GREEN MOUNTAIN AGENT A PUBLICATION OF VERMONT INSURANCE AGENTS ASSOCIATION
March 2016
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Green Mountain Agent is a publication of
In This Issue: March 2016
600 Blair Park Road Suite 100 Williston, VT 05495 Phone: 802-229-5884 Fax: 802-876-7912 www.viaa.org
4 Message from the President
President Daniel Lussier
11 Help Wanted: Youth Safety Council Of Vermont
VIAA Officers Vice President Peter Richards Secretary/Treasurer Erin Odell
IIABA & PIA State National Director Ron Bixby
Directors
Features 6 Legislative Update: At Session MidPoint, Many Insurance Issues in Play 8 VIAA Young Agents News Brief
17 Sales Success: What Salespeople can Learn from the Presidential Race
News 22 ACUITY
Chip Ams Alan Kinney Paul Plunkett
Staff Executive Director Mary Eversole meversole@viaa.org
GMA Publication Design Thorin Markison thorinmarkison.com
Are you trying to reach Vermont’s Independent agent’s? Do you have a great ad that represents your company and have nowhere to place it? Are you looking to hire? Place your ad in VIAA’s monthly publication and have the opportunity to advertise and market to Vermont’s Independent Agents.
Questions on how to place an ad? Contact Mary Eversole at meversole@viaa.org for placement options and advertising rates.
Vermont Insurance Agents Association ATTN: Advertising/ PO Box 1387/ Montpelier, VT 05601
Message from the President A Call to Action I read a blog post recently that had a compelling inquiry: What would the world be like without insurance? It’s hard to imagine. Think about our recent cold snap and all the frozen pipes that burst after it warmed up. What would those Vermonters have done without insurance? They would be left with a hefty repair bill out of pocket and some sadly would not have the ability to pay for their repairs. 2.5 million people are employed in the insurance industry according to Census data from the U.S. Department of Labor. That is a remarkable number. But we know that number is shrinking daily and the industry that provides our livelihood needs good people to fill those vacancies. A great way to do that is promote InVest, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving insurance literacy and attracting new talent. March is officially InVest Awareness Month. We were fortunate to have an InVest program at Lamoille Union High School a few years ago. The VIAA Board of Directors is asking your help in getting this great program into Vermont schools throughout the state to help recruit to our industry. Once we have the program in place you can go a step further and become an InVest Volunteer. Please send your suggestions to Erin Odell, VIAA’s Secretary Treasurer and Vermont’s InVest Champion. Thank you for your efforts in helping find new talent for the industry which gives so much to us all.
Dan Lussier, VIAA President
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At Session Mid-Point, Many Insurance Issues in Play
John Hollar.
The legislature is now officially at the mid-point of the session, and while it may appear that lawmakers are spending all of their time discussing marijuana legalization, there has been plenty of quiet activity on a variety of insurance issues.
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS.
The House Commerce and Economic Development Committee is moving closer to approving a bill that would clarify the rules that determine whether a sole proprietor is an independent contractor or an employee of a general contractor. Under the draft legislation, sole proprietors, LLC managers and corporate officers would no longer be required to show that they engage in “separate and distinct” work from general contractors to be considered independent. They could continue to opt out of workers’ compensation coverage, but a new registration process would be created that would eliminate the “after-the-fact” determinations that now often find such individuals to be employees. An individual who opts out of workers’ compensation coverage would no longer be able to bring a claim for benefits against a general contractor. Any claim for damages would have to be brought as a civil suit. The committee is still considering whether to include a requirement in the bill that a company use only one independent contractor at a time to avoid creating an employment relationship, and whether to require that an independent contractor demonstrate
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that he or she has more than one client to avoid being considered an employee.
POLICY DISCLOSURE. A provision in the bill that is of significant concern for agents would require that they turn over customer policies to the Commissioner of Labor within five days of a request. VIAA is actively opposing that provision. That issue will be considered by the committee when it returns from its Town Meeting break on March 8th.
INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS. The House Commerce Committee considered a proposal that would have required workers’ compensation insurance carriers to offer all employers the option of paying premiums in installments. Carriers argued that the provision would require them to provide policies on credit to businesses with little or poor credit history. The Department of Financial Regulation also opposed the provision, arguing that Vermont’s assigned risk pool has the lowest threshold in the country for requiring upfront premium payments. Only employers in the assigned risk market with policies of less than $1,000 are required to make payments up front. The committee voted on February 26th to drop that provision from the bill. CREDIT SCORE STUDY. Finally, the Commerce Committee is likely to approve a provision requiring the Department of Financial Regulation to study the use of credit-based insurance scoring for personal lines insurance. The study would be required to examine the prevalence of its use, its impact on consumers, and how limitations on the use of credit scoring would affect the affordability and availability of policies. John
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News Brief The Vermont Young Agents Committee held their first quarterly meeting of 2016, sponsored by Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, on February 18 in Montpelier. Daniel C. Bridge, President and CEO and Mark McDonnell, Senior Vice President from the company addressed the group during the luncheon. The next quarterly meeting will be held May 19th at The Richards Group in Brattleboro. Questions: please email Kerri O’Connor, Vermont Young Agents Committee President.
VT YAC 2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS* March 4
Keene State College Fair
Keene, NH
April 13 -1 5
Big “I” Legislative Conference Washington, DC
May 19
Quarterly Meeting
Brattleboro, VT
June 5
Trusted Choice Jr Golf Tournament Qualifier
Orleans, VT
August 25
Quarterly Meeting
Montpelier, VT
September 8
VIAA Annual Business Meeting
Montpelier, VT
September 9 -10
YAC Leadership Conference
Chicago, IL
September 21
CPIA Refresher
Williston, VT
September 22 – 23 VIAA Convention
Burlington, VT
October 3, 10, 17
CPIA Designation
Williston, VT
November 17
YAC Annual Meeting
Williston, VT
December 3
Young Agent Holiday Party
TBA
TBA Young Agent’s Fun Day TBA Dates, times and events are subject to change. Additional events will be added throughout the year. Check for updates via emails and the Vermont Young Agents Facebook Page.
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HELP WANTED: YOUTH SAFETY COUNCIL of VERMONT The Youth Safety Council of Vermont presents an eye-opening educational program, Turn Off Texting, that travels to schools throughout the state, creating first-hand experiences of the dangers of texting while driving. Students navigate a golf cart through a course of traffic cones, then drive the course a second time while texting. Their errors -- the cones that they run into while texting (pedestrians! parked cars!) make the dangers of texting and driving plain to understand. The YSC Turn Off Texting program is free to schools throughout Vermont, thanks in part to funding from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program and generous sponsors. The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central & Northern VT “Turn Off Texting” driving safety demonstration, our second presenter position for this popular program. Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel. Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule, comfortable working with adolescents and teachers, have good communication skills, and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl. minimum) to tow a trailer. Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement. See yscvt.org and a video overview of the program at https://youtu. be/x2PfYWSmt-Y. Send a resume and information about schedule availability to info@yscvt.org.
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THE MEETING SPACE YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR
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Perpetuate the Industry? Check.
Don’t wait until the office is empty to find new talent – support InVEST and find new recruits now. InVEST is a free, classroom to career program designed to increase awareness of the insurance industry with high school and college students. And, InVEST has been making huge strides over the last year. With a new student center, career center and more scholarship dollars than ever before, InVEST is touching more and more students daily. InVEST, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, is supported by financial contributions from insurance companies and individuals, in addition to the active involvement of hundreds of insurance professionals. For volunteer and donor opportunities visit www.investprogram.org.
10 Reasons to Attend the Big “I” Young Agents Leadership Institute September 24-25 at the Fairmont San Francisco 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Find answers to social media questions—from time management to ROI Find out how to tap your inner creative side to increase sales Make connections with other young agents—share your successes and challenges Hear from top insurance carrier executives on issues important to your agency Network with industry and association leaders Take away tools to help you work smarter Discover new marketing best practices Spend time with good friends and get great ideas Play a little jeopardy with our friends from the ACT Check out the sights and sounds of San Francisco, Calif.
www.independentagent.com/events www.independentagent.com/events
viaa.org/education-center/2016-continuing-education-calendar/
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Sales Success with John Chapin What Salespeople can Learn from the Presidential Race While the Presidential Race is showing us many qualities of politicians that we don’t want to emulate such as: bad-mouthing the competition, vacillating on the issues, and bending truths, there are several other qualities that we can emulate to make ourselves supersuccessful as salespeople. Here they are… Four qualities of politicians you do want to emulate Put yourself out there
The successful politicians who get their name out and are heard through the noise, are great at putting themselves out there and letting everyone know they are there. They seem to have mastered the primary fear that stops most salespeople: the fear of rejection. The successful politicians don’t take things personally and they have thick skin. Insults and other slings and arrows seem to bounce off them or roll off their back. They aren’t afraid to speak their minds and they have confidence, conviction, and a healthy impression of themselves. They know that regardless of what others say and think, if they are going to be successful, they have to get out into the world and be seen and heard by as many people as possible. If you are going to be successful in sales you must demonstrate these same qualities. You must force yourself out into the marketplace each and every day and you must be heard. You must let go of the fear of rejection, embarrassment, or whatever other fears you have by acting in spite of them. You must develop a thick skin and realize that if success in sales and the resulting rewards were easy, everyone would be doing it. Ultimately, if you are going to be successful, you’ve got to put yourself out there and let as many people as possible know about you and what you have to offer. Meet lots of people When a politician is out on the campaign trail he or she is laser focused on meeting and talking to as
many people as possible. They are not focused on the people they already know and whose vote they have, they are looking to meet strangers and win them over. While they don’t snub the people they already know and have in their camp, they spend as little time as possible talking to these people. Their number one objective is meet new people and sell those people on why they should get their vote. The biggest reason salespeople fail is due to a lack of activity. More specifically, they don’t talk to enough people. Yes, sales is a numbers game. While relationships are extremely important, in order to have the number of relationships you need, you have to be talking to tons of people. You need a daily goal for the number of new contacts you’re going to make and then, like the politician, you need to be laser focused on hitting that number no matter what. A friend often reminds me of an extremely successful insurance agent he met once who told him, “What’s made me so successful is that every day, Monday through Sunday, I make sure at least three new people know what I do.” Differentiate yourself Politicians know that if they are going to lay claim to the most powerful office on the planet, they must differentiate themselves from the rest of the crowd. They work on their value statement. They study their competition. They are scripted and they are usually pretty good at knowing how they differ from everyone else in the field. They prepare for the debates by reviewing what questions they are likely to get asked, studying who they are up against, and role-playing comments, answers, and responses. Similarly as a salesperson you have to know why you, your product, and your company are the better choice. How are you unique? You are the one thing the competition does not have and you have to be able to articulate why it’s extremely important that the prospect ends up with you versus the competition. You have to know all 17
the differences between you, your product, and your company versus what the competition has to offer. Once you have all the above, you must then script everything and practice it so it comes out of your mouth clearly and confidently. Commit I doubt many people would question the commitment of a politician out on the campaign trail. Their rigorous schedule has them visiting many cities, and usually several states, each and every day. They are sleep deprived, void of most luxuries, and endure all the displeasures that come with constant travel. Their pursuit also requires that they place the rest of their lives on hold including family and friends. In order to stay sane and keep up the pace they need to keep up, politicians must be passionate about what they’re doing. They must be completely committed and they must be willing to sacrifice all other areas of life in the short-term.
Especially if you are new to sales, an industry, or a company, your life is going to be out of balance in the beginning. There may also be times when the economy, market, or industry take a hit and you have to work extra hours. Sales never has been a 9 to 5 job and it isn’t for the faint of heart. You’re going to have to commit by making some sacrifices. You also need to know why you’re doing what you’re doing and why you’re passionate about the struggle and eventual reward ahead. Also, if you have a family, you need to make sure everyone is on board. By the way, it’s a good idea to get this cleared before you accept the job. John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer. For his free newsletter, or if you would like him to speak at your next event, go to: www. completeselling.com John has over 26 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year: Sales Encyclopedia. For permission to reprint, e-mail: johnchapin@completeselling.com
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Company News ACUITY Hires Customer Relations Specialist ACUITY announces the addition of Monica Rincon, Customer Relations Specialist. Monica comes from Sartori Company in Plymouth, Wisconsin, where she coordinated events for domestic and international trade shows, entries into product competitions, companywide communications, sales team support, competitive analysis, and procurement of promotional materials. In her new position, Monica will work with the company’s event planning team to coordinate companywide employee and agent social and educational functions as well as procurement and distribution of major promotional items and gifts with all associated communication. A graduate of UW-La Crosse with a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies – organizational and professional communication with a minor in interpersonal communication and a primary interest in corporate event management, Monica lives in Sheboygan. ACUITY, headquartered in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is a property and casualty insurer that operates in 24 states, generates over $1.3 billion in revenue through 1,000 independent agencies, and manages over $3.7 billion in assets. Named the #3 large company to work for in America, ACUITY employs 1,200 people.
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Monica Rincon
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IMPERIAL PFS® AND VIAA ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO CUSTOMIZE FINANCE PROGRAMS FOR MEMBER AGENCIES. To learn more about special programs for VIAA members, contact Steven Abramovitz at: 617.990.2364 or by email at: steven.abramovitz@ipfs.com
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Imperial PFS is a trade name affiliated with IPFS Corporation (IPFS), a premium finance company. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. IOS is a registered trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries.
Helen Collins hcollins@viaa.org