agent” tag line for the consumer brand. B. Use the new Trusted Choice® logo with the “Independent Insurance Agent” tag line for both the Association and consumer brands. C. Use a new Big “I” logo with the eagle swoosh and “Trusted Choice” tag line for the Association and consumer brand. D. Maintain the current Big “I” logo for the Association brand and the current Trusted Choice® logo for the consumer brand. E. Use one current Trusted Choice® logo for both the Association and the consumer brands. F. Other logo options?
Independent Insurance Agents
idly. Additional work is now being done to get our company partners on board to support and assist us in this project. There will be more on this project as our national board will be updated on the status at the fall board meeting.
The Trusted Choice®
As always, if anyone has any questions regarding any of the above topics, or would like to express an opinion as to the direction your national board is taking, I would welcome your input. My job as your National Director is to repre-
sent Iowa, and getting feed back from my fellow agents helps me do my job. I hope you all have a prosperous and dry spring. Don’t forget to sell flood insurance!
SPRING 2010 |
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Iowa Big “I” Members Go To
WASHINGTON
A group of 20 Iowa Agents attended IIABA’s National Legislative Conference. Meetings with all seven of Iowa’s Members of Congress were held discussing Health Reform, Crop Insurance, and Federal Regulation of Insurance.
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TOTAL MEDIA CREATES IOWA BIG “I” AGENT T.V. ADVERTISING PROGRAM Your agency can advertise for as little as $1.15 per ad!
W
hen Gene Smith first began his broadcast career in 1959, while a senior at Bradley University, he worked with a lot of insurance agencies as well as media agencies. If someone would’ve told him that one day he would own a media agency and represent one of the largest groups of insurance agents in the state of Iowa, Gene would have laughed and given his standard, “you never know” shrug. But as fate would have it, that’s exactly where his career path has led and he couldn’t be more pleased. Smith’s long and varied career began at WMBD-TV in Peoria, IL where he spent seven years in production. From there he moved over to sales at WEEK-TV in Peoria and ten years later found himself relocating to the Quad Cities and employment as Vice President and General Sales Manager at WQAD-TV in Moline, Illinois. It was during this time that Smith’s dream of owning and operating an advertising agency began to emerge. In 1994, after thirtysix years in broadcasting, Smith joined the C&S Agency as General Manager. As the client list grew, so did Smith’s aspirations of opening the doors of his own agency and so in 2007 Total Media, LLC was born in Bettendorf, Iowa. Continued on page 14 •
Gene Smith, President
Total Media Staff
Smith takes great pride in what he has built and is happy to tell the story of how the relationship with Trusted Choice and the Big “I” came to be.
Total Media becomes agency of record for Trusted Choice of Iowa Total Media’s relationship with the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa and Trusted Choice started in early 2009, with a call for advice from a friend of Smith who was on the board of directors. An advertising campaign had been presented, and further clarification was requested. “We looked at the presentation, explains Smith, “covered the
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strengths and weaknesses, then suggested that the IIAI go back to the drawing board. I was asked if we had a better solution, and the dialog began.” In the spring of 2009, a plan was put into place to provide a state-wide
broadcast program, utilizing all television markets in the state, as well as cable television in every county of the state. Radio, instead of TV, was presented for 9 counties in Western Iowa in the cost-prohibitive Omaha market. Bob Skow set up three Iowa Big “I” Town Hall Meetings; in Iowa City, Des Moines and Storm Lake in early July. The project was presented to 80 to 100 agents in each of these meetings explaining cost, areas covered, media used and what the campaign would look like. Agents and agencies signed up to participate at these locations, some even got their pictures taken. Costs for the project were excitingly low. For example, an agent or single agency could be tagged on 21 spots per week for 13 weeks (273 spots), in many markets for as little as $220 TOTAL - just 81 cents per tag. Television could be purchased by agents for as little as $225 total, for 15 spots per week, for 13 weeks, television for just $1.15 per tag! Of course, the major markets of Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities jumped all the way up to $3.25 per tag, still a great bargain! Parts of this program were cooped by Trusted Choice, as was the website project. Total Media, with the assistance of Trusted Choice, designed three web page templates that included 5 to 7 pages of web information available for the Trusted Choice agents and agencies for the low cost of just $250, plus domain name purchase (about $20). Agents could also coop this project for a one time reimbursement of $250 for 2010 from the Trusted Choice program. Total Media then produced three new television spots for the broadcast campaign. The first spot emphasized the fact that the independent insurance agents were now part of Trusted Choice. Still the same trustworthy agents with a new look! The second commercial took its Continued on page 17 •
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zip code. If an agent wants to be a part of this future program, they WILL NEED A WEBSITE!!! So, contact Total Media while the coop program from Trusted Choice is still available. Members will be invited to more IIAI Town Hall Meetings
lead from the national spot that depicted agents throughout the U.S.A. reciting the Trusted Choice Pledge. Instead, we used agents reciting the Trusted Choice Pledge from within Iowa. After the disaster in Parkersburg, it was decided to depict the damage in that community as a feature, showing the growth and rebuilding of the community, particularly, due to the quick reaction of independent agents and their insurance partners. These programs were a huge success throughout the state of Iowa and established the Trusted Choice name as one you should use if looking for reliable, trusted insurance agents with choices!
Dr. Tom Davis signs as the Trusted Choice Spokesperson! A second campaign started on February 22 and concludes May 23, 2010, with a third campaign to air September, November and December of 2010. The Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa association has contracted with Dr. Tom Davis, former head basketball coach at the University of Iowa and Drake University, to produce two new commercials. His first spot is currently running and a new spot will be produced this
Denison - June 15 West Des Moines - June 16 Iowa City - June 17
summer, to start in the fall. He will also be the keynote speaker at the Annual IIAI Convention. Dr. Tom will recommend the use of a Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agent in his endorsement on the commercials. Participation has been good in the past. But now with the decision that all Iowa Big “I” members will automatically be part of the Trusted Choice program, the fall program is available to everyone in the Association. Total Media will also be extending the website offer to every new Trusted Choice member. The Big “I” will also be launching a Web Portal, whereby requests for the location of the closest agent can be forwarded to the agent or agencies in that
in June, so look for the times, dates and nearest locations. Agency tagging and participation with insurance advertising coops has been going on for decades and will continue for years to come. However, none has ever been more inclusive, expansive and exciting than the one that was created by the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa Board or Directors and staff. Join in and be a part of the fall campaign.
There’s more to the agency business than what you think… In addition to Trusted Choice, Total Media handles a wide variety of clients ranging from banks to beverage distributors; car dealers to entertainment and everything in between. Operating as a full service marketing and advertising agency, Total Media provides a vast number of services for
Continued on page 18 •
SPRING 2010 |
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To reach us: their clients: electronic media placement for television, radio and cable; billboard and print ad placement; website hosting and development; ad specialty items; and copywriting and production. The agency’s buying expertise extends far beyond the confines of the Quad Cities, a community comprised of 2 cities on the Iowa side and 2 cities on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. “We buy television, radio and cable from Huntsville, Alabama to Minneapolis, Minnesota - Chicago, Illinois to Columbia, Missouri. We cover most of the upper Midwest, with concentration in Illinois and Iowa” says Smith. But that doesn’t mean the agency wouldn’t love to expand that buying into the east or west coast. “If the opportunity exists, we’ll take a look at it. Besides, I would love to play some of the courses
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| SPRING 2010
Total Media Northwest Tower 2550 Middle Road Bettendorf, IA 52722 Gene Smith, President 563.344.9024 ph 563.823.0806 fx gsmith@totalmediaqc.com
out there” Smith jokes, in reference to his unending love for the game of golf.
Plan a “dream trip” for your clients! Another facet of Total Media is the travel incentive division, providing sales incentive trips from Hawaii to Jamaica, and New York to San Francisco. The
agency has provided complete travel arrangements for company groups ranging in size from 20 up to 400 people. Those include two day getaways up to week-long conventions and vacations. The travel is the “fun” part of the business…a value added perk for Smith who is always more than happy to pack his golf clubs. “If there’s an advertising need, Total Media can do it. If it has a logo on it, we’ve done it at one time or another”, says Smith. “So don’t be surprised if some day you see a hot air balloon flying overhead with a Trusted Choice logo on it!” If you’re bogged down and in need of an advertising agency, give the good folks at Total Media a call. The state of Iowa is their backdoor and they, too, are a trusted choice in the world of advertising.
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Health Insurance Market Share - Iowa Health Insurance companies collected more than $4.65 billion in premiums in 2008. Here’s a breakout that shows the top carri-
ers in Iowa and their market share. Collectively, 10 companies in Iowa collected nearly 80 percent of private health-care premiums. SOURCE: IOWA INSURANCE DIVISION
Conventry Health Care of Iowa, Inc.
$159.6
Humana Insurance Co.
$277
United HealthCare Insurance Co.
$184.4
United HealthCare Plan of the River Valley, Inc.
$215.4
Wellmark, Inc. Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc.
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| SPRING 2010
Premiums collected (in millions)
$2,013.8 $403.7
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2010 IIAI Annual Rural A Huge
Agents Conference Success Speaking at this year’s event were Insurance Commissioner Susan Voss, IIABA Federal Lobbyist John Prible, head of the RMA Bill Murphy, Bob Fulwider, CPA Tom Ahlers, and Bob Skow. This year’s key note was L.A. Dodgers Star Third Baseman Casey Blake.
a
INSURANCE DAY
A couple hundred insurance agents and company leaders flooded Iowa’s State Capitol for Insurance Day on the Hill. Agents met with Legislative Leaders and their State Senator and State Representatives as they discussed key issues involving workers’ compensation, auto insurance, property issues, flood, tort liability and health insurance.
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Ten Technology Tips To Enhance Your Agency’s Productivity by Steve Anderson
I
n today’s environment, getting the most out of an agency’s technology investment is critical to maximizing staff productivity and bottom-line profit. While training your staff to fully use the functionality in your agency document and policy management systems is certainly important, I have found that the effective implementation of small, innovative tools can also produce significant productivity gains. In this article, I discuss my candidates for the 10 ten cool tools in 2010 that deserve your attention.
Voice recognition People have always talked to their computers – using four-letter words in many cases – and until recently, computers didn’t listen very well. Affordable, usable and reliable voice-recognition software has been an “any day now” technology for
at least a decade. This technology has finally become a useful tool. If you tried it in the past and gave up, you should give it a fresh look. I use and recommend Dragon NaturallySpeaking (version 10 preferred). After installing the software, you will need to spend about 15 or 20 minutes to train it to your voice. After that, accuracy should be about 95 percent. And as you use the software to correct recognition mistakes, it learns from the mistakes, and recognition accuracy improves. The software works seamlessly with Microsoft Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and Outlook. It is available at many retail stores and through www.nuance.com.
Easy video e-mail Getting your message through to existing clients and prospects takes creativity.
Everyone experiences e-mail overload. Anything you can do to make your e-mail message stand out in an outlook inbox is a good thing. Eyejot is a web-based service that allows you to quickly and easily send video e-mail (v-mail) to anyone. All you need is an inexpensive webcam and an Eyejot account. The best part is that the basic service is free (at least for now). With a webcam and an Eyejot account, it really is as easy as clicking record and speaking to the camera to create and then send a v-mail. The actual video is stored on the Eyejot servers and an e-mail is sent to the recipient. The recipient clicks on a link, and your video message is played. You can use Eyejot to communicate with clients. If you do, then the PRO Plus version is worth the $100 per year cost. Messages can be a maximum of five minutes in length; you can upload
SPRING 2010 |
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|technology tips| pre-recorded video; you have extended message storage time; it is advertising free; and you have the ability to attach and send documents. You can brand several Eyejot notification elements with your agency logo and color scheme. The service also will alert you when your video messages have been viewed. (www.eyejot.com)
Manage unstructured information I read lots of information from many different sources. The problem I have is deciding where to store all of this information so I can find it again when I need it. I’ve tried several methods; none that worked very well. Everynote is a program that allows me to capture information easily in any environment using whatever device or platform I happen to be using, and makes this information accessible and search-
able at any time, from anywhere. There are three parts to the Evernote system: a program (for Windows or Mac), a website where all data is synchronized and stored, and a mobile phone application. Here is how it works. First, you capture the things you want to remember using any platform you are using at the time – your windows laptop, the web or your mobile phone. If you are reading an article on the web, you can select the text of the article and trigger the Evernote hotkey (Windows-A). The captured text is stored in the Evernote program database that resides on your computer. That information is synched with your web account when you are connected to the Internet. You also can use your mobile phone to take a note or a snapshot. This information is uploaded to the web account and then synched with your computer the next time you connect to the Internet.
For example, I have taken a snapshot of a bottle of wine that I wanted to remember. That picture went to my web account and then to my desktop – seamlessly. Best of all, the information is run through a recognition technology and indexed for fast searching and retrieval. (www.evernote.com)
Understand your e-mail A free plug-in module for Outlook called Xobni (pronounced “ZOB-nee” which is inbox spelled backwards) adds some social networking and data-mining features to your existing Outlook email. Once installed, it lives as a vertical panel on the right side of your Outlook screen and doesn’t block or intrude upon Outlook’s own panes or functions. Xobni indexes all of your stored e-mail, starting with the most recent messages. Once your e-mail is indexed, the Xobni sidebar shows a profile of the sender for
DON’T GET BITTEN BY AN E&O CLAIM YOU COULD HAVE AVOIDED. Big “I” members whose agency E&O insurance is written by Swiss Re through the Big “I” Professional Liability Program have access to an exclusive risk management web site. Log on today to fish for E&O claims frequency data, real-life case studies and analysis, sample client letters, sample agency procedures, agency E&O self assessments, podcasts on important E&O topics, and much more.
Big “I” Risk Management Website
www.independentagent.com/EOHappens 30 |
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|technology tips| any e-mail you have selected in the message list in your inbox or other folders. Each profile is divided into different sections, including a search box that is much faster than Outlook’s search function. Other sections include the name of the sender for any e-mail you have selected, with a photo (if available), a phone number, and a bar chart showing how many e-mails you’ve received from that person, as well as times of day when that person appears to be most of least active on e-mail. Also included is the sender’s e-mail network – other people included in e-mails to you, “Conversations” which display e-mail threads (other e-mails you’ve exchanged with the sender), and a section which lists all the files that are attachments on received e-mails. (www.xobni.com)
Adding instant message capability to your Website Are your clients able to communicate with you any way they want – whether
by phone, e-mail, web, call center, or live access? Instant messaging (IM) is an option that is becoming easier to implement. Understandably, agencies are often concerned about the practical aspects of IM. How will the conversation be documented? Is it worth the time? One service worth considering is Provide Support, a software and web process that provides a “Live Chat” option on your website. You are given code that enables you to add a button on your site that a client can click to start a live chat with someone in your office. You select individuals who become part of a chat rotation. When someone clicks on the web button, a box pops up on the computer of the next person in the rotation. That person is responsible for the instant message conversation. The price depends on how many users you add. One user costs $99 annually, three users is $198 annually, and 10 operators is $396 annually. The software provides a transcript of each conversation
after the call is finished, along with a management recap at night. (www.providesupport.com)
Automatic Web searching Google offers a host of tools that will help streamline our online experience. One of those services is Google Alerts. Google Alerts performs predefined searches automatically daily. New results are e-mailed to you when new items are found for the specific search terms you want to track on an ongoing basis. What kinds of topics make for interesting Google Alerts? Well, if it’s interesting to you, it’s a good subject for a Google Alert. You could set up an alert to monitor news items for your largest 25 clients. Or, you could use them to keep current on a competitor. They are also useful for keeping up-to-date on what’s happening in a particular industry. We use it automatically track information about major insurance technology vendors. To create customized alerts, simply visit the Google
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|technology tips| Alerts home page; create a Google account (it’s free); and enter your search, the type of alert you’d like (News, Web, etc.), how often you’d like to receive results, and your e-mail address. When you’re done, click the “Create Alert” button. You will receive a confirmation e-mail. Clicking the link in the e-mail will activate your Alert. (http://www.google.com/alerts)
Send and receive large files Being able to attach large files to an e-mail to send to someone else is becoming more difficult as organizations place limits on the size of received e-mails. This problem can arise when trying to send a submission to an underwriter or with a client who needs to send you a picture or large spreadsheet. SendThisFile.com and YouSendIt.com are web-based services that streamline the process of sending and receiving large files.
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Using either service is as easy as entering the recipient’s e-mail address into a form, selecting the file you want to send, and clicking the send button. The recipient receives a link to his or her file via an e-mail message and then clicks on the link to download the file to his or her computer. There are no e-mail attachments and no software to install. There are no file size limits so any file up to 2 gigabytes (a browser limit) can be sent. A free account is available to test the service and for sending a small number of files. (www.sendthisfile.com or www.yousendit.com) Easily manage Website passwords Managing multiple website passwords is one of the more difficult tasks for agency personnel. While tools like Transformation Station and TransactNOW help with this process, there continues to be many sites that your staff goes to daily
where they have to manually enter user ID and password information each time. RoboForm is a tool that can help. I’ve been using it for a while and don’t know how I got along witout it! The program installs as part of your web browser (either Internet Explorer or Firefox) and manages login and passwords for you. When you log into a website, RoboForm offers to save the online login information into a passcard after you click the login/ submit button. The passcard is saved into a fully encrypted file that requires a master password to access. Once the login information page is saved, a true one-click login is available by clicking on the website name in the passcard list. The program automatically navigates to the website’s login page, fills the stored login information into the form
Continued on page 35 •
You’re an independent agent.
Got your life jacket on?
The Big “I” Professional Liability Program Prevent. Our risk management
resources keep your agency from making common preventable mistakes.
Protect. Our superior coverage and
expert claims teams are in your corner in the event of a claim.
Prosper. When you know you have
the best E&O protection, you can focus on growing your most important asset–your business.
The Big “I” and Swiss Re are jointly committed to providing IIABA members with leading edge agency E&O products and services. The IIABA and its federation of 51 state associations endorse Swiss Re’s comprehensive professional liability program.
www.independentagent.com/EO
Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation, Overland Park, Kansas. Westport is a member of the Swiss Re group of companies and is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. ©2008 Swiss Re
Making the Ward’s 50 Benchmark Group once was good news. Making the Ward’s 50 Benchmark Group for property-casualty insurance companies for the fifth consecutive year shows that Donegal’s approach is consistently on target. The achievement recognizes that Donegal Insurance Group’s on-going commitment to safety, consistency, and strong performance provides our agents with stability they can count on. We believe having that peace of mind makes a difference.
Donegal supports the independent agent system exclusively and we are always looking for professional agents to assist in growing our market.
Call Rick Mason, Regional Vice President
800-545-6480 www.lemm.com
|technology tips| and clicks the submit button. You are logged in with one click. (www.roboform.com)
Reduce keystrokes I hate keystrokes. I am always looking for ways to eliminate or at least minimize the number of keys that have to be typed during a day. A program I rely on extensively is called ActiveWords. Simply described, ActiveWords turns words into actions. What I like about the program is that these actions are highly customizable. ActiveWords allows you to leverage your vocabulary and innate naming ability using words you enter or select in any context to substitute text. It’s Word’s auto-correct on steroids. For the first time you can use text substitutions in any program that accepts text input. For example, I type my e-mail address into different forms and programs a lot. Now I type “sa,” hit the spacebar twice (the ActiveWords action key), and our full e-mail address (steve@steveanderson.com) is inserted into the field. Three keystrokes verses 23 keystrokes. A savings of 20 keystrokes. So what? Multiply that by the number of times it is typed in a day, and it adds up, not to mention the increase in accuracy. And these text substitutions can be used across your entire computing environment. Think about your agency management system and the number of times the same information is entered over and over again. These entries can be assigned to a code or short phrase and be inserted automatically. (www.activewords.com)
Outlook Rules and Alerts “E-mail is one of the biggest productivity drains in an insurance agency today.” When I make this comment during presentations, most people in the audience nod their heads in agreement. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine running
a successful agency without being able to use e-mail as a communication tool. The problem with e-mail is not the e-mail. The problem is us. As the use of e-mail has exploded over the last several years, we have not stopped to figure out how to effectively manage our Outlook inboxes. The first step to begin to learn how to manage e-mail is to master Outlook Rules and Alerts. Outlook Alerts Most people use Outlook alerts to notify them when new e-mails arrive. The problem with alerts is that they interrupt your train of thought when you’re working on something else. The alert pops up
and you naturally look at the e-mail to see if it’s something you need to respond to right away. If the e-mail doesn’t require your immediate attention, it takes you a few minutes to get back into the project you were working on prior to being interrupted. Turning off alerts will help. Outlook rules For e-mails that do deserve immediate attention, create an Outlook rule. Outlook rules will help you flag a particular e-mail so that you can respond appropriately. For example, you might want to set up a rule that whenever an e-mail is received from one of your top 10 clients, Outlook will notify you of the received e-mail. There is a tremendous amount of functionality available in Outlook rules. Fortunately, Outlook provides a step-by-step process that allows you to create a rule easily. Once you get more familiar with the process of creating rules, you can use more advanced options to fine-tune how the rule will function for you. You can learn how to use both of these tools by going to Outlook help and entering “Rules and Alerts.” Each of these tips may not be appropriate for every agency, but I encourage you to try them out. Many agencies have seen significant productivity gains by employing these tools in their organizations. Editor’s Note: You can subscribe to Steve Anderson’s free weekly e-mailed newsletter. “TechTips.” by visiting www. steveanderson.com/act. Tech Tips is a quick read and highlights one new “thing” that will help your organization increase its productivity and effectiveness.
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How a Claim is Made by Shirley Zelenski, Swiss Re
F
ans of the TV show “How It’s Made” enjoy watching how some of the most seemingly mundane objects in the industrialized world today are created. The show’s presentation of the steps and materials it takes to create objects as simple as a mirror or silk glove make us more appreciative of how easily these things are available to us. And yet the life cycle of any object is more than the sum of its parts; each step in the process of making those parts is a story of its own. Luckily for most, the life cycle of a professional liability claim is a mystery. For those who have had the experience, some perhaps didn’t really know what stage their E&O claim was in until it affected their deductible or until their E&O carrier paid to defend and settle. If you are one of the curious, stay tuned and enjoy; here’s the story of how an E&O claim is created - with no commercial interruptions. How a claim is defined First, the claim is created by policy definition. The Westport Insurance Agents Professional Liability policy defines a claim as: 1.) an insured has received a summons, a subpoena, or any other notice of legal process; 2.) an insured has received notice of any “suit”; 3.) an insured has received notice of a written demand, or a written demand for money or services; or 4.) an insured has received a request to provide a recorded statement. In any or all of these instances, the claim must be immediately reported by the agency to the E&O carrier. Reporting the claim to the E&O carrier: behind the scenes Once the claims department receives notice, a claims specialist contacts the insured agency to notify them that a claim
has been received. A claim file is opened and the claims specialist reviews the applicable deductible, policy limits, retro date, and confirms that the policy is in force. A determination is then made as to whether the alleged error or omission of the “claim” is covered by the policy. If the allegations fall within the coverage terms, the claims specialist then attempts to determine the insured’s potential liability. The claims specialist will speak with individuals from the agency who were involved in the matter, including the agency principal to determine what happened. He or she will ask them about standard agency procedures and practices, and will check to see whether the underlying carrier (or others) have made payments yet. They will also ask for any and all documentation from the agency file so they can review it to support the agency’s defenses to the claim. Many times the allegations of the claim do not indicate that the agent has made any error. In those cases, the claims specialist will advise the claimant that their claim has no valid basis and will deny the claim. However, if the allegations may give rise to a valid claim, and if a lawsuit has not yet been filed, the claims specialist will ask for documentation that supports the claimant’s allegations. If the claimant has retained an attorney, the claims specialist will work directly with the attorney. The claims specialist will then review the information they provide and determine what further action to take to resolve the claim. Bringing in Defense Counsel If a lawsuit results from the allegations of a claim, the claims specialist will choose appropriate Defense Counsel for
the agency, sometimes referred to as the “DC”. The DC selected usually comes from a panel of defense attorneys that have a proven history of excellence in defending insurance agents errors and omissions claims. The DC represents and has an ethical and professional obligation to the insured first and is the insured’s representative in a court of law. In some cases, Swiss Re has enhanced the E&O policy with an endorsement that allows insureds to choose their own defense counsel, subject to some limitations. The DC will meet with the insured and begin the discovery process. This begins by requesting written discovery and may include subpoenas of various records including tax returns, receipts, or payroll records. Depositions are another part of discovery. Depositions are sworn testimony of the parties, witnesses and experts in order to determine what their testimony will be at trial. Individuals involved in the alleged error from the agency are deposed in most cases to document their side of the story. All of this is used to help build the agency’s defense and may also factor into the ongoing updates of the reserves. The agency’s potential liability is the logical conclusion that develops in the mind of the claims specialist as the discovery process unravels the facts. The claims specialist will then analyze, with the help of the defense counsel, how a judge or jury will view the agency’s liability and establish the expense, defense, and loss reserves. Defense counsel will continue to have regular contact with the insured, following the case to the end and keeping the insured informed about progress, delays, and the eventual outcome.
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|how a clam is made| Mediation, summary judgment, or trial In many cases, it is appropriate for a case to be mediated. This is a non-binding process involving an independent third party whereby an attempt is made to negotiate a settlement. The process is non-binding because it is voluntary and the parties are not required to reach a settlement. If a settlement is not reached, the case continues in the litigation process. In some instances, where there is no dispute as to the facts of the case and the evidence clearly supports the agency and law supports the agency, the DC will file a motion summary judgment. This is a request where the attorney will ask a judge to determine as a matter of law that the claimant’s case should be dismissed. It can only happen if the material facts are not in dispute such as whether a faxed document was received by the intended
recipient or whether an injured worker is an employee of the plaintiff. The goal is to save time and money that would be spent further representing the insured by going to a jury trial when it is clear that there is no basis for the claim. If the motion is unsuccessful, the case goes continues in the litigation process. A trial can last from one day to several weeks. On average, most E&O trials last two or three days. After the jury or the judge has reached its verdict and the trial has ended, either side may seek to appeal the verdict if they believe that the verdict was against the weight of the evidence or that there was an error as a matter of law. This can add several months to the process. At some point, just like a mirror or a silk glove, the claim will finally come to an end. The entire process, from the first demand letter to the agency to the
final closing letter from defense counsel or the claims specialist, can last from just a couple of months to a couple of years. Either way, the goal is to successfully defend the agency and resolve the claim. Being accused of making an error is never pleasant. But hopefully now you will have a better understanding of the life cycle of a claim and will be prepared if it should ever happen to you. Shirley Zelenski is an Underwriting Vice President of Westport Insurance Corporation, a member of the Swiss Re group. Shirley can be reached at shirley_zelenski@swissre.com.
Congratulations 2010 President’s Club!
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Denver Insurance & Real Estate Denver, IA EGR Insurance, Inc. Moville, IA Eland Agency, Inc. Mediapolis, IA )LUVW 0D[¿HOG 5HVRXUFHV +ROGLQJ &R Denver, IA FMD Agency, Inc. Schleswig, IA Hochstedler Insurance Agency Kalona, IA Insurance Headquarters, Inc. Readlyn, IA Jaspersen Insurance & Real Estate Thornton, IA Lenz Insurance & Real Estate, Inc. Breda, IA
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LSB Insurance Reinbeck, IA Bank Midwest Insurance Services Spirit Lake, IA Mutual Services Agency, Inc. Red Oak, IA R W Larson Insurance Agency Boone, IA Sibley Insurance Agency/Hertz Ins. Sibley, IA Smith Insurance, LLC Lamont, IA Tenold Olsen Hagen, Inc. Northwood, IA Town & Country Insurance Agency Osage, IA West Side Agency, Inc. Palo, IA
{THE LAST PAGE}
by Bob Skow, CPCU, CAE - CEO
Big “I” Changes… BOLD MOVES… To Help You! A s I reviewed our association’s history I discovered that 10 times in the past 110 years we have changed or revised our association logo. Why? Each time it has been to better define who independent agents are, while meeting consumer’s visual approval of the message the logo was sending. For that reason, IIABA and IIAI have approved a
new logo for all member use. A copy of the logo is below. At the March 31, 2010, Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa (IIAI) Board of Directors meeting it was also agreed we…the Iowa Big “I” needs to be more aggressive in marketing the value of doing business with independent agents. Elsewhere in this issue you will find an article explaining the T.V. ad
campaign we have developed with Total Media an advertising agency from the Quad Cities. Between last fall and this spring Iowans have seen over 35,000 T.V. ads promoting independent agents as their Trusted Choice for purchasing all lines of insurance! Now, IIAI is taking even a bigger and bolder move. All IIAI members effective September 1st, 2010, once they sign the Trusted Choice Consumer Pledge (see copy of pledge included with this article) will automatically become part of this exciting consumer branding campaign, Trusted Choice. With it comes a change in our logo…a new and modern consumer tested message: See your independent insurance agent…your Trusted Choice! The name says it all! We will be holding meetings around the state in June to explain all the exciting changes. But, it
Independent Insurance Agent
1898 to 1900 est.
1903 to 1913
1913 to January 1945
January 1945 to September 1956
October 1956 to November 1957
December 1957 to February 1966
March 1966 to February 1987
February 1987 to April 2010
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{THE LAST PAGE} is more than just the brand. We will be unveiling a new consumer agent internet portal which will drive customers to your agencies too. It is a changing world and the Big “I” is helping by positioning you and your agency to meet consumer’s expectations for the future. All of this is designed by marketing experts with proven track records on expanding market share. These are exciting and bold moves.
Trusted Choice® Pledge of Performance Trusted Choice® agencies are insurance and financial services firms whose access to multiple companies and commitment to quality service enable us to offer our clients competitive pricing, a broad choice of products and unparalleled advocacy. As a Trusted Choice® agency, we are dedicated to you and are committed to treating you as a person, not a policy. This commitment means we shall: • Work with you to identify the insurance and financial services that are right for you, your family or your business and use our access to multiple companies to deliver those products. • Guide you through the claims process for a prompt and fair resolution of your claim. • Help you solve problems related to your coverage or account. • Explain the coverages and options available to you through our agency, at your request. • Return your phone calls and e-mails promptly and respond to your requests in a timely manner.
Independent Insurance Agent
Having Coach Dr. Tom Davis as our spokesperson, and the huge T.V. advertising campaign, the consumer/agent internet portal and a new improved branding logo all will make 2010 one of the most dynamic marketing moves this association has ever made on behalf of independent agents. Please make every attempt you can to have someone from your agency attend one of our 2010 Big “I” Town Hall
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• Provide 24/7 services for our customers, offering any or all of the following: emergency phone numbers, Internet account access, e-mail and call center services. • Use our experience and multiple company relationships to customize your coverage as needed. • Commit our staff to continuing education so they may be more knowledgeable in serving you. • Treat you with respect and courtesy. • Conduct our business in an ethical manner. We pledge this to you, our clients and ask that you let us know if we fail to meet our commitment, so we may take corrective action.
{THE LAST PAGE}
Just say
Independent Insurance Agent
We will be unveiling a new consumer agent internet portal which will drive customers to your agencies too. It is a changing world and the Big “I” is helping by positioning you and your agency to meet consumer’s expectations
Relax ... we can handle your hard to place truck risks. J.M. Wilson has been saying yes to risks that are hard to place for over 85 years. Use our online tools to speed up your process or contact one of our experienced underwriters. You’ll receive a response to your submissions within 24 hours and policies within 21 days.
for the future. All of this is designed by marketing experts with proven track records on expanding market share. These are exciting and bold moves.
Meetings. The couple of hours you spend in these meetings could be some of the most important ones you devote all year to your business!
2010 IIAI Town Hall Meetings June 15, 2010 Denison June 16, 2010 West Des Moines June 17, 2010 Iowa City All Meetings will state at 1:00 p.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.
Agenda • New logo, new marketing campaign, new promotions to impact customers • New Agent / Consumer Portal - How you can write more business easier! • Including your agency in the T.V. ad campaign • Government Affairs Update (Health Reform and more)
Ask us about:
• For Hire Risks 1-100+ • Garbage Trucks • New Business Ventures
• Gas Haulers • Dump Trucks • Problem Drivers
• Hot Shots • Auto Haulers • Tough Classes
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Listed are the companies who strongly support the Independent agency system and the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa.
PLATINUM Allied Insurance EMC Insurance Companies The IMT Group Independent Agents Service Corp. Iowa Mutual Insurance Co. Pekin Insurance Progressive Insurance
SILVER Farmers Mutual Hail Ins. Co of Iowa GuideOne Insurance Indiana Insurance Merchants Bonding State Auto Insurance
BRONZE Accident Fund/United Heartland Acuity Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies
GOLD Continental Western Group
General Casualty LeMars Insurance Company North Star Mutual Insurance Co.
Grinnell Mutual
RDS Group
Rain & Hail LLC
SECURA Insurance
United Fire Group
Selective Insurance Co of America West Bend Western National Insurance Westfield Insurance
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!