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Citation preview
August 2015
GREEN MOUNTAIN AGENT
A PUBLICATION OF VERMONT INSURANCE AGENTS ASSOCIATION
7th
Green Mountain Agent is a publication of
PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601 Phone 802-229-5884 Fax 802-223-0868 wwwviaaorgVIAA OfficersPresident Michael T Walsh CPCUVice President Daniel LussierSecretaryTreasurer Peter RichardsIIABA amp PIA State National Director Ron BixbyImmediate Past President Jon Jamieson CIC
DirectorsChip AmsErin OdellPaul Plunkett
Staff Executive Director Mary Eversole meversoleviaaorg
GMA Publication DesignThorin Markison thorinmarkisoncom
In This Issue
August 2015
4 Message from the PresidentFeatures
6 Same-Sex Marriage Ruling amp P-C Insurance10 Help Wanted11 YAC Make-A-Wish Walk12 VIAA Annual Meeting Notice16 Marketing Bringing it All Back19 Sales Success The Biggest Issues
I see in Sales OrganizationsEampO Corner
25 The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
News
28 Hickock amp Boardman29 The Richards Group30 Vermont Mutual
4
Last Word
This is my final Presidentrsquos Message for VIAA When I accepted the gavel at last yearrsquos convention I set out to bring our Young Agents Committee (YAC) back to life I am pleased to report that the VIAA YACrsquos are up and running with verve and excitement Theyrsquove set tangible goals for themselves and gaining new members every day Itrsquos a strong group of future leaders with incredible potential and I look forward to see how this group will grow During my term as President your Board of Directors has made significant changes in the way VIAA operates and Irsquom glad to report that is going well We continue to focus on the perpetuation of the association which is challenging in an active mergers and acquisition marketplace Yet we persevere by thinking outside of the box to keep VIAA financially stable and providing great member services and benefits Our perennial legislative issue the independent contractorrsquos definition continues to dodge resolution There is only one way to provide ultimate clarity on this issuemdashrequire all workers to carry workers compensation coverage That is the message we delivered during the session and we will be back again next year to get the legislature to take action for the benefit of all Vermonters One of things that I have been privileged to do during my presidency is work with our Executive Director Mary Eversole Please
Message from the President
believe me when I tell you that there is no trade association with a lone staff member that is as competent and dedicated as this humble leader Everything you receive at any level from VIAA is due to Maryrsquos hard work Be sure to thank her yourself when you see her at the convention next month which itself is another example of what I am talking about I would like to congratulate our incoming president Dan Lussier and vice president Pete Richards and SecretaryTreasurer Chip Ams I know they will do a great job and that we will be in good hands going forwardI want to thank you all for the opportunity to serve on the VIAA Board of Directors and as your president It has been a pleasure as well as an honor
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Please visit our web site at wwwinsurbanccom or contact one of our leasing professionals at 8009570858
But donrsquot take it from us Listen to your peersAgents Express Leasing is an effective solution to manage your clients needs with todayrsquos best equipment technology Jay Byrnes of Byrnes Agency experienced how
easy our leasing solution is for his agency
ldquoAs a longtime member of the ldquoBig Irdquo I always knew of InsurBanc and their commitment to the independent insurance agent Recently we wanted to update the agency with a new computer network and desktops so I turned to InsurBanc for leasing options
From start to finish I experienced firsthand how seamless it was to conduct business with them We have a 35 person agency so to update everyonersquos computers was a decent size upgrade InsurBanc made the process very easy and offered attractive terms and competitive rates which helped to manage the agencyrsquos cash flowrdquo ndash Jay Byrnes ~ Byrnes Agency
How it worksbull Lease terms are 24 36 48 or 60 months with a minimum transaction of $5000bull You are looking for 100 equipment financing including certain soft costs such as software
shipping installation and maintenancebull No down payments or advance payments are requiredbull Monthly payments can be customized to meet your special business needs
bull You are looking for potential tax benefits associated with equipment financing
We invite you to see for yourself Contact us today for help preserving your cash flow with an equipment lease solution
13INR052 713
These materials are for informational purposes only The availability of any financing described herein is subject to approval of applicantrsquos credit the equipment supplier and the equipment Soft costs are limited to 20 of the total amount financed Nothing herein constitutes tax advice and customers are advised to consult with their own tax advisors prior to electing specific rates or options
Agentsrsquo Express leasing is a program of De Lage Landen Financial Services Inc a third party not affiliated with InsurBanc a Division of Connecticut Community Bank NA
Leasing A Seamless Customer Experience
Member FDIC
What the Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Means for P-C Insurance
by Bill Wilson On June 26 in Obergefell v Hodges the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in a 5-4 decisionWhat does the ruling mean for you and your customers And what are the property-casualty coverage implicationsAs always you need to review the specific policy in question to determine how it addresses terms like ldquomarriagerdquo ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquo If itrsquos not an ISO form hopefully the underwriting carrier has considered the implications and can provide guidanceBut for ISO forms herersquos what you should keep in mind in the aftermath of the Supreme Court rulingISO Personal Auto Policy (PAP)The words ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 141 times in the 13 pages of the 2015 edition of the ISO PAP ISO defines these terms to mean the named insured on the Declarations and even if not named the spouse if a resident of the same household The term ldquospouserdquo appears in the policy seven times and although it is undefined in the insurance contract the highest court in the land has established that same-sex couples qualify as ldquospousesrdquo and are therefore entitled to the insured status of ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquomdasheven if not specifically named on the policyAs always it is advisable to name both spouses ldquoYourdquo has rights under the policy no other insured has including the right to request changes cancel coverage receive return premiums and more so who is a ldquoyourdquo is critically importantThe ISO PAP also uses the term ldquofamily memberrdquo 26 times which refers to a person related to ldquoyourdquo by blood marriage or adoption who is a resident of your household including ward or foster children This is significant because after ldquoyourdquo ldquofamily membersrdquo enjoy the ldquosecond bestrdquo coverage in the policy So the child of an unnamed same-sex spouse
residing in the household now has ldquofamily memberrdquo status when it comes to coverageISO has too many PAP endorsements to analyze for an article of this type But a good example of the impact of the ruling on PAP endorsements is the PP 03 34 ndash Joint Ownership Coverage endorsementmdasha form that can cover the exposures of jointly owned vehicles between 1) individuals ldquoother than husband and wiferdquo residing in the same household or 2) non-resident relatives ISO will likely revise the ldquohusband and wiferdquo language in its upcoming countrywide PAP filing since ldquomarriagerdquo is no longer delineated by opposing genders Presumably this endorsement will no longer be necessary for same-sex couples living together if legally married but how ISO plans to address this issue in this and other coverage forms remains to be seenFrom a rating standpoint policies issued to same-sex married couples may offer some advantages But that could depend on other issues that will vary from one couple to the next such as driving records and credit scores so itrsquos impossible to predict the rating impact of this change As outlined in many Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University articles insuring all resident family members under one policy is almost always better from a coverage standpointISO Homeowners PoliciesUsing the most common policy the 24-page ISO HO 00 03 05 11 (HO-3) as the model HO form the terms ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 114 times and mean the same thing they do in ISOrsquos PAP The word ldquospouserdquo appears twice once in the ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo definitions and again under the ldquoDeathrdquo condition Disregarding any impact on HO endorsements the ruling should have little impact on HO coverage Expect the ruling to create a larger issue regarding eligibility and ratingCommercial LinesISOrsquos primary CGL policy makes four references to a ldquospouserdquo The first is in the
Employerrsquos Liability exclusion which applies to business interruption to the spouse of an employee as a consequence of BI to that employee This exclusion would now apply to a same-sex marriage partner where it presumably did not prior to the Courtrsquos ruling though establishing a basis for coverage otherwise might have been difficult anyway The remaining three ldquospouserdquo references appear in the ldquoWho Is An Insuredrdquo section where the spouse of a sole proprietor partner or joint venture member has automatic coverage for claims arising from their conduct on behalf of the business This would be an expansion of coverage for same-sex spousesISOrsquos Business Auto Policy (BAP) also includes a reference to ldquospouserdquo in the Employerrsquos Liability exclusion on the same basis as the CGL policy In addition the ldquoFellow Employeerdquo exclusion for consequential losses includes mention of a ldquospouserdquo The result of these two
references A same-sex spouse would clearly not have coverage for an exposure they would have had coverage for before if there was a basis for recovery under the policy This change may affect a number of BAP endorsements from UM and PIP to other forms such as the CA 99 10 ndash Drive Other Car Coverage and CA 99 17 ndash Individual Named Insured endorsements The changes to these forms are similar to ISOrsquos PAP changes with regard to references to ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquoThese are just a few examples of how the Supreme Court ruling may impact p-c coverages Once again it is important to review each policy form on its own merits and discuss any issues with the carrier regarding eligibility rating and coverageBill Wilson is director of the Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University
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
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
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
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
10
Help Wanted
309 Portland Street St Johnsbury VT 802-748-5224
CSRProducer Our family owned and operated agency takes the time to get to knowour customers helping them identify risks and recommending the in-surance solutions that best fit their needs We offer local service and arecommitted to our community Currently we seek a highly motivated in-dividual that desires a career opportunity Would you like to help usmaintain and grow our business Do you have your property and casualtylicense and sales experience with a proven track record of exceedinggoals In addition can you connect with people establishing rapport andbuilding relationships that help round our book of businessCore Job Duties Include (but are not limited to)bull Provide excellent customer service bull Prospect and generate new business through leads and referrals
soliciting and quoting new business bull Set appointments to meet with clients and prospectsbull Review renewal business and conduct appropriate follow-up bull Build relationships with existing customersbull Proactively identify and act on cross-sell opportunitiesbull Perform risk analysis and underwriting bull Monitor claims activity for profitability purposesbull Determine new business marketing focus based on research and
analysis of competitive areas in local market bull Diffuse difficult and complex customer interactions
Must be able tobull Meet performance goalsbull Understand complex product billing underwriting
and processing guidelinesbull Understand and make decisions based on whatrsquos best for
agencyrsquos profitability and growthbull Multi-taskbull Continually pursue development of personal and business skillsbull Accept feedback
Must have the following skills and experiencebull Outstanding written and verbal communication skillsbull Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel Word Outlook etc)
and general computingbull Previous customer service experience
Please submit resumeacutes to us atapplythebarrettagencycom
Seeking Turn Off Texting Demo Presenter With Truck Central amp Northern VT
The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central amp Northern VT ldquoTurn Off Textingrdquo driving safety program our second presenter position for this popular program Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule comfortable working with adolescents and teachers have good communication skills and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl minimum) to tow a trailer Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement Send a resume and information about schedule availability to infoyscvtorg
JAMES LOCKRIDGE | Executive Director Youth Safety Council of Vermont
(802) 881-9050 | wwwYSCVTorg
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
Alison Jones (978) 933-4187 | alisonjonesmeadowbrookcom | wwwmeadowbrookcom
Real Solutions To Meet Your Challenges
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(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
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Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
7th
Green Mountain Agent is a publication of
PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601 Phone 802-229-5884 Fax 802-223-0868 wwwviaaorgVIAA OfficersPresident Michael T Walsh CPCUVice President Daniel LussierSecretaryTreasurer Peter RichardsIIABA amp PIA State National Director Ron BixbyImmediate Past President Jon Jamieson CIC
DirectorsChip AmsErin OdellPaul Plunkett
Staff Executive Director Mary Eversole meversoleviaaorg
GMA Publication DesignThorin Markison thorinmarkisoncom
In This Issue
August 2015
4 Message from the PresidentFeatures
6 Same-Sex Marriage Ruling amp P-C Insurance10 Help Wanted11 YAC Make-A-Wish Walk12 VIAA Annual Meeting Notice16 Marketing Bringing it All Back19 Sales Success The Biggest Issues
I see in Sales OrganizationsEampO Corner
25 The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
News
28 Hickock amp Boardman29 The Richards Group30 Vermont Mutual
4
Last Word
This is my final Presidentrsquos Message for VIAA When I accepted the gavel at last yearrsquos convention I set out to bring our Young Agents Committee (YAC) back to life I am pleased to report that the VIAA YACrsquos are up and running with verve and excitement Theyrsquove set tangible goals for themselves and gaining new members every day Itrsquos a strong group of future leaders with incredible potential and I look forward to see how this group will grow During my term as President your Board of Directors has made significant changes in the way VIAA operates and Irsquom glad to report that is going well We continue to focus on the perpetuation of the association which is challenging in an active mergers and acquisition marketplace Yet we persevere by thinking outside of the box to keep VIAA financially stable and providing great member services and benefits Our perennial legislative issue the independent contractorrsquos definition continues to dodge resolution There is only one way to provide ultimate clarity on this issuemdashrequire all workers to carry workers compensation coverage That is the message we delivered during the session and we will be back again next year to get the legislature to take action for the benefit of all Vermonters One of things that I have been privileged to do during my presidency is work with our Executive Director Mary Eversole Please
Message from the President
believe me when I tell you that there is no trade association with a lone staff member that is as competent and dedicated as this humble leader Everything you receive at any level from VIAA is due to Maryrsquos hard work Be sure to thank her yourself when you see her at the convention next month which itself is another example of what I am talking about I would like to congratulate our incoming president Dan Lussier and vice president Pete Richards and SecretaryTreasurer Chip Ams I know they will do a great job and that we will be in good hands going forwardI want to thank you all for the opportunity to serve on the VIAA Board of Directors and as your president It has been a pleasure as well as an honor
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Please visit our web site at wwwinsurbanccom or contact one of our leasing professionals at 8009570858
But donrsquot take it from us Listen to your peersAgents Express Leasing is an effective solution to manage your clients needs with todayrsquos best equipment technology Jay Byrnes of Byrnes Agency experienced how
easy our leasing solution is for his agency
ldquoAs a longtime member of the ldquoBig Irdquo I always knew of InsurBanc and their commitment to the independent insurance agent Recently we wanted to update the agency with a new computer network and desktops so I turned to InsurBanc for leasing options
From start to finish I experienced firsthand how seamless it was to conduct business with them We have a 35 person agency so to update everyonersquos computers was a decent size upgrade InsurBanc made the process very easy and offered attractive terms and competitive rates which helped to manage the agencyrsquos cash flowrdquo ndash Jay Byrnes ~ Byrnes Agency
How it worksbull Lease terms are 24 36 48 or 60 months with a minimum transaction of $5000bull You are looking for 100 equipment financing including certain soft costs such as software
shipping installation and maintenancebull No down payments or advance payments are requiredbull Monthly payments can be customized to meet your special business needs
bull You are looking for potential tax benefits associated with equipment financing
We invite you to see for yourself Contact us today for help preserving your cash flow with an equipment lease solution
13INR052 713
These materials are for informational purposes only The availability of any financing described herein is subject to approval of applicantrsquos credit the equipment supplier and the equipment Soft costs are limited to 20 of the total amount financed Nothing herein constitutes tax advice and customers are advised to consult with their own tax advisors prior to electing specific rates or options
Agentsrsquo Express leasing is a program of De Lage Landen Financial Services Inc a third party not affiliated with InsurBanc a Division of Connecticut Community Bank NA
Leasing A Seamless Customer Experience
Member FDIC
What the Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Means for P-C Insurance
by Bill Wilson On June 26 in Obergefell v Hodges the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in a 5-4 decisionWhat does the ruling mean for you and your customers And what are the property-casualty coverage implicationsAs always you need to review the specific policy in question to determine how it addresses terms like ldquomarriagerdquo ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquo If itrsquos not an ISO form hopefully the underwriting carrier has considered the implications and can provide guidanceBut for ISO forms herersquos what you should keep in mind in the aftermath of the Supreme Court rulingISO Personal Auto Policy (PAP)The words ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 141 times in the 13 pages of the 2015 edition of the ISO PAP ISO defines these terms to mean the named insured on the Declarations and even if not named the spouse if a resident of the same household The term ldquospouserdquo appears in the policy seven times and although it is undefined in the insurance contract the highest court in the land has established that same-sex couples qualify as ldquospousesrdquo and are therefore entitled to the insured status of ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquomdasheven if not specifically named on the policyAs always it is advisable to name both spouses ldquoYourdquo has rights under the policy no other insured has including the right to request changes cancel coverage receive return premiums and more so who is a ldquoyourdquo is critically importantThe ISO PAP also uses the term ldquofamily memberrdquo 26 times which refers to a person related to ldquoyourdquo by blood marriage or adoption who is a resident of your household including ward or foster children This is significant because after ldquoyourdquo ldquofamily membersrdquo enjoy the ldquosecond bestrdquo coverage in the policy So the child of an unnamed same-sex spouse
residing in the household now has ldquofamily memberrdquo status when it comes to coverageISO has too many PAP endorsements to analyze for an article of this type But a good example of the impact of the ruling on PAP endorsements is the PP 03 34 ndash Joint Ownership Coverage endorsementmdasha form that can cover the exposures of jointly owned vehicles between 1) individuals ldquoother than husband and wiferdquo residing in the same household or 2) non-resident relatives ISO will likely revise the ldquohusband and wiferdquo language in its upcoming countrywide PAP filing since ldquomarriagerdquo is no longer delineated by opposing genders Presumably this endorsement will no longer be necessary for same-sex couples living together if legally married but how ISO plans to address this issue in this and other coverage forms remains to be seenFrom a rating standpoint policies issued to same-sex married couples may offer some advantages But that could depend on other issues that will vary from one couple to the next such as driving records and credit scores so itrsquos impossible to predict the rating impact of this change As outlined in many Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University articles insuring all resident family members under one policy is almost always better from a coverage standpointISO Homeowners PoliciesUsing the most common policy the 24-page ISO HO 00 03 05 11 (HO-3) as the model HO form the terms ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 114 times and mean the same thing they do in ISOrsquos PAP The word ldquospouserdquo appears twice once in the ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo definitions and again under the ldquoDeathrdquo condition Disregarding any impact on HO endorsements the ruling should have little impact on HO coverage Expect the ruling to create a larger issue regarding eligibility and ratingCommercial LinesISOrsquos primary CGL policy makes four references to a ldquospouserdquo The first is in the
Employerrsquos Liability exclusion which applies to business interruption to the spouse of an employee as a consequence of BI to that employee This exclusion would now apply to a same-sex marriage partner where it presumably did not prior to the Courtrsquos ruling though establishing a basis for coverage otherwise might have been difficult anyway The remaining three ldquospouserdquo references appear in the ldquoWho Is An Insuredrdquo section where the spouse of a sole proprietor partner or joint venture member has automatic coverage for claims arising from their conduct on behalf of the business This would be an expansion of coverage for same-sex spousesISOrsquos Business Auto Policy (BAP) also includes a reference to ldquospouserdquo in the Employerrsquos Liability exclusion on the same basis as the CGL policy In addition the ldquoFellow Employeerdquo exclusion for consequential losses includes mention of a ldquospouserdquo The result of these two
references A same-sex spouse would clearly not have coverage for an exposure they would have had coverage for before if there was a basis for recovery under the policy This change may affect a number of BAP endorsements from UM and PIP to other forms such as the CA 99 10 ndash Drive Other Car Coverage and CA 99 17 ndash Individual Named Insured endorsements The changes to these forms are similar to ISOrsquos PAP changes with regard to references to ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquoThese are just a few examples of how the Supreme Court ruling may impact p-c coverages Once again it is important to review each policy form on its own merits and discuss any issues with the carrier regarding eligibility rating and coverageBill Wilson is director of the Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University
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
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
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
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
10
Help Wanted
309 Portland Street St Johnsbury VT 802-748-5224
CSRProducer Our family owned and operated agency takes the time to get to knowour customers helping them identify risks and recommending the in-surance solutions that best fit their needs We offer local service and arecommitted to our community Currently we seek a highly motivated in-dividual that desires a career opportunity Would you like to help usmaintain and grow our business Do you have your property and casualtylicense and sales experience with a proven track record of exceedinggoals In addition can you connect with people establishing rapport andbuilding relationships that help round our book of businessCore Job Duties Include (but are not limited to)bull Provide excellent customer service bull Prospect and generate new business through leads and referrals
soliciting and quoting new business bull Set appointments to meet with clients and prospectsbull Review renewal business and conduct appropriate follow-up bull Build relationships with existing customersbull Proactively identify and act on cross-sell opportunitiesbull Perform risk analysis and underwriting bull Monitor claims activity for profitability purposesbull Determine new business marketing focus based on research and
analysis of competitive areas in local market bull Diffuse difficult and complex customer interactions
Must be able tobull Meet performance goalsbull Understand complex product billing underwriting
and processing guidelinesbull Understand and make decisions based on whatrsquos best for
agencyrsquos profitability and growthbull Multi-taskbull Continually pursue development of personal and business skillsbull Accept feedback
Must have the following skills and experiencebull Outstanding written and verbal communication skillsbull Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel Word Outlook etc)
and general computingbull Previous customer service experience
Please submit resumeacutes to us atapplythebarrettagencycom
Seeking Turn Off Texting Demo Presenter With Truck Central amp Northern VT
The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central amp Northern VT ldquoTurn Off Textingrdquo driving safety program our second presenter position for this popular program Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule comfortable working with adolescents and teachers have good communication skills and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl minimum) to tow a trailer Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement Send a resume and information about schedule availability to infoyscvtorg
JAMES LOCKRIDGE | Executive Director Youth Safety Council of Vermont
(802) 881-9050 | wwwYSCVTorg
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
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(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
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Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
Green Mountain Agent is a publication of
PO Box 1387 Montpelier VT 05601 Phone 802-229-5884 Fax 802-223-0868 wwwviaaorgVIAA OfficersPresident Michael T Walsh CPCUVice President Daniel LussierSecretaryTreasurer Peter RichardsIIABA amp PIA State National Director Ron BixbyImmediate Past President Jon Jamieson CIC
DirectorsChip AmsErin OdellPaul Plunkett
Staff Executive Director Mary Eversole meversoleviaaorg
GMA Publication DesignThorin Markison thorinmarkisoncom
In This Issue
August 2015
4 Message from the PresidentFeatures
6 Same-Sex Marriage Ruling amp P-C Insurance10 Help Wanted11 YAC Make-A-Wish Walk12 VIAA Annual Meeting Notice16 Marketing Bringing it All Back19 Sales Success The Biggest Issues
I see in Sales OrganizationsEampO Corner
25 The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
News
28 Hickock amp Boardman29 The Richards Group30 Vermont Mutual
4
Last Word
This is my final Presidentrsquos Message for VIAA When I accepted the gavel at last yearrsquos convention I set out to bring our Young Agents Committee (YAC) back to life I am pleased to report that the VIAA YACrsquos are up and running with verve and excitement Theyrsquove set tangible goals for themselves and gaining new members every day Itrsquos a strong group of future leaders with incredible potential and I look forward to see how this group will grow During my term as President your Board of Directors has made significant changes in the way VIAA operates and Irsquom glad to report that is going well We continue to focus on the perpetuation of the association which is challenging in an active mergers and acquisition marketplace Yet we persevere by thinking outside of the box to keep VIAA financially stable and providing great member services and benefits Our perennial legislative issue the independent contractorrsquos definition continues to dodge resolution There is only one way to provide ultimate clarity on this issuemdashrequire all workers to carry workers compensation coverage That is the message we delivered during the session and we will be back again next year to get the legislature to take action for the benefit of all Vermonters One of things that I have been privileged to do during my presidency is work with our Executive Director Mary Eversole Please
Message from the President
believe me when I tell you that there is no trade association with a lone staff member that is as competent and dedicated as this humble leader Everything you receive at any level from VIAA is due to Maryrsquos hard work Be sure to thank her yourself when you see her at the convention next month which itself is another example of what I am talking about I would like to congratulate our incoming president Dan Lussier and vice president Pete Richards and SecretaryTreasurer Chip Ams I know they will do a great job and that we will be in good hands going forwardI want to thank you all for the opportunity to serve on the VIAA Board of Directors and as your president It has been a pleasure as well as an honor
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Please visit our web site at wwwinsurbanccom or contact one of our leasing professionals at 8009570858
But donrsquot take it from us Listen to your peersAgents Express Leasing is an effective solution to manage your clients needs with todayrsquos best equipment technology Jay Byrnes of Byrnes Agency experienced how
easy our leasing solution is for his agency
ldquoAs a longtime member of the ldquoBig Irdquo I always knew of InsurBanc and their commitment to the independent insurance agent Recently we wanted to update the agency with a new computer network and desktops so I turned to InsurBanc for leasing options
From start to finish I experienced firsthand how seamless it was to conduct business with them We have a 35 person agency so to update everyonersquos computers was a decent size upgrade InsurBanc made the process very easy and offered attractive terms and competitive rates which helped to manage the agencyrsquos cash flowrdquo ndash Jay Byrnes ~ Byrnes Agency
How it worksbull Lease terms are 24 36 48 or 60 months with a minimum transaction of $5000bull You are looking for 100 equipment financing including certain soft costs such as software
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These materials are for informational purposes only The availability of any financing described herein is subject to approval of applicantrsquos credit the equipment supplier and the equipment Soft costs are limited to 20 of the total amount financed Nothing herein constitutes tax advice and customers are advised to consult with their own tax advisors prior to electing specific rates or options
Agentsrsquo Express leasing is a program of De Lage Landen Financial Services Inc a third party not affiliated with InsurBanc a Division of Connecticut Community Bank NA
Leasing A Seamless Customer Experience
Member FDIC
What the Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Means for P-C Insurance
by Bill Wilson On June 26 in Obergefell v Hodges the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in a 5-4 decisionWhat does the ruling mean for you and your customers And what are the property-casualty coverage implicationsAs always you need to review the specific policy in question to determine how it addresses terms like ldquomarriagerdquo ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquo If itrsquos not an ISO form hopefully the underwriting carrier has considered the implications and can provide guidanceBut for ISO forms herersquos what you should keep in mind in the aftermath of the Supreme Court rulingISO Personal Auto Policy (PAP)The words ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 141 times in the 13 pages of the 2015 edition of the ISO PAP ISO defines these terms to mean the named insured on the Declarations and even if not named the spouse if a resident of the same household The term ldquospouserdquo appears in the policy seven times and although it is undefined in the insurance contract the highest court in the land has established that same-sex couples qualify as ldquospousesrdquo and are therefore entitled to the insured status of ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquomdasheven if not specifically named on the policyAs always it is advisable to name both spouses ldquoYourdquo has rights under the policy no other insured has including the right to request changes cancel coverage receive return premiums and more so who is a ldquoyourdquo is critically importantThe ISO PAP also uses the term ldquofamily memberrdquo 26 times which refers to a person related to ldquoyourdquo by blood marriage or adoption who is a resident of your household including ward or foster children This is significant because after ldquoyourdquo ldquofamily membersrdquo enjoy the ldquosecond bestrdquo coverage in the policy So the child of an unnamed same-sex spouse
residing in the household now has ldquofamily memberrdquo status when it comes to coverageISO has too many PAP endorsements to analyze for an article of this type But a good example of the impact of the ruling on PAP endorsements is the PP 03 34 ndash Joint Ownership Coverage endorsementmdasha form that can cover the exposures of jointly owned vehicles between 1) individuals ldquoother than husband and wiferdquo residing in the same household or 2) non-resident relatives ISO will likely revise the ldquohusband and wiferdquo language in its upcoming countrywide PAP filing since ldquomarriagerdquo is no longer delineated by opposing genders Presumably this endorsement will no longer be necessary for same-sex couples living together if legally married but how ISO plans to address this issue in this and other coverage forms remains to be seenFrom a rating standpoint policies issued to same-sex married couples may offer some advantages But that could depend on other issues that will vary from one couple to the next such as driving records and credit scores so itrsquos impossible to predict the rating impact of this change As outlined in many Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University articles insuring all resident family members under one policy is almost always better from a coverage standpointISO Homeowners PoliciesUsing the most common policy the 24-page ISO HO 00 03 05 11 (HO-3) as the model HO form the terms ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 114 times and mean the same thing they do in ISOrsquos PAP The word ldquospouserdquo appears twice once in the ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo definitions and again under the ldquoDeathrdquo condition Disregarding any impact on HO endorsements the ruling should have little impact on HO coverage Expect the ruling to create a larger issue regarding eligibility and ratingCommercial LinesISOrsquos primary CGL policy makes four references to a ldquospouserdquo The first is in the
Employerrsquos Liability exclusion which applies to business interruption to the spouse of an employee as a consequence of BI to that employee This exclusion would now apply to a same-sex marriage partner where it presumably did not prior to the Courtrsquos ruling though establishing a basis for coverage otherwise might have been difficult anyway The remaining three ldquospouserdquo references appear in the ldquoWho Is An Insuredrdquo section where the spouse of a sole proprietor partner or joint venture member has automatic coverage for claims arising from their conduct on behalf of the business This would be an expansion of coverage for same-sex spousesISOrsquos Business Auto Policy (BAP) also includes a reference to ldquospouserdquo in the Employerrsquos Liability exclusion on the same basis as the CGL policy In addition the ldquoFellow Employeerdquo exclusion for consequential losses includes mention of a ldquospouserdquo The result of these two
references A same-sex spouse would clearly not have coverage for an exposure they would have had coverage for before if there was a basis for recovery under the policy This change may affect a number of BAP endorsements from UM and PIP to other forms such as the CA 99 10 ndash Drive Other Car Coverage and CA 99 17 ndash Individual Named Insured endorsements The changes to these forms are similar to ISOrsquos PAP changes with regard to references to ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquoThese are just a few examples of how the Supreme Court ruling may impact p-c coverages Once again it is important to review each policy form on its own merits and discuss any issues with the carrier regarding eligibility rating and coverageBill Wilson is director of the Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University
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
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
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
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
10
Help Wanted
309 Portland Street St Johnsbury VT 802-748-5224
CSRProducer Our family owned and operated agency takes the time to get to knowour customers helping them identify risks and recommending the in-surance solutions that best fit their needs We offer local service and arecommitted to our community Currently we seek a highly motivated in-dividual that desires a career opportunity Would you like to help usmaintain and grow our business Do you have your property and casualtylicense and sales experience with a proven track record of exceedinggoals In addition can you connect with people establishing rapport andbuilding relationships that help round our book of businessCore Job Duties Include (but are not limited to)bull Provide excellent customer service bull Prospect and generate new business through leads and referrals
soliciting and quoting new business bull Set appointments to meet with clients and prospectsbull Review renewal business and conduct appropriate follow-up bull Build relationships with existing customersbull Proactively identify and act on cross-sell opportunitiesbull Perform risk analysis and underwriting bull Monitor claims activity for profitability purposesbull Determine new business marketing focus based on research and
analysis of competitive areas in local market bull Diffuse difficult and complex customer interactions
Must be able tobull Meet performance goalsbull Understand complex product billing underwriting
and processing guidelinesbull Understand and make decisions based on whatrsquos best for
agencyrsquos profitability and growthbull Multi-taskbull Continually pursue development of personal and business skillsbull Accept feedback
Must have the following skills and experiencebull Outstanding written and verbal communication skillsbull Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel Word Outlook etc)
and general computingbull Previous customer service experience
Please submit resumeacutes to us atapplythebarrettagencycom
Seeking Turn Off Texting Demo Presenter With Truck Central amp Northern VT
The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central amp Northern VT ldquoTurn Off Textingrdquo driving safety program our second presenter position for this popular program Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule comfortable working with adolescents and teachers have good communication skills and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl minimum) to tow a trailer Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement Send a resume and information about schedule availability to infoyscvtorg
JAMES LOCKRIDGE | Executive Director Youth Safety Council of Vermont
(802) 881-9050 | wwwYSCVTorg
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
4
Last Word
This is my final Presidentrsquos Message for VIAA When I accepted the gavel at last yearrsquos convention I set out to bring our Young Agents Committee (YAC) back to life I am pleased to report that the VIAA YACrsquos are up and running with verve and excitement Theyrsquove set tangible goals for themselves and gaining new members every day Itrsquos a strong group of future leaders with incredible potential and I look forward to see how this group will grow During my term as President your Board of Directors has made significant changes in the way VIAA operates and Irsquom glad to report that is going well We continue to focus on the perpetuation of the association which is challenging in an active mergers and acquisition marketplace Yet we persevere by thinking outside of the box to keep VIAA financially stable and providing great member services and benefits Our perennial legislative issue the independent contractorrsquos definition continues to dodge resolution There is only one way to provide ultimate clarity on this issuemdashrequire all workers to carry workers compensation coverage That is the message we delivered during the session and we will be back again next year to get the legislature to take action for the benefit of all Vermonters One of things that I have been privileged to do during my presidency is work with our Executive Director Mary Eversole Please
Message from the President
believe me when I tell you that there is no trade association with a lone staff member that is as competent and dedicated as this humble leader Everything you receive at any level from VIAA is due to Maryrsquos hard work Be sure to thank her yourself when you see her at the convention next month which itself is another example of what I am talking about I would like to congratulate our incoming president Dan Lussier and vice president Pete Richards and SecretaryTreasurer Chip Ams I know they will do a great job and that we will be in good hands going forwardI want to thank you all for the opportunity to serve on the VIAA Board of Directors and as your president It has been a pleasure as well as an honor
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Please visit our web site at wwwinsurbanccom or contact one of our leasing professionals at 8009570858
But donrsquot take it from us Listen to your peersAgents Express Leasing is an effective solution to manage your clients needs with todayrsquos best equipment technology Jay Byrnes of Byrnes Agency experienced how
easy our leasing solution is for his agency
ldquoAs a longtime member of the ldquoBig Irdquo I always knew of InsurBanc and their commitment to the independent insurance agent Recently we wanted to update the agency with a new computer network and desktops so I turned to InsurBanc for leasing options
From start to finish I experienced firsthand how seamless it was to conduct business with them We have a 35 person agency so to update everyonersquos computers was a decent size upgrade InsurBanc made the process very easy and offered attractive terms and competitive rates which helped to manage the agencyrsquos cash flowrdquo ndash Jay Byrnes ~ Byrnes Agency
How it worksbull Lease terms are 24 36 48 or 60 months with a minimum transaction of $5000bull You are looking for 100 equipment financing including certain soft costs such as software
shipping installation and maintenancebull No down payments or advance payments are requiredbull Monthly payments can be customized to meet your special business needs
bull You are looking for potential tax benefits associated with equipment financing
We invite you to see for yourself Contact us today for help preserving your cash flow with an equipment lease solution
13INR052 713
These materials are for informational purposes only The availability of any financing described herein is subject to approval of applicantrsquos credit the equipment supplier and the equipment Soft costs are limited to 20 of the total amount financed Nothing herein constitutes tax advice and customers are advised to consult with their own tax advisors prior to electing specific rates or options
Agentsrsquo Express leasing is a program of De Lage Landen Financial Services Inc a third party not affiliated with InsurBanc a Division of Connecticut Community Bank NA
Leasing A Seamless Customer Experience
Member FDIC
What the Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Means for P-C Insurance
by Bill Wilson On June 26 in Obergefell v Hodges the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in a 5-4 decisionWhat does the ruling mean for you and your customers And what are the property-casualty coverage implicationsAs always you need to review the specific policy in question to determine how it addresses terms like ldquomarriagerdquo ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquo If itrsquos not an ISO form hopefully the underwriting carrier has considered the implications and can provide guidanceBut for ISO forms herersquos what you should keep in mind in the aftermath of the Supreme Court rulingISO Personal Auto Policy (PAP)The words ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 141 times in the 13 pages of the 2015 edition of the ISO PAP ISO defines these terms to mean the named insured on the Declarations and even if not named the spouse if a resident of the same household The term ldquospouserdquo appears in the policy seven times and although it is undefined in the insurance contract the highest court in the land has established that same-sex couples qualify as ldquospousesrdquo and are therefore entitled to the insured status of ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquomdasheven if not specifically named on the policyAs always it is advisable to name both spouses ldquoYourdquo has rights under the policy no other insured has including the right to request changes cancel coverage receive return premiums and more so who is a ldquoyourdquo is critically importantThe ISO PAP also uses the term ldquofamily memberrdquo 26 times which refers to a person related to ldquoyourdquo by blood marriage or adoption who is a resident of your household including ward or foster children This is significant because after ldquoyourdquo ldquofamily membersrdquo enjoy the ldquosecond bestrdquo coverage in the policy So the child of an unnamed same-sex spouse
residing in the household now has ldquofamily memberrdquo status when it comes to coverageISO has too many PAP endorsements to analyze for an article of this type But a good example of the impact of the ruling on PAP endorsements is the PP 03 34 ndash Joint Ownership Coverage endorsementmdasha form that can cover the exposures of jointly owned vehicles between 1) individuals ldquoother than husband and wiferdquo residing in the same household or 2) non-resident relatives ISO will likely revise the ldquohusband and wiferdquo language in its upcoming countrywide PAP filing since ldquomarriagerdquo is no longer delineated by opposing genders Presumably this endorsement will no longer be necessary for same-sex couples living together if legally married but how ISO plans to address this issue in this and other coverage forms remains to be seenFrom a rating standpoint policies issued to same-sex married couples may offer some advantages But that could depend on other issues that will vary from one couple to the next such as driving records and credit scores so itrsquos impossible to predict the rating impact of this change As outlined in many Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University articles insuring all resident family members under one policy is almost always better from a coverage standpointISO Homeowners PoliciesUsing the most common policy the 24-page ISO HO 00 03 05 11 (HO-3) as the model HO form the terms ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 114 times and mean the same thing they do in ISOrsquos PAP The word ldquospouserdquo appears twice once in the ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo definitions and again under the ldquoDeathrdquo condition Disregarding any impact on HO endorsements the ruling should have little impact on HO coverage Expect the ruling to create a larger issue regarding eligibility and ratingCommercial LinesISOrsquos primary CGL policy makes four references to a ldquospouserdquo The first is in the
Employerrsquos Liability exclusion which applies to business interruption to the spouse of an employee as a consequence of BI to that employee This exclusion would now apply to a same-sex marriage partner where it presumably did not prior to the Courtrsquos ruling though establishing a basis for coverage otherwise might have been difficult anyway The remaining three ldquospouserdquo references appear in the ldquoWho Is An Insuredrdquo section where the spouse of a sole proprietor partner or joint venture member has automatic coverage for claims arising from their conduct on behalf of the business This would be an expansion of coverage for same-sex spousesISOrsquos Business Auto Policy (BAP) also includes a reference to ldquospouserdquo in the Employerrsquos Liability exclusion on the same basis as the CGL policy In addition the ldquoFellow Employeerdquo exclusion for consequential losses includes mention of a ldquospouserdquo The result of these two
references A same-sex spouse would clearly not have coverage for an exposure they would have had coverage for before if there was a basis for recovery under the policy This change may affect a number of BAP endorsements from UM and PIP to other forms such as the CA 99 10 ndash Drive Other Car Coverage and CA 99 17 ndash Individual Named Insured endorsements The changes to these forms are similar to ISOrsquos PAP changes with regard to references to ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquoThese are just a few examples of how the Supreme Court ruling may impact p-c coverages Once again it is important to review each policy form on its own merits and discuss any issues with the carrier regarding eligibility rating and coverageBill Wilson is director of the Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University
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
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
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
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
10
Help Wanted
309 Portland Street St Johnsbury VT 802-748-5224
CSRProducer Our family owned and operated agency takes the time to get to knowour customers helping them identify risks and recommending the in-surance solutions that best fit their needs We offer local service and arecommitted to our community Currently we seek a highly motivated in-dividual that desires a career opportunity Would you like to help usmaintain and grow our business Do you have your property and casualtylicense and sales experience with a proven track record of exceedinggoals In addition can you connect with people establishing rapport andbuilding relationships that help round our book of businessCore Job Duties Include (but are not limited to)bull Provide excellent customer service bull Prospect and generate new business through leads and referrals
soliciting and quoting new business bull Set appointments to meet with clients and prospectsbull Review renewal business and conduct appropriate follow-up bull Build relationships with existing customersbull Proactively identify and act on cross-sell opportunitiesbull Perform risk analysis and underwriting bull Monitor claims activity for profitability purposesbull Determine new business marketing focus based on research and
analysis of competitive areas in local market bull Diffuse difficult and complex customer interactions
Must be able tobull Meet performance goalsbull Understand complex product billing underwriting
and processing guidelinesbull Understand and make decisions based on whatrsquos best for
agencyrsquos profitability and growthbull Multi-taskbull Continually pursue development of personal and business skillsbull Accept feedback
Must have the following skills and experiencebull Outstanding written and verbal communication skillsbull Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel Word Outlook etc)
and general computingbull Previous customer service experience
Please submit resumeacutes to us atapplythebarrettagencycom
Seeking Turn Off Texting Demo Presenter With Truck Central amp Northern VT
The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central amp Northern VT ldquoTurn Off Textingrdquo driving safety program our second presenter position for this popular program Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule comfortable working with adolescents and teachers have good communication skills and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl minimum) to tow a trailer Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement Send a resume and information about schedule availability to infoyscvtorg
JAMES LOCKRIDGE | Executive Director Youth Safety Council of Vermont
(802) 881-9050 | wwwYSCVTorg
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
Please visit our web site at wwwinsurbanccom or contact one of our leasing professionals at 8009570858
But donrsquot take it from us Listen to your peersAgents Express Leasing is an effective solution to manage your clients needs with todayrsquos best equipment technology Jay Byrnes of Byrnes Agency experienced how
easy our leasing solution is for his agency
ldquoAs a longtime member of the ldquoBig Irdquo I always knew of InsurBanc and their commitment to the independent insurance agent Recently we wanted to update the agency with a new computer network and desktops so I turned to InsurBanc for leasing options
From start to finish I experienced firsthand how seamless it was to conduct business with them We have a 35 person agency so to update everyonersquos computers was a decent size upgrade InsurBanc made the process very easy and offered attractive terms and competitive rates which helped to manage the agencyrsquos cash flowrdquo ndash Jay Byrnes ~ Byrnes Agency
How it worksbull Lease terms are 24 36 48 or 60 months with a minimum transaction of $5000bull You are looking for 100 equipment financing including certain soft costs such as software
shipping installation and maintenancebull No down payments or advance payments are requiredbull Monthly payments can be customized to meet your special business needs
bull You are looking for potential tax benefits associated with equipment financing
We invite you to see for yourself Contact us today for help preserving your cash flow with an equipment lease solution
13INR052 713
These materials are for informational purposes only The availability of any financing described herein is subject to approval of applicantrsquos credit the equipment supplier and the equipment Soft costs are limited to 20 of the total amount financed Nothing herein constitutes tax advice and customers are advised to consult with their own tax advisors prior to electing specific rates or options
Agentsrsquo Express leasing is a program of De Lage Landen Financial Services Inc a third party not affiliated with InsurBanc a Division of Connecticut Community Bank NA
Leasing A Seamless Customer Experience
Member FDIC
What the Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Means for P-C Insurance
by Bill Wilson On June 26 in Obergefell v Hodges the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in a 5-4 decisionWhat does the ruling mean for you and your customers And what are the property-casualty coverage implicationsAs always you need to review the specific policy in question to determine how it addresses terms like ldquomarriagerdquo ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquo If itrsquos not an ISO form hopefully the underwriting carrier has considered the implications and can provide guidanceBut for ISO forms herersquos what you should keep in mind in the aftermath of the Supreme Court rulingISO Personal Auto Policy (PAP)The words ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 141 times in the 13 pages of the 2015 edition of the ISO PAP ISO defines these terms to mean the named insured on the Declarations and even if not named the spouse if a resident of the same household The term ldquospouserdquo appears in the policy seven times and although it is undefined in the insurance contract the highest court in the land has established that same-sex couples qualify as ldquospousesrdquo and are therefore entitled to the insured status of ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquomdasheven if not specifically named on the policyAs always it is advisable to name both spouses ldquoYourdquo has rights under the policy no other insured has including the right to request changes cancel coverage receive return premiums and more so who is a ldquoyourdquo is critically importantThe ISO PAP also uses the term ldquofamily memberrdquo 26 times which refers to a person related to ldquoyourdquo by blood marriage or adoption who is a resident of your household including ward or foster children This is significant because after ldquoyourdquo ldquofamily membersrdquo enjoy the ldquosecond bestrdquo coverage in the policy So the child of an unnamed same-sex spouse
residing in the household now has ldquofamily memberrdquo status when it comes to coverageISO has too many PAP endorsements to analyze for an article of this type But a good example of the impact of the ruling on PAP endorsements is the PP 03 34 ndash Joint Ownership Coverage endorsementmdasha form that can cover the exposures of jointly owned vehicles between 1) individuals ldquoother than husband and wiferdquo residing in the same household or 2) non-resident relatives ISO will likely revise the ldquohusband and wiferdquo language in its upcoming countrywide PAP filing since ldquomarriagerdquo is no longer delineated by opposing genders Presumably this endorsement will no longer be necessary for same-sex couples living together if legally married but how ISO plans to address this issue in this and other coverage forms remains to be seenFrom a rating standpoint policies issued to same-sex married couples may offer some advantages But that could depend on other issues that will vary from one couple to the next such as driving records and credit scores so itrsquos impossible to predict the rating impact of this change As outlined in many Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University articles insuring all resident family members under one policy is almost always better from a coverage standpointISO Homeowners PoliciesUsing the most common policy the 24-page ISO HO 00 03 05 11 (HO-3) as the model HO form the terms ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 114 times and mean the same thing they do in ISOrsquos PAP The word ldquospouserdquo appears twice once in the ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo definitions and again under the ldquoDeathrdquo condition Disregarding any impact on HO endorsements the ruling should have little impact on HO coverage Expect the ruling to create a larger issue regarding eligibility and ratingCommercial LinesISOrsquos primary CGL policy makes four references to a ldquospouserdquo The first is in the
Employerrsquos Liability exclusion which applies to business interruption to the spouse of an employee as a consequence of BI to that employee This exclusion would now apply to a same-sex marriage partner where it presumably did not prior to the Courtrsquos ruling though establishing a basis for coverage otherwise might have been difficult anyway The remaining three ldquospouserdquo references appear in the ldquoWho Is An Insuredrdquo section where the spouse of a sole proprietor partner or joint venture member has automatic coverage for claims arising from their conduct on behalf of the business This would be an expansion of coverage for same-sex spousesISOrsquos Business Auto Policy (BAP) also includes a reference to ldquospouserdquo in the Employerrsquos Liability exclusion on the same basis as the CGL policy In addition the ldquoFellow Employeerdquo exclusion for consequential losses includes mention of a ldquospouserdquo The result of these two
references A same-sex spouse would clearly not have coverage for an exposure they would have had coverage for before if there was a basis for recovery under the policy This change may affect a number of BAP endorsements from UM and PIP to other forms such as the CA 99 10 ndash Drive Other Car Coverage and CA 99 17 ndash Individual Named Insured endorsements The changes to these forms are similar to ISOrsquos PAP changes with regard to references to ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquoThese are just a few examples of how the Supreme Court ruling may impact p-c coverages Once again it is important to review each policy form on its own merits and discuss any issues with the carrier regarding eligibility rating and coverageBill Wilson is director of the Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University
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
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
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
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
10
Help Wanted
309 Portland Street St Johnsbury VT 802-748-5224
CSRProducer Our family owned and operated agency takes the time to get to knowour customers helping them identify risks and recommending the in-surance solutions that best fit their needs We offer local service and arecommitted to our community Currently we seek a highly motivated in-dividual that desires a career opportunity Would you like to help usmaintain and grow our business Do you have your property and casualtylicense and sales experience with a proven track record of exceedinggoals In addition can you connect with people establishing rapport andbuilding relationships that help round our book of businessCore Job Duties Include (but are not limited to)bull Provide excellent customer service bull Prospect and generate new business through leads and referrals
soliciting and quoting new business bull Set appointments to meet with clients and prospectsbull Review renewal business and conduct appropriate follow-up bull Build relationships with existing customersbull Proactively identify and act on cross-sell opportunitiesbull Perform risk analysis and underwriting bull Monitor claims activity for profitability purposesbull Determine new business marketing focus based on research and
analysis of competitive areas in local market bull Diffuse difficult and complex customer interactions
Must be able tobull Meet performance goalsbull Understand complex product billing underwriting
and processing guidelinesbull Understand and make decisions based on whatrsquos best for
agencyrsquos profitability and growthbull Multi-taskbull Continually pursue development of personal and business skillsbull Accept feedback
Must have the following skills and experiencebull Outstanding written and verbal communication skillsbull Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel Word Outlook etc)
and general computingbull Previous customer service experience
Please submit resumeacutes to us atapplythebarrettagencycom
Seeking Turn Off Texting Demo Presenter With Truck Central amp Northern VT
The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central amp Northern VT ldquoTurn Off Textingrdquo driving safety program our second presenter position for this popular program Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule comfortable working with adolescents and teachers have good communication skills and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl minimum) to tow a trailer Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement Send a resume and information about schedule availability to infoyscvtorg
JAMES LOCKRIDGE | Executive Director Youth Safety Council of Vermont
(802) 881-9050 | wwwYSCVTorg
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
What the Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Means for P-C Insurance
by Bill Wilson On June 26 in Obergefell v Hodges the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in a 5-4 decisionWhat does the ruling mean for you and your customers And what are the property-casualty coverage implicationsAs always you need to review the specific policy in question to determine how it addresses terms like ldquomarriagerdquo ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquo If itrsquos not an ISO form hopefully the underwriting carrier has considered the implications and can provide guidanceBut for ISO forms herersquos what you should keep in mind in the aftermath of the Supreme Court rulingISO Personal Auto Policy (PAP)The words ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 141 times in the 13 pages of the 2015 edition of the ISO PAP ISO defines these terms to mean the named insured on the Declarations and even if not named the spouse if a resident of the same household The term ldquospouserdquo appears in the policy seven times and although it is undefined in the insurance contract the highest court in the land has established that same-sex couples qualify as ldquospousesrdquo and are therefore entitled to the insured status of ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquomdasheven if not specifically named on the policyAs always it is advisable to name both spouses ldquoYourdquo has rights under the policy no other insured has including the right to request changes cancel coverage receive return premiums and more so who is a ldquoyourdquo is critically importantThe ISO PAP also uses the term ldquofamily memberrdquo 26 times which refers to a person related to ldquoyourdquo by blood marriage or adoption who is a resident of your household including ward or foster children This is significant because after ldquoyourdquo ldquofamily membersrdquo enjoy the ldquosecond bestrdquo coverage in the policy So the child of an unnamed same-sex spouse
residing in the household now has ldquofamily memberrdquo status when it comes to coverageISO has too many PAP endorsements to analyze for an article of this type But a good example of the impact of the ruling on PAP endorsements is the PP 03 34 ndash Joint Ownership Coverage endorsementmdasha form that can cover the exposures of jointly owned vehicles between 1) individuals ldquoother than husband and wiferdquo residing in the same household or 2) non-resident relatives ISO will likely revise the ldquohusband and wiferdquo language in its upcoming countrywide PAP filing since ldquomarriagerdquo is no longer delineated by opposing genders Presumably this endorsement will no longer be necessary for same-sex couples living together if legally married but how ISO plans to address this issue in this and other coverage forms remains to be seenFrom a rating standpoint policies issued to same-sex married couples may offer some advantages But that could depend on other issues that will vary from one couple to the next such as driving records and credit scores so itrsquos impossible to predict the rating impact of this change As outlined in many Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University articles insuring all resident family members under one policy is almost always better from a coverage standpointISO Homeowners PoliciesUsing the most common policy the 24-page ISO HO 00 03 05 11 (HO-3) as the model HO form the terms ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo appear 114 times and mean the same thing they do in ISOrsquos PAP The word ldquospouserdquo appears twice once in the ldquoyourdquo and ldquoyourrdquo definitions and again under the ldquoDeathrdquo condition Disregarding any impact on HO endorsements the ruling should have little impact on HO coverage Expect the ruling to create a larger issue regarding eligibility and ratingCommercial LinesISOrsquos primary CGL policy makes four references to a ldquospouserdquo The first is in the
Employerrsquos Liability exclusion which applies to business interruption to the spouse of an employee as a consequence of BI to that employee This exclusion would now apply to a same-sex marriage partner where it presumably did not prior to the Courtrsquos ruling though establishing a basis for coverage otherwise might have been difficult anyway The remaining three ldquospouserdquo references appear in the ldquoWho Is An Insuredrdquo section where the spouse of a sole proprietor partner or joint venture member has automatic coverage for claims arising from their conduct on behalf of the business This would be an expansion of coverage for same-sex spousesISOrsquos Business Auto Policy (BAP) also includes a reference to ldquospouserdquo in the Employerrsquos Liability exclusion on the same basis as the CGL policy In addition the ldquoFellow Employeerdquo exclusion for consequential losses includes mention of a ldquospouserdquo The result of these two
references A same-sex spouse would clearly not have coverage for an exposure they would have had coverage for before if there was a basis for recovery under the policy This change may affect a number of BAP endorsements from UM and PIP to other forms such as the CA 99 10 ndash Drive Other Car Coverage and CA 99 17 ndash Individual Named Insured endorsements The changes to these forms are similar to ISOrsquos PAP changes with regard to references to ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquoThese are just a few examples of how the Supreme Court ruling may impact p-c coverages Once again it is important to review each policy form on its own merits and discuss any issues with the carrier regarding eligibility rating and coverageBill Wilson is director of the Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University
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
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
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
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
10
Help Wanted
309 Portland Street St Johnsbury VT 802-748-5224
CSRProducer Our family owned and operated agency takes the time to get to knowour customers helping them identify risks and recommending the in-surance solutions that best fit their needs We offer local service and arecommitted to our community Currently we seek a highly motivated in-dividual that desires a career opportunity Would you like to help usmaintain and grow our business Do you have your property and casualtylicense and sales experience with a proven track record of exceedinggoals In addition can you connect with people establishing rapport andbuilding relationships that help round our book of businessCore Job Duties Include (but are not limited to)bull Provide excellent customer service bull Prospect and generate new business through leads and referrals
soliciting and quoting new business bull Set appointments to meet with clients and prospectsbull Review renewal business and conduct appropriate follow-up bull Build relationships with existing customersbull Proactively identify and act on cross-sell opportunitiesbull Perform risk analysis and underwriting bull Monitor claims activity for profitability purposesbull Determine new business marketing focus based on research and
analysis of competitive areas in local market bull Diffuse difficult and complex customer interactions
Must be able tobull Meet performance goalsbull Understand complex product billing underwriting
and processing guidelinesbull Understand and make decisions based on whatrsquos best for
agencyrsquos profitability and growthbull Multi-taskbull Continually pursue development of personal and business skillsbull Accept feedback
Must have the following skills and experiencebull Outstanding written and verbal communication skillsbull Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel Word Outlook etc)
and general computingbull Previous customer service experience
Please submit resumeacutes to us atapplythebarrettagencycom
Seeking Turn Off Texting Demo Presenter With Truck Central amp Northern VT
The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central amp Northern VT ldquoTurn Off Textingrdquo driving safety program our second presenter position for this popular program Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule comfortable working with adolescents and teachers have good communication skills and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl minimum) to tow a trailer Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement Send a resume and information about schedule availability to infoyscvtorg
JAMES LOCKRIDGE | Executive Director Youth Safety Council of Vermont
(802) 881-9050 | wwwYSCVTorg
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
Employerrsquos Liability exclusion which applies to business interruption to the spouse of an employee as a consequence of BI to that employee This exclusion would now apply to a same-sex marriage partner where it presumably did not prior to the Courtrsquos ruling though establishing a basis for coverage otherwise might have been difficult anyway The remaining three ldquospouserdquo references appear in the ldquoWho Is An Insuredrdquo section where the spouse of a sole proprietor partner or joint venture member has automatic coverage for claims arising from their conduct on behalf of the business This would be an expansion of coverage for same-sex spousesISOrsquos Business Auto Policy (BAP) also includes a reference to ldquospouserdquo in the Employerrsquos Liability exclusion on the same basis as the CGL policy In addition the ldquoFellow Employeerdquo exclusion for consequential losses includes mention of a ldquospouserdquo The result of these two
references A same-sex spouse would clearly not have coverage for an exposure they would have had coverage for before if there was a basis for recovery under the policy This change may affect a number of BAP endorsements from UM and PIP to other forms such as the CA 99 10 ndash Drive Other Car Coverage and CA 99 17 ndash Individual Named Insured endorsements The changes to these forms are similar to ISOrsquos PAP changes with regard to references to ldquospouserdquo and ldquofamily memberrdquoThese are just a few examples of how the Supreme Court ruling may impact p-c coverages Once again it is important to review each policy form on its own merits and discuss any issues with the carrier regarding eligibility rating and coverageBill Wilson is director of the Big ldquoIrdquo Virtual University
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
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
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
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
10
Help Wanted
309 Portland Street St Johnsbury VT 802-748-5224
CSRProducer Our family owned and operated agency takes the time to get to knowour customers helping them identify risks and recommending the in-surance solutions that best fit their needs We offer local service and arecommitted to our community Currently we seek a highly motivated in-dividual that desires a career opportunity Would you like to help usmaintain and grow our business Do you have your property and casualtylicense and sales experience with a proven track record of exceedinggoals In addition can you connect with people establishing rapport andbuilding relationships that help round our book of businessCore Job Duties Include (but are not limited to)bull Provide excellent customer service bull Prospect and generate new business through leads and referrals
soliciting and quoting new business bull Set appointments to meet with clients and prospectsbull Review renewal business and conduct appropriate follow-up bull Build relationships with existing customersbull Proactively identify and act on cross-sell opportunitiesbull Perform risk analysis and underwriting bull Monitor claims activity for profitability purposesbull Determine new business marketing focus based on research and
analysis of competitive areas in local market bull Diffuse difficult and complex customer interactions
Must be able tobull Meet performance goalsbull Understand complex product billing underwriting
and processing guidelinesbull Understand and make decisions based on whatrsquos best for
agencyrsquos profitability and growthbull Multi-taskbull Continually pursue development of personal and business skillsbull Accept feedback
Must have the following skills and experiencebull Outstanding written and verbal communication skillsbull Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel Word Outlook etc)
and general computingbull Previous customer service experience
Please submit resumeacutes to us atapplythebarrettagencycom
Seeking Turn Off Texting Demo Presenter With Truck Central amp Northern VT
The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central amp Northern VT ldquoTurn Off Textingrdquo driving safety program our second presenter position for this popular program Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule comfortable working with adolescents and teachers have good communication skills and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl minimum) to tow a trailer Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement Send a resume and information about schedule availability to infoyscvtorg
JAMES LOCKRIDGE | Executive Director Youth Safety Council of Vermont
(802) 881-9050 | wwwYSCVTorg
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
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
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
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
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
10
Help Wanted
309 Portland Street St Johnsbury VT 802-748-5224
CSRProducer Our family owned and operated agency takes the time to get to knowour customers helping them identify risks and recommending the in-surance solutions that best fit their needs We offer local service and arecommitted to our community Currently we seek a highly motivated in-dividual that desires a career opportunity Would you like to help usmaintain and grow our business Do you have your property and casualtylicense and sales experience with a proven track record of exceedinggoals In addition can you connect with people establishing rapport andbuilding relationships that help round our book of businessCore Job Duties Include (but are not limited to)bull Provide excellent customer service bull Prospect and generate new business through leads and referrals
soliciting and quoting new business bull Set appointments to meet with clients and prospectsbull Review renewal business and conduct appropriate follow-up bull Build relationships with existing customersbull Proactively identify and act on cross-sell opportunitiesbull Perform risk analysis and underwriting bull Monitor claims activity for profitability purposesbull Determine new business marketing focus based on research and
analysis of competitive areas in local market bull Diffuse difficult and complex customer interactions
Must be able tobull Meet performance goalsbull Understand complex product billing underwriting
and processing guidelinesbull Understand and make decisions based on whatrsquos best for
agencyrsquos profitability and growthbull Multi-taskbull Continually pursue development of personal and business skillsbull Accept feedback
Must have the following skills and experiencebull Outstanding written and verbal communication skillsbull Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel Word Outlook etc)
and general computingbull Previous customer service experience
Please submit resumeacutes to us atapplythebarrettagencycom
Seeking Turn Off Texting Demo Presenter With Truck Central amp Northern VT
The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central amp Northern VT ldquoTurn Off Textingrdquo driving safety program our second presenter position for this popular program Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule comfortable working with adolescents and teachers have good communication skills and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl minimum) to tow a trailer Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement Send a resume and information about schedule availability to infoyscvtorg
JAMES LOCKRIDGE | Executive Director Youth Safety Council of Vermont
(802) 881-9050 | wwwYSCVTorg
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
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
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
10
Help Wanted
309 Portland Street St Johnsbury VT 802-748-5224
CSRProducer Our family owned and operated agency takes the time to get to knowour customers helping them identify risks and recommending the in-surance solutions that best fit their needs We offer local service and arecommitted to our community Currently we seek a highly motivated in-dividual that desires a career opportunity Would you like to help usmaintain and grow our business Do you have your property and casualtylicense and sales experience with a proven track record of exceedinggoals In addition can you connect with people establishing rapport andbuilding relationships that help round our book of businessCore Job Duties Include (but are not limited to)bull Provide excellent customer service bull Prospect and generate new business through leads and referrals
soliciting and quoting new business bull Set appointments to meet with clients and prospectsbull Review renewal business and conduct appropriate follow-up bull Build relationships with existing customersbull Proactively identify and act on cross-sell opportunitiesbull Perform risk analysis and underwriting bull Monitor claims activity for profitability purposesbull Determine new business marketing focus based on research and
analysis of competitive areas in local market bull Diffuse difficult and complex customer interactions
Must be able tobull Meet performance goalsbull Understand complex product billing underwriting
and processing guidelinesbull Understand and make decisions based on whatrsquos best for
agencyrsquos profitability and growthbull Multi-taskbull Continually pursue development of personal and business skillsbull Accept feedback
Must have the following skills and experiencebull Outstanding written and verbal communication skillsbull Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel Word Outlook etc)
and general computingbull Previous customer service experience
Please submit resumeacutes to us atapplythebarrettagencycom
Seeking Turn Off Texting Demo Presenter With Truck Central amp Northern VT
The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central amp Northern VT ldquoTurn Off Textingrdquo driving safety program our second presenter position for this popular program Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule comfortable working with adolescents and teachers have good communication skills and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl minimum) to tow a trailer Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement Send a resume and information about schedule availability to infoyscvtorg
JAMES LOCKRIDGE | Executive Director Youth Safety Council of Vermont
(802) 881-9050 | wwwYSCVTorg
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
10
Help Wanted
309 Portland Street St Johnsbury VT 802-748-5224
CSRProducer Our family owned and operated agency takes the time to get to knowour customers helping them identify risks and recommending the in-surance solutions that best fit their needs We offer local service and arecommitted to our community Currently we seek a highly motivated in-dividual that desires a career opportunity Would you like to help usmaintain and grow our business Do you have your property and casualtylicense and sales experience with a proven track record of exceedinggoals In addition can you connect with people establishing rapport andbuilding relationships that help round our book of businessCore Job Duties Include (but are not limited to)bull Provide excellent customer service bull Prospect and generate new business through leads and referrals
soliciting and quoting new business bull Set appointments to meet with clients and prospectsbull Review renewal business and conduct appropriate follow-up bull Build relationships with existing customersbull Proactively identify and act on cross-sell opportunitiesbull Perform risk analysis and underwriting bull Monitor claims activity for profitability purposesbull Determine new business marketing focus based on research and
analysis of competitive areas in local market bull Diffuse difficult and complex customer interactions
Must be able tobull Meet performance goalsbull Understand complex product billing underwriting
and processing guidelinesbull Understand and make decisions based on whatrsquos best for
agencyrsquos profitability and growthbull Multi-taskbull Continually pursue development of personal and business skillsbull Accept feedback
Must have the following skills and experiencebull Outstanding written and verbal communication skillsbull Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel Word Outlook etc)
and general computingbull Previous customer service experience
Please submit resumeacutes to us atapplythebarrettagencycom
Seeking Turn Off Texting Demo Presenter With Truck Central amp Northern VT
The Youth Safety Council of Vermont seeks a teen-savvy presenter with a good driving record for its Central amp Northern VT ldquoTurn Off Textingrdquo driving safety program our second presenter position for this popular program Part time seasonal position with varied hours requires daily travel Qualified candidates will be ok with a flexible schedule comfortable working with adolescents and teachers have good communication skills and be willing to travel within Vermont using their own vehicle (6 cyl minimum) to tow a trailer Compensation includes an hourly wage and mileage reimbursement Send a resume and information about schedule availability to infoyscvtorg
JAMES LOCKRIDGE | Executive Director Youth Safety Council of Vermont
(802) 881-9050 | wwwYSCVTorg
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
Join VIAA YACs at the Make a Wish Walk
VIAA and Trusted Choice are again a major sponsor of this yearrsquos Walk for Wishes which will be held on September 13th 2015 in Shelburne We are looking to increase industry participation this year We are again encouraging all VIAA members and the insurance industry to join us in this fun event Please mark your calendar and watch for more details
from VIAArsquos Young Agent Committee-the organizers of our industryrsquos effortHere are different ways you and your company can participatebull Form a team of walkers bull Give a contribution on behalf of a walker bull Spread the word around the industry about the eventMake a Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses For more information contact VIAA YAC Dan Rodliff at 802-448-7157
VERMONT
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier VT Ethan Allen Room 1130 am ndash 130 pm
Annual Meeting Notice
SEPTEMBER 10 2015
The products you need
247 claims
Best in class quote and issue platform
BEST OF A NATIONAL
uumluumluuml
Local relationships
Local claims staff
100 dedicated underwriter
BEST OF A REGIONAL
uumluumluuml
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED From auto home and umbrellato watercraft classic car and moreSafecoreg has the products yourcustomers need most
Safeco Insurance with a principal place of business in Boston Massachusetts copy 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
Interested in becoming a Safeco agent Reach out to our VT Territory Manager Deb Bissell at DeborahBissellSafecocom for more information
Vermont Insurance Agents Associationsm
Ladies and GentlemenThis letter serves as notice of the Vermont Insurance Agents Association Annual MeetingThe primary agenda of the meeting is to adopt revised by-laws to reduce the size of the VIAA board of directors and also to allow VIAA to operate as a non-profit entity and dissolve VIAS along with the election of new officers This agenda andor topics listed here are subject to changeI look forward to seeing you in MontpelierSincerely
Michael T Walsh VIAA President
Register online at
viaaorgannual-meeting
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
Maximize your InvestmentIn the 2015 Trusted Choice CampaignIncrease your ad dollars by 150No other advertising campaign delivers more value
GOLD SPONSOR $5000
Targeted Cable TV Ads 230
Ads on WCAX 35
Total Value $15000
SILVER SPONSOR $2500
Targeted Cable TV Ads 115
Ads on WCAX 16
Total Value $6500
TARGETED 2015 PLACEMENTS AND BUDGET SPEND$
- TV AD DESIGN
2015 TRUSTED CHOICE TOTAL STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN
Total TV Placements 3296
Total spots 2875
TV Placement
In Every Community
l Your own Trusted Choice high definition TV commercial
l Gold sponsors receive customized footage including an on-camera appearance and agency customers featured - all taped on location
l Silver sponsors receive an on-camera appearance taped at VIAA at NO COST (Customized footage taped on location is available at $350 per agent)
l Production begins in late Spring
Total spots 421
The number of ad placements may vary depending on total agent participation Ad placement was based on company contributions plus 7 agents participating at the Gold $5000 level and 11 agents participating at the Silver $2500 level
Sponsored By
OVER 15 MILLION TOTAL OVERALL CAMPAIGN IMPRESSIONS
Your ads will run between June and November on WCAX during local news national morning shows and weekend news and during the Red Sox and other top cable programming
For more information contact Mary Eversole at 8022295884 or meversoleviaaorg
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
CONVENTION REGISTRATIONJoin us September 24 amp 25 2015 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in Burlington Vermont for the 109th Annual Convention
VIAArsquos largest and most anticipated event of the year is our Annual Convention Approximately 400 member agents Young Agents and company representatives join together to network and acquire new knowledge about the industry Wersquove changed the format this year to include more time for networking and socializing Local and national exhibitors will be in attendance to provide updates on their latest products and educate attendees The Young Agents are taking over the entertainment and will host Young Agents Casino Night
The Annual Convention this year includes informative CE sessions presented by David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo and a golf tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne on Friday This yearrsquos event will be better than ever so mark your calendar reserve your rooms register online and get ready to have fun Remember CSRs attend for free
For questions call (802) 865-5202 or email infodelaneymeetingeventcom
Visit wwwviaaorg for program updates and to register online
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCEThursday September 24
830 AM Registration
900 AM - 400 PM Continuing Education Classes
400 PM - 700 PM Trade Show
500 PM - 700 PM Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
700 PM - 1000 PM Vermont Young Agents Casino Night
Friday September 25
800 AM - 900 AM Friday Breakfast
1000 AM - 300 PM Annual Golf Tournament at Kwiniaska Golf Club
LOCATION amp LODGING
Overnight accommodations are available at the Hilton Burlington Hotel to conference participants at a discounted rate of $199night for September 23 2015 through September 26 2015 The special room rate will be available until August 24th or until the group block is sold-out whichever comes first Visit httpbitly1e2QqYO to make your reservation online
Hilton Burlington60 Battery StreetBurlington VT 05401(802) 658-6500 wwwhiltonburlingtoncom
REGISTRATION OPTIONSThursday September 24 MEMBER NON-MEMBER
FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
$150 $175
CSRs FULL CONVENTION REGISTRATIONIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception Young Agents Casino Night and Friday Breakfast
Free
Continuing Education Classes ONLYIncludes Continuing Education Classes amp Lunch
bull 900 AM - Noon EampO (3CEUs)bull 100 PM - 400 PM Ethics (3 CEUs)bull Both EampO and Ethics
$35$35$65
$50$50$80
OPENING NIGHT ONLYIncludes Trade Show Presidentrsquos Opening Reception and Young Agents Casino Night
$110 $125
PRESIDENTrsquoS RECEPTION ONLYIncludes Presidentrsquos Opening Reception
$75 $95
Friday September 25 INDIVIDUAL FOURSOME
Golf Tournament - Kwiniaska Golf Club Shelburne VT $180 $720
NEW THIS YEAR YOUNG AGENTS CASINO NIGHT
After the Presidentrsquos Reception on Thursday evening the first annual Vermont Young Agents Casino Night will take place from 700 PM ndash 1000 PM Each attendee will receive $500 in poker chips to play Texas Hold rsquoem Roulette Craps 5-Card Stud and more There will also be prize drawings every 15 minutes cash cube photo booth as well as food and drink Grand prizes will be awarded at 930 PM
CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations made by September 18th will be issued a refund of 50 of your total registration fee No refunds will be given for cancellations received after September 18th All cancellations or changes must be made in the registration system ldquoNo showsrdquo will not receive a refund
CONTINUING EDUCATION EampO AND ETHICS WITH
DAVID WALKER CHAIR BIG ldquoIrdquo
Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn from the ldquoTop Dogrdquo of the independent agents David Walker Chair of the Big ldquoIrdquo Start the morning with an eye-opening EampO course and after lunch learn how ethics and leadership go hand in hand Each course is 3 CEUs for the State of Vermont
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Register online at httpwwwcventcomd3rqdd74W
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
16
Bringing It All Back How social media email marketing and video can bring people back to your website
Whether you already have made the investment in a new website or if yoursquore planning to do so in the near future you also need to be thinking about how you will drive people to your site for new business Designing a dynamic website is only one aspect of building an effective online presence Once a website is built it needs to be found by current and new customers To ensure that your website is found make sure that best practices for search engine optimization have been applied to your site This includes proper page encoding (META tags) and utilizing meta keywords and meta descriptions It also involves creating unique accurate title tags for each page and unique keywords and descriptions for each page on a website Also you need to make sure all the review sites have accurate information about your company It is equally important to analyze all the review sites to ensure that your company name is listed consistently and your hours of operation are accurate If you have not done so already make sure you set up a Google places page and take the time to add picturesNow that your website is completely updated it is time to bring in the customers Here are a few ways to draw new customers in and current customers backSocial Media amp Blogging We recommend that you engage in proactive social media primarily with Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter In addition to the central benefits of reaching new customers social networking and blogging is instrumental to the search engine optimization of a website We also recommend that you incorporate a blog into your website and write content based on what you believe new customers will be searching for about your company
The blog will be the anchor for all new postings that you will promote through social media and email marketing You can write short articles (150-250 words) on such topics as ldquoThe best reasons why you should combine home and auto insurancerdquo ldquoWhat every adult should understand about life insurancerdquo and ldquoWhy you shouldnrsquot go out the door without an umbrellardquo Every time you write a new article you should promote it using your Social Media handlesldquoYou probably already have heard why you should combine your home and auto insurance but take a moment to read this brief article about the real benefits you will see including saving up to 20 on your premiums wwwYourwebsitepagenewsEmail Marketing Regular communications through email marketing serves as an excellent retention tool to keep your current clients informed since information is sent immediately when it becomes available You can develop multiple eblasts per year and distribute them through an electronic communications platform with professional customized layouts to promote your message An e-newsletter should have no more than two to three topics in it and should be able to fit onto one screen To accomplish this you want to only include the first paragraph of your article in the e-newsletter with a ldquoread morerdquo feature that takes viewers to the full article on your website The object is to have your customer read the article about adding new coverage such as an umbrella policy and then hit the quote button on your website or pick up the phone and call you You also want to review the statistics of your email marketing campaigns You can see who clicked on the ldquoread morerdquo feature and direct a producer to follow-up with your client If your client took the time to read the article on the subject
Marketing Strategies with John Houle
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
he or she may be interested in hearing more details directly from you or one of your agentsAdding videoYou can take both your social media and email marketing to an even higher level when you start including short one-minute videos about insurance topics and place them on related pages on your website Now instead of saying read this short article when you post through social media you can say ldquoWatch this short video in which our agency principal talks about why you shouldnrsquot always go with the cheapest price for your auto insurancerdquo You also can incorporate a screen shot of the video and a link to your page and send it out through your eblast In your e-newsletter you can direct people to read an article but also watch a video making your communication to them even more dynamic Just like with your blog you want to house all the videos on your website as well as placing them on YouTube
The main goal is to continuously drive people back to your website and company so you can service them better
John Houle is the president of JH Communications and can be reached at 4018316123 or at johnjhcomnet
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
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
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
Better yet we offer a 10 discount on BOP for our existing workersrsquo compensation policyholders An umbrella policy is also available with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products
For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust please call 8775287878 or visit wwwamtrustnorthamericacom
Meet Stu from AmTrust Stu has some ldquostupendousrdquo ways to save your policyholders money
Smartphone usersTo quickly request a quote or visit our website please scan this QR code with your QR code reader app
Your Success is Our Policyreg
AmTrust North AmericaAn AmTrust Financial CompanyAM Best rating of ldquoArdquo
(Excellent) FSC X
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
19
The Biggest Issues I See in Sales Organizations
While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90 of failuresThe Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales OrganizationsIssue 1 No solid hiring processA solid sales organization starts with solid people Having solid people starts with having a solid hiring process Look salespeople interview well Thatrsquos their job One person I know had 6 jobs in 12 months He was completely inept so he only lasted a short period of time in one case 3 hours but he was good at selling on the interview Okay thatrsquos extreme the point being you need a step-by-step process that begins with the basics but then moves people out of the traditional interview process to find out who yoursquore really dealing with The best hiring process is one that includes activities which identify transparency competitiveness honesty and attitude Once you have your step-by-step non-traditional process in place donrsquot skip steps No matter how good someone looks or who theyrsquore related to make sure they are interviewed by all the key people and are made to jump through all the hoops required for proper qualification Remember the first part of the number one rule of hiring hire slowlyIssue 2 A lack of accountabilityItrsquos critical that standards are set and people are held accountable The biggest issue I see in ALL organizations not just sales organizations is a lack of accountability where people are allowed to slack off not do whatrsquos expected of them and still keep their job with no consequences Salespeople need to know whatrsquos expected and then follow through with those expectations The longest the wrong person should be with you is 180 days although yoursquoll probably know you have the wrong person in a week or two
Irsquove seen salespeople allowed to stay on for years when they werenrsquot doing the job almost from day one Yoursquore not running a charity and yoursquore not doing anyone any favors by keeping them around In fact yoursquore killing morale and the office atmosphere Remember the second half of the number one rule of hiring fire quicklyIssue 3 A lack of sales trainingMost companies spend far too much time on training other than sales training While product and other technical training is good and necessary the most important activity of a salesperson is to sell thus the most important training they get is sales training They have to be able to do the most difficult sales tasks well namely they have to be able to hit the streets and cold call and sell to strangers There should be an onboarding process for new salespeople and a large component of that process should be how to sell Each organization also needs to have a proven sales process in place This is a step-by-step system which includes all the key aspects of selling from identifying prospects to contacting them to presenting to closing to following up to account development and relationship building The goal is for each salesperson to have all answers to objections questions and everything else that can come up in a customer or prospect meeting scripted and committed to memory They should be role-playing with each other and even with friends and family members so they are always prepared When you can wake a salesperson up at 3 am and they can answer any question or objection they are ready to go That said donrsquot let salespeople sit in the office during prime-calling times practicing scripts because they donrsquot have them down yet Thatrsquos just an excuse not to go out and do the hard work Sales training also needs to be continuous Sales managers need to be testing salespeople
Sales Success with John Chapin
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
20
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
by role-playing with them and asking them questions and giving them objections throughout the day They should also be going on calls with them Sales meetings need to be focused on sales education and training In sales meetings you should be talking about competition building value and other items that improve sales skills Sales meetings are not for looking at charts and eating donutsSalespeople also need to be doing their own training They should be attending seminars reading books listening to and watching programs and videos and they should have their own educational library While the company has to have the training systems and processes in place salespeople also need to take responsibility for their personal and professional developmentIssue 4 Negative attitudes are allowedWhen I mention negative attitudes Irsquom not only referring to those of the salespeople Many times itrsquos the support people who cop an attitude or act as if theyrsquore more important or better than everyone else You either have to change these people quickly not likely or move them out quickly more likely They say one negative person affects six others but itrsquos worse than that Negative people and attitudes will drag your company down faster than almost anything else Issue 5 A bad product or lack of support A company and its sales team are only as good as the service support and product that the company turns out If a company turns out a bad product thatrsquos obviously a problem That said in my experience itrsquos usually not the product but rather the support and service that are
the problem Itrsquos simple if something does not get installed or implemented on time or if customers are not responded to and issues are not addressed on a timely basis success is usually short lived Itrsquos imperative that your support group is super-responsive knowledgeable and has a great attitude Serving the customer must be the number one priority
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
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
Insurance Agency
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
ldquo
rdquo
Sign up now at wwwtrustedchoicecomfor-agents
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
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
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
Vermont Insurance Agents AssociationPartner Program
Thank you 2015 Annual Partners for Your Continued Support
MMG Insurance CoProgressive
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
25
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
Limits available up to $10 million over underlying primary EampO policy
Will be available in 50 states and the District of Columbia
May to be written over a variety of EampO carriers
Contact your state association to learn more
or to receive a quote today
wwwindependentagentcomEOContact
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
The Benefits of Using Insurance Coverage Checklists
James C Keidel Esq Christopher B Weldon Esq Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP
In this issue of The E amp O Corner we will discuss some of the benefits for agencies and brokerages as well as for customers of using insurance coverage checklists Using coverage checklists is a simple but very effective errors and omissions loss control practice that any agency or brokerage can easily implement and follow The use of insurance coverage checklists often protects an agency or brokerage against inconsistent and conflicting advice being given to customers when discussing various insurance options that may be available in the market Using an insurance coverage checklist is a recommended E amp O loss control practice which if followed on a consistent basis can help an insurance agency or brokerage better service its customers In addition to providing better customer service an insurance coverage checklist can also be invaluable if an agency or brokerage is forced to defend itself against an E amp O claim alleging that it failed to obtain the proper type of insurance coverage In fact many professional liability insurers that provide insurance coverage to agents and brokers commonly ask on their application whether the agency or brokerage uses insurance coverage checklists For example the application for a very well known professional liability insurer specifically asks the following question ldquoDoes the agency use a coverage checklist on all commercial accountsrdquo Other insurers also ask similar questions concerning the use of insurance coverage checklists for both commercial and personal lines accounts Accordingly every insurance agency or brokerage that is not currently using insurance coverage checklists should seriously consider implementing the use
of coverage checklists when discussing coverage options with a client or a potential customerThere are many sample insurance coverage checklists that are available for agencies and brokerages In fact coverage checklists (and other risk assessment tools) are available for purchase from such companies as IRMI FCampS Rough Notes and SilverPlume Sage Also the national association of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) offers a number of sample insurance coverage checklists and other risk assessment tools the address for that web site is wwwIIABAnet A word of caution should be raised however since each agency and brokerage has its own distinct clientele andor unique type of business there is no form checklist that fits every agency or brokerage An agency or brokerage that seeks to implement the use of coverage checklists should review the sample forms available and then modify them to fit the framework of their particular business These examples should serve merely as templates for an agency or brokerage to use in developing its own coverage checklists for its particular clientele In addition to using insurance coverage checklists for commercial coverage every agency or brokerage should also be sure to have an insurance coverage checklist that is used for personal lines coverage In connection with personal lines insurance ACORD has created a detailed checklist within its Homeowner Application ACORD 80 which if used when writing homeowners coverage provides some of the same benefits that checklists provideInsurance coverage checklists should be used by producers and those at the agency or brokerage who provide service to customers whenever they are discussing insurance coverage options with existing customers and potential customers either a face-to-face or by telephone If the coverages contained on
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
26
the checklist are reviewed in person with a customer a good practice is to have the customer sign and date the form to acknowledge that the coverages were reviewed with them If the insurance coverage checklist is discussed over the telephone the agency or brokerage employee who has the discussion should be sure to note the date and time that the checklist was reviewed with the customer Once reviewed with the customer the agency or brokerage should be certain to maintain a copy of the insurance coverage checklist that was actually reviewed in a customerrsquos file When using insurance coverage checklists an agency or brokerage should always be cognizant of the constant theme running throughout all good E amp O practices ndash that theme is ldquoconsistencyrdquo What we mean by this is that these checklists should be used uniformly by all employees throughout the agency or brokerage to ensure that insurance
coverage options are reviewed and discussed with all customers and potential customersConclusionFor the reasons we have discussed it is our recommendation that every agency or brokerage seriously consider using insurance coverage checklists on a regular basis In our experience such a checklist may be the ldquoGet Out of Jail Free Cardrdquo that an agency or brokerage needs in defending an E amp O claim or lawsuit A checklist can show that a particular type of coverage was discussed with a customer or potential customer but then declined An agency or brokerage that uses insurance coverage checklists will not only help protect itself against potential E amp O Claims and lawsuits but will also provide better customer service and in addition likely sell more insurance
The law firm of Keidel Weldon amp Cunningham L LP specializes in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in connection with EampO claims and lawsuits and regulatory matters You can contact James C Keidel by telephone at 914-948-700 and by email at jkeidelkwcllpcom or Christopher B Weldon by telephone at 203-869-2200 and by email at cweldonkwcllpcom
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
wwwindependentagentcomevents
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
VIAS offers the most prestigious Errors amp Omissions carrier(s) in the countryWestport Insurance Company amp Utica National Insurance Group
Everything you insure is on your shoulders
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
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
28
Agency NewsHickock amp Boardman Announces New Stockholder
Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is proud to announce the addition of new stockholder Jeff LaBonte ldquoWe are very excited to welcome Jeff as a new owner his superb dedication to our customers and organization have been a vital component to the growth of our organizationrdquo said Scott Boardman President of the agency Hickok amp Boardman Insurance Group is comprised of Hickok amp Boardman and Denis Ricker amp Brown both local Vermont agencies founded in the 1800rsquos ldquoJeff has made a distinct impression on our clients since joining us in 2007rdquo Boardman added Born and raised in New Hampshire Jeff LaBonte joined the agency in 2007 as a Commercial Sales Execute responsible for the business development of medium size clients
LaBonte has over 15 years of experience in the finance and insurance industry and is a licensed Certified Insurance Counselor he graduated from St Michaelrsquos College with a BS degree in Business in 1998 LaBonte currently resides in Essex with his partner Jen and their four children He participates annually in The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and Santa Night He is also an active volunteer for The Boy Scouts of America Troop 635
Jeff Labonte
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
Agency NewsBarbara Miller Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence
Barbara Miller Personal Lines Manager at The Richards Group in Brattleboro VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safecoreg Insurance for the third consecutive yearThis prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award the companyrsquos top recognition program Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient
Miller a resident of Brattleboro joined The Richards Group in 1977 An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Miller is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing todayrsquos consumer She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the countryrsquos finest insurance companies at competitive pricesldquoBarbararsquos expertise skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clientsrdquo said Peter Richards Vice President ldquoWersquore honored to have Barbara on our award-winning Personal Lines teamrdquo
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
30
Vermont Mutual Recognized by Ward Group as a Top 50 Insurer for Seventh Consecutive Year
For the seventh consecutive year Vermont Mutual Insurance Groupreg has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group one of the industryrsquos most respected benchmarking organizationsWard Group an Aon Hewitt company is the leading provider of operational and compensation benchmarking and best practices services for insurance companies Every year Ward Group identifies the industryrsquos top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of over 3000 property and casualty insurers situated in the United States The Wardrsquos 50reg recognizes safety consistency and superior financial performanceVermont Mutual President amp CEO Daniel C Bridge stated ldquowe are very pleased to again be recognized as a top performing insurance company by Ward Group It is an honor we share with our agency partners who along with our entire team at Vermont Mutual play an integral role in our success Bridge continued ldquoeven as insurers throughout the US contend with an uncertain economic climate and at
times unprecedented weather events Vermont Mutual remains committed to providing financial stability for our policyholders and our agent-partners The Wardrsquos Top 50 designation is further confirmation of our commitment to remain a financially secure and stable insurance companyrdquoCompanies recognized by Ward Group go through a stringent evaluation that factors growth profitability operational efficiency and financial strength over a five year period As a recipient of the Wardrsquos 50reg designation for seven consecutive years Vermont Mutual has once again affirmed its position as a leading provider of automobile homeowner and business insurance in the Northeast and ranks their performance in the top tier of all companies nationwide since 2009
Company News
