Primary Agent - July 2022

JULY 2022

MIKE THOMAS

ON SMALL AGENCY SUCCESS

EXCLUSIVE MEMBER MAGAZINE

ALSO INSIDE INFLATION & HO POLICIES TEAM MEMBER BIOS

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J U LY 2022

CONTENTS FEATURED 4

INFLATION AND OTHER HO POLICY CONCERNS TO ADDRESS NOW IA&B Education Consultant Kevin Amrhein reviews three areas of the homeowners’ policy that, if overlooked, could easily result in underinsurance.

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Q&A WITH MIKE THOMAS Mike Thomas, principal of Lighthouse Insurance Services and an IA&B Board member, shares the unique challenges of running a small agency.

HOW TEAM MEMBER BIOS CAN ENHANCE YOUR BRAND AWARENESS Michelle Longo, marketing manager for Forge3, Ltd., provides tips for creating – and leveraging – employee bios.

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook.com/IABforME LinkedIn.com/company/IA_and_B Twitter.com/IA_and_B YouTube.com IA&B is the premier resource and champion for independent insurance agents in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware.

Periodical postage paid at Mechanicsburg, PA and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Insurance Agents & Brokers, 650 Wilson Lane, Suite 200, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.

Primary Agent (ISSN 1543-3110), Permit # 638-620, Issue # 2022-7, is published monthly by IA&B Service Group Inc., a subsidiary of IA&B. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent of the publisher. The information in this publication is general in nature and not intended to serve as legal, accounting, financial, insurance, investment advisory or other professional advice as to any reader’s particular situation. Users are encouraged to consult with competent legal, financial, insurance, investment advisory and/or other professional advisors concerning specific matters before making any decisions. We disclaim any responsibility for any decisions or actions by readers. Statements of fact and opinion in Primary Agent are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers or the members of IA&B. Participation in IA&B events, activities and/or publications is available on a non-discriminatory basis and does not reflect IA&B endorsement of the products and/or services.

MONTHLY 2

CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE

3

DON'S DISCUSSION

6

NEWS & NOTES

15

STAFF PROFILE

16

PICS & POSTS

17

UPCOMING EDUCATION IABforME.com |

1

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

ALL IN THIS TOGETHER When this issue of Primary Agent arrives in your mailbox (or inbox), summer will be in full swing. No matter how you choose to unwind – golfing or fishing, camping or going “down the shore” – I trust that you’re making time for it this season.

Of course when it comes to IA&B members, our summer vacation preferences are just one of the many ways we differ. We’re quite a heterogeneous group.

IA&B’s 1,150+ member agencies are tucked in every corner of our tristate region, rural, suburban, and urban areas alike. There are small, mom-and-pop shops on Main Street, and large agencies with branch locations spread across state lines. And beyond that, we all handle agency operations, procedures, and technology in our own way, too.

INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS 650 Wilson Lane, Suite 200 Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 191 Main Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 800-998-9644 | IABforME.com

IA&B BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Richard M. Rankin, CIC, Chair Lancaster, PA D. Bradley Rosenkilde Jr., Vice Chair Hunt Valley, MD

MEMBERS Gregory H. Bennett

Bel Air, MD

Sarah M. Brown, CIC, CRM, AFIS Shrewsbury, PA Andrew Enders, Esq.

Harrisburg, PA

Len Gieseler, LUTCF

Pottstown, PA

We put the “independent” in “independent agencies,” wouldn’t you say?

Lisa A. Leach Goth, CIC

New Bethlehem, PA

Christopher J. Miller, CIC

Jonestown, PA

No doubt, serving such a diverse group of members can be a challenge. But the IA&B Board of Directors is committed to doing just that. So please, make your voice heard. If you have an issue or a need, let an IA&B Board member know. Our contact information is available at IABforME.com/board-directory.

Michael A. Papa, CIC, MBA

Hunt Valley, MD

William H. Purdy

Sunbury, PA

Kent Reynolds, CIC

Hagerstown, MD

Jason Rodriguez

Wilmington, DE

Donna Roper

York, PA

Candace Shoupe, AAI, AIC

New Castle, DE

Tara S. Silfies, CPCU

Bethlehem, PA

Robert L. Smyrl Jr., CIC

Hatfield, PA

Michael Thomas

Gambrills, MD

Sheila Wells, CIC, CISR

Rehoboth Beach, DE

The truth is, while our differences may seem great, we face many of the same obstacles and are committed to the future of the same great industry. We’re all in this together.

Best,

J. Marshall Wolff, CIC, CPCU Easton, PA

NATIONAL DIRECTORS Richard M. Rankin Chair of the Board

Michael P. Ertel Sr. (PIA) Columbia, MD G. Greg Gunn, CIC (IIABA) Lemoyne, PA Diana Hornung Hanby (IIABA) Wilmington, DE

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JULY 2022

DON'S DISCUSSION

DON'S DISCUSSION IA&B Legal & Corporate Affairs Director Don Bankus

Are you a member with a question?

Contact Don at 800-998-9644, ext. 603 or DonB@IABforME.com.

QUESTION: How can we mitigate our website-related E&O exposures?

ANSWER: Great question! What information you include or don’t include on your website – as well as what steps you do or don’t take to protect customer data – can be used to support or strengthen an E&O claim against the agency.

Statements or information you might consider innocent or benign can unintentionally increase the agency’s duty of care to its customers and prospects, which can be harmful to and weaken your E&O defense in a claim situation.

With that in mind, following are some do’s and don’ts to consider when creating, updating, or reviewing your agency’s website:

DO’S ▲ Accurately specify states in which the agency is licensed. ▲ Clearly state that misstatements or omissions of relevant information provided by current and prospective customers can result in price variations, or declinations or rescissions of coverage.

▲ Clearly state that requesting coverage does not guarantee that coverage can or will be provided.

Coverage can only be initiated/ confirmed via a specific statement from a licensed member of the agency’s staff. ▲ Clearly state that information requested in order to provide a quote or policy revision will not be shared without the applicant’s permission. ▲ Clearly state via a disclaimer that information provided on the website is not a guarantee that insurance can or will be provided, or that the agency is obligated to procure insurance for website visitors. ▲ Include a Privacy Statement, and encrypt any and all pages which collect personally identifiable information provided by a customer or prospect, including online quote forms. ▲ Request and obtain written consent from carriers if you use their name and/or logo on your website.

DON’TS ▲ State that the agency does things or provides services it doesn’t do or provide.

▲ Include language that expressly states, or can be interpreted to suggest, that any claim will be fully covered. ▲ Include language such as “exceptionally skilled,” “expert,” “specialist,” or “partner” to describe the agency and/or its staff, or language such as “fully covered” or “guarantee” to describe the product. ▲ Include language promising absolutes, such as “addressing all your coverage needs,” “constantly reviewing,” or “immediate response time.” ▲ Utilize a quote mechanism, and then fail to respond in a timely manner. ▲ Utilize open text boxes for customers and prospects to type messages, unless the information is adequately encrypted. ▲ Launch a website without carefully reviewing its content. Many template agency websites or web designers likely won’t consider or be aware of E&O ramifications specific to an insurance agency.

It might not hurt to also contact your E&O carrier and request their input as well.

This document is not a legal opinion and should not be relied upon as such. The intent of this document is to provide a general background regarding the topic or topics discussed, not to provide legal advice. Producers and agencies should consult an attorney regarding specific situations and specific questions with respect to the topic or topics covered in this document.

Neither the Insurance Agents & Brokers nor any of its employees shall be responsible for any errors or omissions regarding any statements made in this document, nor any errors or omissions regarding any statutes, regulations, court rules, and/or any other government documents cited in this document.

IABforME.com |

3

THE BIG ONE’S COMING: INFLATION AND OTHER HO POLICY CONCERNS TO ADDRESS NOW

By Kevin C. Amrhein, CIC, CBIA

4

By the time you read this article, it’s officially hurricane season in America.

lists (do you have your batteries yet?), tips, and other info was shared.

Hopefully some of it stuck!

Keeping with tradition, in the months leading up to the season’s “formal” launch on June 1, consumers were inundated with the usual public service announcements from local governments regarding storm preparation. Checklists, phone numbers, web addresses, shopping

Unfortunately, “make sure your insurance policies are in a waterproof container” often represents the extent such resources offer regarding insurance coverage. As an insurance geek asked to write about coverage concerns for storm season, my worst enemy is “word JULY 2022

count.” Alas, there simply are too many concerning issues to cover in one article. In this edition, I’ll review three areas of the homeowners’ policy that if overlooked, especially this time of year, could easily result in underinsurance.

INFLATION GUARD Any American not living in a cave has felt the sting that rapid inflation has

COVERAGE CORNER caused in virtually every spending category including building materials and labor costs. Repairing/replacing a damaged house today will be more expensive than it was 11 months ago, perhaps exponentially. Has the limit of insurance increased during that time? Is the insured waiting until renewal to increase the limit? For example, the insured’s dwelling limit is $300,000. The renewal is slated for $330,000, and the insured seems confident that this increase will hedge against rising costs. However, with no Inflation Guard endorsement or mechanism embedded in the policy, what happens when the loss occurs prior to the renewal?

Agents should review every homeowners’ policy to identify those which may not currently include a mechanism to hedge against inflation such as the ISO’s HO 04 06 Inflation Guard endorsement.

Assuming the carrier offers this or a similar option, there’s never been a better time to review it with each insured, emphasizing that the endorsement applies the increase on a pro-rata basis.

ADDITIONAL LIVING EXPENSE (ALE) We know being short on money is problematic. What about time? In addition to increased construction costs, ongoing supply and labor shortages are making jobs take longer. Here we go again: repairing/ replacing a damaged house today will take longer than it would have 11 months ago, perhaps exponentially.

When discussing policy tools which address the adequacy of limits (e.g. Inflation Guard), agents also should stress the likelihood that displacement due to a loss will require a longer timeframe.

ORDINANCE OR LAW To a limited degree, many homeowners’ policies address increased expenses regarding code compliance. In the spirit of our discussion regarding increased costs, consider the effect on code compliance. Specifically, what if code requires that a firedamaged house be torn down and rebuilt? Of if code requires that the repaired home be retrofitted with an upgraded plumbing or electrical system? Agents should review every homeowners’ policy to identify those which currently offer minimal coverage for these expenses and discuss a mechanism such as ISO’s HO 04 77 Ordinance or Law Increased Amount Of Coverage endorsement to increase it.

TAKEAWAYS FOR THE AGENT ▲ Storm season is the perfect excuse to revisit with homeowners’ insureds any limitations in their policy. ▲ Inflation is higher in recent months than any time in the last four decades. It’s fair to say that a tool such as an automatic Inflation Guard endorsement has never been more valuable in the duration of your insured’s homeownership or your career as an agent than right now. ▲ Remind insureds that much of the coverage flows from the Dwelling limit. For example, using the HO 04 06 will not only increase the limit available for Coverage A but by default would increase limits available for Coverages B, C and D. That’s all for now. Until the next round … cheers!

IABforME.com |

Kevin C Amrhein, CIC, CBIA is IA&B's education consultant. He works with our CISR and CIC programs, as well as our special topic seminars and live webinars.

Catch him at one of our upcoming professional training offerings: IABforME.com/education

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Register today. IABforME.com 800-998-9644, option 1

5

NEWS & NOTES

IN-PERSON CLASSES RETURN IA&B is excited to announce that in‑person classes are back. They include CISR and CIC courses, James K. Ruble Graduate seminars, CPIA seminars, and a PA P&C licensing study course. Check out our website for a list of in-person classes, webinars, and on‑demand options.

For information and registration, visit IABforME.com/education or call 800-998-9644, option 1.

PA REVISES WC CONSTRUCTION CREDITS Certain Pennsylvania workers’ compensation policies effective on or after Oct. 1, 2022 will be impacted by the new Pennsylvania Construction Classification Premium Adjustment Program credit table. PCRB Circular No. 1782 provides a copy of the complete credit table.

PCRB.com

IA&B INTERN DAY IA&B will host its inaugural Intern Day on Thursday, July 21 at IA&B's new office and conference center in Mechanicsburg, PA. The free event is available exclusively for interns of IA&B member agencies and company partners. It’s an opportunity for interns to network with young agents and learn more about different aspects of our great industry.

See the agenda and register your intern by July 15 at: IABforME.com/Intern-Day. Questions? Contact Tim Wonder TimW@IABforME.com 800-998-9644, ext. 351 6

APPLY FOR IA&B EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS Apply by August 12, 2022 for the next round of insurance education scholarships.

IA&B will award two individuals with full CIC and CISR designation scholarships, as well as member agencies with scholarships for their staff to attend CIC, CISR, CPIA, and CE courses. Scholarships to attend licensing study courses are available throughout the year.

Access an application at IABforME. com/IAB-education-scholarships.

Questions? Contact Sarah Jacoby SarahJ@IABforME.com 800-998-9644, ext. 104

IA&B SUPPORTS MAKE-A-WISH IA&B joined with Trusted Choice – the consumer-facing brand of the Big I, our national affiliate in Pennsylvania and Delaware – to support Make-AWish Greater Pennsylvania & West Virginia’s 19th Annual Grapevine: A Wine Tasting Event.

Held in downtown Pittsburgh in late May, the fundraiser brought in over $85,000 for Make-A-Wish. The money raised is enough to grant the wishes of 19 area children with critical illnesses.

Trusted Choice was the wine glass sponsor for the event. Local IA&B members attended the fundraiser as representatives of Trusted Choice.

MEMBER BENEFIT HIGHLIGHT Avoid the headache of digging through regulations. IA&B did the heavy lifting for you and created a library of white papers on our website – documents that simplify complex industry requirements.

White Paper Topics: • Fiduciary Duties • Fair Labor Standards Act • Policy Nonrenewal & Cancellations • Privacy Series • Rebating • Record Retention • Surplus Lines Check out the white paper library at IABforME.com/white-papers or call 800-998-9644, option 4.

JULY 2022

IA&B members representing Trusted Choice at the Make-A-Wish fundraiser (l to r): Katie Zurawka, Amber Patterson, Carina Burns, Kate Dawson, Alexis Burns

ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE This is to notify members of Insurance Agents & Brokers (IA&B) of the annual meeting for the Association to be held on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022 at 1 PM at the IA&B office, 650 Wilson Lane, Mechanicsburg, PA. The Primary Member shall have the right of vote for the member in the Association.

If the member of the Association is a corporation and the Primary Member is unable to attend, any officer may vote therein. If the corporation wishes another person to vote therein, or if the member is a partnership or proprietorship and the member wishes another person to vote therein, then such member shall designate such other person in writing, signed by the Primary Member, in accordance with policies and procedures of the Association.

Such person must be designated in writing using the member’s letterhead or through a proxy form that is available from the Association.

Such proxy must be received at the IA&B Headquarters by 4:30 PM on Aug. 15, 2022 or by 12:30 PM on Aug. 16, 2022 if delivered in person at the Annual Meeting location. To register for the annual meeting and for the meeting agenda, go to IABforME. com/2022/06/06/2022-annualmeeting-notice/. Announcement of this meeting is made in accordance with Article III, Section 3.1, Annual Meeting, of the By-Laws of the Association.

Respectfully submitted, Timothy A. Wonder Corporate Secretary

7

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IMSaccess.com Contact Tim Wonder VP - Membership TimW@IABforME.com 800-998-9644, ext. 351

Shopping Your E&O? As an IA&B Member, you could qualify for a program that provides better value and protection. Benefit from IA&B’s: ▲ Relationships with reputable carriers ▲ Industry leading claims service ▲ Highly trained, licensed professionals

Get Started Today David Wertz, CPIA Insurance Placement Specialist 800-998-9644, ext. 506 DavidW@IABforME.com IABforME.online/insurance

Thank You Thanks to these partners for supporting the independent agent network.

PLATINUM PARTNERS Acuity Erie Insurance Millers Mutual Insurance Penn National Insurance Plymouth Rock Assurance BECOME A PARTNER TODAY Interested in becoming a partner?

Reach out today.

Tim Wonder IA&B VP-Membership 800-998-9644, ext. 351 TimW@IABforME.com

IABforME.com |

9

Q&A with

MIKE THOMAS Mike Thomas is principal of Lighthouse Insurance Services, a full-service independent agency in Gambrills, MD. He is also a member of the IA&B Mike Thomas is principal of Lighthouse Insurance Services, a full-service independent agency in Gambrills, Board of Directors.

MD. He is also a member of the IA&B Board of Directors.

Q. We understand you hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting. How did you get your start in insurance?

And how has your career progressed?

A. I have always loved numbers and accounting, so after graduation from The University of Maryland (Go, Terps!), I was a tax accountant at a Big 6 Accounting Firm. I was assigned to go on a cross-country, 18-month trip to 88 cities where a large client had offices to assist with state and local taxes. For a newly married guy, I figured it wasn’t the best way to start a marriage.

So I joined my father in selling life insurance for The Knights of Columbus. I did that for four years, and then my father in-law suggested I join his independent insurance agency and offered to teach me the property and casualty side of the business. In 2000 I had the opportunity to go out on my own and start a scratch agency in my hometown of Crofton, MD. I certainly owe a great deal of gratitude to both of my “dads” for putting me on a successful path in the exciting world of insurance and showing me the proper way to treat and help people.

Q. What have been the biggest changes (for better or worse) that you’ve seen in the insurance industry since you began?

A. Over the past 30 years, automation has made a big difference – both for the better and worse. It has enabled 10

JULY 2022

agents to help many more clients via email and electronic signatures. Unfortunately, I don’t think you get to truly know your clients like we did in the past when we saw everyone in person.

Q. You run a small shop – as do many IA&B members.

What unique challenges do smaller agencies face?

And what do they need to succeed?

A. As a smaller shop, Lighthouse Insurance really must set ourselves apart from other agencies. We try to do that by treating all our clients like family and giving them the service they deserve. We don’t have voicemail, so clients get to talk to a real person. We try to educate them from the beginning on their policies and what they cover. We try to earn their respect and become their trusted advisor rather than a Gecko, Elephant, Mayhem, Flo, or many other insurance “mascots” out there.

Q. What benefit(s) of your IA&B membership do you find most valuable?

A. I feel IA&B is a wealth of knowledge and a trusted sounding board. It gives agents a broad amount of education, guidance, procedures, and opportunities to run a successful agency as we navigate the many changes in the industry. I think IA&B really cares about their members.

ON THE COVER Q. What advice would you give new producers just starting out?

A. Be true to yourself and your clients. You must treat insurance as a career, not a job. To your clients, an auto accident, fire, or any other claim can be overwhelming.

That is your turn to shine and show that you truly care about helping them in their time of need.

Q. Tell us about the charity you co-founded, For The Kids Inc. A. When I opened my agency in 2000, I shared office space with a childhood friend who was taking over a tax and accounting firm. We decided that we wanted to find a way to get involved and give back to our community.

We are both golfers, so we started by inviting 30 of our friends to a round of golf. We raised about $500 and donated it to a local school that served students with special needs.

Kids are very special to us, so from there, we wanted to assist a local family with a sick child. For the last 22 years we have selected a local sick child whose family has financial needs because of the child’s illness. We have helped save a house from foreclosure, purchase a handicap accessorized van, provide money for lifesaving procedures not covered by insurance, and simply given some families hope and breathing room in their time of need.

Q. Every December, you visit schools and churches dressed as Santa. You must have some good stories.

Please share a favorite or two!

A. I could write a book on the things that I have seen and heard while dressed as the big man himself. I started this when my now 24-year-old son was in kindergarten and the school was looking for anyone who knew Santa. I volunteered and have never stopped.

Santa has visited schools, churches, neighborhood bus stops, Jazzercise, adult Christmas parties, and even a local dairy farm. Santa has gotten to ride in a big red Jeep Wrangler, Lexus convertible, tricked-out golf cart, ‘65 Corvette, and even a fire truck. iPhones and puppies are probably the most requested items. I typically tell the kids it is too cold on Christmas Eve for puppies to ride in the sleigh. Some of the more memorable requests have been an orange, a ukulele, a coat hanger, a baby sibling, and even a date for mom.

The adults who choose to climb up on Santa’s lap usually request diamonds or a new car. I’m just glad to see that the Christmas spirit is alive and well. HO HO HO! Mike Thomas (a.k.a. Santa), pictured with his wife Susan and at his office

Almost 70% of our golfers come back every year to support us. They really like that they get to meet and hear from the actual family that they are helping. We always invite the child and their family to attend our event and speak at the lunch. The personal touch goes a long way in everything you do.

We make it fun – we cook hotdogs on the course and have a frozen drink machine, pizza donated by the local Ledo’s franchise, and snacks from two of our favorite restoration companies. We have fun contests on the course where participants get to put on a dress to hit form the forward tees, wear handcuffs during a hole, see who can hit a marshmallow the longest, and even use an air cannon gun to shoot their golf ball over 300 yards. Our event has sold out for the past 10 years including during the pandemic.

Our 23rd annual golf tournament is coming up in August, and we have raised over $500,000 since we first started our charity.

IABforME.com |

11

How Team Member Bios Can Enhance Your Brand Awareness

By Michelle Longo, Forge3, Ltd.

Adding team member bios to your agency website can pay dividends. On the following pages, get tips for creating – and leveraging – employee bios.

Show the Human Side of Your Agency Team member pages are among the most visited on insurance agency websites. The reason is simple: clients and prospects want to know who they are or will be working with. These pages connect your site visitors to your team, allowing them to “put a face to the name.”

When your website has a strong team page, it can serve as a great way to build relationships right from the start.

A sample team member bio from the Forge3 website

Drive Traffic to Your Website When someone views your team member page, they get to see and know you better. But how do you get them to visit that page, and why does it matter? Let’s tackle that second part first. As we mentioned, building rapport between your team and your clients is a big component.

However, there’s another aspect that can lead to so much more, and that’s the fact that you’ve brought someone back to your website. Once there, you can take advantage of tools like Notification Bars and Power Panels that contain strong calls to action to get a quote, learn more 12

about insurance, or find out about an event you’re hosting.

Once you have their attention, you can use it to your advantage to make your website work for you.

Share Bios with Your Audience Two easy places to share links to employee bios are your social media channels and your newsletter communications. Include some text and a picture to grab attention, then link back to that team member’s page.

JULY 2022

FEATURE ARTICLE Here are some ideas to get you started.

First, tell a story. Did one of your employees save the day on a tough claim situation? You can include a brief description of what happened and a testimonial from the satisfied client.

Another idea is to congratulate someone who has received a promotion, earned a designation, or hit an important milestone. You can also create an employee spotlight series where you highlight a new person each week. Share a fun fact about them or some other piece of information, then invite people to learn more. In all cases, include a link to the team member’s bio to drive traffic to your website so they can see the human side of your agency.

How to Get Started With Bios First, you’ll want to make sure your website has a team member page with fantastic bios already set up. Be sure to include a photo and contact information for each person on your page. Photos can range from the traditional headshot to a fun, more personal image. Strive for consistency in your photos to maintain a cohesive look on your site.

3 Tips for Outstanding Team Member Bios Some people find writing a bio very difficult because they aren’t sure what they should include or feel like they aren’t good enough writers. However, there are some things that you can do to make the process easier for your team to help alleviate some of those concerns.

Format. Start with an easy-to-follow format. If all team members begin from an outline that works well for most people, bios can be consistent while also showing each team member’s personality.

Perspective. When people think of bios, they often recall seeing them written in the third person (he/she/they). To get more creative and personal, encourage your team to use the first person (I/me). First-person bios tend to be less formal, which will add an air of fun and approachability.

Length. Short and sweet is the way to go. All you need are a few short paragraphs for clients and prospects to get a snapshot of who you are. Bios that are too long can lose a reader’s interest, which is the opposite of what you want.

3 Things to Include in Bios Bios don’t have to be rigid and stiff. They can be creative while still showing things like education and experience.

Clients want to see the human side of your agency, and bios are a terrific way to develop that bond. In the IABforME.com |

first paragraph, offer an introduction that includes the employee’s role in the agency, how long they’ve been there, and their main focus. The second paragraph is a perfect spot for background information such as previous work experience, formal education, professional designations, and a listing of awards, accomplishments, and honors.

Finally, the last paragraph can highlight the personal side, with things like outside interests, hobbies, or family information the team member is comfortable sharing.

Anchor Questions: What Can They Do? If you want to make things a little more interesting and fun, try asking all team members to answer a specific question.

This could be anything from a favorite meal or flavor of ice cream to a favorite book or movie. If you have a larger team, consider having everyone offer a fun fact others would not suspect about them or a surprising thing about their job that no one would expect. Be sure to make the question inclusive and easy enough for anyone to answer.

Make Bios Part of Your Agency Website Our ActiveAgency platform has everything you need to show off your team and the human side of your agency.

Bios and team member pages are perfect opportunities to provide a window into your agency and show there’s more to your team than just insurance. When you identify a few common elements to include in each, you can simplify the process for your staff, making it easy to include team member pages and bios on your insurance agency website.

And once the team page and bios are all polished up, get the most out of them by sharing them far and wide!

Michelle Longo is marketing manager for Forge3, Ltd, an IA&B partner. Forge3, Ltd. is the highest-rated, fastest-growing insurance agency website platform solution in the industry.

IS IT TIME FOR A NEW WEBSITE? Then contact Forge3 – the highest-rated, fastestgrowing insurance agency website platform solution in the industry. They have everything you need to look amazing, get found, sell more, and service better.

Don’t stress over building a website. Forge3 can help.

Visit forge3.com/insurance-agency-websites/?p=iab Or contact them at 484-734-0005 or team@forge3.com.

13

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STAFF PROFILE

Get to Know …

Megan Fioretta, ABC Brand Manager

Years with IA&B: It will be five in November.

Role at IA&B: I am responsible for all things visual. That includes the whole process from marketing strategy, research, and graphic design. I lead IA&B through rebranding in 2018 and continue to maintain the brand standard as we grow. I design this magazine as well as customer flyers, annual membership booklets and quarterly training schedules. I also produce all in-house videos.

Best part of your job: I get to do what I love every day, with a talented and collaborative team that always strives for the best. I really enjoy crafting communication that makes complex topics easy to understand - which makes insurance a good match!

What’s the ABC designation?

It stands for Accredited Business Communicator. I earned the designation from the International Association of Business Communicators through a three step process of strategic plan portfolio review, oral exam on crisis communication and written exam on industry standards and ethics.

What keeps you busy outside of work?

My kids. I have two very energetic boys, ages 4 and 8. Over the summer, we spend a lot of time swimming in their grandparents' pool.

My favorite hobby is cross stitch but I haven't been able to stitch much recently because I have been learning to create cross stitch patterns to sell.

Thanks to audiobooks and digital libraries, I am also an avid reader. My book club became an awesome support system during shutdown. We started meeting virtually every weekend to talk books and play games.

You can reach Megan at: 800-998-9644, ext. 605 MeganF@IABforME.com

IABforME.com |

15

PICS & POSTS

PICS & POSTS

Facebook.com/IABforME LinkedIn.com/company/IA_and_B

Twitter.com/IA_and_B YouTube.com

IN-PERSON CLASSES RETURN Check out the list of in-person courses and live webinars at IABforME.com.

Register Today.

800-998-9644, option 1 IABforME.com

16

JULY 2022

WELCOME MEMBERS NEW AGENCY MEMBERS BTN Insurance Agency LLC Lititz, PA My Insurance People McKeesport PA Laurel Highland Insurance Group Uniontown PA

EARN CE WITH IA&B

E D U C AT I O N SCHEDULE J U LY 2 0 2 2 Register today! 800-998-9644, option 1 IABforME.com/education IN-PERSON CLASSES ARE BACK! DATE TOPIC

LOCATION

July 20

CISR - Personal Auto

Cranberry, PA

Iroquois Mid Atlantic Group

July 28

CISR - Commercial Casualty 1

Newtown Square, PA

For information about membership or benefits, contact:

LIVE WEBINARS DATE TOPIC

TIME

Jul 5

More Money, More (Insurance) problems?

Mastering P&C Coverage for the Affluent Market

9AM-12PM

Jul 5

Chris Amrhein’s “Adventures in Aging”: Medicare and Other Retirement Healthcare Solutions

1-4 PM

Jul 6

Commercial Property - Direct vs. Indirect Damage

9AM-12PM

Jul 6

Ethics: Essentials for the Insurance Producer

1-4 PM

Jul 7

William T Hold - Commercial Lines

8AM-4PM

Jul 7

Personal Lines Clients and Their New Normal

9AM-12PM

Jul 7

Agent’s E&O: Defenses and Preventions for the Insurance Professional

1-4 PM

Jul 12

Personal Lines Coverage Concerns: Annoying But Important

9AM-12PM

Jul 12

Why Insurance to Value and Liability Limits are Always Wrong (and How to Fix That)

1-4 PM

Jul 13

CISR - Commercial Casualty 2

8AM-3:45PM

Jul 13

Autos, Garages and Dealers - Oh My! Knowing the Difference

9AM-12PM

Jul 26-28

P&C Licensing Study Course

8AM-5PM

NEW PARTNER MEMBER

Tim Wonder, VP-Membership 800-998-9644, ext. 351 TimW@IABforME.com

PRIMARY AGENT Editor: Karen Robison KarenR@IABforME.com 800-998-9644, ext. 606 Contributing editors: Jennifer Ross Megan Fioretta Sarah Jacoby Sales Account Executive: Laura Gaenzle laura.gaenzle@theygsgroup.com 717-430-2351

IABforME.com |

17

MORE IMAGINATION.

MORE TO LOVE FROM APPLIED.® Workers’ Compensation • Transportation – Liability & Physical Damage • Construction – Primary & Excess Liability Homeowners – Including California Wildfire & Gulf Region Hurricane • Fine Art & Collections • Structured Insurance Financial Lines • Aviation & Space • Environmental & Pollution Liability • Property • Warranty Fronting & Program Business • Reinsurance

...And More To Come.

It Pays To Get A Quote From Applied.® Learn more at auw.com/MoreToLove or call sales (877) 234-4450 ©2022 Applied Underwriters, Inc. Rated A (Excellent) by AM Best. Insurance plans protected U.S. Patent No. 7,908,157.