The Ontario Broker August 2014

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THE TOP 10 ISSUE Recognizing Excellence The official publication of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) The official publication of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO)

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CEO’S MESSAGE The Official Publication of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) Published by

Editor Angela Stelmakowich

10 Comments on Customer Relationship Ownership

astelmakowich@canadianunderwriter.ca

416-510-6793 Senior Publisher Steve Wilson steve@canadianunderwriter.ca

416-510-6800 Associate Publisher Paul Aquino paul@canadianunderwriter.ca

Account Manager Michael Wells mike@canadianunderwriter.ca

Account Manager Christine Giovis christine@canadianunderwriter.ca

Account Manager Elliot Ford eford@canadianunderwriter.ca

Art Direction Sue Williamson The Ontario Broker is published monthly by Canadian Underwriter magazine (www.canadianunderwriter.ca).

Canadian Underwriter’s Insurance Group of publications is part of Business Information Group (www.businessinformationgroup.ca), a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc., a leading Canadian information company with interests in daily and community newspapers and business-to-business information services.

All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, either in part or in full, including photocopying and recording, without the written consent of the copyright owner. Nor may any part of this publication be stored in a retrieval system of any nature without prior written consent.

The articles that appear in this publication represent the opinions of the authors and do not represent or embody any official position of, or statement by, IBAO; nor do they attempt to set forth definitive action standards or to provide legal advice.

Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario 1 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700 Toronto, Ontario M4P 3A1 Tel: (416) 488-7422 Fax: (416) 488-7526 Toll Free: (800) 268-8845 (888) ASK-IBAO www.ibao.org Annual subscription is $52 + tax.

To order email: contact@ibao.on.ca For information on submitting an article, contact Ashley Hunking Marketing Coordinator ahunking@ibao.on.ca

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Randy Carroll CEO IBAO This all starts at the brokerage level. The brokerage is responsible for providing the marketplace, systems and processes to track and manage the relationship.

Marketing (or those individuals within the brokerage who have responsibility for marketing) design the promotional campaign that attracts the consumer; the sales force delivers the customers; and the support staff working with the sales team take it from there.

Is that it? Does it end there? How does the insurer fit? And what is the insurer’s role?

This is where the lines get blurry, as evidenced by the ongoing chatter about who owns the customer.

To set the framework of this discussion, I usually start by suggesting the following: 1. customers own themselves, but 2. the brokerage owns

the relationship.

Customers will decide when they want to do business, how they want to do business and with whom they want to do business.

3. The part that needs to be understood by the brokerage is the what, the when and the how of its consumer so that the brokerage can continue — or have an opportunity — to be the who.

4. Who does the customer see as the value add in the relationship and how do customers want that relationship managed?

Understanding the value source Each customer will look at this differently, necessitating that you — the broker — understand this at an individual level and manage it accordingly.

In some cases, the customer will see the broker who provided assistance in the buying process as the primary value source.

In other cases, customers will see the customer service representative (CSR) or account manager as the primary value source.

Others, still, may be looking for a hybrid model, whereby the CSR or account manager maintains the service aspects of the relationship, and the broker or salesperson who helped them through the buying process provides the technical assistance when it is required.

5. There is no one-sizefits-all solution when it comes to delivery on the promise of fulfillment.

IBAO has spent countless

hours and money investing in better understanding today’s customer, and sharing our knowledge with those within our membership who are willing to listen. Those who have invested the time are starting to see a positive return from their investment and are being rewarded with increased new business sales and improved retention.

Without this understanding, your relationship will be lost.

Role of the insurer So where does the insurer fit? Again, brokers need to answer the questions of who and what the sources of customer value are, but this time, as it relates to insurers with whom they have placed business.

Would customers say the insurer has a role, or do they care or know the difference between the insurer and broker?

Consumers would agree that the insurer should be involved at the time of the loss. This is the time when customer expectation of fulfillment is most critical, and the broker needs to be part of that fulfillment process.

From the time a broker is made aware of a claim, you need to continue to oversee the process and stay engaged. Take the time to review what the customer goes through during a claim and determine from there what sources of customer value you can provide.

What is it that you are doing that is filling that need? More important, though, what is it that

August 2014 / THE ONTARIO BROKER

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you are not doing that needs to be addressed?

6. Brokers sell themselves as advocates of the consumers, and this is how we differentiate ourselves from our true competitors.

There are other areas of fulfillment that the insurer delivers directly to the consumer — like policy delivery, endorsements and the vital role they play in managing the billing process — but that is where it should stop.

7. I would challenge all brokers that when going through the process of answering the questions of who and what your customers value, find out if any customers list contact from the insurer for reasons of clarifying underwriting and/or surveys as a sign of great broker service.

8. For brokers who sit idly by and allow insurers to have access to their custom-

er relationship, I ask you to call me and explain your reasons for either wanting to do so, or allowing this to happen.

I just don’t get it. If I’m missing something, I would really like to have a discussion to understand it better.

Direct bill was the beginning of the slippery slope, and as technology continues to emerge, so will the process around the relationship and customer engagement.

9. I would suggest it is not in the best interest of the broker channel to open the door to insurer-customer communication as wide as some of you have. Once opened, the door will be difficult to close.

Your value proposition and the value that brokers bring to the relationship should be clear to the customer. Do not blur or confuse. If a risk needs to be re-underwritten or data needs to be verified,

CEO’s Schedule:

President’s Schedule:

September 9 YBC Team Leaders Meeting — Toronto

September 9 YBC Team Leaders Meeting — Toronto

September 10 IBAO Working Group Meeting — Toronto

September 9 Exec to Exec with RIBO

September 14-17 Applied Net Client Network Conference September 18-21 IBAC Board Meeting and Annual Meeting — Saskatoon September 21-23 NICC Conference — Ottawa September 25 Working Group Meeting

September 10 IBAO Working Group Meeting — Toronto September 18-21 IBAC Board Meeting and Annual Meeting — Saskatoon September 21-23 NICC Conference — Ottawa September 30-October 2 Atlantic Brokers Conference — Charlottetown

September 25 IBRI Board Meeting

that is the role brokers need to play.

10. Insurers have a vital role to play within the relationship process. Those running interference with direct contacts to the consumer must be respectful of the role that brokers play, supporting broker distribution in return.

MAGENTA SPONSORS

August 2014 / THE ONTARIO BROKER

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TERRITORY UPDATE Kim MacLaclan Director Territory 6 IBAO

10 Things Every Broker Should Know Territory 6 is a busy hub of activity, with the affiliates proactively providing brokers the opportunity to meet, learn and give back to their communities. As a first-year director, I am enjoying the experience of working with the IBAO board, staff and affiliates in my territory.

An insurance broker is a key advisor for families and businesses.

Consumers look to their brokers to be their insurance experts. How can brokers be everything that their clients need them to be?

1. Education — Stay calm and keep on learning. Having knowledge gives brokers the tools to respond to customer needs. IBAO has several programs available to educate brokers, including offerings through local affiliates. One recent example was the London Insurance Broker Association, which hosted a full-day education event.

It went so well, that the affiliate is

already planning its next one!

2. Embrace change — Change is inevitable; expect it, work with it, do not resist. Check IBAO’s website and follow IBAO on twitter to keep up to date on the latest changes in the industry.

3. Technology is your friend — Stay up to date on the latest technology in the industry. E-docs, e-signatures and paperless office systems are just a few of the “new” ways to do business.

Use your broker management system to its full potential. Telematics is the latest technology that brokers will need to learn and manage.

4. Team approach — A broker office is a team of knowledge. When staff members work together, they can complement one another. New brokers can help experienced brokers with technology; experienced brokers can help new brokers with market selection, product knowledge and office procedures. The more we work together, the happier we’ll be!

5. Best practices — Does your office have a “system” for everyone to follow?

A procedure manual makes it clear how you should operate. It is a great reference for each broker to use.

IBAO has an office procedure manual available for your convenience.

6. Stay involved with your local community — Many brokers make donations and provide volunteer services to support important causes in their communities, which is a great way to make a difference and stay in

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A broker office is a team of knowledge. When staff members work together, they can complement one another. New brokers can help experienced brokers with technology; experienced brokers can help new brokers with market selection, product knowledge and office procedures. touch with your clients. IBAO provides Bipper blankets to brokerages for their Awareness Day program, which are then donated to charitable organizations each year.

7. Understand your obligations — Binding authority, contracts and errors and omissions (E&O) are important for every broker to understand. How does your office handle this? These are great topics to talk about at your next staff meeting.

8. Markets and competition — Know the markets that you have in your office, as well as understand what kind of business your markets both want and do not want. A good broker will know what the competition is doing.

9. Insurance community — The insurance industry is big! Brokers, insurance companies, underwriters, claims adjusters, adjusting firms and disaster response firms are all key to our industry. It is good to know the people with whom we do business.

Try to connect at industry functions.

The Central Erie Insurance Brokers Association, for example, is working on a new Industry Night in September 2014. Also, the Young Broker Council is a great place for young brokers to meet insurance people, learn the ropes and maybe even have a bit of fun!

10. Advocacy — Clients purchase insurance to have coverage and advice when they need it most. Stay in touch with your clients throughout a claim to be sure that everything is going well.

August 2014 / THE ONTARIO BROKER

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YBC UPDATE Stephen Bortolon Team Leader Territory 8 YBC

Developing a Strong Strategic Focus The Young Brokers Council (YBC) is taking some leaps forward in the 2014-2015 calendar years, with its efforts to work towards a more strategic focus for all council activities and communications.

1. We’re strategizing — Being involved with IBAO on a strategic level, YBC is helping to achieve the association’s strategic vision and direction. IBAO is changing for the better — and we want to follow suit.

2. We have a plan — A communications plan, that is. The Ontario Broker magazine articles, monthly newsletters and team leader communication accountabilities showcase how serious YBC and its reps are about strengthen-

ing the young broker community.

3. We’re rebranding — Following IBAO’s lead, YBC is establishing a fresh feel to its communications and owning the ambassadorship required to be young leaders.

4. We’re growing — Did you know that YBC recently changed the criteria to be a young broker? If you have less than five years experience in the industry, you can now join YBC! We want to grow our council in both numbers and strength.

5. We want everyone to come to Conference — YBC witnessed a 35% increase in Conference attendance this year, with a 100% satisfaction figure from the feedback survey. The impressive hike is no coincidence — the education provided was exceptional, and we all brought some valuable tools back to our brokerages.

6. We’re recruiting — Currently, YBC is developing a recruitment strategy for job fairs. By positioning the broker channel as a highly desirable career choice and answering any questions students may have, the council is doing our part to sustain the channel for years to come.

7. We’re adopting new technology — IBAO provides the broker channel with the tools, and YBC is encouraging young

Building relationships is what this industry is all about, so get to know the people on the other end of the phone, and in your community. brokers to take on a leadership role to help their brokerages with adoption.

8. We’re getting a new website (kind of) — It’s actually IBAO’s new site, but YBC will be there too. It’s going to be much more robust than the current sites, and everyone will be able to go to one central place to get all the info that they need on everything IBAO, including YBC. 9. We’re fun people — Networking with other brokers and industry peers is not only fun, it serves great value.

Building relationships is what this industry is all about, so get to know the people on the other end of the phone, and in your community.

10. We’re accessible — Seriously, contact us if you have any questions or want to get more involved. There are so many great opportunities for us all to work together. We just need to carve them out of our day-to-days.

The Insurance Brokers Insurance Broker

BROKERS FIRST

™

Operated by the CG&B Group Inc. We are the Professional Liability Program Administrators for IBAO and IBAN

www.cgbgroup.com • 800.267.6670 06 August 2014 / THE ONTARIO BROKER

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CONVENTION UPDATE Mina Cicconi Conference & Special Events Coordinator IBAO

Top 10 Reasons to Attend Convention

8. Choose what you want to learn — Whether you want to pick up new digital marketing skills, learn how to build a service model that works, or create a plan for greater career success — there is an education session for that!

9. Listen to the wisdom of John Spence — Our keynote speaker, who was named one of the Top 100 Business Though Leaders in America three times, has had his expertise called upon by the likes of Microsoft, Apple and the Bank of America. His

presentation is guaranteed to simplify your life in all the right ways.

10. Awards of Excellence — The 2014 Awards of Excellence Gala features a new award category, the hysterical James Cunningham as MC and the Montreal Rhapsody Orchestra that will have you dancing ’til the wee hours.

IBAO Convention sells out every year... so register now!

For more information on Convention visit ibao.org/convention.

Join us October 22-24 in Ottawa for the ultimate IBAO Convention experience. Invest in your professional development and reap the rewards of learning about the latest issues and trends in the insurance industry.

Here are 10 reasons why you need to attend IBAO Convention: 1. Network with your peers — Mix and mingle with industry professionals, colleagues and service providers.

2. Our opening night party — This year, the party has an Oktoberfest theme. Dust off that alpine hat and lederhosen, and oom-pah-pah your way through a few steins as our resident polka band puts a Bavarian spin on your favourite top-40 tunes.

3. Get a peek at the future — Learn how high-profile executives view the insurance industry’s current and future landscape at the CEO panel.

This year, IBAO is mixing it up, providing attendees with an opportunity to interact with panel members.

4. Ottawa is gorgeous — On your downtime, stroll through the Byward Market, have a BeaverTail (or two), visit the historic Rideau Canal and check out the National Gallery of Canada.

5. Visit our biggest-ever tradeshow — Mix and mingle with new and innovative exhibitors and suppliers at our biggest tradeshow ever!

6. Our Learning Lounge — Kick up your feet, recharge your batteries (literally and figuratively), and attend free education sessions on emerging industry trends — all in one place.

7. Two words: Hospitality Night — Think of the best house party you have ever been to... and multiply that by 16!

August 2014 / THE ONTARIO BROKER

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AWARDS SPOTLIGHT Ontario’s Got Talent We searched the province high and low to find our next industry superstars.

This year’s competition is neck in neck, and each nominee deserves recognition for his or her efforts and successes. Congratulations are in order for the top 3 candidates in each category.

Young Broker of the Year NAME Myles Kuharski BROKERAGE Gillons Insurance Brokers MOST SATISFIED WHEN: “Brokers often get calls or referrals from people who are not happy with their current broker or provider. So when I am able to change the way they view insurance and make them feel good about what they’re buying, that’s always rewarding and makes me happy as a broker.” WHAT’S NEXT? “Expanding into commercial in the future would be something I’d be excited about. The education part is important to me. I finished my CAIB and am looking forward to possibly doing the CPIB program and just further developing my insurance acumen.”

NAME Dwayne Gagne BROKERAGE Ontario West Insurance Brokers (formerly at G. Taylor & Associates) MOST SATISFIED WHEN: “There’s a time when I literally was showing up at a client’s house, helping them pull stuff out of their basement during a water claim. I’ve made a few friendships out of clients, so it’s always about helping them, and that’s when I’m most satisfied.” WHAT’S NEXT? “I am currently the vice-president of the Young Brokers Council, so I want to go through and finish my term as executive, and then I’ve already discussed going to the board level for IBAO.”

NAME Shane McCarthy BROKERAGE Cornerstone Insurance Brokers MOST SATISFIED WHEN: “Working with clients directly, how they want to be worked with, and explaining to them what is needed for them to protect their dreams and everything they’ve built. I pride myself on having good relationships with my clients, and that’s what satisfies me as a broker.” WHAT’S NEXT? “I’m committed to life-long learning to ensure I’ll stay on top of any changes in the insurance products or in the environment as a whole. I plan to continue to work diligently, keeping my eye on the customer preferences and keeping myself relevant now and into the future.”

Brokerage of the Year NAME Daniel Reith BROKERAGE Reith & Associates MOST SATISFIED: “When we compiled our year end, this year, and saw the results. When we implemented our strategic plan, we knew the process would be far more advisory/consultative and time-intensive than in the past, and it was either going be successful or cost us business. To see the transformation we’ve done, by introducing the Reith Advantage TM, the results are very encouraging.” WHAT’S NEXT? “As a broker, we are held to a high standard professionally and legally, yet by many, the dispensing of our advice and the value of our service is perceived to be something to be given away for free. It is time that we not only deliver value with our advice but that we receive appropriate compensation from customers for the true value of our intellectual capacity. We have developed a strategy for this and will be phasing in professional service fees next year.”

NAME Cory Young BROKERAGE Rhodes & Williams Ltd. MOST SATISFIED: “We recently had a visit from our founder Wendell Williams, who’s 104 years old.

He stopped in to discuss some of the stuff he had done in the past. It was a good opportunity for us to sit down, bring in our staff, introduce them to our roots as a brokerage – where we came from and talk a little bit about the history, and for them, as part of the Rhodes and Williams family to see the progress we’ve made.” WHAT’S NEXT? “Diversification, offering different specialty products that we can offer. Because of the challenges with upcoming insurance products, cuts to auto rates affecting revenue, looking at other ways to help our customers, and develop our brand. We’ve looked at acquisition, lots on the horizon certainly, and it’s a positive future.”

NAME Fred Morison BROKERAGE Morison Insurance & R.A. Bennett Insurance MOST SATISFIED: “When you’ve really been able to help a customer. For exmaple, for whatever reason a commercial customer may be at risk of not being renewed with a company.

We’re able to talk to that customer and get them to change their practices, then we can go back to that company and say, you know what, here is what our plan is, here is what we’re going to do, and get the renewal issued at a fair price.”

WHAT’S NEXT? “We want to do a few things: we want to continue on the same trajectory we have had for the last several years which is to continue to improve our service to customers, continue our in-house training, always improve our workplace for our employees and to acquire other brokerages.”

August 2014 2014 // THE The ONTARIO OnTAriO BROKER BrOker 08 08 August

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innovation Award NAME Dario Battista BROKERAGE isure.ca WHAT’S NEXT? “Continue to build the personal lines business across Ontario.

We have now started building the commercial side of the business. We’re doing a complete revamp of our website, and taking our marketing plan to a whole other level. We’re also developing a human resources strategy to continue to build our office culture and attract the kind of talent that works well with us.” ON THE FUTURE OF THE CHANNEL “I think brokers who are really prepared to push that value proposition and be clear, transparent and open with the customer have a definite place within the insurance market place. The next 10 years will require a fundamental shift in business strategy, while still keeping the very essence of what the broker value proposition is – a marrying of the two really.”

NAME Peter & Wendy DaSilva BROKERAGE Cornerstone Insurance Brokers WHAT’S NEXT? “Launching ‘Be Wiser’ which is going after the hard-to-place home and auto. Continue to provide that exceptional customer experience at every touch point, and be there when our customers need us – when and how they want. If you look at our innovations, every single one of them is circling around communication with the customer, and teaching them new things about insurance.

ON THE FUTURE OF THE CHANNEL ”Consumers are demanding different things, they want us to respond through technology, through self-serve models, and we’ve got to adapt to them. Brokers that are providing the customers with what they want and responding to their needs, I believe are going to be here well into the future.”

NAME Greg Raymond BROKERAGE InsuranceHero.ca WHAT’S NEXT “I have big plans for the Insurance Hero

brand by reaching into new territories and expanding into different product lines. I also see tons of potential in leveraging our business model to other financial services industries.” ON THE FUTURE OF THE CHANNEL “I think that small to mid-sized brokers can still survive and thrive.

It’s just a matter of implementing and embracing technology, technology that will allow us to better compete against those large players; banks and direct writers. I still think there’s hope, and the future is bright.”

at the event and all the money raised from poker goes to local charities. Last year, we handed out $22,000 in cheques to local charities in the Ottawa area.” FUTURE OF THE AFFILIATE “We will be discussing the next couple of years at our strategic planning session September 10th. At this point, we are still keeping our eight luncheons a year. We’re still keeping the charity poker event, our charity of choice golf tournament and our open house. They’re our big successes.”

Affiliate Achievement

NAME Suzanne Pountney AFFILIATE London A TIME WHEN BROKERS COLLABORATED Our Santa Claus parade float is definitely going to grow into the biggest thing. It’s going to be our third year doing it this year, and we’ve had more brokers getting involved with it every year. We tie it into our broker awareness day so we do our blanket donation to a different charity each year and then we have a float in the parade that reaches an estimated 200,000 viewers and we hand blankets out along the route. To me, it’s such a good will thing that we do. We have brokers and their families in the parade, and it just demonstrates that we’re members of the community. We are just like you; we are families too and we like to do good things in our community. The parade here in London is a benefit for charitable organizations, as well so I think that’s the biggest thing that we do for sure.”

FUTURE OF THE AFFILIATE “We’ve started our sponsorship program, which has given us the funds to really do some good in the community.

We’ve put together a charitable donation structure so we can do that in a responsible way, so we’re hoping for some big things there. And we know that the young brokers are definitely ready to take it all on, and that is an exciting feeling, as I am going into my last bit of time on the board of directors, that we have a great group who are going to take all the stuff we’ve worked on and keep it going.”

NAME Gillian Van Kempen AFFILIATE Durham Region A TIME WHEN BROKERS COLLABORATED “I called a meeting of all the principals in the area after recent changes in the industry were taking place. We got them all into one room, and when you think of it, you’re calling up all of your competition, and you’re putting them all in the same room and you’re asking them, “Hey let’s all get on the same page”. And they were fabulous. We had about 35 principals from the area that showed up to decide what our plan of attack was for some of these issues. It was really kind of nice, that rallying of support, on a topic that was really important to us, and they were absolutely phenomenal.” FUTURE OF THE AFFILIATE “We’re very focused on some of the tried and true – the things we’ve done and done well. Our golf tournament next year will be its 49th, and the curling bonspiel in February will be its 27th. We’ve also partnered with the Young Brokers Council on its bowling event, which is in its 3rd year. This year, we introduced a first annual hop-scotch tasting event, with the idea being that it was a partnering of the young brokers with the more seasoned non-YBC brokers and was intended to be a mentorship event, and it was amazing.

Everyone asked if we’re going to be having that one again.”

Join us at our Awards of excellence NAME Patricia Bilodeau AFFILIATE Ottawa A TIME WHEN BROKERS COLLABORATED “What’s really supported by our brokerage force is our charity events. The biggest one is our charity poker event, we get a lot of brokers out

Gala on October 24, 2014 during our 94th Annual Convention to honour our top 3 candidates and help recognize the winners from each category.

For more information visit ibao.org/convention.

August 2014 / The THE OnTAriO ONTARIO BrOker BROKER

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LEGAL BRIEFS James Manson Associate Theall Group LLP

Top 10 Ways to Avoid an E&O claim Like every insured professional, insurance brokers also face an increasingly litigious world, where clients can become adversaries in the blink of an eye. When this happens, brokers not only deal with the time, stress and expense involved in defending an errors and omissions (E&O) claim, but they can also lose valuable accounts.

So, you want to avoid an E&O claim, or worse still, a broker’s negligence lawsuit? Great idea! Here are our “Top 10” suggestions for avoiding such claims:

1. Know your client — By far, this is the most important thing that a broker can do to avoid problems down the line. It can never be said too often that every client is different and has different needs and expectations.

Those needs change over time, so brokers have to make sure that they continually stay on top of the client’s issue as the client grows.

More importantly, clients will vary greatly in sophistication, appetite for risk, experience in insurance matters, and so on. If a broker is to provide the best level of professional advice to a client, he or she must first and foremost understand the client.

A quality broker should have an in-depth knowledge of the client’s business so that he or she can intelligently recommend types of insurance. A good broker should also go through any previously declined coverages to see if the client might now need them.

2. Consider traps in standard wordings — Brokers can also save themselves a lot of trouble by taking the time to review and understand the terms of the policies as they relate to each client.

A good broker never assumes that a standard policy will address unique aspects of a client’s business. For example, brokers should always consider whether or not common exclusions might have an unintended application to their clients.

3. Educate your client — A good broker knows what is and is not excluded from coverage — and any other peculiarities of a given policy.

Most important, however, a good broker takes the time to communicate this information to the client.

It is easy (and much faster) to simply send a client a policy once the contract is signed and the funds have changed hands. However, it is incumbent on a

A good broker knows what is and is not excluded from coverage — and any other peculiarities of a given policy. broker to ensure that the client understands what he or she has purchased.

If something is missing from coverage, or something else is wrong, this is the time to fix it, as it may well be too late to do so when it comes time to file a claim.

4. Know your limits — Brokers, as professionals, must keep up to speed with developments in the insurance industry if they are to avoid problems down the road.

This includes staying abreast of what coverage and limits are reasonably available for any insurance offered their clients. It also means learning about new types of insurance, as well as staying on top of specialty lines. If a broker is faced with a specialty coverage with which he or she is unfamiliar, the broker should consider referring it out or sub-broking, because no commission or profit is worth the stress and anxiety that goes along with it in such circumstances.

5. Keep good records — All work on a file needs to be recorded, particularly client communications. Remember, if it is important enough to tell the client, it is important enough to memorialize in an e-mail or letter.

Brokers can be sure that if they advise clients of something, but do not put it in writing, a court will follow this rule: If it is not in writing, it did not happen.

Yes, we realize that there are only five suggestions listed above, when this is supposed to be a “Top 10” list.

This was intentional: the point is that, in our view, the above tips are important enough to count for double.

They should be memorized and become a cornerstone of every broker’s practice.

Thus, for the remaining “Top 5” tips, simply read this article again!

10 August 2014 / THE ONTARIO BROKER

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PR UPDATE Huw Williams President Impact Public Affairs

How to Get Noticed!

What are the “Top 10” best practices in public relations? Consider the following tips to get your brokerage and its events noticed.

1. Make your story unique — The key to PR success is making your event newsworthy. Develop a unique theme and add a twist. This could mean adding a participatory element or simply involving local personalities to your event.

Make sure that you have a great visual setup so the local news can capture the essence of your event with a short clip or simple photo.

2. Make yourself available — There is nothing worse than when the media wants to interview someone from your management team and no one is available. Not only is the journalist

annoyed, but you have lost the opportunity for free advertising.

Prepare a list of key spokespeople in the office and match it up with a travel calendar. That way, your brokerage will always be prepared to take a media interview.

3. Don’t be afraid of social media — Tweet, Facebook and Instagram details prior to your event and ask your colleagues to share it on their social platforms for increased local interest.

The advancements of social media are not slowing down — period. So get on board before you get left behind!

4. Proofread — For the love of all things good, do not rely on spell check!

Have at least two people proofread any and all things that are blasted to the media and on social platforms.

5. Designate a PR leader in your office — Put someone in charge of your PR plan in your office to ensure that you remain relevant in the media.

This person would also manage your social media pages and press release distribution. Capitalize on the public relations experts that already exist in your office!

6. Avoid controversy — Always thoughtfully think through the entire process of an event from start to finish.

If you think you might offend someone

while you are trying to be “humorous,” you will. That being the case, always remember that you represent a brand of 12,000 brokers collectively, and what you do or say will have an impact.

7. Create a hook that the media wants — Spell it out for the media. Journalists love that. They do not have time to invest three hours in your story. Give them the hook within the first three lines of your press release.

Prepare talking points that spell out what is unique about you and your event so that journalists can pull sound bites from that directly. The media wants something unique.

Give it to them!

8. Photos — Post photos of your event on social media, in your brokerage and in your promotional materials. A photo is worth a thousand words... but seriously, it’s true.

9. Stay current — That means, stay hip. Make sure your clients, community and the media can relate to you, which will, in turn, make them invest in you.

10. When in doubt, KISS (keep it simple stupid) — Do not overcomplicate your efforts or event by trying to do too much. Pick a couple of activities and one solid theme and do that really well instead of attempting to do a million things in a mediocre way.

Looking for markets for specialty, niche and non-standard risks could be frustrating… …thankfully, there is a Solution that Insurance Brokers Love and have Used Daily for Over 40 Years!

Published annually in July by Canadian Underwriter magazine and distributed to more than 13,000 subscribers nationally, the extremely popular Insurance Marketer is referenced daily by brokers across Canada.

Fully searchable online at InsuranceMarketer.com, the Insurance Marketer is The Year-Round Source to assist brokers in finding a market for even the most unique risk!

www.InsuranceMarketer.com August 2014 / THE ONTARIO BROKER

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IBRI UPDATE Kevin Warren Vice President, Operations Independent Broker Resources Inc.

Rebuild Looks to the Future My Insurance Shopper has been rebuilt and is set to reclaim the online space. Over the past four months, myinsuranceshopper.ca (MIS) has been stripped down to its core, analyzed and rebuilt — all with a view to better serving brokers and consumers.

Since taking on my role as VP of Operations I have spent a lot of time listening to Brokers on how to improve the MIS quoting site. We listened, we responded and we are excited with what we have changed.

The new MIS went live August 1, and below is a list of things that brokers should know, and some ways they can have a hand in impacting its success.

Here are the “Top 10” things you should know about the new MIS: 1. Better design — A cleaner design, coupled with modernized front and back ends, ensure the site impresses any and all visitors — and entices them to stay.

2. New interactive user experience — Selecting a broker is an interactive

experience for consumers. Through a mapping interface, consumers will have broker information and quoting functionality at their fingertips.

Consumers can access specialty insurance products for the first time through category and product listings prior to having to select a broker.

3. Business insurance now searchable on MIS — Customers can now search for business insurance products under the Business Insurance icon on our landing page, and by category and product. By entering their postal codes, consumers can find a broker who can help them, and can contact the broker through e-mail or phone number through the broker profile page.

4. Marketing Assist now available to brokers through mislogin.ca — Brokers now have access to a new service called Marketing Assist, accessible through mislogin.ca. Brokers can access category and product listings to find those MGAs or insurance companies that have the appetite to write the specific risk the consumer has requested.

5. The landing page is national — Taking a national approach is aimed at joining consumers and brokers from coast to coast on one site.

6. Broker-branded — Auto and property quotes in the new rating engine will be broker-branded throughout the quoting experience to ensure that the consumer recognizes what makes your brokerage unique.

7. Built for the future — IBRI has intentionally rebuilt MIS to support

Accelerate Your Content

on insPRESS

What we have learned from Google is that live social media links will continue to maintain our quality score, which is critical to ranking, positioning, online marketing campaigns and word buys every month. future product rollouts. Soon, our partnership with Ingenie and our newly developed commercial telematics product offering will be available through the MIS platform.

8. We’re mobile-responsive — We understand that 30% of the consumers who access MIS are looking for a mobilefriendly app for both tablets and smartphones. This fall, IBRI will be making an announcement on a go-live date.

9. Keep your profile up to date —Your individual broker profile page can act as your secondary website. By logging on to mislogin.ca, you will be able to include additional details about your brokerage within your profile. Your vector logo can be customized and displayed in the banner of your newly developed profile page. On the back end, each individual brokerage can choose to receive partial or completed leads from the activity generated in its broker-branded rating engine.

10. We need your help — What we have learned from Google is that live social media links — such as real-time tweets and blogging — will continue to maintain our quality score, which is critical to ranking, positioning, online marketing campaigns and word buys every month. We encourage all of you to tweet #BrokerAdvantage and make it part of your daily social media speak! These tweets will be posted in real time on MIS. I hope you will spend 30 minutes getting ready for tomorrow, today and help to make myinsuranceshopper.ca a true success.

Questions? Feel free to contact me at 416.488.7422 or kwarren@ibri.ca.

12 August 2014 / THE ONTARIO BROKER

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE Amanda Ketelaars Program Manager Centre for Study of Insurance Operations

Top 10 Benefits of Broker Technology Brokers answering the call to adopt technology may be looking at the issue backwards — picking one technology for its benefits rather than setting goals and implementing the technologies that help achieve them.

In a world of product-first advertising, it is important to remember that goals should precede tools. After all, complementary solutions work in concert to produce results greater than any could individually.

Consider the following “Top 10” benefits of broker technology and just some of the solutions that provide these benefits. eSignatures Social Media Mobile Websites TLS eMail Security Client Policy Access CSIOnet eDocs Website Analytics 1. Time and cost savings Technologies that use less paper and automate workflow save on office supplies, space requirements and document storage and shredding, but also lead to significant gains elsewhere.

Staff hours previously dedicated to filing and document management become available, creating more productive time per day for revenuegenerating tasks and customer service.

2. Customer service Customer service is key in driving loyalty and retention, and many technologies work together to help improve your offering. In particular, social media and mobile websites make it easier for customers to discover and contact you, and paperless

workflow removes administrative bottlenecks to provide fast service, creating satisfied customers and positive word-of-mouth.

3. Marketing and brand visibility Technology can support effective marketing by improving your website’s ranking in search results, ensuring that it displays well on mobile devices, and delivering your message through innovative channels. Analytics track how visitors interact with your website and communications, enabling rapid response and adjustments to maximize your efforts.

4. Environmentally friendly Advertise your green side! Paperless technology is not just about workflow efficiency — it also attracts new business in the form of eco-conscious consumers. In fact, an Ipsos poll shows that 46% of polled consumers are more likely to buy from companies that they know are environmentally friendly.

5. Employee morale Employee satisfaction is a large piece of retaining the talent you have and attracting the talent that you want.

A green, digital, efficient office that reduces duplication and enables staff members to focus on their core work improves morale and creates an attractive, productive environment.

6. Data Protection Identity theft, breaches of privacy, data loss — these issues generate bad publicity and impact a company’s ability to carry on business. In addition, paper-based workflow carries the physical risks of damage and loss.

Paperless workflow eliminates the physical risks of paper and enables backups, encryption and safeguards against malicious attacks.

7. Business analytics Many systems include reporting functions that provide insight into areas, such as retention rates, customer satisfaction and cross-selling opportunities. Detailed cost breakdowns and usage reports indicate trends, helping identify and standardize effective practices across your organization.

Paper-driven workflows make that data much more difficult to collect, organize and analyze.

8. Resilience and disaster recovery A natural disaster overloads your office with claims. A key employee departs.

A broker working off site requires immediate remote access to documents.

Whatever the scenario, nimble and agile companies with resources at peak efficiency adapt the best. Combined, paperless workflow, efficient customer service, versatile communications and reliable security will insulate your operation against exceptional circumstances.

9. Innovative culture By engaging with technology, you keep current with new developments and changing customer expectations, thereby gaining a competitive edge for the future. In addition, when brokers and insurers collectively adopt innovative technology, such as eDocs, they promote expedited and efficient communication within the channel as a whole.

10. Strong competitive position Technology is a key piece to ensure your brokerage has a long life ahead of it, in part by making it an attractive business to operate. Efficient workflows, robust communications, secure practices, high-performing staff and sound marketing create a strong foundation on which your business can grow and improve its competitive position in the future.

Many brokers already take advantage of paperless workflow using CSIOnet and eDocs, enjoying time and cost savings and related benefits.

CSIO also provides educational resources, reports and webinars on third-party technologies, such as mobile websites and eSignatures to facilitate broker research.

In particular, brokers investigating technologies that extend the convenience of paperless workflow to customers will appreciate the CSIO eSignatures Vendor Dashboard, a new resource that reviews various solutions in Canada against legal and operational criteria. It is an excellent first step for brokers researching the technology and is available at CSIO. com/eSignatures.

August 2014 / THE ONTARIO BROKER

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COMMUNITY VIEW SPEEDY RESPONSE The Verge Insurance Group accomplished a speedy (and impressive) goal, recently raising $3,000 for the United Way of St. Catharines in just three hours. Verge Insurance Group raised the money as part of its fifth annual fundraising BBQ. Since the beginning of its fundraising initiatives, Verge Insurance Group has raised almost $30,000 for charity with its annual BBQs across all branches of the brokerage.

Music in the Park was delivered by Angela Siracusa, an award-winning Nashville recording artist and singer songwriter, and her merry band of musicians.

Left to right: Kyle Payette, Novex Insurance; Dianne Laveck, Verge Insurance; and Claire Carter, Verge Insurance.

PICTURE PERFECT Gellatly Insurance’s client, Arts for Children & Youth (AFCY), contacted Intact Insurance through its charitable foundation for a donation to help with the launch of an AFCY program, guided by a youth advisory council whose members are youths who live in the communities in which they work. Working with marginalized youth who are referred to AFCY, the program seeks to engage 75 youth from various priority neighborhoods in Toronto. The youths will be encouraged to participate by taking an eight-week photography training course, during which they will be trained by a roster of professionals in digital photography and computer arts (InDesign & Photoshop). The program will conclude with a photo-portrait exhibition featuring the collection of framed portraits these youths have created. Each youth participant will receive a framed copy of his or her photograph (of their family) to be displayed with pride of accomplishment in their homes. In need of $30,000 for the program, Intact generously contributed $10,000, while the balance of the funds came from numerous other sources.

THE 94 TH ANNUAL IBAO CONVENTION

Left to right: Gary Pearen, Vice President of Gellatly Insurance Limited; Ben Malik, President of Gellatly Insurance; Mandy Hillhouse, Branch Director of Durham Region; and Julie Frost, Executive and Artistic Director of Arts for Children and Youth; joined by two community workers.

OCTOBER 22 - 24, 2014 THE WESTIN OTTAWA HOTEL & OTTAWA CONVENTION CENTRE

ibao.org/convention

14 August 2014 / THE ONTARIO BROKER

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TIME MA

Our TIME MACHINE is ready for you to climb aboard! www.CU80Years.com Prepare for the journey of a lifetime and climb aboard Canadian Underwriter’s time machine to the industry’s past – all the way back to the start of the magazine in 1934, with stops at every year along the way…

Because Our History is Your History — Help Us Build The Journey — Submit Your Historical Photos at CU80Years.com!

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14-07-14 11:41 AM 14-08-25 7:25 AM

NOVEMBER 11 – 14 Perfect for top CSRs, our Customer Service for the Insurance Professional Retreat is being held at the Pantages Hotel in downtown Toronto.

Attendees obtain their certification while receiving the pampering they deserve. Call Nastassia for details @ 416.488.7422 x119.

CSIP

RETREAT SEMINARS PROGRAM

DATES & LOCATIONS

THE DIFFERENCE IS YOU

September:

ALL CUSTOMERS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL

September:

ATTRACTING QUALITY PROSPECTS THROUGH DIGITAL MARKETING

September:

4 London 9 Ajax 10 Mississauga

17 Toronto 24 Barrie 25 North Bay 30 Ottawa

17 Chatham 18 London

18 Windsor 25 St. Catharines

ACCREDITATION & FEE 6 Personal Skills Hours $209

6 Management Hours $209

6 Management Hours $209

CAIB PROGRAM

DATES

FEES

Levels 1, 2, 3 & 4

Fall Semester

$315 Online Group Discussion $235 Self Study $304 Course Materials/Text

Online & Group Discussion

Levels 1 & 4 Immersion

September 8 – December 3

September: 8 – 12 (CAIB 4 Immersion)

September l October:

$595 $304 Course Materials/Text

29 – 3 (CAIB 1 Immersion)

Additional offerings on our website – www.ibao.org.

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