Exclusivefocus · 2020-05-26 · A Magazine for Allstate Agency Owners Exclusivefocus Winter...

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A Magazine for Allstate Agency

Owners

ExclusivefocusWinter 2015/2016

An Official Publication of the National Association of Professional Allstate Agents, Inc.

Success Secrets for New Allstate Agents page 10

Public Speaking – An Effective Way to Grow Your Agencypage 12

No Crying Allowed and Other Lessons Learned page 16

Windows 10 –Secrets of Protecting Your Privacypage 18

Does Allstate Value its Agents?page 28

Amplifying Agent Voices

Through Unity page 6

L I F E C H A N G I N G M O M E N T S

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L I F E C H A N G I N G L E N D E R

Making a big jump for your Allstate agency? We can help clear the

way. For more than a decade, Capital Resources has served the capital

needs of Allstate agents by originating more than $300 million in loans

to agents like you. We also pull through with real-world advantages

that stack up, including an efficient loan approval process, lower down

payments than most traditional lenders, and competitive interest

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4 — Exclusivefocus Winter 2015/2016

Exclusivefocus

6 President’s Message8 Letters to NAPAA43 Membership Application45 NAPAA Market Place46 NAPAA Board of Directors

Contents

Departments

WIN

TE

R 2

015/

2016

Features

10 More Tips for New Agents to Succeed By LezLee LiLjenBerg

14 Pay Attention to the Power of Relationships By BiLL gough

32 Suggested Reading By LezLee LiLjenBerg

40 Habituation By Dave Thorpe

agenCy management

16 When Friday Isn’t Payday By LezLee LiLjenBerg

35 Why is Staffing My Agency My Biggest Headache? By MeL CLeMMons

42 Employee Engagement: The Secret Sauce for Reducing Turnover

perspeCtive28 Are Allstate’s EAs in “Good Hands”? By Bryan ahLquisT

LegaL matters

38 Litigation Update – Keeping Agents Informed By nanCy Fish

saLes anD marketing

12 Using Speaking Gigs to Generate Leads By roByn sharp

26 The Power of Cause Marketing By eD horreLL

Business

22 When the Seller is the Bank: Common Issues in Seller Financing By Dirk BeaMer

33 Handling Rate Increases and Other Drastic Changes to Market Conditions By DaLe reveLs

34 Make Your Sales Dreams Come True By DaviD neuensChwanDer

teChnoLogy 18 Upgrading to Windows 10 By sCoTT BroDBeCk

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president’s message

Why Unity?

Jim fishNAPAA President

Having been around Allstate agents for doz-ens of years, I think I know them pretty well. For one thing, they don’t all think alike unless they are confronted with an issue that threatens their liveli-hoods. Even then, there are some who will disagree with the majority. But it is those in the vast major-ity that I write about today.

As an Allstate agency owner, you are part of group that is 10,000 members strong. This shared com-monality makes you part of your own unique group. So when someone talks about Allstate agents, they are talking about you and your agent colleagues, re-gardless of your individual differences. This is one of the unfortunate consequences of being lumped together with your peer group.

To the outside observer, we look alike, think alike and behave alike. Only when they get to know us do their perceptions change, and even then, some of our more clueless customers won’t notice the differences that separate us. It seems they could care less who services their policy, even if it means seeking help from an Allstate call cen-ter. Somehow, they have concluded that all Allstate representatives are equal, perhaps because Allstate hires and trains them.

Generalizations can be way off the mark, which is certainly true in this instance. As an insider, it is easy to notice differences between Allstate agents. It is even possible to discern which agents stand out amongst their peers in terms of marketing savvy, product knowledge and innovation. It is also clear that they have differing ideas about the tac-tics the company employs to achieve its goals and about the products it offers, both of which have been called into question at times by the media, consumer groups, regulators and the agency force.

It is obvious to me that most agent criticism of the company is not done with malice, but rather out of a sincere and nearly universal love for the Allstate brand. Few agents, if any, want to tarnish the brand; what they want is for Allstate to be a good corporate citizen and a model for the indus-try – in every respect.

Watching all of the political maneuvering in the national news recently, I thought how strikingly similar the Allstate agency force is to American

society. As we see in the ongoing political discourse in this country, there is a great divide between po-litical candidates. Despite their differences, how-ever, they all profess a profound love and respect for America and our way of life.

Love of country is truly our collective unifier. It’s hard to imagine life without it. That’s not to say we don’t have problems. These days, what Americans seem to detest most is Congress. Granted, it is an imperfect institution funded by our tax dollars, but it is also the vehicle that creates the laws of our land.

For the agents of Allstate, the vehicle that can best effect change is NAPAA. If we ever want to fix the issues that must be repaired, agents must be unified and strong. When NAPAA speaks, the press lis-tens and so does Allstate, even though management won’t admit it. And while I mean no disrespect, the NAB and AEC are limited in what they can do and say. Sure, Allstate wants the representatives of these groups to believe they are participating in impor-tant decisions, but can those appointees really speak freely on your behalf or openly disagree with com-pany policy? Are they able stand up and challenge company leaders at shareholder meetings or speak to the press with unfettered voices? No, they can’t… but NAPAA can.

Whether you love NAPAA or loath it, it is your agent association. And like Congress, NAPAA lead-ership is elected democratically by its members. But unlike Congress, NAPAA is not funded with tax-payer dollars; it is funded by membership dollars. To be most effective, we need our membership to grow. If you’re a NAPAA supporter and not yet a member, please get off the sidelines and into the game. We need your support. All it costs is $31 a month.

There are three ways to join: 1. Online at www.napaaUSA.org2. By faxing or mailing your application (see page 43) 3. By calling NAPAA headquarters at 877-627-2248I urge you to contribute your fair share by join-

ing us today. Remember, your membership is con-fidential, and so are your contributions.

Thank you for your support and best wishes in 2016. Ef


letters to NAPAA

I am a brand new agent in Texas and I want to thank Lezlee Liljenberg for her great article, “Tips for New Agents to Succeed.” I especially appreciated the opening paragraph.

I know FSLs are here to help, but they are pushing hard to convince me to spend more money and I don’t have that much to spare. I came in with a budget to buy a small book and grow it, but I am not in a position to buy gobs of internet leads or invest in other programs that may or may not work.

A small book with enhanced com-missions seems to be the best of both worlds, but getting everything organized has been an incredible challenge. At sales school, they talked a lot about processes and running an agency, but now that I’m in the field, all they talk about is items.

In my first month I managed to make the second tier with no staff and re-tained most of my customers, but I don’t feel like I accomplished anything. This month has gotten off to a slow start, too, but at least I have an LSP now.

After 20 years in a completely different industry, I gave up my job to give Allstate my best shot. I just hope it works out.

Hi Lezlee,I just finished reading your article about

setting up processes. I also heard you speak in Las Vegas, and it seems that you have a very good grasp on agency operations and

follow-up. I was very impressed with your article and wondered if you would be will-ing to share more with us.

Even after 20 years, we hope to make some improvements by implementing and/or changing our current business practices.

Lezlee’s Response: I’m always happy to talk with agents about the processes we use, but I also recommend that you utilize the resources available to NAPAA members at www.napaaUSA.org. NAPAA members have access to lots of useful information that can help you plan, organize and run your agency. Members can also call NAPAA for answers and personalized assistance.

I am on the NAPAA Board of Directors because NAPAA lent me moral support when I most needed it, and now I want to give back to other agents. We are all in this together, and if I can help my fellow agents by sharing ideas, then perhaps I have paid forward all the good that NAPAA has done for me. I hope you will consider joining today.

Although I read what NAPAA puts out, the reason I haven’t joined, right or wrong, is because of the negativity. To be honest, I would be embarrassed to have a staff member read the letters to the edi-tor, especially if they were considering a career with Allstate.

NAPAA Response: Thank you for writ-ing. Your letter is surprising because we have not heard complaints about negativity for quite some time. With Jim Fish as presi-dent, NAPAA has made a concerted effort to eliminate negativity and add more resources to help agents grow and prosper.

Unfortunately for agents and customers, Allstate’s conduct is not always favorable. While we do not control its behavior, we will not ignore it. In our view, “telling it like it is” is not negativity; it is presenting the truth. As we all know, the truth can of-ten be hurtful.

Regarding your staff, our publications are meant for agency owners’ eyes only. How-

ever, if they are considering a career with Allstate, they should have as much insight as possible to reach their own conclusions and make informed decisions.

Also, if you become a NAPAA member, you can request that we send our publica-tions to your residence address, an option that is unavailable to nonmembers.

Thank you for your interest in NAPAA.

I read the article in the last Exclu-sivefocus regarding the House & Home product and its many moving parts. I wanted you to know that I recently re-ceived an update stating that H&H cov-erages will be expanded in New York. I wasn’t sure if you had heard about this and wonder if similar changes are hap-pening in other states.

NAPAA Response: Congratulations, you were the first to let us know! We will keep our ear to the ground to see if other states are making similar changes.

I’m a new agent, with just under two years under my belt. I recently joined NAPAA, and a few weeks later, I called them with some questions about the time limit for passing my Series 6/63 exams. Not only did I get the straight scoop on what I can expect if I don’t pass, but Nancy Fish offered several useful ideas about some of the options. Our conver-sation then turned to the recent changes that have tightened up new business, and before the end of the call, I had some new marketing ideas and ways to use the social media talents of my newly hired staff.

So far, NAPAA has definitely been worth joining. The online resources have given me more ideas to try, and it is good to know there is someone in my corner who is both knowledgeable and under-standing.

Letters continued on page 44.

SIAA.Helping independent

insurance agents soar to new heights.

2020celebrating years

[email protected] | www.siaa.net

ACCESS TO COMPANIES

LOCAL & NATIONAL

INCENTIVES

BUSINESS INSURANCE RESOURCES

AGENCY DEVELOPMENT

MARKETING ASSISTANCE


feature

We published Tips for New Agents to Succeed in the last issue of Exclusivefocus, and the response was great. New agents declared that our assessment of the FSLs’ eagerness to help agents spend their money was spot-on. Tenured agents said “thanks” for helping them get their op-erations back on track by updating (and using) procedure manuals that had been collecting dust.

Let’s recap. Tip #1: An employee handbook is a must; it sets expecta-tions for your staff and establishes your agency’s culture. Tip #2: Put processes in place and put them in writing. Keep your procedure manual current and encourage your staff to suggest ways to improve. Every routine process should be done the same way, every time. Your staff will have more confidence and be more productive. In addition, training new staff is simpli-fied. If you missed that article, the fall issue is still online at www.napaaUSA.org. If you’re a NAPAA member, you’ll find the last ten years of Exclusivefocus archived in the Members Only area.

As your agency grows, you may find yourself running in too many directions. If so, regroup and follow these next two tips!

Tip #3: Be flexible. Sometimes, it seems that new programs and changes occur daily at Allstate. Accept the things you cannot control and determine a way to work with, or around, the changes. You will be more successful if you incorporate the necessary transitions into your busi-ness rather than moaning and groaning about something you have little to no control over. A little venting is good for the soul and psyche; so, go ahead and do it, but then get back to business. The quicker you grasp a new concept or ad-just to new requirements, the better off you and your staff will be.

More Tips for New Agents to SucceedBy Lezlee Liljenberg

Remember this: If you think Allstate’s “latest and greatest” program or product is a crappy idea, management will prob-ably see the light too. It may take longer than desired, but eventually, things will change. Some of the mandatory pro-grams and products catapulted at agents have been unbelievable and sometimes, incomprehensible. Thankfully, many corporately hatched programs (like Woople), have been eighty-sixed and never mentioned again – as though they never happened.

When something new comes your way, step back and determine if it must be done. How does the new process or product affect your business? What dis-tractions can or will it cause? Is it a detri-ment to you and your business? If so, and you can avoid dealing with it, walk away and focus on what is best for you.

Tip #4: You cannot be all things. This may sound contradictory to #3, but it is not. Let me explain. There are going to be mandated changes that you cannot avoid. If you have no choice, embrace them and move on. You will be presented with sales training, new products, marketing classes, webinars to attend, and more.

In good faith, all of these things are meant to help you with your business. The big “BUT” is that there is no way you can make money if you are in a life webinar on Monday, a sales class on Tuesday, a meeting with your FSL to review production on Wednesday, and on, and on. You get the idea! You have to make decisions on what is best for your agency, and in the areas that are needed most for its success.

Focus, focus, focus. Oftentimes, agents feel that they must please management and jump on every opportunity that is presented to them. Please understand it

is important to have a good relationship with management, and to help them, too.

However, to paraphrase a common cliché: “You scratch their back, and it is possible they will reciprocate.” What seems to be an opportunity, can some-times be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Some things consume valuable time and agen-cy finances with little to no return. Avoid getting side-tracked. Only you have a direct financial interest in your agency. Make sure your time and money are spent wisely.

Make a daily/weekly plan and stick to it as much as possible, but realize this might be difficult to do when you are occupied with walk-in traffic, prospects calling in for quotes (yay!) and the in-evitable staff issues. Be patient, this is all part of the business.

Just like any other aspect of your life, juggling too many opportunities will spread you thin and limit your effec-tiveness and productivity. Stop, evaluate the situation, and then make your de-cision. Doing so will prevent you from jumping on the “opportunity du jour,” which might take you away from more lucrative activities.

Don’t forget, NAPAA members can find more resources to create and main-tain efficient agency operations by at-tending our exclusive NAPAA webi-nar events, and by logging on to www.napaaUSA.org. Ef

Lezlee Liljenberg is an active agent from Arlington, Texas. She has proudly served on the NAPAA Board of Directors since 2011. Lezlee is an accom-plished author, artistic welder

and winner of many Allstate awards; she started her first agency from scratch in 2004, and currently has two agencies.

Winter 2015/2016 Exclusivefocus — 11


Have you ever been asked to speak at a local luncheon or business event? Op-portunities for speaking engagements are more common than you think, and done correctly, they can provide an excellent avenue to reach hundreds of prospects. With a little practice, you can look and sound like a pro. Let’s take a look at how you can prepare for your first of many speaking engagements.

When marketing your agency locally, it is important to convey a message that lets people know who you are and what you do. Public speaking allows you to get out in the community, promote your agency brand, connect with potential prospects and showcase your knowledge and cred-ibility in the insurance industry. This is why public speaking is so powerful.

Community-based organizations are always looking for qualified experts to speak at their gatherings. You likely al-ready know of, or attend, many of these kinds of events. Popular organizations include Rotary Club, Chambers of Com-merce, Lions or Kiwanis clubs, Realtor associations, and many more. Potential venues could even extend to non-busi-ness events like social clubs, PTAs, and homeowner associations.

What to talk aboutTypically, speakers are given approxi-

mately 15 to 20 minutes for a presenta-tion. Host organizations don’t usually restrict topics, but they do want them to be informative and interesting.

Before you decide to speak, it is im-portant to be knowledgeable and com-fortable with your topic. Select a subject the audience can relate to; one that will generate a connection with your agency. If possible, only discuss lines of insurance

that are priced competitively. You should know and understand your audience. What is their level of knowledge, and what do they expect to learn?

Here are a few ideas to get you inspired:• Fivewaystosavebigonautoinsurance.• How todrastically cut your insur-

ance bill (without losing coverage).• The#1thingtolookforwhenbuy-

ing life insurance.• Fivestepstotakebeforeyourteen-

ager gets a driver’s license.• Whatyouneedtoknowbeforefil-

ing an insurance claim.• The most overlooked insurance

discounts.• What everyparentneeds toknow

about life insurance.• What every homeowner needs to

know about homeowner insurance.• Does insurance for red cars cost

more? (And other insurance myths)• Howtoprotectyourselffromalawsuit.When preparing your presentation,

include facts that would sound surpris-ing to a prospective client or make them question their current insurance cov-erage. This can be especially effective when discussing liability coverage. Many

people don’t understand how it works or how the financial impact of being under-insured can affect their lives. Use real-life examples to demonstrate the conse-quences of not carrying enough liability insurance and you will have prospective clients lined up to talk to you!

how to get leads at your speaking gig

A great way to generate leads is to of-fer something in exchange for contact information. There are several ways to accomplish this. Remember to check with your host first, as they may have rules restricting how much you can pro-mote your agency at their event.

Door prize. Offer a gift card for a local restaurant as a prize. Bring entry forms and a bowl to gather entries. Have at-tendees put their name, address, and phone number on the form to enter the drawing. Include a note indicating that no purchase is required. Check your state and local laws for rebating and raffle reg-ulations. Pick a winner at the end of the event and be sure to thank all of the at-tendees. Then, put the entries into your contact database and start sending post-cards to your new prospects. Follow up with an offer for a free quote!

Questions for the speaker. Let the audience know that you will be happy to answer questions. If anyone has a ques-tion that is personal in nature, ask them to write their question and contact in-formation on paper so you can follow-up with them individually. You will get fewer leads than the door prize option, but they will be highly targeted and wait-ing to hear from you.

Using Speaking Gigs to Generate Leads

By Robyn Sharp

sales and marketing


Free giveaway. Ask your attendees to provide their contact information in order to receive a free gift by mail, such as a DVD about defensive driving, teen safe driving, or money management; a #GetThereSafe cell phone pocket; or a purple purse tassel. NAPAA members can get hard-to-find MOD order num-bers for lots of free items available from Allstate in the members only Marketing Toolbox at www.napaaUSA.org. You get leads for your database, and your attend-ees get helpful information.

Business card. The last resort is to simply give out business cards. While you want to have cards available, this puts the power in the attendee’s hands when it comes time to follow up. What if they forget to call, lose the card, or get busy with life? You won’t have a way to contact them. Try to choose an option that allows you to reach out first.

social media connectionsUse the power of social media to get

more leverage from your speaking en-gagements. Remember, you are using these events to improve your credibility and showcase your expertise in the com-munity.

Make sure to mention when and where you are speaking on your business and personal Facebook pages. When your Facebook visitors see that you are a regular speaker, you’ll be asked to speak more often. Don’t forget to tag the host organization’s Facebook page so you will be visible to their followers too.

You may also want to video your pre-sentation and upload it to YouTube. You-Tube offers great search engine results that will show up when someone Google searches your name or agency. Once your video is on YouTube, share it across all of your social media platforms and embed it on your website.

If you aren’t ready to video the event, you could upload your slide presentation to LinkedIn SlideShare (www.Slide-Share.net). Once uploaded, the slides can be easily shared on your social media and business websites, just like YouTube. Doing this adds a professional touch and the link can be added to your LinkedIn profile as well. Best of all, it will improve

search results for your agency.

how to get bookedOnce you are ready to book speaking

engagements, start looking for opportu-nities right away.

Send an email to organizations that you are already involved with. If you are not presently networking with a partic-ular organization, contact them through their website and introduce yourself. Let them know that you have a great presentation idea that you would love to share. Use one of the topic suggestions listed above that would be a good fit for that group.

Prepare for your presentation Once you have decided on the best

topic for the audience, prepare a list of at least five main points you want to cover. Format these into an outline for your pre-

sentation, then create slides using Power-Point. Include an introduction slide with background information on yourself and your agency. Use lots of photos; people may lose interest if they have to read a lot of text during your speech. Check with the organizer to see if they need the slides in advance or if you’ll need to bring your own projector or screen.

Speaking doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, for many sales professionals, it’s a simple and effective way to reach large numbers of local prospects all at once. If you are ready to start generating more leads, start preparing your first speech and get booked today. Ef

Robyn Sharp is a former insurance agent and owner of Mega Agency Marketing. Visit www.agencyupdates.com today for free marketing tools to help you generate more leads.

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“Associate with people of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.”

– George Washington

Your friends, family and associates are attracted to you because of the way you approach your personal and business re-lationships, your job, and the other op-portunities in your life.

Let me give you an example. Recent-ly, I attended a large Allstate conference with hundreds of agents from all over the country. As typical with every event I at-tend, the top producers hung out together, while others, including struggling agents, stayed in their “comfort zones” associating with other agents like themselves.

Early in my insurance career, I tried to figure out everything on my own. I quick-ly learned that I needed to seek out other agents who were more successful than me. The advice and direction I received from them was pivotal to my success. It was some of the best help I ever received, and it saved me years of trial and error. There-fore, my advice is this: Don’t start from scratch. You don’t have time to learn ev-erything you need to know on your own.

feature

Pay Attention to the Power of Relationships

By Bill Gough

Instead, find someone who has already done what you want to do, then seek their help. You’ll find that most successful peo-ple will be glad to give you advice.

Be selectiveEveryone has their own energy field

– positive or negative. The longer you’re around someone, the more likely you are to pick up their energy. People either evolve and grow, or remain complacent. Worse yet, they go backwards.

“To start something new, you must stop doing something old.”

– Brian Tracy

Who you hang with has everything to do with who you become as a per-son, a business owner and a parent. I’ve always chosen to associate with people who were already doing well at what I wanted to achieve. Over the years, this has meant having to make some diffi-cult decisions to remove certain people from my life.

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. When you tolerate mediocrity in others,

it increases the chances of you becoming mediocre as well.

successful people avoid “stinkin’ thinkin’”

As you grow, who you associate with will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They want you to stay where they are. Friends who don’t help you climb will want you to crawl with them amongst the mediocre majority. They will either stretch your vision or choke your dreams. Those who don’t encourage you will have a negative impact on your goals. Don’t be tempted by their influence.

As an agency owner, there is an easy fix to this problem: Find successful business owners and learn from them. Take them out to lunch. Ask them about their suc-cesses. Most will be eager to take you under their wing and share their stories with you.

Simply stated, we become what we think about most of the time. Our domi-nant thoughts become our reality. The things we think about, and the way we think about them, determine our levels of health, wealth, and happiness in every area of our lives.

You can tell how badly you want something, by what you’re willing to do to get it. Discipline yourself. Keep your mind on the things you want, and off of the things you don’t want. Ef

Bill Gough is an Allstate Hall of Fame Agent and has trained, coached and con-sulted more than 2,500 insurance agency owners in North America. His coaching clubs provide “done-for-you” services and his marketing conferences are among the best in the industry. For more information go to www.BGISystems.com or call Darlene Wallace at 256-246-2182.


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Many years ago, when I was starting my metal art welding business, Curves of Steel, I read the book When Friday Isn’t Payday by Randy Kirk. It helped me realize that as an entrepreneur, I would always be on my own, and oftentimes lonely. I am not sure if others feel this way, but sometimes I feel as though it’s “me against the world.” Please don’t think I am being a martyr, but there are days when I feel like I am on the island of “Nobody Gets It.” In actuality, we don’t have to live on that island alone. Most agency owners are struggling with changes that affect our revenue and staff (who reside on the island of “I Would Rather Play Than Work”), or battling advertising that strips away our integrity as Trusted Advisors.

Recently, after surviving a particularly tough couple of weeks, I pulled Kirk’s book off the shelf and was quickly re-minded of the tenet I learned back in 1993: I must recognize and accept that things will always be different for me as a business owner, compared to my friends and family who work for someone else.

In journaling the last 12 years of my life as an Allstate agent, I revisited my musings and rants to write a list of les-sons I’ve learned. Interestingly enough, many of these principles were mentioned in When Friday Isn’t Payday. Most of you are probably already aware of these points, but having a list can be a daily re-minder to recall – and follow – our own advice.

In starting the list, my first thought was, “I did not think dealing with em-ployees would be so hard.” However, had I heeded those lessons learned early on, it would have eliminated much of my staff-ing stress. Perhaps this should not have been a surprise; I came from a pure sales

and marketing background – no man-agement training at all – so, of course, this has always been my biggest chal-lenge. Now to the other lessons:

• The most fun you can have as anagency owner is to see your staff succeed. Their success is your success!

• Beingthebossmeansthatyouarenot able to share your feelings about ev-ery situation with your employees. This often feels lonely.

• Never, ever, compete with yoursales producers!

• Friends and family think that be-cause you are the owner of your business, you can leave, take a vacation or take time off to help them any time they need you. You have to set the boundaries for them and for yourself.

• Astheboss,younevergettheentiretruth – on any issue – EVER. That is, unless someone wants you to fix some-thing and then it is TMI.

• Someonewhoisanexpertatacer-tain task may not necessarily be good at managing the people who do that task.

• Do not keep an employee whoneeds to be told what to do on a daily basis. Find an exit strategy for them.

• Agencies, and/or companies, arenot families. Although we spend more time with our employees than with our families, we have to keep the distance. This is my hardest lesson learned.

• Justbecauseyouhiremorepeople,does not mean more will happen. This is especially true if you are just trying to push production goals and not building a true team environment.

• Bewillingtochangeastaffmem-ber’s duties to take advantage of their strengths, rather than trying to work on their weaknesses. This will save you more time than you realize.

• Bepreparedtomakeatremendousnumber of decisions every day, and help your staff troubleshoot issues until they start to learn this skill on their own.

• Everythingyouoryourstaffdoesisa reflection on you and your brand. Be the image you want the outside world to see and demand the same from your staff.

• Success and popularity do not gohand-in-hand. The more successful you are, the more jealousy you’ll encounter. Most people have no idea what it takes, or costs, to run an agency.

• Replenishyourmindandbody.Noone can do this for you, and you need to do this in the way that is best for you in order to stay on target and be your best.

• Getoutofbedeverymorningreadyfor the hard work, true grit and deter-mination you’ll need to tackle all that is thrown your way in this crazy business.

• There is no crying in insurance!(From one of my favorite movies.)

But sometimes you have to cry! Have your own big fat pity party (outside the office, of course). You are the boss after all.

There are so many more helpful nug-gets that could be added to this list. Each of you likely has hundreds of your own “if I had only knowns.” Why not help other agents by sharing yours? Fri-day may not be payday for agency own-ers, but we don’t have to be out there on that island all alone. As Allstate brothers and sisters, surely, we can learn from one another. Write to us at [email protected].

By the way, I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy of the book When Friday Isn’t Payday: A Complete Guide to Starting, Running – and Surviv-ing in – a Very Small Business by Randy W. Kirk (1993). Ef

Lezlee Liljenberg has been an Allstate agency owner since 2004. She currently has two locations in Arlington, Texas. Lezlee has proudly served on the NAPAA Board of Directors since 2011.

When Friday Isn’t PaydayBy Lezlee Liljenberg

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Every fall, many software companies release the newest version of their pro-grams. Last year was no different, and we’ve recently seen upgrades to just about every operating system being used on desktop and mobile platforms. Google released Android 6.0 (also known as “Marshmallow”), Apple released IOS 9.0 (which has already been upgraded to 9.2) and OS X Yosemite, and Microsoft has released the much-hyped and eagerly anticipated Windows 10.

One of the reasons that Google and Apple have grown the size of their user base over the years is because the hard-ware and software that they release “just works.” Whether you’re flipping the power switch on a new computer or tablet or installing a software upgrade, the user experience is generally fantas-tic – everything works the way that it’s supposed to. There are no bugs, no need

technology

Upgrading to Windows 10 By Scott Brodbeck

for long, drawn-out interactions between the installation program and the user; in-stead, you hit the button and things work the way they are supposed to.

This area is one where Microsoft has consistently fallen short. Most versions of Windows, going back to the very first, are famous for “the blue screen of death,” which causes the user to lose anything they haven’t saved and requires a com-plete power cycle of the computer. Every few days, Microsoft releases new security patches that have to be installed, many of which require that your computer be re-booted after installation. Over the years, users of Microsoft’s products just haven’t had the mostly trouble-free user experi-ence that one finds when using an Apple product.

With the release of Windows 10, Mi-crosoft decided it would be the version where they would emulate their compe-

tition and make the user experience of upgrading to Windows 10 a simple one. Instead of requiring the user to interact with multiple screens and options, which would require making a lot of decisions, they included an “Express Settings” op-tion. Much like the concept of plug-and-play, using the Express Settings elimi-nates the need for the user to do much of anything other than click upgrade and wait for the program to install itself. If you’ve ever upgraded your Windows op-erating system before, you know that it hasn’t historically been a simple exercise. So, something this simple sounds like magic, doesn’t it?

To some degree, it is. After Windows installs itself, you simply reboot and you are good to go – your computer now has the latest and greatest Windows operat-ing system.

We all probably remember being a child and discovering for the first time that magic isn’t real, and the resulting dis-appointment. Unfortunately, the magic of “Express Settings” is smoke and mirrors and the “magic” occurs at our expense. If you don’t address the issues that result from Microsoft performing its magic on your computer, you are putting yourself, your data and, most importantly, your privacy, at risk. This is not to say that Windows 10 is bad, or to suggest that you shouldn’t upgrade your computer. On the contrary, compared to Windows 8, Win-dows 10 is a huge improvement in many ways and it is a very solid product. In or-der to protect yourself though, it matters how you go about installing it.

If you’ve already upgraded using the Express Settings then what follows will address the biggest flaws that were creat-ed during the installation. If you haven’t upgraded yet, use the Custom Installa-tion option in order to avoid these issues


altogether. Using Express Settings will result in

the maximum sharing of your informa-tion with Microsoft and any other parties they choose to share it with. Windows 10 is the first version of Windows where rather than residing as a static program on your hard drive, key components of the operating system are cloud-based; they reside somewhere on the internet. Microsoft collects a lot of information about you, your computer and the way that you use Windows, including the web sites that you visit. Microsoft very clearly states in their privacy policy “We will ac-cess, disclose and preserve personal data, in-cluding your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary.” Notice something here? It doesn’t say that Microsoft “may” collect and use your personal information; it says they “will.” Under what conditions would Microsoft have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary? Well, we really don’t know be-cause they don’t define it for us; all we know is that we’re trusting them to make those decisions. I don’t know about you, but I’m not comfortable with Microsoft knowing anything about me, and I find it frightening to trust them to know what information of mine to collect and with whom to share it.

As part of the installation process, Windows 10 automatically assigns an advertising ID to each user on a device, which is then tied to an email address that Microsoft has on file. Using this ID, Microsoft can custom-tailor ads during web browsing and while using certain applications. So while you are surfing the web, Microsoft can track the websites you visit, make a note in their system based your ID and when you go to the next website, you’ll suddenly see adver-tisements for things that were found on previous websites. It’s sort of like having an electronic stalker, which to a large de-gree is kind of creepy.

So, let’s spend some time talking about how we can send as little information to Microsoft as possible and close the big hole that the Express Settings digs for us. The options discussed below can all be set during a Custom Installation or,

if you’ve already accepted the defaults during the express setup, you can change them by hitting the Start Button and then click “Settings.”

We will start with “Privacy.” From the General tab on the left sidebar, you’ll see some sliders where you can toggle certain “features” on or off. The first slider will disable the advertising ID for each user on your computer. This will prevent the tracking of your activity and the targeting of advertisements that are delivered. The remaining three sliders aren’t as critical but I recommend that they be turned off.

In all, there are twelve different tabs listed on the left side of the Privacy menu. As painful as it may be to go through all of them, I highly recom-mend that you do. Time and space won’t permit us to go through each and every item, but most of the options are pretty straightforward and you can just apply some common sense in order to deter-mine whether the options should be left on or turned off. We will, however, talk about a few options that I believe are im-portant and that should be changed from

the default settings that result from using the Express Settings.

In the Location tab of the Privacy menu, you can specify what things can be “localized.” I keep all of the options turned off and the only downside I find is that when I read the news or check the weather, I have to specify my location rather than having those websites auto-matically know where I am.

In the Speech, inking & typing tab, “Getting to know you” is a feature that is used for the proper functioning of Cortana. Cortana is the Microsoft assis-tant that works similar to Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa. In order for it to work correctly, it needs to know who you are and where you are, and this information is automatically sent to Microsoft if you keep the option turned on. If you’re not planning to use Cortana, click the but-ton that says “Stop getting to know me.” This will essentially disable the Cortana assistant, and at the same time it will stop sending a plethora of information to Microsoft. The trade-off for using the Cortana assistant, much like having

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a personal assistant, is that it needs to know a lot about you in order to func-tion as a true assistant. I’m not willing to make this trade-off because I don’t want this particular assistant to have personal information about me and because once it has it – even if I then choose to stop using it – my information is stored in the cloud, somewhere within Microsoft.

Under the Other devices tab, you can turn off the “Sync with devices” feature. Microsoft gives “beacons” as an example of other devices. Beacons are typically pieces of hidden code within websites that are used for advertising purposes.

Under the Feedback & diagnostics tab, you will want to change the option under “Diagnostic and usage data” to Basic. This will keep the amount of random data that is sent to Microsoft to a minimum.

Under the Account info tab, you’ll want to turn off access to account info. This option, when turned on, will allow ap-plications installed on your computer to see information about you. There are some applications that do need to access certain aspects of your account informa-tion in order to work properly, and these can be set individually under the setting for “Choose the apps that can access your account info.” By default, Microsoft will allow any program (including any virus or malware programs that you may inad-vertently acquire down the road) to have carte blanche access to the data stored in your account information.

Now, let’s go back to the Settings main menu and select “Network and Internet.” Click the Wi-Fi tab on the left sidebar, then click the “Manage Wi-Fi settings” option. Here you’ll be able to manage the

Wi-Fi Sense settings. Wi-Fi Sense allows Microsoft to encrypt your Wi-Fi pass-word and share it with all of your contacts. This essentially makes it convenient for your contacts to connect to your wireless network. In this day and age of hacking, the last thing that I want is for anyone to have access to my wireless network unless I personally choose to give it to them. Wi-Fi Sense assumes that everyone in your contacts list is someone who you would want to give access to your Wi-Fi router, if they happen to be in proximity of it and are trying to connect to the internet. You’ll want to turn all of the sliders to off.

There are two more things you’ll want to consider that aren’t directly part of the installation process but do relate to Mi-crosoft and your privacy. The first is to use a local account rather than logging into a Microsoft account. Unless you have a Hotmail email account, there is no need to create a Microsoft account and log into it each time you use your computer. By using a local account rather than a Micro-soft account, it makes it harder for Micro-soft to aggregate the information it col-lects from your computer that is specific to you as an individual. This option can be found from the “Accounts” option of the Settings main menu. Finally, you should consider opting out of personalized ads while using your web browser. You can do this by going to https://choice.microsoft.com/en-gb/opt-out.

We’ve only touched on the highlights of the security concerns that are created by using the Express Settings when up-grading to Windows 10. There are many, many good articles available on this topic and a simple Google search will yield a

lot more information, which I strongly suggest you take the time to review. Re-member, once you’ve shared information on the internet, you can’t get it back. So, it’s worth doing the due diligence up-front so that you aren’t sharing informa-tion that you later wish you hadn’t.

Windows 10 is a great product overall and it overcomes many of the operating system deficiencies that Windows 8 cre-ated. Even those who are using Windows 7, which is considered by most experts to be one of Microsoft’s most stable operat-ing systems, should consider upgrading to Windows 10.

Most of the security concerns aren’t the result of deficiencies in Windows 10, but rather in the way that Microsoft chose the default for the Express Settings installation. In our connected world, in-formation is power. Information that is known to be valid about people has great value to companies that want to sell you a product or a service. As a marketing machine, it’s understandable why Mi-crosoft chose to do this. But from the perspective of making the user experi-ence pleasurable and building trust with their customers, they fell short because they anticipated that many people would just trust Microsoft and use the Express Settings.

Data privacy and internet security are hot topics today and rightfully so. In a future article, we will review why, but in the interim, you should make sure that you share no more of your personal infor-mation on the internet than is absolutely necessary. Using the Express Settings while upgrading to Windows 10 opens you up to sharing a lot more information than most people are comfortable with, and in most cases, they likely don’t re-alize how much of their information is potentially being shared. Now that you’re familiar with the various privacy settings, you won’t be one of those people. Ef

Scott Brodbeck is a Microsoft Certified Sys-tems Engineer and a Master Certified No-vell Engineer who is also a former EA and IA. Currently, he develops technical market-ing tools and provides marketing consulting services specializing in the profitable growth of insurance agencies. Scott can be reached via email at [email protected].


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Having worked with numerous agents selling their agencies over the past 15 years, I’ve been told multiple times: “I won’t accept a deal that isn’t all cash at closing.” Whether that’s a good idea – or even possible – is often more compli-cated than the Seller thinks. For various reasons – many of them good – agents looking to sell often finance part or all of the deal. In this article, we look at how and why.

Bank funding plus seller financing In most cases, a Buyer turns to an es-

tablished group of lenders (Capital Re-sources, Oak Street, Providence Bank, PPC, Allstate Bank) to borrow the necessary funds to acquire the book of business. Like traditional banks, these lenders evaluate the Buyer’s creditwor-thiness and the agency’s profitability to determine if the Buyer, moving forward, will be able to meet monthly payments of principal and interest and is therefore worthy of a loan.

Increasingly, even where a traditional lender carries the bulk of the purchase price debt, Sellers may find themselves

When the Seller is the Bank:Common Issues in Seller Financing

By Dirk Beamer

holding a note for some piece of the bal-ance. In these cases, we refer to the Seller as the junior or “subordinate” lender. Why do Sellers hold a subordinate note? Each deal is unique, but here are some common factors leading to subordinate financing:

• Aggressivesaleprice;• LenderwantsSeller’s“skin” in the

game; and/or• “Side”deal.

sale price Possibly, the agreed sale price is simply

higher than a traditional lender is pre-pared to go without sharing some of the risk with the Seller. If the Buyer needs the financing for the majority of the purchase price, and unless the Seller is willing to risk killing the deal, the Seller needs to acquiesce and fund the balance through a Seller’s note paid off over time.

skin in the game If the selling agent poses a competitive

threat – for example, she is still of work-ing age or has family members in the industry – the Buyer or his lender may

want the Seller to hold a Seller’s note to ensure the Seller has a financial interest in the long-term success of the Buyer.

side deal Every once in a while, a Buyer and Sell-

er will agree on a sale price higher than outside lenders view as reasonable. While I do not recommend them, I have seen arrangements where the Buyer and Seller execute a separate agreement “under the table” by which the Buyer agrees to make additional payments to the Seller over and above what is approved and financed by the senior lender.

These are fraught with risk for both sides. For the Seller, there is the likeli-hood that she cannot document the ob-ligation in any kind of public record. For the Buyer, he may be biting off more than he can cash flow. Worse, his side deal may be a breach of his primary loan and the basis for default.

mechanics and risks of subordinate debt When a Seller holds a subordinate

loan, several documents will be very important. First, there will be a promis-sory note. This is the legal pledge to pay. Ideally, it is guaranteed by the individual Buyer and his spouse. Beyond the note itself, there are multiple forms of “secu-rity” or “collateral” that may or may not be available to help cover any loss if the Buyer defaults.

The senior lender will have the first position on any assignment of TPP as well as an assignment of monthly com-mission income. However, if all parties agree, Allstate will typically allow the lending Seller to record a subordinate in-terest. Thus, over time, as the promissory note gets paid down, the subordinate lender may have some protection in the

business


residual value of the TPP. Similarly, so long as the Buyer’s monthly commission covers both obligations, the Seller can have the monthly payment sent straight from Allstate. These arrangements need to be documented with Allstate ap-proved forms.

Beyond security arrangements af-forded by Allstate, lending Sellers can explore the same tools used by lenders across a host of industries. Things like: personal guarantees, mortgages, life in-surance and UCC financing statements. To say the obvious, the more security, the better. But the Buyer’s economic reali-ties, and the senior lender’s requirements, will dictate what is possible.

The risk assumed by any lender is the risk of default. This risk is greater for a sub-ordinate lender simply because she must stand in line behind the senior lender while waiting for payment. If there aren’t outside secured assets (e.g., a mortgage against real estate) the lender may be left short.

seller as sole lender Sometimes a Seller will choose to fund

the entire sale price of her agency by ac-cepting payments over time. Although cash in hand is always appealing, pay-ment over time may have its place for these reasons among others:

• Allowshighersaleprice;• Favorablerateofreturn;• Taxadvantages;and/or• Familytransactions.

higher sale price If a lender won’t agree to fund a deal

because it thinks the price is too high, the Seller might elect to fund it herself rather than lower the sale price. There is an ob-vious risk; presumably the outside lenders have determined, based on experience, that the agency won’t be able to cash flow the asking price and refuse to loan money for that reason.

This begs the question, is the seller smarter than the bank?

favorable rate of return In an era of low interest rates, a Seller

may prefer to receive payments with in-terest over time rather than looking for another investment vehicle in which to invest the sale proceeds.

Tax advantages Any planned sale should be reviewed

with a CPA well in advance. It is possible that a Seller may devise a strategy to de-crease and/or delay tax consequences by stretching the payoff over time.

family transaction When selling to a family member, an

agent might chose to help the Buyer avoid some of the expense associated with traditional lending – or to fund someone who otherwise wouldn’t qualify for a loan.

mechanics and risks of senior debt One advantage of serving as the sole

lender is the opportunity to stand in the first position to receive TPP if the Buyer terminates with Allstate. Beyond that, Sellers can explore the same security tools described above.

Of course, while a Seller serving as the sole lender enjoys greater security, she also carries greater risk. To the extent the loan exceeds the value of the TPP, that balance could be lost in the event of default, es-pecially if the Buyer files for bankruptcy

WRIGHT BEAMER, AttorneysSERVING NAPAA AND THE AGENTS OF ALLSTATE SINCE 2000

DIRK A. BEAMER, ATTORNEY

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[email protected]

protection. For this reason, the lending Seller should obtain as many types of se-curity as possible. While the Seller may be anxious to close the book on all things Allstate, she has a large investment in her Buyer’s success. Accordingly, she should provide as much assistance as possible to help retain the book. And she should regularly monitor the financial health of the Buyer, just as a bank would do.

Conclusion “A bird in the hand is worth two in the

bush,” or so the saying goes. There’s still much to commend a simple “cash at clos-ing” sale. But Sellers should not rule out the possibility that they may be required to hold a Seller’s note; nor should they ignore some of the advantages of doing so. Ef

Dirk Beamer serves as General Counsel to NAPAA and helps NAPAA track legal is-sues of interest to its members. NAPAA has provided this article for informational purposes only. The contents should not be construed as legal advice or an endorsement from NAPAA or its attorneys, and NAPAA expressly disclaims any such advice.


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In today’s competitive environment, it has never been more important for Allstate agents to have something that separates them from their competition. Perhaps it is time to consider “cause marketing.”

Broadly speaking, cause market-ing is when a nonprofit organization and a for-profit corporation partner for the purpose of advancing the mis-sion-related work of the nonprofit and the marketing goals of the for-profit corporation. The objective is to create a win-win situation for both entities by utilizing the “marketing” side of the equation to attract consumers who sup-port the “cause” side of the program.

Experience and history show that cause marketing, when used properly, can be a very effective way to attract prospects to your agency while separat-ing you from your competition.

It is very possible that if your business doesn’t stand for a cause, your clients could turn to a competing agency that does. And this possibility is not mere speculation.

According to the results of the Cone Cause Evolution Survey, a startling 87 percent of consumers say they would switch to a competitor that supports a cause they believe in. Even niche markets, such as college students, reflect a prefer-ence for brands they believe are socially responsible. A recent study from Alloy Media suggests that 95 percent of college students are more likely to pay attention to marketing efforts that promote a busi-ness’s partnership with a cause.

A case in point is the joint venture be-tween American Express and the Statue of Liberty Restoration Fund. In 1983, American Express initiated a fund-rais-ing drive with a $6 million advertising campaign that came from its market-ing budget. The company raised $1.7

million in a period of three months to restore the Statue of Liberty. American Express promised to contribute a penny for each charge on an American Express card, a penny for each purchase of trav-eler’s checks, $1 for each new card is-sued, and $1 for every vacation worth $500 or more sold at an American Ex-press travel store. During that period, the use of the card went up 28 percent nationally. American Express coined the phrase “Cause-Related Marketing” during the campaign.

Currently, close to 300 insurance agencies have adopted The Kindness Revolution™ as partners for their cause-marketing efforts. Here are some char-acteristics of their successful campaigns:

• Theirentirestaffstronglybelievesinthe cause and talks about it enthusiasti-cally amongst themselves and agency cus-tomers. Since kindness is contagious and sells itself, it is important that participat-ing agency owners reinforce the concept and encourage employees to talk about it until it becomes second nature to them.

• Theyinvolvethecauseintheirso-cial media programs. Connection with the kindness cause in your content leads to greater engagement with your follow-ers, mainly because people today long for

messages that are positive and uplifting, yet informative.

• They let prospects and customersknow that by doing business with them, they are supporting the cause of kind-ness. Consumers want to know that there is financial commitment to the cause. Be warned that general comments such as “We donate a portion of our proceeds to Make-A-Wish,” etc. are restricted un-less you have made an agreement with the cause. So, unless you state and show a specific amount of profits or sales to a cause, you are not allowed to declare it. Our Kindness Revolution™ members make a specific monthly contribution to support the cause.

One of my favorite stories is about one of our Champions, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. When he came on board with us, he said he had been selling insurance for 32 years and it had stopped being fun. Since he joined The Kindness Revolu-tion™, he has promoted himself as the CKO (Chief Kindness Officer) of Colo-rado Springs. When asked what he does, he now says “I promote kindness! I sell insurance to support my work.” People are intrigued by what he does, which, in turn, has promoted engagement, and led to more sales.

Marketing takes time and effort. I sim-ply shake my head in amazement when an agent says, “I just don’t have time to get involved with that!” What this tells me is that they want great success without lift-ing a finger. All I know is that there is no “Easy Button” in business… Ef

Ed Horrell is the author The Kindness Revolution™ and founder of the national initiative of the same name. To learn more about how you can get involved, call Dave Daily at 404.384.6060 and be sure to ask about using Executive Advantage.

The Power of Cause MarketingBy Ed Horrell

sales and marketing


The

Kindness

Revolution™™

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The Kindness

Revolution™™

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For one Allstate agency’s experience, read the accompanying article titled “Kindness is Contagious”

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Where has all the angst gone? It seems like it was just yesterday that Allstate was terminating an agent per day and the company’s Agency Community blog was blowing up with thousands of posts per week. Issues like agent terminations, compensation and TPP changes, Esur-ance, expansion of the company’s Inde-pendent Agent (IA) program and poten-tial new life and auto production quotas dominated the chatter. Today, however, these issues and more remain unresolved, yet all is quiet on the Western Front. Has the dust settled? Do todays agents have different priorities? Or a little of both?

When former Allstate CEO Ed Liddy roamed the corporate hallways, he boasted that Allstate’s 800 number and internet sales would ultimately account for more than 75 percent of the company’s sales

Are Allstate’s EAs in “Good Hands”?By Bryan Ahlquist

revenue. Under his watch, Allstate’s much-vaunted sales force was destined to follow in the footsteps of the once iconic Sears catalog he jettisoned in 1993. However, what Liddy was able to do to the cata-log, he could not do to the Allstate agent. Whether a miscalculation or an undeliv-ered boast, Liddy’s prediction never came true. It is likely he never counted on a large number of consumers who wanted a per-sonal relationship with a dedicated agent.

To be sure, 800 number insurance com-panies have a place in the insurance in-dustry and in the consumer marketplace. However, the tactile nature of most U.S. consumers can only be subdued for so long. Allstate-owned Esurance is finding that the disembodied approach to selling insurance results in high loss ratios, poor retention and dissatisfied clients.

Agents add valueAllstate agents view their industry

knowledge and accessibility through brick and mortar stores as significant keys to giv-ing their clients the personal touch they desire. From the agents’ perspective, only they can develop the interpersonal rela-tionship that lets them recognize a client’s voice on the phone.

From the consumers’ perspective, many of them feel only an agent can provide the level of accountability they demand of a service that, when sold improperly, could ruin them financially. Increasingly, because of this, when consumers shop for insurance online, they reach out to a brick and mortar agent to complete the sales process.

It is uncertain whether current CEO Tom Wilson embraces his predecessor’s precept that agents are more disposable than they are integral. Under his watch, however, he barely blinked as he watched thousands of agents depart the company – many of whom stayed in the industry to become independent agents.

Esurance will set Tom Wilson freeWhen the acquisition of Esurance was

complete, Allstate’s management couldn’t wait to mash the gas pedal on the market-ing plan for its newest toy. Tom Wilson cracked the checkbook wide open and quickly converted the Esurance ads to include the Allstate tagline, much to the chagrin of Allstate’s Exclusive Agents. Many agents felt somewhat okay with Allstate’s acquisition of Esurance as a bit player in the shallow end of the insurance pool, but after adding “an Allstate com-pany” as a tagline in the Esurance logo, that feeling quickly changed.

Allstate agents soon had to answer questions from existing clients about switching to Esurance. Client defection

perspective


to a disconnected competitor was one thing, but losing clients to an Allstate touted brand that was inaccessible to the EA agent was quite another. Most agents view Wilson’s move as corporate canni-balism, as the Esurance brand begins to eat into agency revenue and profits.

However, his agents’ concerns mat-tered little to Wilson, as he knew in order to reverse the company’s declining policy count he had to grow his brand quickly. After several years of firing thousands of EAs for failing to meet corporate-im-posed quotas and subsequently suffering declining market share, Wilson needed another way to grow the policy count and infuse capital into the company’s balance sheet. The acquisition of Esurance ap-peared to appease the market analysts, and subsequent earnings call meetings were dominated by almost Pollyannaish questions about the bright future of the company despite a dismal loss of $1.18 for every dollar earned (Esurance’s losses and costs combined Q4 2013).

A confluence of events and the Allstate agent

Since August 2015, Allstate’s stock has mostly traded in the mid-to-low sixties, and for now, investors are finding it difficult to argue with its performance. Even Wil-son seems delighted enough with his per-formance to sell off an impressive amount of his holdings. These facts, coupled with Matt Winter’s ascension to president of The Allstate Corporation, have more than a few asking if Wilson’s tenure at Allstate will soon be coming to an end.

In contrast to Tom Wilson’s purported distaste of the agency force, Matt Win-ter seems open to the idea that the agent might be an important element in All-state’s marketing efforts. Winter has been described as having a more engag-ing personality and has been known to post comments on the now all-but-de-funct Allstate Agency Community Blog, as well as respond directly to agents’ emails. Some agents have credited him with the softened stance on commis-sion cuts and see him more as an “agents’ manager” as opposed to the curt and de-tached Wilson.

With these changes, is it possible that agents could soon be viewed as more

than just a disposable cog in the cor-porate machine? It is only recently that agents are being mentioned at the end of company commercials – a small step forward for the agency force.

What do agents want?Some agents see themselves as busi-

ness partners with Allstate. However, the agent’s independent contractor status should dictate more autonomy, with agents treated as independent business owners. Allstate would do well to cultivate this type of relationship instead of suppressing it.

Since 2000, when Allstate converted its employee agents to independent con-tractor status, Allstate has maintained a closed-door policy regarding the entre-preneurial freedoms promised under its EA agreement. It is as if the company promoted its groundskeepers to member-ship status, but won’t give them a tee time for a round of golf. Today, many tenured agents look to present CEO Tom Wilson for delivery on the promise of indepen-dence, for which they traded substantial employee benefits. Increasingly, newer agents can see the potential impact of de-voting their entire life’s savings to running an agency subject to unstable revenue and frequently changing requirements. From either perspective, Allstate agents are sim-ply not the independent business owners they were promised to be.

Add to this, marketing campaigns that don’t include the EA agent, and it is easy to see why some agents are a bit nervous. Allstate’s IA channel, Answer Finan-cial, and especially Esurance have grown in importance at Allstate’s home office, whereas the EA program appears to be merely tolerated.

Ever seen an EA in an Allstate ad?It’s not that agency owners are feeling

the snub of being relegated to a tagline at the end of a commercial. More likely, it’s a question of whether or not Allstate sees the EA program as an integral part of the company’s future. In the past, many agents have asked: “If agents are so im-portant to Allstate, why not give them a bilateral contract in order to strengthen the relationship and feature them in the company’s multimillion-dollar commer-cials?” This question remains unanswered.

For more than 30 years, Allstate agents have been expected to meet quotas for life insurance sales, yet there is scant to no advertising featuring life insurance, let alone the agent who is expected to sell it. State Farm, the market leader, con-sistently features an agent, or a specific reference to one, in its prolific ad cam-paign. Even Esurance ads have included a “representative” that is available to pro-vide millennial shoppers the service they demand.

Allstate agents would like Allstate to place the EA at the forefront of its ad-vertising campaign. Imagine being el-evated to the status of the new corporate image, instead of being the company’s best-kept secret.

Who are the “Good hands”?Talking lizards and poofy-haired

sales ladies aside, the insurance indus-try relies mostly on the premise that consumers buy insurance because they recognize a need to protect their assets. Although Allstate has seemed content to use quirky advertising gimmicks like its Mayhem character, it’s not likely that an image that excludes real substance can sustain the brand much longer. Even if the attention span of the average con-sumer is short, State Farm seems to have found a way to navigate these same quirky airways and include its agents in an industry-leading effort for its “Good Neighbor” ad campaign.

When Allstate agents worked in Sears stores, they suffered the ignominy of di-recting shoppers to the hardware depart-ment, women’s apparel or, more times than not, the bathroom. Newspaper cartoons lampooned their plight, im-pugning their credibility as professionals selling insurance in a department store. Despite all of this, the Allstate agent sol-diered on.

As Allstate rolled out its Neighbor-hood Agent Office (NOA) program in the early 80s, it simultaneously hired thousands of agents, flooding the coun-try with so many offices that in some markets it seemed there were Allstate agencies on every corner. Yet, the NOA program survived if not thrived into the late 90s.

At that point, feeling pressure from


the IRS, Allstate initially chose to re-vamp its NOA employee agent program, but then scrapped it in favor of the EA program. By 2001, virtually every agent in the country had been converted to independent contractor status, causing yet another upheaval in the world of the Allstate agent.

Through each of these phases, Allstate agents leaned in and made the adjust-ment to their new business environment. This time though, agents assumed all of the financial risk. As EAs progressed deeper into the program, many began to see the inequity of taking all of the finan-cial risk, yet still having to meet corpo-rate-imposed business objectives. Today, agents are left wondering where they fit into the corporate business plan.

Without a doubt, Allstate agents feel that they are the “face” of the company even though they are never featured as such. Why won’t the company let the rest of the world see who these hard-working people are?

Why keep trying to reinvent the snow shovel?

If State Farm manufactured snow shovels and led the “snow removal” in-dustry in sales, would there be any doubt whether its competitors would copy its design? Their steel blade, composite handle, no-slip grip insurance agency program has been plowing through the competition for more than 50 years.

During this same time, Allstate tried numerous iterations of its agency sales program but could never seem to embrace the simplicity of the State Farm blueprint for success. Perhaps the impatient nature of Tom Wilson’s management style has kept him from using a more pragmatic approach to increasing sales such as copy-ing the industry leader’s approach to hir-ing and deploying its agents.

For years, Allstate agents have been clamoring for a reinvention of their agency agreement. Few, if any, agents like the unstable nature of their unilat-eral agreement. Many agents point to

the never-ending amendments to the EA Supplement as the primary reason they feel there is a lack of commitment to the relationship by Allstate, and many former agents cite this as the main reason for their departure.

Where to go from hereImagine a business relationship that

allowed the Allstate agency owner the opportunity to determine when, where and how they would provide their ser-vices to their clients.

It would be a momentous day if the com-pany would recognize its agents’ concerns. If their voices could be heard, agents would ask that management concentrate on fortify-ing the sales delivery system. By constantly restocking the agency sales force with new agents, Allstate will never be able to achieve the level of consistent growth and client re-tention it needs to stabilize profits. Only a tenured sales force can accomplish this. Just ask a State Farm agent.

Secondly, address the important issues of independent contractor status and compensation. Take away the 90-day ter-mination notice, the constantly changing Supplement to the R3001 Agreement and stabilize agency revenue by eliminat-ing the variable compensation scheme.

Lastly, recognize the value of the agent to the Allstate brand and place the agent at the forefront of the company’s market-ing efforts. The “Good Hands” logo was meant for them.

That momentous day could be a real-ity. A collective voice is powerful. But agents must join together in sufficient numbers to change their whisper to a roar. The vehicle is in place. Go online and join NAPAA today, then pick up the phone and ask a fellow agent to do the same. NAPAA is your association. Join, vote, run for office – make NAPAA what you want it to be.

Change takes guts and commitment. Just ask an Allstate agent. Ef

This article expresses the opinion of one member whose sentiments may be shared by many. It is NAPAA’s editorial policy to pub-lish select articles submitted by our readers, but publication does not mean the NAPAA Board agrees with, supports or endorses the content or the writer’s opinion.

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11Jab, Jab, Jab, right Hook: How

to tell Your story in a Noisy so-cial World is Gary Vaynerchuk’s third book, and another recom-mended read for those who want get deeper into the strategy of leveraging social media to in-crease sales. Even if you are not a fan of boxing, this book will put you in the marketing “ring” and teach you how to properly use so-cial media.

Just as a boxing match is won with a series of successful jabs before landing a right hook; the same is true with social media as you try to get the attention of your target audience. Before you ask (right hook) for something, you need to give, give (jab, jab, jab) and give some more.

Throughout history, we have watched as a progression of media sources have battled for consum-ers’ attention. Radio impacted the print world. TV took listeners away from radio, and the Internet and social media have garnered the attention of consumers from all three of these once powerhouses of information dissemination.

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook (JJJRH) is a great how-to book for all social media platforms.

JJJRH tells us that if your social me-dia content is boring and repetitive, you will be ignored and lose followers. For ultimate success, you must consider the platform and the extreme variations in audiences, then deliver your message ac-cordingly. In other words, context mat-ters as much as content. The post used on Facebook does not work on Tumblr or Instagram. Every unique platform has unique audiences and therefore, needs

unique messages – Oy vey!Vaynerchuk stresses that we should ad-

here to six rules of social media content:1. It’s native. This is all about con-

text. Each social network has nuances: different styles, functions and formats. Your content should blend with the plat-form and be geared toward the users on that network.

2. It does not interrupt. Content should imitate whatever experience peo-ple on that network are seeking. Be sure that your message does not interrupt, like TV ads.

3. It does not make demands – often. It’s not about you, it’s about them. Of-fer something of value without asking for something in return. (Offering a discount may seem valuable, but it is still an “ask.”)

4. It leverages pop culture. Be relevant. Identify and un-derstand what matters. (Agency owners should be sure to avoid controversial topics).

5. It’s micro. Demonstrate your unique and informed per-spective with small bits of infor-mation, commentary, and hu-mor – and be timely. This takes time and is tough for the small agency owner who cannot afford full time social media staff.

6. It’s consistent and self-aware. It seems like we need to go back in time and “get real.” Social media has taken us into a world of poor communication with a need for speed. People are missing relationships and con-nections. Be authentic and help prospective clients understand who you are. Determine your brand, and stick with your story.

If you are not a good storyteller, you will need to find someone who can do this for you in order to take your social me-dia to the next level. If you thought posting day-to-day events and getting “likes” was all there was to it – well, think again! Read this book, and Vaynerchuk will tell you why this will not work, if you want to be “right-hooking” your customers. Ef

Lezlee Liljenberg is an active agent from Arlington, Texas. She has proudly served on the NAPAA board of directors since 2011.

Lezlee is an accomplished author, artistic welder and winner of many Allstate award; she started her first agency from scratch in 2004, and currently has two agencies.

feature

Suggested ReadingBy Lezlee Liljenberg


In my 28-year career as an Allstate agent, I have witnessed the average cost for auto insurance triple, homeowners insurance rates quadruple, and commer-cial and general liability policy premi-ums skyrocket. A fellow Florida Allstate agent once told me, “Don’t worry about Allstate raising rates. Our rates are al-ways competitive, as long as our clients don’t shop around.” The good news is that higher premiums mean more com-missions in your pocket. The bad news is that this is only true for as long as you can keep your clients.

In Florida, Allstate agents have weath-ered double-digit auto rate increases and very tight Line 19 restrictions for the last two years. As a result, I feel the pain of my fellow Allstate agent brothers and sisters who are being affected by the re-cent changes taken by Allstate to address profitability issues.

Newer agents – especially those with-out sufficient cash flow – may even be hit harder than seasoned veterans. However, with a concentrated effort and a good sense of humor, we can all weather this storm.

In the spirit of keeping a positive at-titude, here are eight ideas used in our agency to help retain clients. Perhaps one or more of them will work for your agency, too.

Be proactive. Talk to your customers before their policy renewal. Review their coverages. Did you oversell to their needs 10 years ago when you first wrote their policy? Are deductibles too low? Are there any discounts missing?

Develop stronger relationships with your clients. It will be harder for them to leave over price if they think of you as more than just their insurance agent.

Handling Rate Increases and Other Drastic Changes to Market Conditions

By Dale Revels

My clients have my cell phone number so they can reach me, for any reason, until 7 p.m., even on weekends. When my clients need me, they know that I am available to them with expert advice, em-pathy and understanding. The Gecko, or our dear friend Flo, surely won’t do that.

We are still Allstate. In my opinion, we have the best claims service and ease of doing business in the industry. Make sure your clients are aware of the superior claims service available in your market, such as Claim Satisfaction Guarantee, new car protection, the Good Hands Repair Network or their choice of OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts.

On the lighter side, here are some of the more humorous ways we attempt to retain clients during times of frequent rate increases and tough market conditions.

Have photos of your children and pets in your office, especially babies and dogs. People love babies and dogs. Have your staff do the same thing. Children and pets need to eat. Your clients will get the message.

Invoke the image of Tim Tebow. He is the famous quarterback from the Uni-versity of Florida who can’t seem to get a job in the NFL. Pretend you are Tebow and get down on one knee and point one finger up at the sky when your client makes his renewal payment. Everyone likes Tim Tebow – right?

Change the subject. It’s football sea-son. It’s basketball season. How about (insert your favorite team)? Try to find a team – pro or college – that you have in common with your client and maybe they will forget about that big rate increase.

Talk about the weather. It’s always changing, especially in the winter. Brrrrr, it’s cold out there. Snow might be com-ing any minute. This could also help them forget why they called.

Finally, and I saved this for last: Beg. Begging is sort of unprofessional. How-ever, if you are wearing a nice suit, you can pull it off. Start by saying over and over again, “Please, please, please, please, please don’t go.” That may work.

No matter what your client decides to do, don’t take it personally. If they leave, it’s not you; it’s just the price. As much as we sell the value and benefits of Allstate, sometimes we can’t win. Do the best you can and move on to the next client. This is how we do it in Florida. It has worked for us since 1987. Good selling. Ef

Dale Revels has proudly served on the NAPAA Board of Di-rectors since 2002, including serving as president from 2004 to 2008 and immediate past president from 2008 to 2014.

Dale is an active Allstate agent from Kis-simmee, Florida, and has been with Allstate for 28 years.

business


It’s time to get your swagger back! Think back to when you first became an Allstate agent. Do you remember the lev-el of excitement you felt as you planned all the incredible things you were going to do as an Allstate agency owner? Do you remember thinking that you would be able to take more vacations and spend more quality time with your family? I am here to tell you that this does not have to be an old pipe dream from your past. You can make your dreams a reality!

PerspectiveFortunately, you survived another

turbulent year with Allstate – not every agency owner did. Sure, some decided they had been in the game long enough, and that it was time to sell. Still oth-ers decided they simply wanted a way out. For many agents, 2015 began like a rocket but fizzled to a pop by year’s end. For a fortunate few, 2015 provided positive growth numbers and in some cases, significant bonuses. Despite this, tenured agents know that history often repeats itself at Allstate and that Home Office would likely make some late sum-mer, early fall decisions (including rate increases) that would drastically affect their ability to close new business. As a result, agents who were closing nearly 30 percent of qualified quotes saw their new business close rate fall to less than 10 percent. It sure makes you wonder whether Allstate management under-stands the impact their decisions have on agents’ businesses – and their personal lives. Thanks, Big Blue!

Positive attitudeRegardless of your 2015 results, it’s

once again the start of a brand-new year. It is time to gear up your agency for suc-cess and begin 2016 with a fresh atti-

Make Your Sales Dreams Come TrueBy David Neuenschwander

tude. As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” So find the positive attitude that you once had and forget the negatives.

In Major League Baseball, a player that has a .300 batting average is consid-ered a great hitter. Not a good hitter, a GREAT hitter! This means that out of 10 at-bats, a .300 hitter fails 7 times. No batter goes to the plate knowing they are going to strike out. Instead, they step into the pitch and swing. It is time to get better at shaking off the sting of the dif-ficult times and get good at swinging the bat again.

Think back, maybe just a few years, to a time when you were excited to take on the challenge of running your agency, build-ing business relationships, and helping your community. Let this be the driving force for your attitude and make this the year of “no holds barred” sales efforts.

Be mindful, however, before the year is over, we will not only have elected a new president, we will have either reached our goals or missed them yet again. Don’t let time and opportunity pass you by.

Positive actionThere are certain types of sales oppor-

tunities that are seasonal. For instance,

we just concluded celebrating the win-ter holidays, when more candy canes, eggnog and tinsel are sold in a 45-day window than are sold the rest of the year. Those are seasonal opportunities. The beginning of a new year is a “seasonal” sales opportunity, too. It’s then that many people are interested in fresh starts. They reevaluate their priorities and, in general, are more open to making changes. This mindset plays right into your hands! Target single policy households for an account review. Send postcards wishing your clients a prosperous new year and remind them about multi-policy dis-counts. Put yourself on the right side of human nature and capitalize on this op-portunity before the New Year’s “season” is over.

Look back over the past few years and recognize that regardless of how bad your FSL wants you to be a sales robot — writing the same number of policies every month — some months are just better than others. It is important to rec-ognize that the first quarter is usually a strong sales season. Knowing this means knowing when to swing for the fence and when to bunt. Make the first quarter of the year your most active time for sales and marketing, and give it your all. No-vember will come soon enough, and the only things people will be talking about are turkey and dressing, and, of course, our next president! Ef

David Neuenschwander is a nationally rec-ognized specialist in helping Allstate agents grow their BOBs and bonuses using tested and proven, though sometimes unconventional, strategies. You can learn more about the servic-es he provides to hundreds of successful agents across the country, and receive a Free Report detailing a number of these strategies by visit-ing www.MassiveRFG.com.

business


agency management

I have come to the conclusion that the reason staffing is our biggest headache is because we have not made it our highest priority.

I read a quote recently that states, “Ne-cessity is what makes a person act; without it, there is no action.” So when a staff per-son quits, we rush to find a replacement out of necessity. Some business owners tend to get complacent when things are going well, preferring to sit back and en-joy the ride. True leaders are proactive – not reactive – and always in an improve-ment mode. They don’t wait around for a crisis to make improvements.

Actually, most successful business owners interview 5 to 10 prospective employees each month, depending on the size of their business. They do this to keep a fresh pipeline of talent and so their staff never feels irreplaceable. This

Why is Staffing My Agency My Biggest Headache?

By Mel Clemmons

process leaves the current staff wonder-ing why their supervisor is always look-ing for new people. You might ask, “How do I find 5 to 10 people each month to interview?” The question I ask in return is, “How can you not?”

Before I explain how to go about find-ing great talent, I think we can all agree that our biggest concern is getting more production out of our employees. In a word, this means maximizing SALES by our producers.

I got tired of bumping my head against the wall, so I began to record the names and contact information of sales people I came across in my everyday business and personal transactions. Last month, for instance, I was buying a suit and the salesperson started pitching me their rewards program, which I really didn’t want, but she convinced me to get it. At

that point, a light bulb went off in my head, and I thought, “Maybe she would be a good producer for my agency.” Then I told her what I did for a living and we scheduled an interview.

Another instance occurred while I was walking through the airport. As you know, there are always people selling credit card services for the airlines. One of them stopped me and told me about his credit card program. I gave him every excuse I could think of, but he wouldn’t give up, and – DING, DING, DING – another sales producer got added to my list! I remember thinking, “If he has enough gumption to stop 300 people a day, he can probably convince five people a month to buy life insurance.”

I have also always utilized my church to locate talent. I believe the vast major-ity of people in that arena are responsible individuals and at least somewhat com-mitted because they routinely attend weekly services. Since we share some-thing in common, they are often very re-ceptive and willing to offer firsthand ref-erences for suitable employee candidates.

These are simple strategies that I have seen people implement to find good tal-ent. But before you can build a success-ful team, you must first determine your strengths and weaknesses. You can find and hire all the people you want, but if you can’t lead them, it will be hard for you to get off the hiring treadmill. As business owners, it is up to us to lead people and manage processes. The secret then, is to learn how to lead, and if you can do that, many of your headaches will cease.

Let’s discuss leadership and why it causes us to struggle. Before we begin, we should ask ourselves a few questions, the answers to which may reveal why some


of us stumble as we attempt to create the perfect team. First, have you been trained how to lead a team? Next, have you been taught how to effectively motivate sales people? And last, have you been trained how to identify sales people?

The biggest mistake people make is expecting their new producer to be a su-per sales person right away. Super sales people are not hired; they are shaped, molded and developed over time. They must also be motivated to succeed.

As business owners, we have to learn what it is we don’t know about leadership and then invest in some personal devel-opment to get the success we desire. This means if our producers repeatedly miss their sales goals, it is our fault, not theirs. By continually accepting mediocrity, we are setting ourselves up for failure. So without making changes and demanding more, we’re simply handing out “get out of jail free cards” to our employees and giving them the impression that we con-done their lack of results.

I was in a business owner’s office this week. I found him in the back of the of-fice reading a book. I looked out front and one employee was reading a maga-zine while the other was surfing the net. The question is: If you don’t care about the success of your operation, why would

your staff? You have to demonstrate the results you want your staff to produce.

You also have to be able to cut ties with staff who defy your goals and company vision. Grandma used to say, “One apple can spoil a bunch,” and she wasn’t wrong. I have seen first-hand how negative em-ployees can contaminate a whole group with bad energy. It takes commitment to run a successful organization. The ques-tions to ask yourself are: “If not me, then who? If not now, then when?” Success is a constantly evolving process. It is a jour-ney, not a destination. There will be ups and downs. The key is not giving up.

Let me elaborate on some things you can do to succeed in your agency. The way I look at it, every roadblock is an opportu-nity. If you find out the company is going to take a huge rate increase, don’t dwell on how bad things will be. Think of ways you and your staff can convert angry cus-tomer calls into sales opportunities. Come up with a reasonable explanation for the increase and calmly discuss with your cli-ent. Once the customer is satisfied, switch the pitch and move on to another subject – such as life insurance.

What if the company comes out with an unpopular change? Instead of bash-ing and complaining about it, look for a silver lining. Explain to your employ-

ees how other agencies have flourished in similar situations. Keep in mind that other agencies may decide to call it quits and exit the business, which could mean a boon for your agency as those custom-ers need to find agents elsewhere.

Top agents also incentivize their teams more during tough times because they want to encourage them. The team needs to know it’s a joint effort and by persevering, they will succeed. Invest in staff training on a consistent basis for your organization. Take them to confer-ences, bring in sales leaders, and offer to pay for classes that will improve their job performance. Highlight one good thing that each person in your office does each month. Focus on your vision. And let your staff know failure is not an option.

The key concept here is for you to realize that people will follow, but someone must be willing to lead. And remember to ask your-self: “If not me, who? If not now, when?” Ef

Mel Clemmons is an author, motivational speaker, business owner and founder of SAMM Staffing & Consulting, a lead-ing expert in the merger and acquisition of insurance agencies. Interested parties can contact SAMM Staffing & Consulting at www.sammconsulting.com or by calling 678.223.7397.

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It is our practice to keep agents abreast of legal action involving agency owners. NAPAA has not initiated, and is not a party to, any current litigation, but it does play a crucial role in publishing informa-tion on lawsuits of interest to agents. All-state would probably prefer that agents remain in the dark, but we believe agents deserve to know what is happening in the legal arena because the outcome may adversely affect other agents.

Agents will always be told Allstate’s side of the story. If not for the agency owners whose membership dues make it possible for NAPAA to spend time and resources to research these issues, agents would likely not hear the “rest of the story.”

NAPAA is the only organization dedi-cated to advancing the interests of the Allstate agent. Your association is work-ing hard to keep you informed, which en-sures a level of checks and balances to help agents make intelligent decisions about their businesses. We could, however, do much more if every agent contributed financially, so we hope you will consider joining us today today with your member-ship. (see page 43).

Update: Poulos v. AllstateAfter several years and numerous de-

lays, a jury trial is expected to commence on or about March 14, 2016. This case was filed by former agent Steven Pou-los, who is seeking monetary and puni-tive damages from Allstate for its alleged fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duty.

The complaint stems from Poulos’ purchase of a Florida Allstate agency in February, 2011. After purchasing

his agency, Poulos discovered that the selling agency had been terminated for cause following an investigation by Allstate Corporate Security, which re-vealed the agency had procured policies by falsification of documentation in-cluding manipulating credit checks and misappropriation of its clients’ personal information.

After the agency was terminated and shut down, an exception to the 90-day contract provision was granted allow-ing an extension of two months for the sale to close, suspiciously indicat-ing that Allstate’s managers were mo-tivated to accommodate a sale, versus TPP. They failed to disclose to Poulos that the agency had been shuttered be-cause of the internal investigation, ap-parently unconcerned about the obvious damage the buyer would likely experi-ence by purchasing an agency riddled with fraud. Additionally, the agency was closed more than five months and had been subject to extensive cross-selling by other agents.

In its Answer to the Fifth Amended Complaint, which alleges Allstate man-agers receive increased compensation for placement of new agencies within their sales territory, “Allstate admits that some employees are eligible to receive increased compensation for reaching certain goals, in-cluding production goals and appointment plans, which differ significantly from year to year.”

Allstate claims that it “owed no duty to Plaintiff [Poulos] to disclose any informa-tion to Plaintiff about the [selling] agency’s book of business.” The company also states that it “is not liable for punitive damages, because no officers, directors, or managers

of Allstate knowingly condoned, ratified, or consented to any intentional misconduct or gross negligence of any Allstate employee.”

Poulos’ complaint also includes several counts against the selling agency, and Allstate has filed a cross-claim against the selling agency.

The trial by jury is sure to be an inter-esting event. A judgment against Allstate for a claim of breach of fiduciary duty could have far-reaching implications. Also, punitive damages are very rare in agent litigation. If you plan to attend, be sure to contact Mr. Poulos at [email protected] to verify the trial date be-fore making travel arrangements.

The weather in Miami is beautiful in March, and the court house is just a few miles from the beach!

Allstate Retiree Life insurance Lawsuit

In July 2013, Allstate announced that it would cease paying for retiree life in-surance benefits effective January 1, 2016. The decision affects eligible for-mer employee agents, including many currently active Exclusive Agents and former non-agent retirees as well.

An Alabama law firm filed suit in Sep-tember 2013, seeking reinstatement of the Allstate-paid premium on behalf of agent retirees. A similar case was filed in Florida by a group of former home office employees who had accepted Allstate’s Special Retirement Opportunity (SRO) offer in 1995. The two cases have been consolidated.

The case has moved slowly; it was re-assigned to a new judge 2014, and for much of 2015, the parties have been waiting for a ruling on Allstate’s Mo-

Litigation Update – Keeping Agents Informed

By Nancy Fish

legal matters


tion to Dismiss. On November 16, 2015, Plaintiffs filed an injunction asking the court to halt Allstate’s plan to cancel retirees’ life insurance policies until the case is resolved.

The motion for injunction and the motion to dismiss were set for hearing before the court on December 18, 2015 in Montgomery, Alabama. See the deci-sion issued by the Court at the News and Events tab at www.napaaUsA.org. Ef

NAPAA members: Find articles previ-ously published about these cases by select-ing the “Exclusivefocus Archives” tab in the members section of www.napaaUSA.org.

This information, including any related comments, has been provided for informa-tional purposes only and should not be con-strued as legal advice or an endorsement from NAPAA or its attorneys. NAPAA ex-pressly disclaims any such advice.

The views expressed here are solely those of NAPAA and do not reflect the views or opinions of Allstate Insurance Company or its affiliates.

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Have you ever wondered why old friends and acquaintances drift away for seemingly no good reason? A long-standing golf foursome, for instance, that not only breaks up unexpectedly, but whose participants allow their personal relationships to wane because they fail to stay in touch with their old golfing buds?

I think we all know intuitively why old friends are forgotten, but science has a word for it. It’s called habituation, which is defined as a decrease in the behavioral response that occurs when an initially novel stimulus is presented repeatedly. Maybe things get too difficult or boring – or perhaps we’re just too busy.

In any case, I was part of such a four-some 15 years ago, and because I really hadn’t seen the others since then, I de-cided to contact them. Was I ever sur-prised to find how things had changed!

The first guy on my list was Randy. I retired from Allstate five years ago, so I tracked him down as an old friend rather than his insurance agent. We met in a quiet bar. Randy was a healthy, gregari-ous guy back then, and I had sold him a full line of Allstate products including

HabituationBy Dave Thorpe

life. He kept the policy in force, which turned out to be a good thing for him. Unfortunately for Randy, he was diag-nosed with prostate cancer a couple of years ago and it had recently metasta-sized. “The prognosis isn’t good,” he in-formed me. He explained the treatment he was undergoing for bone metastases and although it would likely prolong his life and make his ordeal more com-fortable, the results haven’t always been good. But new treatments were in the works and his attitude seemed positive.

As we finished up with a couple of cold ones, I promised I’d send up a couple of prayers. He laughed and said, “Last I heard, you were an agnostic.” I smiled and we tipped our mugs. I emailed him a couple of times after we met, but he didn’t respond. I have heard he’s doing pretty well and I’m hoping for the best. I even sent up a couple of prayers for him. What the hell.

The second guy on my list was Mark. He was an old colleague of mine from my finance days, some 40 years ago. We re-ally did have a lot in common back then, including toking a little weed, the afore-

mentioned golf, examining the merits of local breweries and most importantly, trading business. Mark was and is a real estate broker and buyer of investment properties. To this day, he and Randy are co-owners of many properties. Mark would recommend clients to my agency and we, in turn, clued him to clients who were interested in properties to buy. A problem developed after I used another broker as the commissioned agent on a property I sold. I had a very good rea-son for doing so, but Mark didn’t see it that way and essentially terminated our friendship. I knew I would have a good deal of trouble getting him to agree to a sit-down after all those years with no contact and, indeed, he refused to talk to me. I guess we could call this a case of habituation in reverse. Strangely enough, he has remained a client in my old office.

The third guy is Dick. He may have been a contributing factor in why the foursome broke up. Dick had been in the construction business and, in fact, was the primary contractor for my secondary residence in Pinetop, Arizona. We devel-oped a friendship, and as the construc-tion business declined, I recommended him for an agent position at Allstate. I felt that his friendly personality, coupled with his management and educational background were can’t miss requisites for insurance sales and might even lead him into to a successful Allstate management career. But I was wrong. If Dick didn’t have a hammer in his hand he wasn’t happy, and shortly thereafter, he quit.

After resuming his building career, Dick’s health began to decline. He de-veloped a slight stoop, a pallid look, and tired easily. The last I heard, he was thinking of getting a pacemaker. He looked terrible, and I figured I’d soon be reading about him in the local obits.

feature


But after 15 years of not hearing any-thing about his demise, I decided to look him up in Pinetop, where we both had cabins. I knocked on his door and a tall, healthy-looking stranger appeared in the doorway. It was Dick, and I was amazed at his change in health. I truthfully didn’t recognize him. The pacemaker worked big-time. It worked so well for him, I wondered if maybe I ought to have one implanted.

We shot the bull over coffee and after catching up, we realized we had noth-ing in common. He still golfed but was now carrying his bag, eschewing a cart. He asked me if I wanted to join him in a game. I said, “No thanks,” and departed. I imagine we’ll spend the rest of our lives examining the daily obits to see who goes first. If I were a betting man and an unbi-ased observer, I’d bet on Dick.

Then, of course, there’s me. Due to a tumor in my audio canal, I deafened, sold my agency to my son and sought treat-ment in New York. The medical pro-cedure, called stereotactic radiosurgery, was a qualified success. It deadened the tumor, but deadened my hearing as well. So now I write about things, including finance and insurance, instead of selling them. I’m also very interested in combin-ing physical effort with a creative pro-cess. Currently, I do heavy landscaping on properties that I have an interest in.

Looking up my old golfing partners wasn’t a waste of time. I was particularly gratified to learn that the large life in-surance policy I’d sold to Randy was still in force. I just hope it doesn’t pay off for many years.

By the way, my son has done very well since buying the agency. I’d always sold a lot of life insurance and, like me, some of those clients are getting older. One thing is certain, many of us will die in the not too distant future. Since the agency pur-chase, Jason has never failed to be among the Region’s leaders in life and insurance sales. When a life client dies, he almost assumes the role of an undertaker. He helps the beneficiary with the death claim and genuinely commiserates with them. The conversation when hand-ing over the check might go something like this, “Mrs. Smith, the proceeds, of course, are nontaxable, but we must be

careful on what we invest in. I suggest a tax-qualified annuity…”

And the beat goes on. I’m trying to envision how Jason might handle my de-mise and subsequent annuity sale using my death proceeds. “Mom, the proceeds, of course, are nontaxable, but…” My wife would then likely interject, “Whoa! I’ve heard that spiel for 35 years and now I’ve got annuities up the ying-yang. They were worth buying because your father was paid handsomely for them and we enjoyed those great trips he won. So, if I buy another annuity from you, will you be taking me on your next award trip?”

Caught off-guard, Jason might say, “I’ll have to get back to you on that...”

In conclusion, let me suggest that young agents looking to buy an insur-ance book of business, should try to find an old codger that liked to sell life in-surance. His clients’ beneficiaries will be needing you soon. The only certainties in life are death and taxes. And with a

tax-qualified annuity you can defer the taxes. Ef

You can contact Dave Thorpe at [email protected].

Communicate – Reliable and accurate communication on issues af-fecting Allstate Exclusive Agency Owners • DirectExpressweeklye-newsletter • Exclusivefocus quarterly magazine • www.napaaUSA.org

Educate–Knowledgeispower;makebetterdecisionsaboutyourbusinessandprofession • Contractandlegalissues • Helpwhenbuyingorsellingagencies • Agentterminations • Marketingandoperationaltoolsforagencyowners

Advocate–Weofferresourcesthathelpagenciessucceed,butwewillnotbackdownwhenAllstatemakesdecisionsthatimpactagents’livelihoods.Mobilizethepowerofyourcollectivevoiceandstandtogetherfortheprinciplesandchallengesthatagencyownershaveincommon.

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Employee turnover can be expensive for your agency. It costs time and money to find new staff – and even more time and money for training. Reducing turn-over involves hiring the right people and keeping them engaged.

What do engaged employees look like?

Across industries, engaged employees share these similarities:

• Theyprovidefeedbackandsugges-tions for how to improve your business.

• They seek new opportunities in-stead of complaining about lack of work.

• Theyinspirecoworkersandclientsto feel passionate about your mission.

• Theyreferfriendsaspotentialhiresto your organization.

Paychex HR consultant Linda Lu-carelli shared this in a recent podcast: “Engaged employees feel like they’re a part of the organization, part of the mis-sion, part of what the company believes in and what they’re doing for their cli-ents or customers.”

hiring engaged employeesYour hiring process is crucial to find-

ing employees who fit well with your or-ganization. To select the best applicant, you need to know your agency’s culture and whether the prospective employee can work comfortably in that environ-ment.

Think about your agency. How would you describe the culture? Is it fast paced? Do you have flexible hours or telecom-muting options? Perhaps attention to detail is key to your agency’s image and success. It’s important to take stock, not only of the work employees need to do in your office, but also how they conduct themselves with coworkers and clients.

With a complete understanding of

Employee Engagement: The Secret Sauce for Reducing Turnover

your agency’s culture, it’s easier to cre-ate and ask interview questions that will help determine if the values, beliefs and behaviors of the candidate are congruent with those of your agency. Employment personality testing can also help verify a good match.

Keeping employees engagedNow that you have the right staff in

place, how do you ensure they will stay engaged long after the new-hire honey-moon is over?

Communicate your mission or com-pany vision frequently to employees. Be clear about what your agency does, your values, and your expectations.

Give employees opportunities to learn and grow their skills. Invest in their suc-cess with regular training, role-playing, seminars and professional courses.

Empower your staff to make changes that improve efficiency and customer service.

Recognize and reward good work and innovative ideas.

Let them know the agency is benefit-ing from their efforts.

Keep your door open to feedback, con-cerns or grievances.

Offer competitive benefits.

Learn from employees who leaveEven the best companies have employ-

ee turnover. The natural assumption to losing staff is that it must be about money, but that’s not always the case. Exit inter-views are a great source of information for improving your agency operation.

Start the interview by thanking the de-parting employee for talking frankly with you. Let them know you appreciate their willingness to help you make improve-ments. Ask about compensation package issues, but don’t stop there. Ask what your agency is doing well, what you could do to improve, and about working with your office manager or other members of your staff. Use the interview as an opportunity to shake hands and leave as friends.

Employee engagement is a holistic process. It includes hiring the right can-didates and the leadership skills to keep your staff engaged. No two agencies will have the same practices, but well-round-ed agency systems can help you hire and retain productive, satisfied employees. Ef

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NAPAA Members: Find more help on staffing at the members only Agency Op-erations tab at www.napaaUSA.org, in-cluding employee interview guidelines and a sample exit interview.

agency management


MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION National Association of Professional Allstate Agents

22 N Carroll St, Ste 300 Madison, WI 53703

Call Toll-Free: 877-627-2248 Fax: 866-627-2232

Email: [email protected] | www.NAPAAUSA.org

Demographics Name:

Address, city, state, zip:

Cell Phone: Email: Agent since: If you were referred by a NAPAA member let us know –

we’ll send them a $15 Starbucks gift card for referring you! Referred by:

Membership Categories

Gold Membership (Agent Only): Annual - $375 EFT - $31/month

Super Supporter (Agent Only): Annual - $475 EFT - $39/month

Action Fund Donation Amount: $ EFT: $ /month

Payment Section

EFT (Monthly) – Mail, scan or fax voided check

I authorize NAPAA to make electronic withdrawals from my account in the amount stated above. Withdrawals will occur on or about the 20th of every month. This authorization agreement is effective as of the signature date below and will remain in full force, including renewal, conversion or future changes in membership dues, until NAPAA has received notification from me of its termination. I may cancel this authorization at any time by contacting NAPAA by phone, fax, mail or email at least 10 days prior to the withdrawal date.

I have enclosed a voided check. Check (Annual) Please make payable to NAPAA and mail to the address above

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I authorize this amount to be charged to my credit card: $

Card Type: Visa Master Card Discover American Express

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I am retired from Allstate, but work in the Allstate agency I sold 4½ years ago. The agency has a low loss ratio and high retention, but the new agent is beginning to have a hard time keeping customers.

I was not impressed with the way se-nior management reported the reason-ing for the proposed auto insurance rate hikes, which included night driving, rain, and a better economy. In my mind, these are not reasons to justify continued rate increases. Surely, there must be more convincing data to support their claims. People still drive when the economy is bad — looking for jobs, driving children to school and other events, etc. In addi-tion, cars and trucks today are safer and more efficient. The stock price and the stockholder seem to be the only things that matter to Corporate.

If declining auto policies are already a problem, I cannot see how another round of rate increases will help. Current rates are the reason auto PIF has been declin-ing, so raising them will only make a bad situation worse. In my area, we are trying to save customers who have experienced three rate increases this year and their objections are becoming more difficult to overcome. They frequently refer to All-state as “greedy,” and then they leave our agency with a bad taste in their mouth. Truthfully, I don’t blame them.

Allstate wants to appear as a quality company but skimps on the tools it needs for efficiency. Just work with Connexus or Commercial Agent to experience how poorly a second-rate system performs. Gateway crashes often and hinders pro-duction. With the amount of commer-cial business agents are writing, it seems that new business approvals should be available in a few minutes, not 48 hours. You have to wonder if there’s only one underwriter in the entire company.

And another thing, if the profit situa-

tion is so dire, why are the top executives receiving such obscene compensation packages compared to the competition?

Thank you for letting me vent.

I have been an Allstate EA for five years. My BOB is about $1.9 million. I am definitely understaffed, but cannot afford to hire more people.

When Allstate takes a rate increase, has a computer glitch, or comes up with a remarkably dumb idea, we agents suf-fer through it by taking the brunt of our clients’ angst on the chin. Our subpar technology systems cause problems and reduce productivity every day. Technical glitches and rate increases cause addi-tional work because inbound telephone calls skyrocket. I can seldom explain why rates go up, other than to say, “Allstate took another rate increase, sorry.”

How can we be “Trusted Advisors” when all we are allowed to sell are All-state products, which almost always cost more than our competitors? I feel I am no better than a used car salesman who can only sell cars in “as is” condition and for the “sticker price.” If our prod-ucts were top-drawer and competitively priced, only then could I feel comfortable in the role of a Trusted Advisor.

Every day, I desperately care, sell, and quote knowing that if I really “cared,” I would send the prospect down the road to an agent with better products at bet-ter premiums. Paradoxically, Allstate of-fers such a product with its Encompass brand, but we are not permitted to sell it. If I were truly a Trusted Advisor, I would tell each and every client to get a quote from an Encompass agent. Even if the price were slightly higher, my advice would still be to buy it because it would be best for the customer.

The Encompass OneSM Policy (auto/home combo) is far superior to anything I can offer and at a lower price. The prop-erty coverage is a single limit up to 200% of the estimated replacement value, the

auto has a combined single limit BI/PD, and both include numerous options that are not included on the policies we are allowed to sell. My clients have saved over $500 per year by switching, and they are told that Encompass is the same company as Allstate – only better.

How can Allstate disrespect us by of-fering better products, pay more com-missions and provide better support to independents, who undoubtedly have less loyalty to Allstate than we do? In addition, they don’t have AFS quotas or have to endure the everyday problems and hassles we experience. But then if they did, I’m sure they would simply move their Encompass books to another carrier!

I feel totally victimized and frustrated. Had I started an independent agency instead of going with Allstate, I would make more money, have more options available to me, and most importantly, my conscience would be clear.

letters to NAPAA

Letters continued from page 8.

Letters and articles submitted to napaa may be edited for

clarity, space, grammar, syntax and suitability.

names of agent contributors will only be published with

writer’s permission.

Letters and other submissions can be

e-mailed to [email protected]

or mailed to: napaa

22 n. Carroll st., suite 300madison, Wi 53703


ARIZONAGlendale The Grandidge Agency623-570-1009 [email protected] AskingPrice:$1,000,000 PIF:3,000Premium:$3,400,000Numberofstaff:4 40+yearagency.Largeoffice,convenientlocation,newtech-nology.

CONNECTICUTBloomfieldMaritza Valentin860-794-1986 [email protected] AskingPrice:Negotiable PIF:462Premium:$579,052Busylocationwitheasyaccess.Qualifiesforenhancedcom-missions.$50kinpremiuminexpandedmarkets.

FLORIDAAltamonte SpringsDeMatteis Group, Inc.407-701-8625 [email protected] AskingPrice:$2,500,000 PIF:5,385Premium:$5,800,000 (+$1,800,000Ivantage) NumberofStaff:8 30-year,one-owneragency.Excellentretention,clientsatis-faction,noE&Oclaims.Tenuredstaff,lowoperatingcostsandupgradedtechnology.

BradentonEstablished Allstate agency941-720-2505 [email protected] AskingPrice:$750,000 PIF&Premium:Pleasecall NumberofStaff:2 53%Allstate,47%brokered.

MiamiBrian Reilly716-478-9226 [email protected] AskingPrice:$1,600,000 PIF:3,250Premium:$5,500,000 NumberofStaff:4

TExAS KilleenNeal White254-634-5433 [email protected] AskingPrice:$320,000 PIF:1,462Premium:$1,650,000 Agentsince1986,readytoretire.Greatlocation,buildingavail-able.CSRPavailableonrequest.

[email protected] AskingPrice:$525,000 PIF:1,600Premium:$2,400,000 NumberofStaff:2 Retention:92%,HonorRing.Lowoperatingexpenses.BorderagencylicinNH.

ViRGiniAWinchesterMel Pine540-667-7133 [email protected] AskingPrice:$625,000 PIF:2,300Premium:$2,500,000 NumberofStaff:2 Retaillocation,1200sqftnexttobusysupermarket.BREfurnitureincluded.

the NAPAA market place

AgenciesforSale AgenciesforSale AgenciesforSale AgenciesforSale

GEORGIAVariousLocationsMel Clemmons - Seller Rep855-306-8627 [email protected] PIF&Premium:PleaseCall Brokerrepresentativewithseverallocationsfordetails.

INDIANAGoshen Andrea Thalheimer (Horace Mann Agency)574-228-0488 [email protected] AskingPrice:$50,000 PIF:1,646 Premium:LifeAUM$98,244;AnnuityAUM$17,624,617 Territoryincludes24schooldistricts,171schools,10,971staffmembers.IncreasedPIFandAUMeveryyear.Willingtotransitionnewowner.

New CastleJanet [email protected] AskingPrice:$325,000 PIF:1,305Premium:$1,320,918 LR:51%,Retention:82.2%.25-year agency

NEW YORKBrooklynEdward Lawson, Jr570-460-1228 [email protected] AskingPrice:Pleasecall PIF:1,900Premium:$3,700,000 LR:47%,Retention:89.67%.BestlocationinBrooklyn.30-yearagency,retiring.

PEnnSyLVAniAPittsburghLawrence Ross [email protected] AskingPrice:Negotiable PIF:2,636Premium:$2,522,201 Retention:91%,LR:45%,26-yearagency.

TheNAPAAmarketplace…wherebuyersmeetsellers.Placeyourclassifiedadhereforjust$99perissueofExclusivefocus (Pricereducedto$50ifadisinconjunctionwithonlinead.)

Formoreinformation,gotowww.napaausa.org,orcontactNAPAAat877-627-2248,[email protected].

ADVERTISER INDExBGI Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Brodbeck Marketing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Capital Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Couri Insurance Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Global Green Insurance Agency . . . . . . . . . . . 2Goosehead Insurance . . . . . . . . . . .Back CoverInsure Zone Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17LightSpeed Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Oak Street Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Paychex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Premier Group Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Providence Bank Agency Finance . . . . . . . . 11Robyn Sharp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13SIAA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Smart Choice Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31The Kindness Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27The Telcom Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7TWFG Insurance Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Wright Beamer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23


AdmiNistrAtive Offices Emily Wiseman

22 N . Carroll St ., Suite 300Madison, WI 53703

Ph 877-627-2248Fax 866-627-2232

ewiseman@napaainc .org

Nancy Fish, Executive DirectorExecutiveDirector@napaausa .org

Gerry Flores, Membership Development call 563-564-1800

Please email HQ@napaausa .org to contact our officers and directors . Include the name of the person in

the subject line .

OfficersJim FishPresident

Gulfport, MS

Debe Campos-FleenorExecutive Vice President

Tucson, AZ

Greg ThompsonTreasurer

Burleson, TX

Judy OstSecretary

Battleground, WA

directOrsDale Revels, Kissimmee, FL

Lezlee Liljenberg, Arlington, TXClaudia Gamache, Lockport, ILChristina Miller, Pensacola, FL

Virginia Ottenberg, Hubbard, OH

NAPAA Board of Directors 2015-2016 Exclusivefocus

National Association ofProfessionalAllstateAgents,Inc.

Bryan AhlquistExecutive Editor

[email protected]

Exclusivefocus and DirectExpress are official publi-cations of NAPAA - The National Association of Pro-fessional Allstate Agents, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. It is the policy of this publication to reflect the professional thoughts and attitudes of our members and to advance the professionalism of the insurance in-dustry to the ultimate benefit of the insuring public.

The views expressed by NAPAA, or any of its positions relative to its activities and those of its members’ actions on behalf of this organization, are expressly those of NAPAA, and do not reflect the views or the opinions of Allstate In-surance Company, or any of its affiliates.

Letters to the Editor: All letters must include an ad-dress and a daytime and evening phone number. We re-serve the right to edit letters for clarity and space.

This issue of Exclusivefocus magazine may contain articles of interest submitted to NAPAA by outside au-thors. NAPAA is not responsible for the opinions, advice or accuracy of any information provided therein.

NAPAA’s Mission StatementNAPAA is dedicated to the success of Allstate

Exclusive Agency Owners and to advance the independence and entrepreneurial spirit of our members.

NAPAA’s Goals Our goals are subject to alteration, influenced by

a constantly changing environment and the needs and wishes of our members.

NAPAA encourages its members to actively par-ticipate in the process of defining and refining our Mission, Goals and Positions.

Our General Goals:•Toprovideanorganizationspecificallytailored

to benefit Allstate Exclusive Agents•Monitorlegislativeandlegalissuespertinentto

Agents and their clients• Maintain an Action Fund to support issues

beneficial to agents and clients•Providereliablecommunicationsonallissues

that affect Agents and the ability to call upon our members to act

•ProvideAgentswithadistinctvoiceonissuesthat affect them, continually exploring options and solutions

•Maketoolsandresourcesavailableformembersin an effort to increase agency value and success.

For more information, please visit

www.napaausa.org

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A Magazine for Allstate Agency

Owners

ExclusivefocusWinter 2015/2016

An Official Publication of the National Association of Professional Allstate Agents, Inc.

Success Secrets for New Allstate Agents page 10

Public Speaking – An Effective Way to Grow Your Agencypage 12

No Crying Allowed and Other Lessons Learned page 16

Windows 10 –Secrets of Protecting Your Privacypage 18

Does Allstate Value its Agents?page 28

Amplifying Agent Voices

Through Unity page 6 Winter

2015/2016issue of Exclusivefocus

brought to you by the

National Association

of Professional

Allstate Agents.

Exclusivefocus · 2020-05-26 · A Magazine for Allstate Agency Owners Exclusivefocus Winter...

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