GMA November 2015

GREEN MOUNTAIN AGENT

A PUBLICATION OF VERMONT INSURANCE AGENTS ASSOCIATION

November 2015

7th

Green Mountain Agent is a publication of

600 Blair Park Road Suite 100 Williston VT 05495 Phone 802-229-5884 Fax 802-876-7912 wwwviaaorgVIAA OfficersPresident Daniel LussierVice President Peter RichardsSecretaryTreasurer Erin OdellIIABA amp PIA State National Director Ron Bixby

DirectorsChip AmsAlan KinneyPaul Plunkett

Staff Executive Director Mary Eversole meversoleviaaorg

GMA Publication DesignThorin Markison thorinmarkisoncom

In This Issue

November 2015

4 Message from the PresidentFeatures

8 VIAA Young Agents News Brief11 Selling Your Agency May Be Hazardous

to Your (Financial) Health20 5 Key Strategies for Growing Your Business28 Marketing Canrsquot Be A Sometimes Thing30 Sales Success Why and How to Cold Call36 EampO Corner Protecting Your

Business For the Long TermNews

39 Union Mutual of Vermont41 SampH Underwriters

4

Your Resource Your Association

Wersquove set our clocks back an hour The sun is setting earlier and we are all wearing warmer coats Some of us have beaten the rush and gotten our snow tires mounted Itrsquos also that time of year at our agencies when we watch news stories on home fires and ask ldquois it oursrdquo Hoping our insureds are safe and have not experienced a total loss We are also watching the calendar with the looming 11 renewal deadlines While we toil away in our agency world VIAA continues to find meaningful ways to fulfill its mission Sometimes I forget how many resources are available as a member of the association One of the biggest benefits of membership is access to the award winning education program In February 2016 the doors will open at the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Training Center Itrsquos an exciting time for the association and we are thrilled about providing this new resource for our members As the current President of VIAA my favorite resource is the Vermont Young Agents Committee Your board of directors has made an on-going commitment to this diverse group and growing our future leaders In their first year

Message from the President

the YACs have met our congressional delegation raised money for Make-A-Wish networked with YACS from around the country helped twenty-four agents from across the state get their first designation by sponsoring the CPIA program and impressed us with their Casino Night during convention I canrsquot wait to see what they do next year Our market place has changed rapidly over the last three years with mergers and acquisitions This is an issue that the association and members grapple with frequently There are so many questions to answer when faced with the decision to perpetuate or sell Wersquore fortunate to have a financial partner like InsurBanc to help answer some of these tough questions How many industries have a bank designed just for them We do and itrsquos another significant membership benefit

Dan Lussier VIAA President

5

We are now located at 600 Blair Park Road Suite 100 Williston Vermont 05495

Our phone number remains the same 802bull229bull5884

Our fax number has changed 802bull876bull7912

Mailing amp Office Address 600 Blair Park Road Suite 100 Williston Vermont 05495Phone 8022295884|Fax 8028767912

Acquisition amp Perpetuation Loans | Working Capital | Equipment LeasingCash Management | Online Banking

You have built significant value in your agency through

years of hard work InsurBanc can help you to unlock

the value to grow your agency to the next level

independently InsurBanc can provide funding for

acquisitions perpetuations and producer development

ldquo

Control your own legacy

Do I need to sell my agency because everyone else is Irsquom not ready to retirerdquo

8664672262 | Visit InsurBanccom

IB_Ad_Control_7x10_CMYK_102515indd 1 11115 1231 PM

7

Perpetuating Your Legacy

Your agency is your legacy and an investment in your future Now is the time to start thinking about how you will prepare to harvest that wealth and keep your legacy alive By doing so you are also helping to keep the independent insurance agency system thriving

Itrsquos never too early to begin preparing a perpetuation plan Consider the age of principals with 20+ ownership in their agency Agency principals as young as 40 should be thinking about their succession

Preparation for a perpetuation starts years in advance of the actual event It is an ongoing process that begins with building value and remaining profitable and ends with choosing the right successor within a sound perpetuation plan

An insurance agency must build value over time if at some point the owner is going to look to harvest that value The owner needs to nurture the business and run the operation in a manner that creates value It is important to understand what drives value and how you apply these to your agency Start now by taking a look at your drivers of value such as brand quality of staff and specializations

A solid perpetuation plan is vitally important and cannot be one-sided The plan should allow the seller to achieve retirement goals and enable the successor to achieve their own business goals The plan should be created well in advance of the actual event It should be thought of as a process that creates value for both the seller and buyer

When shopping for a lender for your agency you should look for an institution with insurance industry knowledge The more a lending institutionrsquos decision-makers recognize the unique aspects of the agency business and their intangible assets the more likely they will be able to create a financing solution for your perpetuation transaction A knowledgeable lender will recognize that no two agencies are alike and therefore the financing structure should be just as unique A good lender is like a good insurance agent Each looks at the whole picture of a situation considers the clientrsquos objectives and prepares a professional recommendation based on experience and expertise

A lender who understands the insurance industry will ask for strong business financials and personal financials of the buyer the efficiency of your operations and your carrier relationships

Capital for the perpetuation deal can come from different sources including the seller banks personal resources of the buyer other institutional sources or some combination of these The structure of the deal should benefit the individual needs of both parties

Remember a financially sound agency has more options is more valuable and has an easier time obtaining financing Agencies are all unique and each merger and acquisition requires an independent approach Be willing to seek the help of experts and arrange financing before you need it

When successful agencies need capital for agency acquisition and perpetuation they turn to InsurBanc The Bank of Choice for Independent Insurance Agents Visit us at wwwinsurbanccom or contact us at 866-467-2262

8

VIAA Young Agents News Brief

24 Vermont Young Agents Receive American Insurance Marketing amp Sales (AIMS) Societyrsquos Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) professional designation

During the month of October young agents from across the state attended a series of Insurance Success Seminars in order to earn the Certified Professional Insurance Agent designation The Vermont Young Agents Committee offered the program as part of their Outreach amp Education goals free of charge to committee members or those interested in joining the committee Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg sponsored the program

REMINDER Young Agents Annual Meeting Where Burlington Hilton 60 Battery Street Burlington Vermont When November 19 2015 - 2 pm ndash 5 pm What Elections of 2016 Officers Program Updates 2016 Planning Networking Happy HourWho Members of the Vermont Young Agents Committee or interested young agents whose agency is a member of VIAA RSVP Pat Cahoon patcahoonnfpcomSponsored by

Alison Jones (978) 933-4187 | alisonjonesmeadowbrookcom | wwwmeadowbrookcom

Real Solutions To Meet Your Challenges

Our WC Product Rises Above the Restbull Fully Insured Markets Broad Range Classes

Deviations and Dividends Highly Rated Company Partners Superior Service

bull Personal Lines Private Client Portfolio of Products

bull Claims Management Services

bull Risk Control Services

bull Self Insured Group Management

COULD YOUR CUSTOMERS USE A PERSONAL UMBRELLA POLICY

Rated A+ by AMBest RLICORPCOM

CONSIDER THISExisting homeowners and auto insurance may not be enough to cover a lawsuit or judgment A personal umbrella policy will substantially increase your customerrsquos overall liability coverage beyond the basic coverage provided under homeowners and auto insurance policies

A SMART WAY TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY Yoursquoll find an RLI personal umbrella policy is a good idea

bull $1 million in additional insurancebull Backed by a financially secure A+ rated companybull Customers keep their current homeownerauto insurerbull Excess UMUIM availablebull New drivers accepted mdash no age limit on driversbull Up to one DWIDUI per household allowedbull Auto limits as low as 10030050 in certain cases

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN Thatrsquos why people have insurance However if your customers arenrsquot protected by a personal umbrella policy they could be putting their house or financial assets at risk This low-cost policy is designed to protect families against a catastrophic lawsuit or judgment

CALL TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE QUOTE The RLI PERSONAL UMBRELLA POLICY is available through selected agents and program administrators in all 50 states

CONTACT

April Shrewsbury8002217917 x5360AprilShrewsburyiiabanet

11

Selling Your Agency May Be Hazardous to Your (Financial) Health

An Economic Case for Internal Perpetuation By Robert J Pettinicchi

If you just sold your agency to one of the many private equity backed brokerage firms congratulations but you may want to flip this page Now that the former agency principal has moved on to the next article I would like to tell you why I believe there is a good reason for you to strongly consider perpetuation for your agency Our agency seller colleague who is now reading the next article may regret having sold the agency his or her family built over the last three generations There is a sound and understandable economic justification that suggests that there is as much value to be realized over time by retaining and investing in your agency After doing the math you may find that a perpetuation is potentially more attractive than an outright sale even given the recent frothy deal valuations Consider what happens when you completely sell your agency to a third party In exchange for likely a very tidy sum you give up all of the future cash flows of the agency and all of the clients you and your family have amassed Chances are that the guaranteed portion of the sale is all that may be realized because there is risk of achieving the full earn-out beyond your control Also since you no longer own the shares you cannot enjoy any future appreciation in the value of the stock When you take the sale proceeds besides purchasing a sailboat you will need to make investments in other assets such as securities which will probably not produce a yield as great as the return from running and owning a good performing agency You will certainly not be able to duplicate the return you would receive from owning the agency with any alternative investment approaching a similar risk profile If you perpetuate your agency even if you sell a small share to employees chances are that you will have a more valuable agency in the coming years such that your (smaller) ownership share is worth more down the road than the full share would be worth today Here is a brief description of the math exercise you may wish to attempt The impact of taxes will not be considered If one assumes an agency with commission revenue of $50 million with relatively good performance delivering a 225 percent EBITDA (earnings before interest taxes depreciation and amortization) margin the value on an outright sale may be $95 million Conversely the value for an internal sale of less than a full interest would be $56 million The EBITDA valuation multiples used are conservative mdash 85 and 50 times respectively Now assume that you sell 30 percent of the shares of your agency to your best producers Because you were able to retain your best people with an equity stake they are even more productive and your agency revenue records organic growth of 5 percent per year and grows to $64 million revenue in five years At the 225 percent EBITDA margin and same 50 multiple the agency is now worth $72 million and your 70 percent interest is worth $50 million But over the same period you

copy2015 Insurance Journal | Originally Published May 18 2015 (Redistributed with Permission)

CONTACT

12

received annual cash flows from your 70 percent stake totaling $45 million Add the cash flows received to the projected value and your ldquototal investmentrdquo is worth approximately $95 million While the numbers are simplified and ignore taxes and the time value of money a case can be made that perpetuation can be very attractive since modest growth and retention of cash flows yields a similar value after five years The best part is that you can continue to do this serially for as long as you care to bring on additional owners or allow the widened group of owners to increase their shares In addition you always have the ability to sell out in total should you want to This is the equivalent of having the best of both worlds Naturally you would need sound legal advice to craft the share purchase and redemption agreements Attractive Choice Here is another thought worth considering but I canrsquot model it out for you Why are agencies so attractive Besides the fact that there is a lot of capital in search of a return hoping to tap into your reliable and recurring cash flow stream agencies own something that lends great value to the cash flow Agencies are in the enviable position of ldquoowning the customerrdquo The ability to own the customer is exactly what is driving entrants such as Google into your industry They desperately want a piece of the insurance distribution space Google is not setting out to be an insurance carrier since that risk is too great Donrsquot be afraid of Google entering your industry but ask yourself why they are entering and you will realize that you have something very special That is why they want a part of it Think next for a moment of the Amazon model Amazon is doing all it can do to become the distributor of choice to the consumer for all types of goods The ultimate value of and success of Amazon will be realized when one no longer thinks of driving to Walgreens to purchase deodorant but simply orders it online from Amazon over their tablet and it is delivered to their door with free shipping Being the distributor is the preferred and far less risky place to be than being the manufacturer or producer of the product Clients are satisfied when given wide choices with excellent guidance and support preferring to repeatedly purchase through a single point of sale Does this sound familiar to your businessPerpetuation Scenarios There are a variety of perpetuation scenarios that are available I will focus on the simplest and easiest to implement Consider approaching perpetuation candidates at an earlier age by offering equity ownership in your business It has been said that talent flows to equity I would advise you that the opportunity to purchase equity in your business only be extended to those individuals that have demonstrated that they are high performers Those who are able to produce business manage relationships and exhibit the same passion you have for your business and want to be part of its future Those who are willing to devote some of their financial resources to buy into your business Equity ownership is a proven way to attract and retain the best talent Those potential owners are encouraged to obtain a loan from a specialty lender such as InsurBanc secured by the stock purchased As a seller you want the purchasers to actually ldquobuyrdquo the equity This places the exercise of financial discipline on the part of the buyers and readies them for greater financial responsibilities in the future

13

To facilitate the financing as a seller you would agree to the bank that you would repurchase the shares to regain control of the stock likely at a discount in the event that one of the minority principals defaulted on their loan The downside risk to you as a seller is therefore greatly diminished Now you may ask ldquoWhat is the best way to start the process of planning for and implementing a perpetuation based on a sale of stock to your future leadersrdquo The agency principal who is considering what I have discussed will need to have a very good assessment of the current value of their agency and a projection of the value of the agency several years from now after the implementation of the perpetuation plan and making appropriate investments in the business We would be very pleased to provide some advice to you and provide referrals for qualified valuation consultants Always seek accounting and legal advice from the best qualified professionals We have all been reminded repeatedly of the challenges facing the industry Crafting and implementing a perpetuation strategy cements your chance for a solid financial future by widening ownership in your agency and diversifying the ages of the owners while giving you the best options to maximize your investment Pettinicchi is Executive Vice President Chief Lending Officer at InsurBanc Email rpettinicchiInsurBanccomPhone 866-467-2262 Web InsurBanccom

Summary Two captive agents who shared an office started BNC Insurance Agency from scratch in 2000 to gain access to a wider choice of carriers and advocacy for their clients Adding people and products the two agency principals grew the agency into a ldquoBest Practicesrdquo firm with a specialty in construction insurance and risk management The firm recently purchased a peer agency using guidance and funding from InsurBanc

With more than 600 clients in its construction insurance practice it makes sense that BNC Insurance Agency of Rye Brook NY would be skilled at designing and planning an addition

Indeed the firmrsquos deal to add an agency worked out just the way the firm drew it up BNCrsquos fall 2014 acquisition of a peer firm went off without redesign or regret The independent agency worked with InsurBanc to gain financing for the agency acquisition

ldquoAs far as acquisitions go it worked out very wellrdquo recounted Brian Colby of BNC Insurance who started BNC in 2000 along with partner Onofrio (ldquoNoffrdquo) Colabella The business partners who shared an office when they both worked for a captive insurer formed BNC to gain wider access to product and carrier choice better advocacy for clients and to develop and deliver additional value-added products and resources to clients

The transaction made sense in a number of ways BNC was located just 10 miles away from the

acquired firm which was formed in 1947 and based in the nearby New York suburb of New Rochelle NY The two firms also had in common a construction insurance specialty and an agency technology system

ldquoWe are a growth-oriented firmrdquo pointed out Colby ldquoAnd there really are only a couple ways you can grow You can either grow organically or you can grow inorganically The organic part which is from withinmdashthatrsquos what we have been doing through the yearsrdquo

With more than 50 staff including seven producers itrsquos the ldquosales culturerdquo of the firm that drives success said Colby ldquoWe are all in our own way shape or form looking to grow the company through sales It just streams throughout the entire companyrdquo

ldquoI think the real key for us is constant planning measuring our results and adjusting to make sure we meet our goalsrdquo Colby pointed out

Colby explained ldquoA huge piece of our growth has been in our niche which is our construction division by far our largest unitrdquo The agency also enjoys a diversified book of commercial lines business (which makes up 75 percent of revenues)

Case Studies in Agency Financing

Case 8 BNC Insurance AgencyConstruction Specialist Agency Puts on New Addition

InsurBanc 10 Executive Drive bull Farmington CT 06032

Toll Free 1-866-InsBanc (1-866-467-2262)wwwInsurBanccom

along with personal lines and employee benefits clients ldquoWersquore very in tune to how to write construction in New York We are deeply entrenched in the construction associations as well as the deliverables needed to set us apart We represent just about every carrier out there that is writing construction in the New York areardquo

But the agency leaders wanted more growth and saw a good opportunity with their recent acquisition The scale of it though required the facilitation of external financing because it brought a 40 percent addition to BNCrsquos revenues The firm also sought a bank line of credit for working capital

ldquoI knew [InsurBanc] specialized in lending to the MampA marketplace for insurance agenciesrdquo from seeing trade magazine ads and speaking to others in the industry explained Colby Having earlier met David Tralka InsurBancrsquos CEO at an industry conference Colby turned to him when exploring how to finance the acquisition ldquoWe reached out to four or five lenders and had conversations with them prior to making a final decision to move forward with InsurBancrdquo

The lending officers at InsurBanc were ldquofantastic from day onerdquo commented Colby ldquoWe just really connected from the start What I did notice from

InsurBanc is they are very much in tune with the independent insurance agent and they know what to look for in an insurance operation when they are underwriting a loan This is something most commercial banks donrsquot understandrdquo

Added Colby ldquoThe terms that InsurBanc brought forward to us were extremely competitiverdquo

With the acquisition in the rear-view mirrormdashalong with a complicated process of combining two firms with different legal structuresmdashBNC aims for further growth both through organic growth and acquisition ldquoFor our next acquisition InsurBanc will be the first call Irsquom making They really do a great jobrdquo emphasized Colby

ldquoThe team that we worked with over there was really on the money with everything If there were any questions I had they answered them right away I knew if I sent them an email with a question within two hours I had the exact answer I needed And they really understood what to look for They asked some really really good questions when they underwrote the loan The process was great On the other side having our financials in good order was also a key factor in moving the process along in a timely manner so that we could provide them with the information they neededrdquo

BNC Insurance and Risk Advisors111 South Ridge Street bull Rye Brook NY 10573

Who Brian Colby and Onofrio (ldquoNoffrdquo) Colabella CIC principals of BNC Insurance Agency

What Growing through acquisition of a peer firm in the New York region to add to their diversified business base including a construction niche

How Working with InsurBanc to finance the acquisition loan and gain access to a line of credit for working capital

Ownersrsquo Profile

The products you need

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Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information

123456789

10

10 Reasons to Attend the Big ldquoIrdquoYoung Agents Leadership InstituteSeptember 24-25 at the Fairmont San Francisco Find answers to social media questionsmdashfrom time management to ROI Find out how to tap your inner creative side to increase sales Make connections with other young agentsmdashshare 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

wwwindependentagentcomevents

Perpetuatethe IndustryCheck

Donrsquot wait until the office is empty to find new talent ndash 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 wwwinvestprogramorg

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La Mesa CA

We receive roughly 4-5 leads from TrustedChoicecom on a monthly basis and they are phenomenal Irsquove purchased all kinds of leads throughout the years and nothing is close to this The quality of the lead and closing percentage are just incredible

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Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents

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10

INDEPENDENTAGENTCOMACTSECURE

INDEPENDENTAGENTCOMACTSECUREACT has what you

need to fill all your tech protection gaps

Visit IndependentAgentcomACTSecure

SECURITYEncrypt Your DatabasesErr on the side of caution when it comes to encrypting data Wersquove got the best practices for compliant data encryption and a primer on state regulations What you will find State privacy and PII regulations

Secure Your VoIPBe aware of the overall security level of your data infrastructure including your IP phone system What you will find resources to protect your VoIP traffic from packet analyzers

Remotely Access Agency SystemsRemote access requires awareness authentication intrusion detectionprevention systems and a secure VPN to lessen risks What you will find Remote Access software rankings VPN and server specifications

Take small steps to protect your agency and prevent cyber attacks ACT has the tools you need to help you protect your agency from cyber threats and prepare your agency to recover should disaster strike Visit independentagentcomACTSecure to find more than 50 helpful resources in 12 areas that you need to address now to protect your agency against the threats of tomorrow

PREVENTION KNOWLEDGE DOCUMENTRETENTIONMitigate Cyber Risk

With proper planning you can protect your agency from significant risks including data breach and cyberattack What you will find disaster planning and recovery resources

Protect PasswordsA Post-It note on a computer monitor doesnrsquot count Discover the best way to manage passwords What you will find resources to help you manage passwords and implement a strategy

Monitor Equipment in Real-TimeUnderstand and monitor the contents of data flowing in and out of your network What you will find Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions

Use ASP Systems for SecurityASP systems keep agency management and other system data accessible backed-up and automatically updated What you will find ASP comparisons price points keep antivirus in mind

Stay on the Right Side of the LawUnderstand the data breach laws and prevetion requirements for your states(s)What you will find resources for navigating PCI the FTC Omnibus Rule and more

Mobile DevicesWhile mobile is becoming essential using mobile devices to conduct business exposes your agency to additional security threats What you will find Information on encryption ldquoBOYDrdquo secure wireless connections other device security

Educate and TrainMake sure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding company assets and client information What you will find HIPAA security awareness resources agency security guidelines

Electronic Communication Know the laws and master the best practices regarding electronic communications What you will find Resources on e-signature the Uniform Electronic Transaction Act and ACORD standards

Should Documents Stay or GoYour agency needs a compliant document retention strategy to help prevent information from getting in the wrong hands

What you will find federal legislation state laws and best practices on document retention and destruction

Go PaperlessBefore taking the leap itrsquos critical to make a plan for a successful paperless transition What you will find Data hosting information on security vulnerabilities and precautions

Protect Confidential InformationKnow state and federal laws conduct risk analysis and compliance gapping then create PHI and PPI complient policies

What you will find rules amp tools for HIPPA FTC HITECH and PCI

Document DestructionDevelop and follow a process for destruction of paper and electronic files located on LANs cloud drives local and mobile devices and USB or external drives

What you will find FTC disposal of consumer information and shredding resources

20

Stand out among competition and achieve growth and success through strategic recruiting perpetuation technology marketing and sales programs

By ROSALIE L DONLON amp MELISSA HILLEBRAND PROPERTYCASUALTY360COMWith many PampC rates remaining low and competition fierce among independent agents every possible edge must be exploited in helping your agency remain successful Consider According to the Accenture Independent Agent SurveyThere are approximately 38500 independent agencies in the USThese agencies generate $5 to 6 million in annual premiums which earn commissions of less than $1 million and they employ seven to 12 full-time employeesOf all PampC premiums in 2013 58 was generated by the independent insurance agent channelIf an independent agency wants to achieve continued growth and successmdashand stand out among its peersmdashit must develop specific and strategic recruiting technology marketing sales and perpetuation programsOne of the ldquosecretsrdquo to growth is to be creative and open to new ideas says Barry Seigerman a producer for Peoplersquos United Insurance Agency Hartford Conn who built a multimillion dollar agency from the ground up ldquoLook at every encounter as an opportunityrdquo he says ldquoEveryone is a potential partner employee or prospect for insurancerdquoHere are five key strategies for managing your agencyrsquos growth and enabling its success1 Continually hire the right employeesThe first step in an agencyrsquos growth process is hiring and retaining the best employees available But where do you find them How do you recruit the next generation into an industry that has a reputation for being staid and boring ldquoLook for people who can do what you canrsquot dordquo advises Seigerman ldquoIf yoursquore good at sales hire someone with underwriting and technical skillsrdquo He believes that professional designations arenrsquot strictly necessary Instead he asks ldquoWhatrsquos your experiencerdquo and ldquoWhat can you bring to the tablerdquoAgents should work with their schools to find and develop their own talent ldquoWersquore forging relationships with several universities and trying to open up the options for our clients and recent graduatesrdquo says Kevin M Burch CPC president and CEO of Questpro Consultants an insurance recruiting firm and Q TEMPS a temporary staffing agency for the insurance industryOften the right employee for an insurance agency is a mid-career professional with experience in an industry other than insurance Burch notes that his company places many professionals who have been downsized from non-insurance companies every day The jobs can be temporary contract or permanent hiresAnother source for talent military veterans ldquoEveryonersquos going to the same wellrdquo Seigerman says ldquoYou need to look in different placesrdquo He urges agencies to hire veterans taking advantage of the many organizations dedicated to helping recently separated service members find jobs A US Army veteran himself he believes the leadership and teamwork skills the military teaches are invaluable

5 Key Strategies for Growing Your Agency

Agents also should speak with people who are looking for work-at-home job-sharing or other flexible arrangements Seigerman pioneered the idea of flextime more than 25 years ago in his first agency on Long Island initially because he couldnrsquot afford full-time employees Those who started working part time with flexible hours or shared jobs eventually became permanent employees or partners Without them he says he wouldnrsquot have had the success he has had in his careerSeigerman attends as many insurance organization meetings conventions or conferences as he can to meet people and recruit new employees ldquoItrsquos one of the best sources for finding qualified talentrdquo he says He met one of his future partners at an insurance technology conference 25 years ago2 Upgrade your agencyrsquos tech tools ldquoNew business brings growth but operations bring profitabilityrdquo says Steve Anderson president of The Anderson Network Inc a Franklin Tenn-based agency technology productivity and profitability consulting firmAgency management systems (AMS) are much more robust and dynamic than in years past and theyrsquore one of the most expensive technology investments in an agency budget As such producers must maximize the potential of their systems which can

include proposals and templates carrier communication and downloads and customizable reports regardless of vendorldquoWe work predominantly with smaller agenciesmdashthose that are local family-owned and independentrdquo says Matt Masiello executive vice president and chief operating officer for SIAA a national insurance agency alliance headquartered in Hampton NH with more than 5300 member agencies ldquoWe see quite a few of them not using their AMS effectivelyrdquoDonrsquot know how to maximize AMS technology and

where to look for upgrades Anderson advises an agency owner toInventory manual processes that your agency performsmdashdigital solutions may existSpeak with your AMS vendor and research what is actually available within your systemmdashnew functionalities may have been added from the time of your original purchase andJoin a user group and ask others for their three favorite features in their AMSThe truth is premium growth is a lot easier to come by when an agency uses its AMS to full potential ldquoNo matter what the AMS is it has tools and offers data that agencies need to grow their businessrdquo says MasielloHowever your AMS is only as good as the data you put into it One of the major issues that inhibits sales and growth Masiello says is an agencyrsquos failure to ldquouse the data in its system to identify customers build marketing plans and target its customers prospects and lost customersrdquoPopulate as many data fields as possible with more than the standard information (name address and type of coverage for example) Does a personal lines policyholder also own a business and if so what lines of coverage would apply Who are the policyholderrsquos family members and what are their ages Is the policyholder open to referring your agency What are the policyholderrsquos interests and hobbiesLet your carrier ldquotalkrdquo to your AMS through downloads (which occur when a carrier issues a policy and adds that data into your system electronically) and communication

For example based on carrier download data allow your AMS to flag a policyrsquos renewal date and remind you a month or two in advance Have your AMS also note whether the policyholder can expect a coverage or price difference In this case reach out to your client well before the renewal date ldquoIf yoursquore proactive in informing the client about the changes they should expect ahead of renewal the chances of retaining that account are much higherrdquo Anderson says ldquoand retention is one of the best ways to grow long-termrdquoUse Your AMS for Marketing Automation If your system vendor doesnrsquot offer that capability turn to a third party such as Agency Revolution AgencyBuzz or Nexsure The software from these vendors works with an AMS to target specific individuals and automatically deploy e-mails or newsletters on a predetermined scheduleSet your marketing campaigns to be triggered by the data you have on each policyholder birthdays holidays renewals claims new prospects cross sales prospects and quotes lost clients and recaptured clients for exampleMasiello recommends that e-mails postcards or newsletters be kept to once a month and that marketing campaigns include this informationAdditional policies that apply based on the policyholderrsquos personal interests and hobbiesReminders to update policies during life changes (such as marriage or the birth of a child)Links to agency blogs on particular topicsHelpful hints that help a policyholder protect the familyhome or possessions during bad weather such as during tornado season or winter stormsDo not use the agencyrsquos servers or providers to send out e-mails in an automated campaign however In this case an agency must work with a third-party vendor or run the risk of being ldquoblacklistedrdquo or having its communications marked as spam ldquoIf yoursquore sending an e-mail to four six eight peoplemdashthatrsquos fine But if yoursquore sending a bulk message to 250 1000 or 5000mdashthatrsquos a dangerous and expensive thing to dordquo Masiello says ldquoThe recipientrsquos server will refuse to accept your bulk e-mail Then you have to pay each of their server providers to lsquounblacklistrsquo yourdquo3 Get serious about social media marketingInternet word-of-mouth and social media campaigns play a huge role in the ways that consumers evaluate their current and prospective insurance agents Millennials especially trust their friends families and strangers on social media when weighing insurance products and carriers according to Accenturersquos report ldquoThe digital insurer Unleashing the potential of social media in insurancerdquoBut considering that your clients and prospects surf a plethora of social media sites establishing and maintaining a social media presence thatrsquos tailored to each site can seem dauntingmdashand in actuality it is But the challenge isnrsquot insurmountableParadiso Insurance in Stafford Springs Conn started its social media presence in 2008 The agency has three employeesmdashtwo full-time and one part-timemdashto oversee its Facebook (3170 followers) Twitter (2700 followers) LinkedIn YouTube Google+ Instagram and Pinterest pagesThe agency brings in about $24 million in premium annually but has grown 50 during the last four years So when owner Chris Paradiso says that all independent agencies can boost agency growth through social media he knows what hersquos talking aboutmdashand he knows how to do it

Regardless of which platforms you choose to establish a presence itrsquos important to have the right people watching you Paradiso says ldquoI post a lot about my kids [on social media] Why do I do that Because I insure familiesrdquoRick Morgan senior vice president of Aartrijk a boutique communications firm and social media specialists for the insurance industry headquartered in Springfield Va agrees with Paradisorsquos approach ldquoIdentify and know who your customer isrdquo he says ldquoand make sure that your social activity targets that customer and shows your personality When your customer or prospect finds you [on social media] you want to already be showing that yoursquore knowledgeablerdquoShow that yoursquore a trusted and valuable resource by posting links to blog posts offering safety tips and letting policyholders know of any changes to coverage forms Spotlight photos of agency staff (and pets) and highlight when a client commends the agency on its service Those who place coverage with you want to know that your agency is made up of real peoplemdashand that itrsquos not just a businessFor those who want to go beyond the basics with their social media campaigns some platforms offer additional advantagesFacebook Do more than establish an agency page on Facebook advertise as well ldquoYou can pay Facebook to have your ad and your information put in front of a target group of peoplerdquo Anderson says Target Facebook users by income ZIP code demographics and psychographics (personality lifestyle interests) Consider your carriersrsquo appetites when formulating your Facebook adsmdashitrsquos not enough to simply target ldquodriversrdquo Be specific when you target these Auto insurance accounts Your carriers may want drivers who are between 40 and 60 years old have a high income and own luxury carsProvide a call to action in your ad Donrsquot say ldquoI can save you money on Auto insurancerdquo Instead write ldquoHerersquos some information you may not know about buying Auto insurancerdquo or ldquoIf you havenrsquot looked at your Auto insurance policy in a few years herersquos what you need to dordquoThe cost varies ldquoI know several agencies that spend $200 to $400 a month just on Facebook advertisingrdquo Anderson saysLinkedIn Like Facebook this social platform has advertising capabilities Anderson suggests targeting commercial accounts through LinkedIn The cost to advertise on LinkedIn is greater than it is on Facebook ldquobut the payoff is greaterrdquo he says because ldquoyou can target CEOs or CFOs of a particular industryrdquoPinterest ldquoWe get a lead every two days on Pinterestrdquo Paradiso says ldquoWe hashtag the daylights out of our postsrdquo Paradiso emphasizes that promoting an agency brand is an opportunity to show some personality The agency has folders called ldquoA Great Place to Workrdquo ldquoMad Maxrdquo which is the office dog ldquoCustomer Reviewsrdquo ldquoForever a Yankee Fanrdquo ldquoWise Wordsrdquo and ldquoAmazing Places to Seerdquo among others

On the pictures of quotes Paradiso will hashtag the agency name and also positiveattitude ldquoThese get sharedmdashyoursquoll be shocked who thinks the same wayrdquo he says On pictures of classic cars the agency adds hashtags indicating that it writes Auto insurance in the Connecticut area Going one step further he includes the agency phone number in the description as well And your posts are seen by more than just target demographicsmdashtheyrsquore also seen by carriers Remember those pictures of classic cars Recently a carrier executive saw those photos and is in the process of developing a relationship with Paradiso InsuranceTwitter Unless yoursquore an active participant you may not believe that financial services companiesmdashincluding the insurance industrymdashare one of the most prolific industries on Twitter But this platform comes with a challenge You must display your personality and knowledge in 140 characters or lessRetweet studies facts and figures offered from your carriers with a short note to your policyholders Follow the Twitter profiles of any business accounts you insure Retweet their successes and remind your clients and prospects about the lines of coverage the agency provides Does your agency have strong ties to the community If so post or retweet local newsTwitter also is a great place to warn policyholders about any forthcoming and potentially damaging weather Provide a link to your webpage and include emergency phone numbers and safety tipsldquoFrequency is not the issuerdquo Morgan says ldquoBut clutter and consistency are Donrsquot post just to postrdquo4 Expand into new lines of coverageThere are two ways to grow your business says Seigerman You can sell new insurance products or you can target new markets But you canrsquot do everything at onceSeigerman is a firm believer in the 8020 rule 80 of your business comes from 20 of your clients You donrsquot have to get caught up in using technology you can keep it simple he says Your first step is to look at your existing client base and see whatrsquos missingWork with one or two industries that you have hands-on experience with Seigerman advises He recommends attending their association meetings and trade shows and taking out ads in trade organization publications ldquoThis helps you understand where the gaps arerdquo he says ldquoEventually you become known as a resource and business with this market segment growsrdquoStart with what you know Look at whether you have a homogeneous group of clients in the same or similar industries ldquoIn my early days I found that I was representing bagel bakeriesrdquo Seigerman explains ldquoI worked with carriers to bundle coverages that applied specifically to their needsrdquo He and one of his producers who liked cars put a similar program together for car washes building on their existing client base and the business grew from there ldquoYou can create a new business segment out of almost anythingrdquoStan Logan owner and sales manager for the Logan Lavelle Hunt agency headquartered in Louisville Ky agrees with Seigerman about targeting what you know ldquoI tried to start a trucking division from scratchrdquo he says ldquoI quickly found out that my service people werenrsquot comfortable with that type of client didnrsquot understand their business and were reluctant to learn Trucking markets werenrsquot willing to appoint me without a track record and my existing markets had no interestrdquo Lesson learned Do what you do best

Chris Dik vice president of the Knight-Dik Insurance Agency in Worcester Mass used digital marketing to grow the Workersrsquo Compensation line from practically nothing and tripled his WC commission in just the first year About five years ago the agency which writes about $25 million

in commissions each year decided to target the Workersrsquo Compensation market It branded a program called Workersrsquo Comp Results which has its own dedicated website and offers third-party services with the biggest impact on reducing premiums such as reserve reductions audits and HR supportWith help from agency interns Dik builds data profilesmdashincluding experience mods rating systems and current premiumsmdashon these potential insureds from free and public information from the state and puts all that information into an Excel spreadsheet ldquoWersquore taking the old way of marketingmdashof getting

the data firstmdashand then letting the system workrdquo he saysWhen thinking about adding a product line to existing coverage Seigerman looks at a group of clients to see what kinds of coverage they might be missing For example he has a millennial client who owns three restaurants He contacted the client to say ldquoIrsquove read about the increase in wage-and-hour lawsuits targeting restaurants and tipped employees Yoursquore vulnerable and I recommend employment practices liability insurance [EPLI]rdquoAfter checking with his lawyer the client agreed and now has added EPLI to his existing coverage As Seigerman explains the client needs you because you take the time to understand his business Itrsquos your obligation to be sure the client is aware of the coverage he needsrdquo5 Establish a solid agency succession planMost independent agency owners donrsquot think about perpetuation as one of their avenues toward premium growthmdashbut they shouldldquoOften perpetuation is thought of as a succession planmdashan owner decides to sell to monetize a lifelong investment in the agencyrdquo says Dave Tralka president and CEO of InsurBanc a division of Connecticut Community Bank NA a full-service bank that was founded by agents in cooperation with the IIABA headquartered in Farmington Conn ldquoBut perpetuation canmdashand shouldmdashbe used in a growth strategy An agency with an internal perpetuation plan can use it to engage employees in the agencyrsquos future It can put stock or ownership in the hands of employees so they can think like an owner and be more engaged in controlling expenses or growing revenuesrdquoThe keys to a successful program according to Tim Cunningham co-founder of OPTIS Partners a Chicago financial consulting firm that represents both insurance buyers and sellers in transactions is to treat perpetuation as an evolving ongoing process and to ask for professional help This process will take between five and 10 years to establish and should be started well before itrsquos time to sellUsing the acronym ldquoPACTrdquo Cunningham details four components to the perpetuation process People Agency value Capital discipline and TimeAn agency can be sold internally or externally (to a competitor or unaffiliated individual or firm) Most agency owners would like their lifersquos work to remain in the family so to speak and sell to a partner junior staff member or family ldquoWe recommend having a 20-year spread

between buyer and sellerrdquo Cunningham says while also noting that ldquoThe younger generation the 25-year-olds this will give them an opportunity to have an equity stake which will impact growth positively They have a bigger rewardmdashitrsquos more than a paycheck nowrdquoWhen a buying candidate has been established the two parties should work with a valuation firm which can determine a fair market purchase price When done right selling the agency wonrsquot occur until years in the future but until it happens an owner can look for ways to increase the value of the agency for example through best practices reduced expenses increased revenue and continuous monitoring of cash-flow projectionsEach additional percent in premium growth has a multiplier when it comes to agency value Tralka says ldquoHiring and training a new producer costs money But if you can get that new producer up and running in five years he or she will add tremendous value to your agency when yoursquore ready to sellrdquoThe buyer can either purchase the agency with personal fundsmdashldquoUnlikely but possiblerdquo Tralka saysmdashthe seller can finance the purchase where he or she takes a note back and is paid out over time in an installment sale or the buyer can acquire funds through lenders like InsurBanc which provides financing to independent agenciesTransactions vary with installment sales For example if a seller holds 100 ownership in the agency a buyer could purchase 10 of the ownership every year for 10 years Or the seller could fix the price and the buyer could pay a portion down and pay the balance over a period of six to eight years Cunningham says Work with a tax advisor and attorney during this time as there may be tax benefits to the seller ldquoBy selling yoursquore monetizing your largest asset on your personal financial statement Good tax advice is worth what it costsrdquo Tralka saysThe seller who is probably a great producer and mentor can remain on staff after implementing the buyout adds Cunningham ldquoContinue to let them have a book of businessrdquo he says ldquoJust because you sell doesnrsquot mean you retirerdquoProperty Casualty 360

27

AmTrust has a bouquet of coverage

for small businesses

Complementary workersrsquo comp and BOP coverage By offering a competitive businessowners policy (BOP) as an individual product or as an accompaniment to our workersrsquo compensation insurance or commercial auto products AmTrust has a selection that serves small businesses well

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(Excellent) FSC X

28

Marketing Strategies with John Houle

Marketing Canrsquot Be A Sometimes Thing

Effective marketing does not take six-month sabbaticals or the summer off At the most it can get away with two-week vacations as long as it returns to the daily grind Just like with any hard work the ultimate reward comes after tireless travails not from pie-in-the-sky long shots There is no one-size-fits-all marketing solution one that will distinguish your small business from the many fighting for that same piece of attention in an over-saturated media marketThen what is the answerWhile there is no secret recipe for effectual advertising and public relations there are some fundamental principles you should followWhy you ask would I simply turn over the marketing playbook for free in this column I owe much of my own agencyrsquos success to Trusted Choice and independent insurance agents I also know that even the best ideas are meaningless unless they are executed I have presented the plan below for you to follow Itrsquos up to you to figure out the best way to execute itNumber 1 Start with a plan Your marketing plan should include a communications audit and detailed list of monthly marketing activities Your audit needs to include everything you spend for marketing pens coffee mugs golf sponsorships TV radio memberships as well as everything else you categorize under the marketing budget You should evaluate what you have to work with judging each expense and determining whether it could be reallocated to fund more effective marketingNumber 2 Fix that website You need an interactive website that is easily found by your potential customers is simple to navigate and professionally displays who you are as a business today Your website should have a content management system

that enables you or someone you designate to update it As the focal point from which all your marketing is executed your website is essential to your companyrsquos futureNumber 3 Redesign your marketing materials When you or your salespeople hit the street to sell new business make sure they have the right tools when they show up to win that new job I recommend a new brochure-folder to package all your products which will also serve as the signature profile piece of your agency This new agency prospectus should include new tri-fold brochures written and designed for specific product linesNumber 4 Harness the resources right in front of you There is gold in your database of customers You need to implement a direct mail and e-mail cross-sell campaign to round-out policies through letters postcards and targeted emails You should send customized e-blasts to clients every month to cross-sell policies and to inform them on how to prevent losses which is also helpful from an EampO perspectiveNumber 5 Reach out to the thousands of prospects who donrsquot know youThrough effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) you can ensure yoursquore found on Google and other major search engines Your SEO campaign needs to be complemented with a targeted Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaign with monthly reporting and analysis to determine what key words and products you should marketNumber 6 Take advantage of free media Itrsquos no longer a question of should you implement a Social Media campaign itrsquos now about how effective you can make it All social media handles need to be integrated into your website with regular weekly posts Central to your campaign is the development of your own Blog integrated into your website with monthly (weekly if you can manage) writing and posting of articles of interest to your current and future

29

customers In addition write regular press releases on news related events such as new employees new certifications new products and charitable donations and then distribute to local and statewide news outlets Local news outlets are always in need of quality contentNumber 7 Showcase your agency through video If you havenrsquot taken advantage of the Trusted Choice campaign which allows you to receive three times the advertising exposure for your investment you are missing the proverbial boat But therersquos even more you can do Air your message during the months when Trusted Choice takes its hiatus (late Fall and the Winter) so you essentially can be on the airwaves most of the year in some capacity Since you now have realized that you donrsquot have to be an actor to effectively communicate through video you can take it a step further Bring back the videographer to tape and produce a one minute web video integrate it into your website and place it on your own YouTube Channel Then send it out to all your contacts in a video e-blast communicationWhile each and every one of these activities I have outlined are in fact things you can do yourself you should consider bringing in a professional to execute Yoursquore too valuable to your own business to also wear the marketing hat and your companyrsquos image is far too important to be left to amateurs

John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet

30

Why and How to Cold Call

There continues to be controversy as to whether or not cold calling works and whether or not you should do it First yes it does still work Second yes you should still do it Herersquos why and herersquos how Why You Should Cold CallCold calling is the most difficult sales task and thatrsquos exactly why you should never stop doing it Itrsquos simple if you can effectively contact people cold and get results yoursquove conquered the most difficult sales task and you can learn and do any other part of the sales processThe reason why the vast majority of salespeople fail is because they do not have enough qualified prospects They donrsquot have enough qualified prospects because they donrsquot do enough prospecting They donrsquot do enough prospecting because they are scared and uncomfortable doing the hard work of prospecting This is also the reason why many people say cold calling doesnrsquot work They are simply afraid of the hard work of cold calling and they use the ldquodoesnrsquot-workrdquo excuse to avoid facing their fear If you can ring tons of phones and knock on tons of doors cold yoursquove conquered the biggest fear in selling Staying sharp and staying on top of your game is another reason you should never stop cold calling Cold calling is simply the best way to stay on your toes and stay sharp Cold calling is when you will face the most resistance and the most challenges and itrsquos when you have to be at your bestIn addition to the above we all know that changes happen in every business and every industry Markets change economies shift competition changes and when any of those happen yoursquod better be ready to change adapt and most important get back to work If yoursquore floating along riding the wave of a favorable business environment resting on your laurels

you wonrsquot be ready when the wave crashes and you have to get back to work You wonrsquot go from 1 to 100 overnight next week or even by next month and if yoursquove been resting too long you may never get back If yoursquore prepared and sharp you can go out create business and build almost immediately The most effective way to be prepared to get back to work and get results quickly is to be great at cold-call prospecting Another reason to cold call is that unless you have all the prospects you need via referrals and other preferred methods and very few salespeople do you need to cold call to fill the gap All of the above said is cold calling the best most effective way to get prospects No Is it the preferred method No Yet even when you are at the top of your game have tons of business and prospects and perhaps even when close to retirement you should still do some cold calling from time to time Cold calling will keep you alive engaged and in the game The primary point behind the exercise of pure cold calling even with no warming effect as wersquoll discuss below is not to actually get appointments even though yoursquoll still get a few The primary point is to stay sharp and to continue to conquer fear which is what stops most salespeople Everyone should get good at stepping out of their comfort zone and facing fears Pure unvarnished cold calling will achieve that end faster than any other activity you can partake inHow to Cold CallStep 1) PrepareWho are you calling on and what is important to them Why should the prospect be interested in listening to what you have to say and why should they be interested in eventually meeting with you You have to know what the most important benefits are to your audience and design your cold call around those benefits

Sales Success with John Chapin

31

Step 2) Get scriptedOnce you know whatrsquos important to them and what you want to say you need to get it down word for word In addition to a scripted cold call you also want to have scripted answers to questions concerns and anything that might come up during your call You then need to practice these until you are at the point someone could wake you up at 3 am and these answers would roll off your tongue verbatim Step 3) Make the call get their attention and ask for the appointment Make a big claim centered around the top benefit that will mean most to the prospect and ask for a meeting Your call might sound like this ldquoHi Joe John Chapin Wersquove been saving companies like yours 56 on auto parts All I need is 20 minutes to see if we can do the same for you Will tomorrow morning or afternoon work betterrdquoStep 4) Warm up the call in any way you canUnless you are doing unvarnished cold calling for the point of staying sharp and overcoming fear you should warm up your cold calls You can do this by name dropping mentioning a benefit related to something you got off their website or by using some other information that lets the prospect know the call has been customized to them Step 5) Test the reflex response at least two times Most people have a natural ldquonot-interestedrdquo response to a cold call When this happens test the response to see if it is a true response or pure reflex For example after they say they are all set or not interested you might ask a question centered around the three most important aspects of anything that people buy which are product service and price For example ldquoJoe if I could offer

you a better product and better service at a price equal to or better than your getting right now would that be worth investing 20 minutes of your time to investigaterdquoStep 6) Be persistentIf you are cold calling for prospects be prepared to make lots of calls Yoursquore in a contact sport and never is that more true than with cold calling Persistence also comes into play if you are targeting a particular account one or two calls usually wonrsquot do it Yoursquore going to have to reach out to them 9 to 13 times Do this with a combination of phone calls mailings e-mails and in-person visits

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 wwwcompletesellingcom 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 johnchapincompletesellingcom

Stay ahead of the curve with information and updates from Big ldquoIrdquo Flood

Dive in to lood knowledge

To learn more about Big ldquoIrdquo Flood visit wwwindependentagentcomFlood today

Being knowledgeable of NFIP coverages and changes is crucial in communicating the need for lood insurance to your clients Fortunately Selective and Big ldquoIrdquo Flood leverage a variety of channels to keep members up to speed including

Continuing education classes offered by state associations and taught by Selective Territory Managers or other industry experts

Regularly issued communications from Selective about NFIP legislative changes and how they impact agents and customers

Numerous publications providing industry updates

Insurance News amp Views weekly e-newsletterTwo for Tuesday weekly e-newsletterBig I Advantagereg Newsletter quarterly publi-cationIndependent Agent magazine special featuresNFIP reform announced in state association publications

Free topical webinars hosted by Big ldquoIrdquo Flood including a monthly ldquoOh By The Way Flood Salerdquo webinar as well as access to a virtual university dedicated to lood insurance

Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program

Thank you 2015 Annual Partners for Your Continued Support

MMG Insurance CoProgressive MEMIC

Co-operative Insurance CosHanover Insurance GroupPatriot Insurance Company MAPFRE|USA

AllstateAmTrust North America Inc

BankDirect Capital FinanceForemost Insurance Co

Meadowbrook TPA AssociatesNew England Excess Exchange LTD

NGM Insurance

C OURTEOUS R ESPONSIVE Q UICK C LAIMS C ASH C ARDS 97 S

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

DID YOU KNOWAGENCY EampO UMBRELLA IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHBIG ldquoIrdquo PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

PROTECT your business

with an EampO umbrella

endorsed by IIABA

CONSOLIDATEcoverages with one

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

SECUREyour agencyrsquos future with

the largest writer of

agents professional

liability in the country

SUPPORTyour state association

while protecting your

business

A commercial umbrella underwritten by Swiss Re (rated A+ by AM Best) is now available exclusively to Big ldquoIrdquo members

Designed in collaboration with the IIABA to meet the needs of independent insurance agents

Broad coverage over primary casualty lines including EampO

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Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia

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Contact your state association to learn more

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Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation Overland Park Kansas Westport is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Insurance products mentioned may not be available in all states Please contact your state administrator or Westport for availability in your state

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carrier and avoid

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VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group

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Who do you trust to have your back

For a quote or for more information contact Helen Collins at hcollinsviaaorg or 1-844-609-1481wwwiiabaneteohappens

VIAS is a subsidiary of Vermont Insurance Agents Association viaaorg

36

Protecting Your Business For the Long Term

James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

In the past several months when wersquove spoken with Vermont agents and brokers a couple of issues have consistently come up The first has to do with the concern as to whether their practices and procedures are sufficient to help protect against an EampO claim or lawsuit or to allow them to establish key facts to mount a defense if a claim or lawsuit is filed against them The second issue concerns what steps agents or brokers can take to protect their interests and limit their liability in the event that they sell purchase or merge with another agency or brokerageThe Benefits of a Loss Control AuditThe answer to the first issue is easy During the past decade we have conducted over five hundred EampO loss control audits for insurance agencies and brokerages from the smallest local agencies to the largest agencies with a national presence We have conducted these audits for agencies and brokerages throughout the United States and its territories Sometimes an agency and brokerage may be required to perform an audit by its EampO insurer as a condition of policy renewal and sometimes the agency or brokerage simply desires to have an audit done in order to determine the ways in which it can reduce its EampO exposure but in either case the feedback we have received about the audit process has been overwhelmingly positive Most agencies and brokerages tell us that they are glad to have gone through the process because it provides a unique analysis into the inner workings of their employees and their businesses as a whole An EampO audit can increase productivity and efficiency enhance customer service and benefit the bottom line Additionally some EampO insurers provide substantial discounts and credits to agencies and brokerages that perform EampO audits

During the audit process we examine in detail the areas of an agency or brokerage where our experience has taught us that EampO claims and lawsuits most often arise The following are some of the areas that are typically reviewed during the audit processAgency Systems This is a critical part of the audit process in which we review the agencyrsquos computer systems and agency management system to determine how each is structured backed up and used by the employees of the agency or brokerage We also examine how emails and voicemails are used by employees for both external and internal communications and whether certain key procedures are being followed with regard to both In our defense of Vermont agencies and brokerages that have been served with a claim notice or a civil lawsuit in particular we have found that many agencies and brokerages have not kept reliable email records mailing logs or other means to prove that certain conversations did or did not take place These kinds of records can be the difference between having a case dismissed and having to engage in expensive and lengthy litigation In this regard an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cureProducers When reviewing the practices followed by insurance producers we look closely at how the producers work with both potential and existing customers Our review focuses on the procedures by which producers gather information from customers which can be crucial to the defense of an EampO claim or lawsuit We also examine the involvement that a producer may continue to have even after an insurance policy is procuredCustomer Services Representatives In this aspect of the audit we conduct a detailed review of how the CSRs perform their jobs on a daily basis Our examination covers the procedures that are followed for policy review

37

and delivery and also the steps taken when handling various types of policy changes During this analysis we take a close look at the documentation that is retained in both customer files and the agency management systemClaims Handling Because many EampO claims and lawsuits arise out of the claims process we closely examine how claims and potential claim questions from a customer are handled by the agency or brokerage We also examine the procedures followed for claims reporting and any actions taken to follow up on claims and lawsuitsPast EampO Issues During the course of the audit we examine any EampO issues or problems that an agency or brokerage may have had in the past and the steps that they have taken ndash or should take ndash to help prevent similar issues from arising in the future We also take a close look at the procedures that an agency or brokerage may currently have in effect to identify and handle potential EampO issues and we offer our recommendations to improve on these proceduresRecommendations This section is probably the most important part of our report as it provides guidance concerning the practices and procedures that the agency or brokerage should implement in order to help protect itself against EampO claims and lawsuits Very often the procedures that we recommend an agency or brokerage implement will also have the added benefit of improving customer service while at the same time help sell more insurance If you are interested in scheduling an audit for your agency or brokerage or learning more about the audit process please feel free to contact us or the Vermont Independent Insurance Agent Association for more information There are advantages to having us conduct an EampO audit of your agency or brokerage rather than having it done by other auditors First we are attorneys who

have handled over 6000 insurance agent and broker EampO claims and lawsuits As such we know firsthand the practices and procedures that work to protect an agency or brokerage Additionally since we are attorneys the communications that we have with your agency or brokerage concerning the audit can get the attorney-client protection if you were to be involved in an EampO lawsuit Protecting Your Interests with Tail CoverageSecondly many agents and brokers have asked us what would happen with their claims-made EampO policies if they were to retire or buy or sell an agency or brokerage The problem of course is that a claims-made policy can cause problems in the event that a claim or lawsuit is filed years after the alleged error and omission In Vermont and potentially every state a plaintiff who alleges an error or omission against an insurance agent or broker has several years to file a lawsuit and can usually even wait several years after they first learn of the alleged error However the typical claims-made policy requires that the claim must first made against the policyholder and reported to the insurer during the policy period Many policies provide a limited period of time in which to report a claim after the expiration date usually around 30 to 60 days However given the fact that a claim may not be filed until years after the underlying events that gave rise to the claim this amount of time is often insufficient To extend the duration of your EampO policyrsquos reporting period agencies and brokerages should strongly consider purchasing an extended reporting policy also known as a tail policy for their businesses Tail policies are typically available for anywhere from one to five-year terms or even longer and the length should be dictated by the applicable statute of limitations for the potential claim the agency or brokerage

38

may face For example if the statute of limitations is six years for a potential claim then the agency or brokerage should consider purchasing tail coverage of at least 6 years Tail coverage can be particularly important if you plan to buy or sell an agency or brokerage or retire In the context of the sale of an agency or brokerage the purchaser of an agency will typically require that the seller purchase a multi-year tail and the seller should agree to do so because otherwise both the seller and buyer are at risk of exposure if an EampO claim or lawsuit should arise from a past occurrence Accordingly if you are contemplating buying or selling an agency or brokerage you

should explore purchasing a tail policy as a part of the transaction By doing so the prudent insurance agency or brokerage will be protected in the event a claim is made after the transaction closes that concerns an occurrence that took place beforeCopyright 2015 Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP

Are you trying to reach Vermontrsquos Independent agentrsquos

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 VIAArsquos monthly publication and have the opportunity to advertise and market to Vermontrsquos Independent Agents

Questions on how to place an ad

Contact Mary Eversole at meversoleviaaorg for placement options and advertising rates

Vermont Insurance Agents Association ATTN Advertising PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601

39

Union Mutual of Vermont Companies Promotes Markolf to Director of Marketing

Union Mutual of Vermont Companies has promoted Alexis Markolf to Director of MarketingMarkolf joined Union Mutual in 2012 as the Marketing Coordinator ldquoAlexis is an integral part of the Marketing teamrdquo said Robert F Glass Senior Vice President Products and Distribution ldquoHer background and experience with the company will serve her well in her new leadership rolerdquoShe holds a bachelorrsquos degree from the University of VermontldquoI am pleased to accept the Director of Marketing position with Union Mutualrdquo Markolf said ldquoIrsquove been fortunate to work within the Companyrsquos marketing team over the past three years developing relationships with our network of independent insurance agents I look forward to continuing to develop those relationships and take on a more active role in the New England Mutual Insurance community I feel that I bring a lot of energy to the position and to the Companyrsquos marketing strategy for 2016 and beyondrdquo

Company News

40

Company News

Union Mutual of Vermont Companies Partners with US Olympic Skier and

Native Vermonter Andy Newell

Union Mutual of Vermont Companies is proud to announce its sponsorship of three-time Olympian and native Vermonter Andy Newell Newell is in his 15th season of competitive skiing on the international stage and as part of his sponsorship commitment with Union will be making two stops at schools in the Capital City on Monday Nov 2Newell will speak with Montpelier High School students at 830 am and 4th grade-students at Union Elementary School at 130 pm Both presentations will include information on pursuing your dreams goal setting overcoming adversity etc things a three-time World Cup podium winner knows well The sponsorship is the latest in a string of family- and community-based projects Union Mutual of Vermont Companies has embarked upon in the last year coming off a tremendously successful sponsorship of the 2015 Special Olympics Vermont Summer GamesPlease join us for either presentation to hear Newell speak during a rare training break as he prepares for 2015-16 World Cup competitionMore information on Newell can be found at httpnordicusskiteamcomathletesandy-newell

41

Haylee Glennon Named VT IAIP Member of the Year

SampH Underwriters Inc is proud to announce that their own Haylee Glennon CIIP has been named the Vermont recipient for the International Association of Insurance Professionals Member of the Year Haylee was nominated for this award by other members of the Association The recipient is chosen by a panel of Vermont members of IAIP Haylee has helped others with networking with their peers in the industry She has been actively involved in the association on all levels since she became a member of her local chapter the Vermont Association of Insurance Professionals in 2002 She is the immediate Past President of her local association She was instrumental in planning the Region I Conference for IAIP in 2014 that was held in Essex Vermont She served as Co-Chair of the conference committee Haylee is a devoted member and rarely misses a local chapter meeting She has grown into a confident leader and insurance professional She is currently working towards her Certified Leadership Professional (CLP) designation She works as a Personal Lines Underwriter for SampH Underwriters Inc in East Montpelier Vermont Betty Sikora President of SampH Underwriters states ldquoWe are so proud of Haylee she deserves this award She works so hard for the Association for us and especially for her own family We are honored to have her as part of our SampH familyrdquo Haylee resides in Williamstown Vermont with her ldquonewlywedrdquo husband Lucas and two children Tavien and Kristian

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
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7th

In This Issue

November 2015

4

5

ldquo

7

8

CONTACT

11

CONTACT

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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In This Issue

November 2015

4

5

ldquo

7

8

CONTACT

11

CONTACT

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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4

5

ldquo

7

8

CONTACT

11

CONTACT

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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5

ldquo

7

8

CONTACT

11

CONTACT

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

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31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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ldquo

7

8

CONTACT

11

CONTACT

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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7

8

CONTACT

11

CONTACT

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
_GoBack

8

CONTACT

11

CONTACT

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
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CONTACT

11

CONTACT

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
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CONTACT

11

CONTACT

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
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11

CONTACT

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
_GoBack

12

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
_GoBack

13

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
_GoBack

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
_GoBack

Ownersrsquo Profile

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
_GoBack

247 claims

BEST OF A NATIONAL

uumluumluuml

Local relationships

Local claims staff

BEST OF A REGIONAL

uumluumluuml

123456789

10

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
_GoBack

Insurance Agency

La Mesa CA

ldquo

rdquo

123456789

10

20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

30

31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

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Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

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31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

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endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

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Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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20

27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

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NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

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endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

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Company News

40

Company News

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Bookmark 3
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(Excellent) FSC X

28

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NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

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Company News

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Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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(Excellent) FSC X

28

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NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

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endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

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Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

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27

(Excellent) FSC X

28

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NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

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endorsed by IIABA

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potential gaps

agents professional

business

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Company News

40

Company News

41

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Bookmark 3
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(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

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NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

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Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

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NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

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Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

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NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

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Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
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(Excellent) FSC X

28

29

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31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

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Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

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_GoBack
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28

29

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NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

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Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
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NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

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Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

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30

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NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

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Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

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_GoBack
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31

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

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39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
_GoBack

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

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39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
_GoBack

NGM Insurance

Kemper

Diamond Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

38

39

Company News

40

Company News

41

Company News

Bookmark 3
_GoBack
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endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

36

37

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Company News

40

Company News

41

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endorsed by IIABA

carrier and avoid

potential gaps

agents professional

business

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Date post:	24-Jul-2016
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