Missouri Agent January-February 2013

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For more details, contact your Business Development Manager or Customer Service at 1.800.442.0593 or [email protected]

The MEM DifferenceMissouri Employers Mutual has established itself as a consistent, credible resource for your clients’ work comp needs.

With 17 years of market leadership, we have earned our reputation of offering competitive rates combined with exceptional service and our personalized approach to workplace safety. And we’re just getting started.

For a true work comp partner for you and your clients, contact MEM, Missouri’s No. 1 provider of workers compensation.

www.mem-ins.com

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM YOUR WORK COMP CARRIER?

www.worksafecenter.com

January-February 2013 missouriagent 3

contentsSpecial Focus: Small Agency ConferenceThe Magnitude of Attitude on Selling 232013 Small Agency Conference 24

Win, Lose or Draw 7Build Your Brand with a Great Website 13High Growth Agencies Track Metrics 19CSR Development Conference 21Staff Profile: Jeanne Blomberg 292013 Day at the Capitol 33A Revolutionary Approach to Car Insurance 34

AdvertisersAccident Insurance Co. 10ACUITY 14Agents Marketing Corp. 28Allied Insurance 4AmTrust North America 47BC&M 40Big “I” Umbrella Program 22Burns & Wilcox 32Couri Insurance Associates 42Designation Courses 17FCCI Insurance Group 35Gateway Underwriters Agency 31

DepartmentsFrom the President 5The Legal Side 9Errors and Omissions 10Technicalities 16From The DIFP 30

Technology 36Regulatory Actions 41Company Partner News 44Agency News 45Classifieds 46

missouriagent

3315 Emerald Lane, P.O. Box 1785, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1785 • 800-617-3658 in Mo. Phone 573-893-4301 • FAX 573-893-3708E-mail: [email protected]: www.missouriagent.org

Publisher Larry CaseEditor Amy J. Hoffman, AIPAdvertising Manager Amy J. Hoffman, AIP

Officers of the MAIAPresident Doug Clift, CIC, St. LouisPresident-Elect Brian Harrison, CIC, ColumbiaVice President Louis Landwehr, CIC, CRM, Jeff CitySec’y-Treasurer Randy Baker, Kennett IIABA National Director Mitchell C. Mills, CWCC, ClintonPIA National Director Richard Minor, CIC, Hannibal Past President Byron Robison, Springfield

Board of DirectorsRegion 1 Ricky Baker, CIC, ChillicotheRegion 2 Darren Smiley, MexicoRegion 3 Chris Rupp, LUTCF, CIC, LibertyRegion 4 Shane Davolt, Kansas CityRegion 5 Lee Wilbers Jr., LUTCF, CLU, CFP, Jefferson CityRegion 6 Jim Baxendale, CPCU, St. LouisRegion 7 Jeff Mentel, J.D., St. LouisRegion 8 Jane Dobrinic, CIC, CPCU, St. LouisRegion 9 Randy Smart, MarionvilleRegion 10 Tom Montileone, CIC, CISR, AIS, SpringfieldRegion 11 Steve Rackley, CIC, CISR, GainesvilleRegion 12 Mark Gibbins, PortagevilleAt-Large #1 Wil Turner, CIC, BeltonAt-Large #2 Vickie Winkler, CISR, Ste. GenevieveAt-Large #3 John Patterson, ChesterfieldCo. Rep. Ben Finan, Maryland HeightsCo. Rep Jim Lay, CIC, CPCU, Springfield

Staff of the MAIAExecutive Vice President Larry CaseVice President of Operations Sheryl Van LeerVice President of Marketing Lindsay Griffin, AIPInsurance Services Manager Leona LoethenEvents Manager Jeanne Blomberg, AIPDatabase Administrator Laura BerendzenCustomer Service Representative Theresa Flippin, AIPCustomer Service Representative Monica Mize, AIPEditor Amy J. Hoffman, AIPEducation Director Emily KoenigsfeldAdministrative Assistant Dawn PattersonCustomer Service Representative Anna Brockes

MISSOURI AGENT (USPS 709-210) is published bimonthly by the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents, 3315 Emerald Lane, Jefferson City, MO 65109, phone 573-893-4301. Periodical postage paid at Jefferson City, Mo.

MAIA does not necessarily endorse any of the companies advertising in this publication. Subscription rate for members is $25 per year, which is included in dues.

Address & Other Changes

Notify Missouri Agent if you change your address, change your agency name, or drop or change producers (who are voting members of the association). Write to Missouri Agent, P.O. Box 1785, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1785 or e-mail [email protected].

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Missouri Agent, P.O. Box 1785, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1785.

© 2013 Missouri Association of Insurance Agents

On the Cover: Each year, MAIA celebrates Missouri’s small and mid-sized independent agencies at the Small Agency Conference.

Vol. 22 No. 1

IPMG 18JM Wilson 34MAIA Events 8MAIA Partners 48MEM Insurance 2Meramec Valley Mutual 36Missouri Rural Services 6M.J. Kelly Co. 16SECURA Insurance Cos. 12Surplus Lines Association of Mo. 30West Bend 38

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We’d like to thank The Missouri Association of Insurance Agents for naming us their “2012 Top Partner.”

We’re honored by this recognition because partnering with independent agents has always been our top priority.

If you’re looking for a company that’s truly dedicated to your success, call us today at 1-866-632-4007.

Nationwide, Nationwide Insurance and the framemark are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Independent, Yet Never AloneSM is a service mark of Allied Group, Inc. © 2012 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved. ALO-0100MO (09/12)

ALLIED, A TRUEPARTNERSHIP


2013: A year of great events

Doug Cliftpresident, MAIA

fromthepresident

We’d like to thank The Missouri Association of Insurance Agents for naming us their “2012 Top Partner.”

We’re honored by this recognition because partnering with independent agents has always been our top priority.

If you’re looking for a company that’s truly dedicated to your success, call us today at 1-866-632-4007.

Nationwide, Nationwide Insurance and the framemark are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Independent, Yet Never AloneSM is a service mark of Allied Group, Inc. © 2012 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved. ALO-0100MO (09/12)

ALLIED, A TRUEPARTNERSHIP I hope your holidays were great. It is hard to

believe that 2012 is already behind us and planning for 2013 is before us, perhaps along with a few New Year resolutions. As a follow up to my last article, I hope everyone has tak-en time to review all the great programs and services MAIA has to offer. I know personally I renewed our errors and omissions insurance with Utica Mutual, and I am just waiting for our new umbrella quote from Penn National/Swiss Re.

It is now time to set your agency calendar and budget for 2013. Resolve to make the most of your MAIA membership by attending the great events scheduled for the upcoming year, including:

Great event #1: Day at The CapitolMarch 6, 2013, Jefferson CityIf you think as insurance agents we aren’t in-volved in politics, then you need to “rethink your thoughts.” We need to be heavily invest-ed in politics, the politics of protecting the in-dependent agency system and small business. Join your fellow agents in fighting the good fight in Jeff City. This event is free for MAIA members. See page 33 for more information.

Great event #2: Small Agency ConferenceMarch 21-22, 2013, ColumbiaI am happy to say that for once the date is not the same week as my daughter’s spring break, so I can attend this conference. By the way, this is not just for small agencies. There is a good chance you will see a rebranding of this conference in the near future to better reflect the educational and networking opportuni-ties it provides. There will be nearly 100 com-panies exhibiting, so if you haven’t attended in the past, please join me and attend your first conference. And don’t forget the Craw-fish Feast the night before the conference! See pages 24-26 for conference details.

Great event #3: Young Agents Conference June 2-4, 2013, St. Louis We certainly can’t forget this one. C’mon, remember when we started our insurance careers (many, many years ago in my case) at-tending Young Agent events? We know the importance of supporting this group. I was able to conference in on the Young Agents Committee meeting recently, and they are putting together a great program. It is a must for all young agents this year.

Great event #4: The Leadership Conference July 17-19, 2013, Osage Beach This has always been a special event for me. I had the privilege of chairing this confer-ence for a number of years before joining the board. It is a great event, which combines networking, educational opportunities and a chance to spend time with other agents, per-haps sharing best practices. Bring the family!

After loading these dates in your calendar, don’t forget to budget your 2013 contribution for InsurPac. Being visible in Jefferson City for Day at the Capital is very important, but it still takes money to get to the table. Please join me in making a contribution to InsurPac in January to help support small business and our industry.

As we kick off 2013, let’s make some resolu-tions together. Let’s resolve to make 2013 the best year yet for our agencies by supporting all the services offered by MAIA and attend-ing the great events the board and committee members of MAIA have worked hard to bring to us. Please put these dates on your calen-dar to attend; you will not be disappointed. Here’s to 2013, sure to be known as the year of GREAT EVENTS!

Good health, prosperity and hap-piness to you and yours in 2013.


Larry Caseexecutive vice president, MAIA

myturn

Win, lose or drawWhen you think about the title of my column this month, it likely conjures up thoughts about an old TV show, an Allman Brothers Band hit or the potential outcomes of your favorite sporting event. I chose it because it essentially sums up what you have wanted to know in inquiries subsequent to our settle-ment with Missouri Farm Bureau regarding the operation of Barton Mutual Insurance.

I have received many questions asking whether agents won or lost on this issue. While litigants many times want to declare victory in court battles, negotiated settle-ments are not necessarily about winning or losing, but are more about doing what is right and preventing similar conflicts in the future.

Essentially, five primary stakeholders were impacted by the financial impairment and court ordered rehabilitation of Barton: Bar-ton Mutual Insurance Company; independent insurance agents; the Department of Insur-ance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration; Missouri Farm Bureau; and the Barton policyholders.

Rather than declaring particular outcomes as a wins or losses, I believe it more beneficial to analyze the impact resolutions have on the various parties. Following are the practical impacts (positive or negative) I believe the settlement may have on each party.

Independent agentsThe issues facing independent agents rep-resenting Barton have been extremely chal-lenging over the past year. In spite of produc-ing and owning the entire book of Barton business, independent agents were not in-cluded in any meetings or discussions regard-ing options for Barton’s rehabilitation.

Moreover, once a plan was determined, their clients’ policy information was provided to competing captive agents, which resulted in independent agents having to explain ar-rangements about which they had no first-hand knowledge.

Early intervention by independent agents pointed out significant concerns that had ap-parently not been previously considered or contemplated, and ultimately, other parties came around and remedied some of the most onerous components.

The hassle, time and extra work com-municating with clients over the company’s

financial instability and the ensuing confu-sion was bothersome enough but was further compounded by the withholding of commis-sion income, reduction of commissions and increased rates. Clearly, several of the factors contributed to some lost business.

The positive news out of the settlement for independent agents is that more than $430,000 in withheld commissions will be paid, their contracts with Barton will remain in force and their clients’ policy information will no longer be provided to competing agents. This will allow independent agents to make their own business decisions on what relationship they want to have with Barton in the future.

Independent agents also have to be heart-ened by how loyal policyholders were. In spite of being bombarded by marketing calls from competing agents who had been pro-vided their policy information, policyholders overwhelmingly chose to continue to do busi-ness with their independent agent.

BartonOf course, times have been trying for the company itself. While the company was not in the path of the tornado, it was a victim of the massive destruction. The company’s financial insolvency and takeover by the DIFP was just the start of its challenges. Subsequent actions resulted in the loss of long time company leadership, legal expenses and negative pub-licity. These circumstances all contributed to lost trust from its agency force, opportunistic competition from competitors and lost busi-ness. Going forward, the company will con-tinue to incur some increased expenses and loss of autonomy based on its management agreement with Farm Bureau.

Moving ahead with more than $17 million in surplus notes provided by Missouri Farm Bureau and its release from DIFP supervised rehabilitation, the company will now have opportunity to re-focus, repair relationships and implement a new business plan. Retain-ing its relationships with independent agents will be a key to maintaining and grow-ing a profitable book of business. The company also has an added distribution channel through the Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance Brokerage.

continued on page 39

MAIA WInter events

regIster onlIne At WWW.MIssourIAgent.org.

Small Agency ConferenceMarch 21-22, 2013, Holiday Inn, Columbia

Featuring

Mark Holmes, Consultant Board,

Springfield, Mo., has helped hun-

dreds of companies improve em-

ployee performance, sales and

customers service. His contagious

enthusiasm and leading ideas will

energize your entire staff.

Benefits

• Unparalleled Networking

• Education For Small Agencies

• Experienced Instructors

• Giant Trade Show

• Optional E&O Seminar (approved for

6 hours ethics CE)

About the Conference

If your agency is small to mid-sized

and is looking for education and

networking opportunities, this is

the conference for you. The Small

Agency Conference is designed to

be useful to all agency employees,

from CSRs to principals.

Day at the CapitolMarch 6, 2013, Capitol Plaza Hotel, Jefferson City

What Is It?

MAIA members and friends come to-

gether to discuss topics in the state

legislature that affect our industry.

After getting briefed on the issues,

agents have time to visit their Sena-

tors and Representatives at the

state Capitol.

Why Does It Matter?

Each year, the Missouri General Assem-

bly passes new laws that change the

way producers do business. Day at the

Capitol is a chance to educate yourself

and your leaders on the effects those

laws have on the Missouri insurance in-

dustry and its consumers.

Who Can Come?

Day at the Capitol is free to all

MAIA members. We ask only that

you register in advance. Your repre-

senatives want to hear from their

constituants at home. This is your

chance to be their insurance indus-

try experts.

1ce

credit pending

up to 7

ce credits

Technology Trends for Insurance AgenciesJanuary 23-24, 2013, MAIA Headquarters, Jefferson City

The Course

This class is made up of mini courses

that will help you make the most of

technology while focusing on run-

ning a successful insurance busi-

ness. Your instructor will focus on

the impact of industry technology

during the next two to three years.

The Instructor

Duke Williams has been on the front

lines of insurance industry technology

for more than 30 years He founded

the first comparison rater in 1981 and

went on to help pioneer a host of oth-

er technologies, including upload and

download, and real-time functions.

Topics to be Covered

• Mobile and social computing

• Working in the cloud

• The changing workforce

• Digital customer service

• Technology to gain customers

• Creating a technology plan


Lewis E. Melahn, J.D.

thelegalside

UBI: What goes up must come down

MAIA WInter events

regIster onlIne At WWW.MIssourIAgent.org.

Small Agency ConferenceMarch 21-22, 2013, Holiday Inn, Columbia

Featuring

Mark Holmes, Consultant Board,

Springfield, Mo., has helped hun-

dreds of companies improve em-

ployee performance, sales and

customers service. His contagious

enthusiasm and leading ideas will

energize your entire staff.

Benefits

• Unparalleled Networking

• Education For Small Agencies

• Experienced Instructors

• Giant Trade Show

• Optional E&O Seminar (approved for

6 hours ethics CE)

About the Conference

If your agency is small to mid-sized

and is looking for education and

networking opportunities, this is

the conference for you. The Small

Agency Conference is designed to

be useful to all agency employees,

from CSRs to principals.

Day at the CapitolMarch 6, 2013, Capitol Plaza Hotel, Jefferson City

What Is It?

MAIA members and friends come to-

gether to discuss topics in the state

legislature that affect our industry.

After getting briefed on the issues,

agents have time to visit their Sena-

tors and Representatives at the

state Capitol.

Why Does It Matter?

Each year, the Missouri General Assem-

bly passes new laws that change the

way producers do business. Day at the

Capitol is a chance to educate yourself

and your leaders on the effects those

laws have on the Missouri insurance in-

dustry and its consumers.

Who Can Come?

Day at the Capitol is free to all

MAIA members. We ask only that

you register in advance. Your repre-

senatives want to hear from their

constituants at home. This is your

chance to be their insurance indus-

try experts.

1ce

credit pending

up to 7

ce credits

Technology Trends for Insurance AgenciesJanuary 23-24, 2013, MAIA Headquarters, Jefferson City

The Course

This class is made up of mini courses

that will help you make the most of

technology while focusing on run-

ning a successful insurance busi-

ness. Your instructor will focus on

the impact of industry technology

during the next two to three years.

The Instructor

Duke Williams has been on the front

lines of insurance industry technology

for more than 30 years He founded

the first comparison rater in 1981 and

went on to help pioneer a host of oth-

er technologies, including upload and

download, and real-time functions.

Topics to be Covered

• Mobile and social computing

• Working in the cloud

• The changing workforce

• Digital customer service

• Technology to gain customers

• Creating a technology plan

One of the never-ending discussions in in-surance is how to best rate personal lines insurance products. This is particularly true in automobile coverage because the usage of the vehicle by each consumer varies. Finding common rating factors for accurately predicting losses is always a challenge.

Increasingly, both insurance professionals and consumers have been subjected to infor-mation about the newest proposals deemed to provide the “magic bullet,” which will ac-curately, precisely and fairly underwrite auto-mobile insurance. That magic bullet is the use of telematics or other devices for “usage based insurance.”

The various methods for tracking a driver’s usage of the automobile vary. It may be a device implanted in the vehicle to track and report driving patterns, the use of smart phone technology to accomplish the same purpose, or some other GPS tracking mechan-ism. The ultimate purpose for each of these is to provide underwriters with precise informa-tion on the policyholder’s driving patterns to assess their risk. This information includes mileage, speed, acceleration and every other facet of driving.

The desire for accurate information isn’t new either to insurers or policyholders. In-surers always want more information to ac-curately gauge risk, and consumer groups, feeling that certain segments of consumers were overcharged, always desired rating mechanisms more directly related to actual driving patterns. So in some ways, this new technology may seem like the answer to both requests. However, I suspect there are prob-lems ahead.

While not explicitly stated, the implications of most advertising I’ve seen regarding usage based insurance is that all consumers using this technology will get reduced auto rates.

This will not happen. Logic and statistics tell us that for any group of drivers, some will be rated better risks and some worse risks

when their driving patterns are com-pared to either an average or mean. In order to avoid a loss in overall premium,

if an insurer gives the better rated drivers a rate reduction, then the worse rated drivers will have to get a comparable rate increase. You won’t see an ad today discussing that rate increase.

Why is this a producer’s concern? Because producers may be expected to sell the advan-tages of UBI rating systems while they remain voluntary. (Perhaps someday they’ll be man-datory, but that’s in the relatively distant fu-ture.) If the producer is involved in extolling the virtues of the UBI system, then the pro-ducer is likely to be the object of discontent when a policyholder gets a rate increase in-stead of the decrease he or she expected. The producer might even be subject to a claim of misrepresentation and could be responsible for the additional premium incurred by the policyholder.

Any new rating methodology, no mat-ter how accurate, is likely to be subject to criticism when it’s first introduced. Some factors, like credit rating, remain subject to criticism long after being implemented. No matter what its accur-acy, usage based insurance is also likely to be subject to substantial criticism. Knowing this should cause producers to be cautious in the way they implement it within their policy force.

Lewis E. Mehlan is a practicing attorney in Jefferson City. He provides free legal consultation to MAIA members on a limited basis. He served as the director for the Mis-souri Department of Insurance from 1989-1993. You can contact Lew Melahn at 573-636-5057.

This new technology may seem like the answer ... However, I suspect there are problems ahead.

“

10 missouriagent January-February 2013

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GET EXCITED! CALL AIC.Call (800) 896-6884 to learn how you can join the AIC community of direct agents.

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Is your agency looking to meet the competi-tion head on? Providing quality sales train-ing is a practical option that can bear posi-tive results. There’s a by-product of this sales training, too: enhanced errors and omissions loss prevention efforts. Ironically, or magi-cally, there is a strong connection between solid sales skills and E&O loss prevention.

A significant aspect of sales training in-volves education — of agency producers, CSRs and customers. As an agency educates customers on key definitions, the customers should better understand what coverages provide and what they don’t.

Take, for example, the concept of insur-ance to value. For a business customer to truly appreciate and understand why prop-erly insuring property is so important, the agency should supply definitions of related insurance terms, such as actual cash value or replacement cost.

Enhancing sales skills: a great E&O loss prevention technique

Curtis M. Pearsallspecial consultant,Utica National E&O Program

Because most commercial policies will be written on a coinsurance basis, the agency should provide a definition of this concept with some claim examples. This can clearly il-lustrate how failing to satisfy the coinsurance requirement could cause the customer some financial consequences.

What else has customer education accom-plished? If a customer suffers a property loss (and a subsequent coinsurance penalty due to not insuring the property to value), he or she might be hard-pressed to successfully bring an E&O action against the agency because the important terms and how they applied to losses were brought to the customer’s atten-tion beforehand. Strengthened defenseIn personal lines, how many agency customers who own jewelry understand that the mysteri-ous disappearance of the jewelry is not cov-

&errors omissions


ered by the homeowners policy? If the agen-cy wrote to all of its personal lines customers to advise them of this coverage issue, without a doubt some customers would purchase a jewelry floater. The result? Increased sales.

Suppose, though, that none of your cus-tomers purchased the floater. Has this cus-tomer communication been a waste of time? Not at all. The letter advising the customer of the coverage differences would certainly strengthen the agent’s defense if a problem developed down the road. While you could wait until after a customer has a claim to advise him or her of this issue, the conversa-tion will probably go much smoother before a loss. A proactive positionA recent insurance survey indicated that few-er than 50 percent of renters actually have the proper liability or property coverage. The survey further noted that many of the renters believe their landlord’s insurance covers their personal belongings. With the average renter in the survey having approximately $30,000 of personal belongings, a fire could certainly be catastrophic for those without the proper coverage in place. An agency that takes a proactive position in reaching out to this seg-ment of the market could benefit from in-creased sales while minimizing the likelihood of facing an E&O claim.

The opportunities are virtually endless. At your next staff meeting, ask your CSRs and producers what types of questions customers are asking them, and then develop an educa-tional campaign around those issues.

Be an agency that educates its customers. By doing so, you will be providing important value to your prospects and customers, which should result in new business sales and high retention. Popular ways to educate customers include:

• Annual account reviews• Newsletters• Social media postings• Proposals that include definitions of key

insurance terms• Looking for cross-selling opportunities every

time you interact with a customer

A silver bulletAn exposure analysis checklist is another ef-fective sales tool. What’s more, this tool has been called the closest thing to a “silver bul-let” to prevent E&O claims.

A significant part of a producer’s role is to determine the needs and expectations of his or her prospects and clients. Said another way, the goal is to help the client or prospect conserve assets and reduce the adverse effects of risk. Exposure analysis checklists, such as Rough Note’s Producer Online product or the Vertafore Producer Plus product, should be in every salesperson’s toolbox.

These checklists offer a tremendous amount of information on more than 650 different classes of business and the various lines of business pertinent for that class. The detail within these checklists is remarkable, and they greatly enhance an agent’s knowledge of the specific class of business. In addition, checklists give details regarding the exposures a particu-lar type of business presents.

Checklists also include questionnaires detail-ing the crucial questions to ask to gain a solid understanding of the customer’s exposures. Including these questionnaires with the car-rier submission helps the underwriter better understand the risk. Providing your carriers with full and unbiased information is a great means to avoid future E&O issues.

Agencies that are truly serious about grow-ing should take the initiative to educate customers and sharpen the sales skills of the staff, both internal account executives and outside producers. By combining education and sales training, your agency can benefit from increased sales and significantly reduce the potential of an E&O claim. At the end of the day, sales skills and E&O loss prevention is truly a match made in heaven.

Curtis M. Pearsall, CPCU, AIAF, CPIA, is presi-dent of Pearsall Associates and a special con-sultant to the Utica National E&O Program.


Intensity can set one apart from all others. Agents know this. That’s why so many choose

SECURA to help their business grow. Call 1-800-558-3405. Write your own success story.SM

Success is fi nding an advantage.

©20

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SECURA YELLOW: C=0: M=30: Y=100: K=0

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Intensity can set one apart from all others. Agents know this. That’s why so many choose

SECURA to help their business grow. Call 1-800-558-3405. Write your own success story.SM

Success is fi nding an advantage.

©20

11 S

EC

UR

A In

sura

nce

Commercial Personal Farm SpecialtyPersonal

SECURA YELLOW: C=0: M=30: Y=100: K=0

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Build your brand with a great websiteHow your agency is perceived in cyberspace and consumers’ ability to find you on the web have direct impacts on your business and your brand. Here are some ideas for how to expand your net-thinking and thereby en-hance your agency’s brand value.

Step 1: Enhance your agency websiteWhile most of you already have a website, it may be time to audit and enhance it. Ide-ally, a site should reflect your brand qualities, position your agency positively for prospec-tive clients, and provide information and ser-vices for existing customers. Specifically, you should determine if your agency’s site meets the criteria below.

Easy navigating and loading. It should be simple to find information on your site and not require multiple clicks to get somewhere. Pages should load quickly, so keep your graphics small.

Visual link to brand identity. Your site should resemble your other marketing ma-terials in color, font and style. Avoid a site that looks busy or uses cheesy clip art. Keep it classy, even if you err on the side of simple.

Your brand promise and personality. A good site tells shoppers why they should select you as their insurance provider. This is your opportunity to shine, so brag about your expertise, the professionalism of your staff, the services you provide and the quality of your company partners.

Contact options. Don’t limit contact op-tions to a general e-mail. Include your phone and fax numbers, and your address so that prospects can choose the manner in which they want to reach you.

Consumer information. Include frequently asked questions, tips on risk management and claims, and news releases on current is-sues. Including these on your site will estab-lish you as an expert in the mind of the con-sumer and encourage him or her to use your site for future questions. This is especially im-portant if you want to position your agency as a media contact.

Customer service capabilities. Many agents were shocked when the Trusted Choice sur-vey released a few years ago indicated that 87 percent of personal lines customers and 70 percent of small business customers want

from trustedchoice.com

round-the-clock service from their insurance providers. And many agencies are still strug-gling with how to offer that kind of mean-ingful access without compromising data security or going broke.

To help you determine what kind of servic-es you should offer, consider what consumers really want. According to a survey of insureds using its after-hours services, idNet/CSR24 found the following:

• 52% have general questions;• 14% want to change, add or delete

something in their policy;• 13% want certificates;• 11% want to report a claim;• 8% want to review their policies or per-

sonal information;• 2% want proof of insurance for auto-

mobiles or other evidence of property insurance.

Great agency websites offer their custom-ers some or all of these options, satisfying the customers’ needs without costly staff interface. Some potential means of provid-ing a measure of online service include the following:

• Invest in a real-time service that provides your customer with read only access to their records, along with the ability to request changes.

• Invest in a certificates-on-demand system that can provide commercial clients with proof of insurance any time of day.

• Offer e-mail from your website.

Of course, you can utilize your carriers to deliver round-the-clock services, but in doing so, you lose control of the quality of those services. IIABA’s Agents Council for Technol-ogy recommends that carriers co-brand with the agency’s website. That way, whether the consumer initiates the web contact through the company site or the agency site, he or she sees the agent-company relationship and can benefit from the information and functional-ity on both sites.

Quoting and sales. If you’ve mastered the list above and are interested in reaching the segment of insurance buyers that will pur-



RELAX.WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK.

www.acuity.com

facebook.com/acuitywow

FOR ALLTHATMATTERS


RELAX.WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK.

www.acuity.com

facebook.com/acuitywow

FOR ALLTHATMATTERS

chase coverage online, we recommend read-ing Gary Savelli’s article, “The Right Way to Find New Insurance Prospects and Sales on the Internet,” which offers guidance specifi-cally for independent agencies. You can read the article on the ACT website at www.inde-pendentagent.com/ACT.

Remember that the denizens of cyberspace are accustomed to an ever-changing world, so refresh your site often and keep up with what your competition is doing online. Trust-ed Choice offers a free syndicated content feed you can incorporate into your website to add customer-focused news and information, updated monthly. Information about this feature is on the home page at www.trusted-choice.com/agents.

Relationships. Customers and prospects want to see your people, not just your poli-cies, and your website is the ideal place to show them off. No cheesy Polaroids, please. Bite the bullet and hire a professional pho-tographer to come to the agency for half a day. Put these updated, consistent-looking shots of your entire staff on your website.

Step 2: Promote and link your siteToo many agencies stop after Step 1, leaving their websites to fend for themselves in the vast Internet wilderness. If you want custom-ers and prospects to visit your site, you have to drive them there. Of course, you should include the site on all agency materials, including:

• Stationary and business cards;• Marketing and quoting materials;• Agency signage;• Renewals;• Direct mail;• Advertising;• E-mail signatures.

Your efforts need to go beyond that, how-ever. Celebrate the launch of your new web-site with announcements and even an open house for customers. E-mail clients when you post new consumer guidance on the site, such as seasonal safety tips. Get a link to your site posted on other sites that will generate traffic from quality prospects, such as real estate agencies, chambers of commerce,

builders, trade associations, auto dealers and city sites. You may have to pay for the privi-lege, so look at what kind of traffic you’ll get before committing.

As a Trusted Choice agency, you want to be sure your agency profile is current so that you can receive qualified leads from Trust-edChoice.com. Every day, we are hearing from agents who have gotten business from Trusted Choice, and with more national ad-vertising planned for 2013, that success will only continue.

Step 3: Advertise on the webLocal web advertising can be effective for agencies if it’s well executed. There are two general ways of paying for online ads: per click (You pay when someone clicks on your ad for more information.) or with a flat fee based on a promised number of impressions. (An impression is anyone who sees your ad, whether that person clicks it or not.)

The ad itself must be compelling if you want viewers to click on it, so make an of-fer or use a call to action: free consultation, special deal, win a gas card, etc. Keep the ad short and simple. Cyberspace moves quickly, and verbosity kills. Talk with an ad firm that specializes in electronic marketing for guidance.

Note that even a small, classified ad on a local community site, which doesn’t neces-sarily drive a lot of business, can help build name recognition and brand awareness.

Step 4: Track and adjustKnow the source of your leads. Talk to your IT manager or hire a consultant who can help you trace the source of your online leads. Monitor the hits, do an assessment on your return on investment and adjust your strat-egy accordingly about twice a year. (Editor’s note: See page 19 for a discussion on using metrics to measure marketing ROI.)

website continued from page 13


M. J. Kelly Company is proud to serve independent agents—our customers, friends, and neighbors. Finance with M. J. Kelly.

Thank you for your continued business. www.mjkelly.com • 1-800-725-7211

M. J. Kelly Company

M. J. Kelly Company is proud to serve independent agents—our customers, friends, and neighbors. Finance with M. J. Kelly.

Thank you for your continued business. www.mjkelly.com • 1-800-725-7211

M. J. Kelly Company

MATC: Change happens hereSince 1934, the Mid-America Technical Conference has been serving the American agency system as a forum for discussion on topics such as property-casualty coverage, rules, forms and other technical aspects within the insurance industry. These discus-sions often lead to recommendations by agents for positive change. In essence, the Mid-America Technical Conference serves as both a sounding board for agents bent on improving the technical side of the insur-ance industry and the catalyst for change. —MATC Website, www.matcinsurance.com

“Even though I have been going to the Mid-America Technical Conference for over ten years, I still remember my first time,” says Kent Anthony, a member of the MATC executive board. “I can still remember being in awe, realizing there was over a thousand

years of insurance experience sitting around in just one room. Anyone wanting to make a dif-ference in our industry should consider coming to this industry changing conference at least once in their career.”

One change that will be occurring thanks to the 2012 conference will be the addition of a “Waiver of Transfer of Rights of Recovery” to the Insurance Services Office’s Commercial Auto Form. This can be accomplished by add-ing the CA 04 44; however, there is often a premium charge, and it can be time consuming and expensive for the carrier and the agent when the insured is a contractor.

Thanks to the suggestion of an Iowa agent, ISO is looking at providing an endorsement that provides “Automatic Status for Waiver of Transfer of Rights of Recovery Against Others to Us” when required in a written construc-tion agreement. They asked the panel to send

Carol Teasleycommercial lines pro-duction underwriter, Westrope General Agency

technicalities


in copies of some of the contracts requiring this coverage. An ISO panel will then decide if they need more information or if they will file a new endorsement or form.

This was an exciting agenda item because it rocketed from new business directly onto ISO’s list of current projects. Everyone under-stood the importance of this waiver and im-mediately began work to make it happen.

Another item that was submitted by an agent is related to Ordinance or Law Cover-age. After the devastating May 2011 tornado, the city of Joplin put a freeze on building permits. They took this opportunity to up-date their regulations and building codes as it related to the loss. The changes to those codes were made prior to allowing reconstruction.

The current Ordinance or Law Coverage Form, CP0405, states that coverage is subject to the ordinance or law that is in force at the time of the loss. If the codes are changed after the loss but before reconstruction is allowed, the additional costs would not be

part of the loss. The agent suggested adding a time limit, such as two years, so that any changes in the code that take place after the loss but prior to reconstruction being allowed by the local authority are considered as part of the loss.

ISO had taken this suggestion to their pan-el prior to the conference and are considering changes to the current wording. An update will be given at the next conference. Had the agent not submitted this suggestion to panel, many more insureds may have faced similar issues in the future.

The examples above, along with many others outlined in the “Success Stories” por-tion or the MATC website, demonstrate that agents really can make a difference by work-ing with MATC.

“The Mid-America Insurance Conference is unique. It’s one of the country’s last standing technical forums in which agents, carriers, ISO, NCCI and ACORD gather at a face-to-face meeting and work together toward improving industry forms and coverage for continued on page 18

Educ tionfor insurance professionals

Programs that Give You “Response-Ability”

CIC Institutes for• Agents and brokers• Insurance company personnel

CISR Seminars for• Account reps and managers• New producers• All others on the front line

CIC Institutes

Agency Management InstituteJan. 30-Feb. 1, 2013, St. Charles

Commercial Casualty InstituteFeb. 27-March 1, 2013, Blue Springs

CISR SeminarsCommercial Casualty I SeminarFeb. 6, 2013, SpringfieldMarch 7, 2013, Cape Girardeau

Commercial Casualty II SeminarFeb. 20, 2013, Blue Springs

Commercial Property SeminarMarch 5, 2013, Chesterfield

Upcoming Designation Courses from MAIA

Check out the new CISR choices online now at www.missouriagent.org!

Register online at www.missouriagent.org.

CIC Institutes now start at 8 a.m. Wednesday and end by 12 p.m. Friday (test from 2-4 p.m.), so you can enjoy the weekend!


the consumer,” says board member Paula J. Merollis. “In an age where everything is done electronically, the personal aspect of this meeting accomplishes matters that would normally be left unnoticed. This is a collaboration of the best technical minds in the insurance industry. The synergy of ideas and solutions come together and as a result, positive change happens.”

As the 2012 conference came to a close, the topic of upcoming retirees was raised. Some of the participants have been involved in this process for more than 30 years. As time goes on, more and more participants will be retiring. The committee needs more agents and company representatives to take part in the conference and be involved.

“I would tell any agent that if they are not attending they are missing an opportu-nity to not only help shape the future of this industry, but also learn from your peers,” says Jack Chapman, chairman of Missouri As-sociation of Independent Agents’ Technical

Committee. “Whatever I have put into MATC by my participation I get back 10 fold. It makes me a better agent.”

I would welcome any agent to attend next year’s conference. You do not have to be knowledgeable about every form, endorse-ment and policy rule. Just sit, listen and watch the process. If the Mid-America Technical Con-ference ceases to exist, who will protect the insureds’ interests?

The insurance carriers, ISO and ACORD do not work directly with your clients. They do not know if claims are being denied because of wording that needs to be updated. They are not on the front lines: You are.

Carol Teasley, ASLI, AIS, is a commercial lines production underwriter for Westrope General Agency, Overland Park, Kan. She joined the MAIA Technical Committee in 2011.

technicalities continued from page 17


High growthChuck Blondinoregion marketing direc-tor, Safeco Insurance

There are a select few high growth agencies consistently increasing their total personal lines. Comparing the commonalities of these agencies, one thing is truly unique: they track their marketing efforts and know what is ef-fective and what was not.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll keep the discussion to personal lines, but many of the tracking metrics that follow will work for commercial as well.

Like all small businesses, insurance agen-cies need to be efficient and effective in their marketing. Their efforts should be the result of knowing where new business comes from and how much revenue the new business generates.

Key metrics for growth High growth agencies in a recent Safeco NW Region study tracked 12 common items, which fall into three categories: new busi-ness, average revenue per client and reten-tion. Here’s a look into each of the 12, along with a few target examples so you can see how you compare.

New businessItem 1: Total new business items This is fairly easily tracked through agency management systems, but it gets tougher from here.

Item 2: Where each new policy comes from The most important question each person must ask on every call is, “How did you hear about us?” You can tell where the business comes from, which advertising dollars are most effective, where to focus your efforts and more, just from this question.

Then the tracking begins. The more de-tailed you get, the more you’ll learn. There are 10 basic tracking categories: 1) cross-sell-ing; 2) client referrals; 3) mortgage referrals; 4) real estate referrals; 5) walk-ins; 6) phone books; 7) print ads; 8) website; 9) social me-dia; 10) other.

You can also track on a much deeper level by tracking referrals by individual mortgage companies, real estate agencies, title com-panies, credit unions, etc. This helps you see which centers of influence are high quantity referral sources and thus where to spend time enhancing relationships.

Item 3: Close ratio by category Learning your close ratio by category will make it clear where you should spend your time. If you know that your close ratios for mortgage companies and certain captive agent referrals are near 80 percent and other methods are at 25%, you’ll know where your efforts will be most rewarded.

Item 4: Monthly close ratio by producer This is an excellent training tool. If your agen-cy closes referrals at 55%, but your three pro-ducers are closing referrals at close ratios of 70%, 50% and 35%, you’ll know where you should focus your sales training internally.

Average revenue per clientItem 5: Total premium Another easy one to track, this needs to be done for all personal lines in the agency, not just by carrier, so compile the totals and keep on reading.

Item 6: Total policies Also easy to track by totaling all of your poli-cies by carrier into one agency number.

Item 7: Total number of clients This equates to total households. Pull the total number of addresses from your agency management system to get this tally.

Item 8: Average number of policies per client This is one of the most helpful statistics you have to tell you how your team is cross selling your book.

A rough average of number of policies per client is 1.6. Cross selling boosts both new business and retention, so if your average policy count per client is 1.6 or lower, you should focus your marketing efforts here.

It’s challenging to move your book one-tenth of a point in this category, but if you track it monthly and can see growth over three months from 1.72 to 1.73 to 1.74, you’re making solid progress.


agencies track metrics


Item 9: Average premium per policy To find this amount, divide total premium by total number of policies.

Item 10: Average revenue per client This is more challenging, but it’s the jewel of tracking numbers for every agency. To determine the average revenue per client, multiply the average premium per policy by average policies per client. For example, if your average premium per policy is $1,000, and your average number of policies per cli-ent is 1.6, your average premium per client is $1,600.

Now multiply your average premium per client by your average commission. For example, $1,600 average premium per cli-ent times your average commission of 13% would equate to an average revenue per client of $208.

What is a good target range for average revenue per client in personal lines? Heavy non-standard agencies selling mostly mono-line auto will be in the $140 to $180 range. In low catastrophe areas, average preferred agencies will see $190 to $240. In more af-fluent areas or places with increased catas-trophe exposure, the average revenue per client is $280 to $325.

Once you know this number and you know where your business comes from, you can easily track your return on your invest-ment. Agents who know these numbers are shooting for a 1-to-1 first-year return on all of their marketing.

For example, if you’re spending $1,000 per month on phone book ads, and your average revenue per client is $200, then you know you need to write five new clients each month to get a 1-to-1 return. If you’re not, you may want to consider shrinking your marketing in that area. If your news-letters are driving a 1-to-1 first-year return or better based on the referral traffic, your marketing there is paying off.

RetentionItem 11: Retention for your entire bookTo determine your monthly average reten-tion, you’ll need to know the total policies from 12 months ago, the total policies as of

last month’s end and the new business total policies written over the past 12 months.

For example, let’s say 12 months ago you had 1,000 policies. At the end of the 12 months ending last month, you had 1,150 poli-cies. Subtract the 250 policies you wrote new over the 12 months from the ending total of 1,150, and you kept 900 or 90% of the original 1,000. (Do not count rewrites as new.)

Is focusing on retention worth it? Here’s how to find out. Multiply your current annual revenue by your current retention rate. Do that over 10 years. Don’t add in new business; just see what happens to your current book over 10 years. Then multiply the same starting annual revenue by a retention number three points higher over 10 years and calculate the difference. A $1 million revenue agency that moves its retention from 88% to 91% would increase its income by $882,689 — nearly a million dollars!

Item 12: Average length of time clients stay with you Determine the number of years each client has been with you. Tracking in whole years as op-posed to months is easier when you start. Add up all the years clients have been with you. Then divide that total by the number of clients you have. This will give you the average length of time clients stay with you. Excellent market-ing tactics should deliver a $1 return for every $1 spent or better in the first year, but you get a much stronger picture for how profitable your marketing is when you know how long you retain your clients on average.

Keep tracking each of these metrics, and you’ll enjoy seeing how your monthly report card can drive growth and profitability.

Chuck Blondino is the Northwest Region mar-keting director for Safeco Insurance, Member of Liberty Mutual Group. He can be reached at [email protected]. This article reflects the views of the author and is not an official statement by Safeco Insurance or ACT.

metrics continued from page 19

2012CSR Development Conference

Captions, clockwise from top: Lara Mer-ryfield records her team’s answers; Beth Mann, Kari Skiles and Kimberlee Aten dis-cuss trivia questions; Amy Mayhew and Cindy Corwin listen in class; Crysti York and others during the ethics session; The Stars Team celebrates a correct answer during Family Feud.

Your many clients have many umbrella needs.

As a Big “I” member, you have access to two stand alone personal umbrella markets which enables you to write most any risk you will run across. Whether the risk qualifies for the Preferred Market with RLI Personal Umbrella or the Alternative Market for more difficult to place risks via Anderson & Murison, you can support your state Big “I” association by placing your stand alone umbrella business with the Big I Advantage® Umbrella Program.

Preferred Market - RLI Personal UmbrellaLimits up to $5 million availableExcess UM/UIM available in all states You can keep your current homeowner/auto insurer New drivers accepted - no age limit on drivers Up to one DWI/DUI per household allowed Auto limits as low as 100/300/50 in certain cases Competitive, low premiums for increased limits of liability Simple, self-underwriting application that lets you know immediately if the insured is accepted E-signature and credit card payment options Immediate coverage available in all 50 states plus D.C.

Alternative Market - Anderson & Murison UM/UIM available on an admitted basis in most statesLimits up to $10 million availableIdeal for risks that have drivers with multiple violations/accidentsWill consider high profile personalities such as elected officials, athletes, media personalities & entertainersWill consider risks with prior liability losses exceeding $25,000Drivers over age 75 acceptable with two violationsDrivers under age 22 can have minor violationsDriver exclusion endorsement available for drivers with unacceptable driving recordsWritten on A rated Scottsdale paper

To access log onto www.bigimarkets.com or visit www.iiaba.net/Umbrella.

Cover them all with the Big “I” Umbrella Program.

Your many clients have many umbrella needs.

As a Big “I” member, you have access to two stand alone personal umbrella markets which enables you to write most any risk you will run across. Whether the risk qualifies for the Preferred Market with RLI Personal Umbrella or the Alternative Market for more difficult to place risks via Anderson & Murison, you can support your state Big “I” association by placing your stand alone umbrella business with the Big I Advantage® Umbrella Program.

Preferred Market - RLI Personal UmbrellaLimits up to $5 million availableExcess UM/UIM available in all states You can keep your current homeowner/auto insurer New drivers accepted - no age limit on drivers Up to one DWI/DUI per household allowed Auto limits as low as 100/300/50 in certain cases Competitive, low premiums for increased limits of liability Simple, self-underwriting application that lets you know immediately if the insured is accepted E-signature and credit card payment options Immediate coverage available in all 50 states plus D.C.

Alternative Market - Anderson & Murison UM/UIM available on an admitted basis in most statesLimits up to $10 million availableIdeal for risks that have drivers with multiple violations/accidentsWill consider high profile personalities such as elected officials, athletes, media personalities & entertainersWill consider risks with prior liability losses exceeding $25,000Drivers over age 75 acceptable with two violationsDrivers under age 22 can have minor violationsDriver exclusion endorsement available for drivers with unacceptable driving recordsWritten on A rated Scottsdale paper

To access log onto www.bigimarkets.com or visit www.iiaba.net/Umbrella.

Cover them all with the Big “I” Umbrella Program.

The

Attitude involves how you look at life. It impacts your physical and emotional well-being and affects your per-sonal relationships and career. Most sales professionals would agree that it con-tributes to their potential success — or failure.

Consider the degree of influence a negative attitude has on a sales-person’s attempt to hit an aggressive goal or quota. One study reported that nega-tive attitudes can cost the American economy a stagger-ing $300 billion dollars annually. While some may ques-tion the methods used to arrive at that figure, it raises an important question: How much does negativity hurt your performance?

Success in salesIf a salesperson possesses experience, product knowledge and sales skill but projects a negative attitude, success will be limited at best. The only remedy to a negative at-titude is to choose a healthy outlook instead.

Sadly, experienced and capable salespeople will spend great amounts of time and effort trying to achieve suc-cess while leaving a healthy, positive attitude out of the equation. It is both shortsighted and unfortunate

when we allow ourselves to slip into persistent

negativity or pessimism.

A few years ago, a client company of mine had a very talented

salesperson with a very negative,

critical attitude. He was one of the

most knowledge-able and intelligent

salespeople on the force. Unfor-tunately, his co-workers hated working with him because he complained

relentlessly. He also made it known that everyone in the company was an idiot — except for him, of course.

Worse still, the salesman’s expressions of displea-sure even reached beyond the company water cooler, as he began badmouthing his employer to customers. When sales started to slip, he blamed these results on fel-low employees or the compa-

ny’s product. Predictably, this inexcusable behavior made it back to his sales manager, and he was eventually fired.

Every buyer has an attitude detectorThe late Og Mandino, legendary motivator and author, emphasized that we have the ability to “create our own weather.” You can conjure up sunshine and brightness or dreary clouds and darkness. But whatever disposition you create for yourself, you transmit it to others.

People are attracted to others who carry themselves confidently and are enthusiastic and happy. The opposite is also true: People tend to avoid those who are chroni-cally negative, unhappy or critical. When people lack en-thusiasm or passion, it is easy to write them off.

Buyers can sense, feel and see your attitude, and they don’t have to be around you long to get a read. Your tone of voice, inflection, energy, eye contact, enthusiasm, confidence and even your choice of words contribute to your vibe.

One insurance industry study researched which at-tributes most strongly contributed to an agent’s sales production. You might imagine that factors such as intel-ligence and experience made the list, but it was attitude and liking people that were the two most accurate pre-dictors of sales success.

Salespeople who go to the top think and act differently than their counterparts.

Where does attitude come from?Where does attitude originate? Your thoughts! The way to change your attitude is to change your thoughts.

To be successful landing lucrative accounts, you must make sure your attitude is one to which the buyer will be attracted.

Perspective is the difference Maybe you have heard the fable of the shoe salesman as-signed a new territory in a foreign land. After just a few

Mark Holmes

MAIA is excited to present Mark Holmes as the keynote speaker at the 2013 Small Agency Conference, March 21-22, 2013.

MAGNITUDE ATTITUDE on sellingof


specialfocus smallagencyconference

MAIA’s Small Agency Conference is designed for small to mid-sized agencies and is a ben-efit to everyone in the agency, including the managers, producers and customer service representatives. It offers smaller agencies a compact and meaty schedule with an array of education topics and unparalleled net-working opportunities. A huge trade show, and the optional errors and omissions semi-

nar and Crawfish Feast round out the experience.

Keynote sessionThe Magnitude of AttitudeSpeaker: Mark HolmesThursday, March 21, 8:30 a.m.

Attitude is more important for sales professionals than ever before. It will make or break a

salesperson, a sales force, even an entire agency. Fortunately, we can

choose our own attitudes every day.This session will teach you to rec-

ognize the signs of a mental rut, how to develop healthy self-talk and techniques for increasing optimism.

Mark HolmesConsultant Board, Springfield

Mark Holmes has delivered more than 2,000 workshops and keynotes, helping hundreds of companies improve employee performance, sales and customer service.

Holmes’ contagious enthusiasm and lead-ing ideas energize audiences of all kinds on the international, national and local stage. Some of the most successful companies in

the world have engaged him: Cisco Systems, Swire Oilfield Services, TETRA Technologies, Silver Dol-lar City, Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine and Great Southern Banks.

Holmes is the author of Wooing Customers Back and The People Keeper, as well as 14 e-books and hundreds of articles. His newest book, Salesonomics, was

released in 2012 featuring his highly validated training system, which has helped increase sales by tens of millions of dollars for clients.

Holmes has been widely covered in the na-tional media by the likes of FOX Business Net-work and the Wall Street Journal, as well as on more than 150 radio stations. He has owned several companies, including a marketing con-sultancy and a radio station.

Holmes graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He enjoys spending time with his wife and their two grown children and two grandchildren.

Thursday morning sessionYour Next Step in CyberspaceMembers of MAIA’s Communications & Tech-nology CommitteeThursday, March 21, 10:15 a.m.

Small business technology is a whirlwind of new developments, concepts and trends. What you learned yesterday may already be irrel-evant when it comes to keeping your agency competitive in our modern world. That’s why MAIA’s Technology Committee is bringing you a new set of tools at this year’s conference. Our home-grown experts will discuss mobile applications for insurance, cloud computing, e-mail encryption and the latest in social media. After the session, visit the Idea Lab for more information.

Thursday afternoon concurrent sessions2013 CGL Changes: What You Need to KnowTed KinneyThursday, March 21, 12:45 and 2:45 p.m.

ISO is revising its commercial general liability forms and endorsements effective April 2013. The purpose of this course is to describe the changes in the coverage forms and multi-state endorsements. As with all edition changes, there will be broadening of coverage, reduc-tion of coverage and editorial changes. The areas where coverage is reduced present an E&O exposure for agents.

Approved for 2 property-casualty CE credits in Mo. and Kan.

Network at our company re-ception and trade show

Small Agency Conference

Stacey Eickhorst wins a company prize draw-ing at the 2012 Small Agency Conference.



Compliance Challenges and Your Benefits CustomerMike McLaughlinThursday, March 21, 12:45 and 2:45 p.m.

From COBRA to PPACA and some stops in between, this session will go through a selected list of the compliance requirements your benefits customer is faced with. The pre-sentation is designed to help you understand the challenges, build an agency strategy and communicate with your customer

Filed for 2 life-health CE credits in Mo. and Kan.

Personal Lines: Covered or Not CoveredAngie HeavenerThursday, March 21, 12:45 and 2:45 p.m.

You know what they say: The best way to understand insurance is to follow a claim from start to finish. That is exactly what this program does but with a twist.

Just when you thought it was safe to start explaining insurance coverages, think again.

We will not only look at the coverages but attempt to figure out why the claims were denied and what the outcome of the loss should have been.

Approved for 2 property-casualty CE cred-its in Mo. and Kan.

Friday morning sessionEthics: Who Needs ‘Em?Ted KinneyFriday, March 22, 8:30 a.m.

A situation can be ethical but not legal, or it can be legal but not ethical. Ethics of-ten deal with what to do when you have to choose between two options, both of which are correct. The topic of ethics is often dis-cussed in professional circles. In fact, many states have a requirement that insurance agents take ethics courses. This course dis-cusses the fundamentals of ethical responsi-bilities and asks the question, “Can ethics be taught?” It also deals with the legal ramifica-tions of unethical behavior.

Approved for 3 ethics CE credits in Mo. and Kan.

Multi-conference discount

Optional Wednesday eventsE&O Risk Management: Meeting the Challenge of ChangeAngie Heavener, CICWednesday, March 20, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Created by IIABA and Swiss Re Cor-porate Solutions, this is a NEW seminar created to address risk management from the agency perspective. The course looks at the fundamentals of reducing E&O exposures in today’s ever-changing agency operations. Specific course top-ics include duties to carriers and clients; real-life E&O claims; agency exposures and defenses; certificates of insurance; issues with social media; data breaches; and more.

Note: The E&O seminar is being held Wednesday at the Holiday Inn in Columbia. Lunch is on your own.

Approved for 6 ethics CE credits.Qualifies for Westport/Swiss Re’s loss-con-

trol credits and satisfies Utica’s underwriting requirements.

Crawfish FeastWednesday, March 20, 5 - 7:30 p.m.

While it’s not an official part of the Small Agency Conference agenda, the Crawfish Feast has become a pre-conference tradition. The feast is sponsored by the Young Agents Committee and held Wednesday, March 20, at the Knights of Columbus building, 2525 N. Stadium, 1.25 miles north of Holiday Inn.

In addition to crawfish, the menu includes pulled pork, smoked chicken and a long list of side dishes. You can sign up for the feast on the conference registration form. Please take advantage of the complimentary shuttle to and from Holiday Inn.

Small Agency Conference2013

Agents attend an education session at the 2012 conference.


January-February 2013



Speaker biosAngie Heavener, CIC, CPIAInsurance Training Plus, St. Louis

Before joining the staff of the Profes-sional Insurance Agents of Illinois in 1993 as vice president of education, Angie Heavener owned and was a producer for an indepen-dent insurance agency. During her agency years, she chaired PIIAI’s Education Committee and served on numerous Big “I” committees at the state and national levels. Heavener re-ceived the Illinois “Young Agent of the Year” award in 1991. She is currently principle of Insurance Training Plus, a professional training and consulting firm based in St. Louis, and a national faculty member of the Society of Cer-tified Insurance Counselors.

Ted Kinney, CIC, CPCU, ARM, AU, AAM, AAI, AINS, CPIA, CRISKinney Training and Consulting, Columbus, Ohio

Ted Kinney is owner and president of Kinney Training and Consulting, which specializes in providing quality insurance training programs to agencies and companies throughout the country. He also serves as the director of edu-cation and technical affairs for the Alabama Independent Insurance Agents. During his career, Kinney has worked as an underwriter, field sales manager, department supervisor, marketing specialist and trainer. Kinney is a member of the national faculty of the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors, the Society of Insurance Trainers and Educators, and the IIABA’s Ask-an-Expert service.

Mike McLaughlin, CIC, RHU, CLU, ChFCCore Benefit Services, Houston, Texas

Mike McLaughlin is the founder of Core Ben-efit Services, a firm that specializes in employ-ee benefits and other ancillary lines of cover-age. He has more than 30 years of experience in his field and is one of Houston’s top pro-ducers. McLaughlin is a past president of the Houston Association of Health Underwriters and an active member of the Texas Association of Health Underwriters’ board of directors. Both organizations have presented him with their highest awards. McLaughlin is an experi-enced insurance educator who has lectured for groups throughout the industry.

Conference AgendaWednesday, March 20 (optional events)

Thursday, March 21

Friday, March 22

Small Agency Conferencecontinued from page 25


weeks, he is discouraged by the fact that no one in this territory wears shoes, and he quits. Another salesman replaces him, and can’t believe his good fortune. “This is great! No one here has shoes!” He sells shoes like there’s no tomorrow.

What a difference our perspective makes. A bad atti-tude can blind you to the world of sales possibilities that exists right in front of your nose. A negative expectation produces a negative attitude, and a negative attitude puts the brakes on action.

Some salespeople have yet another attitude malady, the “if only” disease. These salespeople dwell on wishful thinking: “If only we had their product line to sell …” or “If only I could cut my prices …” or “If only the economy would get better …”

An “if only” attitude can paralyze action, and it can an-nihilate your enthusiasm. An attitude can be a friend or foe. Your attitude is your choice. Consider this example, from my book, Salesonomics:

When I left a Fortune 500 company in the early 1980s to go to work in the energy industry, I was given over 400 accounts for my initial six month training period. I soon discovered from the in-place account manager for the Oklahoma region, that those accounts were considered losers, the idea being that if I screwed up or couldn’t cut it, nothing would be lost in the pro-cess. In fact, he advised me that those accounts had never bought anything from the company — and never would because he and others had tried. While it was tempting to use that infor-mation as an excuse for not closing on business, I chose to ignore that negativity and focus on the possibilities. In the first six months I landed several million dollars in new sales, enough to make me the number two salesman in the entire company. My attitude made all the difference and proved the negativists wrong.

Sustaining a healthy attitude“Anything worth achieving is not of chance, but is the result of continued effort and right think-ing,” James Allen notes in his classic book, As a Man Thinketh. Sales is a hard profession and not one for the timid. Turbulent economic conditions, difficult buyers and demanding quotas just add to the pressure.

It takes concerted effort to keep one’s attitude positive and healthy, but we can only be victim of our circum-stances to the extent we allow. If you want to sustain a healthy attitude, you cannot permit outside circumstanc-es to negatively impact your actions.

Four rules for a great attitude Think on each rule every day all year long.

• I will not be controlled by fear. I am unafraid of being turned down. I will not give up or slow down.

• I will view all sales obstacles through the lens of opportunities.

• Whatever is good, encouraging, motivating, uplifting or profitable, I will think on those things.

• I can’t control the economy, and I can’t control my competitor’s pricing, but I can control my attitude. And my attitude controls my success.

the magnitude of attitude continued from page 23

s! E&O HappenWhen that inevitable claim arises, we are your Trusted Choice® for professional liability protection.

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Insurance CompanyUtica

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s! E&O HappenWhen that inevitable claim arises, we are your Trusted Choice® for professional liability protection.

AMC offers you a choice of the two most prestigious Errors and Omissions carriers in the country:

Westport

3 In business for 92 years3 In the E&O business for over 30 years3 Insures over 15,000 agencies3 Has over $150 million in premiums3 Endorsed by the Missouri association

for over 30 years3 Rated A+ by A.M. Best

Insurance CompanyUtica

3 In business for 92 years3 In the E&O business for 40 years3 Insures over 11,000 agencies3 Has over $70 million in premiums3 Endorsed by the Missouri association

for over 40 years3 Rated A- by A.M. Best

National Insurance Group

Agents Marketing Corporation is a subsidiary of Missouri Association of Insurance Agents

For a quote or for more information contact Theresa Flippin at [email protected] or 800/617-3658

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Staff Profile

What is your educational background?I graduated from Blair Oaks High School, and I’ve had lots of on-the-job training. I also hold the AIP designation.

Tell us about a typical work day for you.Details, details, details — lots of planning. I keep a lot of task lists to make sure I haven’t overlooked something for a conference. When I’m working on all three conferences at once, it can be tricky!

What do you enjoy most about your job?I enjoy working with the members, being able to meet them and putting together great events for them.

What was your first job? I worked for my parents, answering the phone and scheduling appointments for their pest control business.

What has been your most significant accom-plishment as a professional?Booking James Carville and Mary Matalin for our 2012 Leadership Conference.

Who has been your biggest work influence?My parents and their great work ethic.

Tell us about your family.I have two children and two step-children: Heather, 27; Logan 20; Liz 14; and Katie 10. Heather and her husband Tom have a four-month-old daughter, Adelyn.

Do you have any pets?I have two dogs, Labra-doodles who are brother and sister. Their names are Roly and Dixie.

What is a goal you’re still trying to accomplish?My husband, Jason, and I are almost finished remodeling our house.

What was your worst injury?I bent the bones in my arm. The doctor froze my arm and bent it back. True story!

Where did you grow up and what was it like?I grew up east of Jefferson City, close to Taos. There was always someone to play with or some-thing to do at our house. I had three sisters, and when I was 10 years old, my brother was born. We were always making some-thing, forming a club, building forts in the woods, etc. The sum-mer I was in fifth grade, our TV went out, and my parents decided not to get a new one, so that sum-mer, we came up with all kinds of things to do. We made our own musical instruments and formed a band, put together dance rou-tines, and held a carnival for the neighborhood kids!

What are some of the crazy fads you went through?Big hair and Aqua Net hairspray.

FavoritesFood: PastaColor: RedMusic: Classic rockTV show: The Good WifeMovie: A Christmas Story

Pet PeevePeople who skirt the rules.

Title: Events managerStarted: September 2005

Jeanne Blomberg

MAIA Events & Education Department

Jeanne with granddaughter Adelyn


SUPPORT YOUR MISSOURI WHOLESALERSFor all hard-to-place, Excess and Surplus Lines and specialty accounts.

Call the people that support your organization.

P. O. Box 1496 • Jefferson City, MO 65102(573) 635-0736

American Surplus Lines Agency, Inc. 913-888-8400 877-642-2752 Fax 866-936-0400 www.ASLAINC.netBohrer, Croxdale & McAdoo 417-869-2550 800-779-2550 Fax 417-869-5102 www.bcmins.comBreckenridge Insurance Services, LLC 314-725-8394 800-999-4774 Fax 314-725-4317 www.breckis.comBurns & Wilcox - St. Louis 314-819-0400 800-331-4128 Fax 314-819-0440 www.burns-wilcox.comBurns & Willcox - Kansas City 913-451-3135 866-476-0439 Fax 913-451-3156 www.burns-wilcox.comChris-Leef General Agency, Inc. 913-631-1232 800-548-0491 Fax 913-631-1128 www.chris-leef.comContinental American Agency, Inc. 314-241-7969 866-764-8451 Fax 314-241-1474 www.caains.comDavidson-Babcock, Inc. 913-469-1188 800-203-3223 Fax 913-469-1177 www.davidson-babcock.comGateway Underwriters Agency, Inc. 314-238-0070 800-325-7652 Fax 314-238-0065 www.gua-stl.comGraham-Rogers, Inc. 918-336-2800 800-456-8123 Fax 918-336-7196 www.graham-rogers.comGresham & Associates 417-823-3924 866-251-9646 Fax 417-823-3979 www.gresham-inc.comMed James, Inc. - Kansas City 913-663-5500 800-255-6503 Fax 888-216-2014 www.medjames.comMed James, Inc. - Springfield 417-886-3535 800-255-6503 Fax 417-886-2295 www.medjames.comMed James, Inc. - St. Louis 636-524-0080 800-255-6503 Fax 636-524-0088 www.medjames.comM.J. Kelly Company 417-883-2688 800-725-7211 Fax 800-678-7211 www.mjkelly.comSwett & Crawford 314-821-2699 Fax 314-822-2135 www.swett.comWestrope 816-842-8222 Fax 816-842-3081 www.westrope.comWestrope General Agency 816-246-1200 800-788-4347 Fax 816-246-1290 www.westrope.comWorldwide Facilities, Inc. 314-436-3318 Fax 314-436-4309 www.wwfi.com

Association of Missouri

36052_Surplus Lines_Layout 1 7/13/2012 9:11 AM Page 1

When regulators and industry come together

fromtheDIFP

John M. Huffdirector, Mo. DIFP

You may have heard about our recent Direc-tor’s Regulatory Summit in Columbia, where more than 250 insurance professionals and regulators from our department attended a first-of-its-kind gathering.

What a success it was to provide an oppor-tunity for compliance officials, accountants, claims professionals, investment bankers, agents and others to meet personally with their regulators. Many of the attendees work with our department teams on a regu-lar basis, so it’s valuable to have a chance to meet and get questions answered. A couple of examples here are form filers and those who respond to consumer complaints.

We began the morning with greetings from two legislators, who are also members of the insurance industry: Rep. Chris Mo-lendorp, the second-generation owner of a Farmers Insurance agency in Raymore; and

Rep. Don Gosen, a State Farm agent from St. Louis. We then had a review of the response to the Joplin tornado by the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Profes-sional Registration and the industry, followed by a look back at legislative accomplishments from the past four years.

Our breakout sessions provided expert in-formation on agent licensing, agent investiga-tions, surplus lines requirements for agents, financial exams, financial filings, the consumer complaint process, and separate form filing sessions for the property-casualty and life-health lines. A product specialist from the Na-tional Association of Insurance Commissioners presented a portion of the form filing sessions since companies use a Web-based filing system provided by NAIC.

During lunch, DIFP’s four insurance division leaders and I held a roundtable discussion cov-


This article expresses the official views and opinion of the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Regisration, which may not necessarily be those reflected by the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents.

ering the topics facing the industry. Among other matters, we heard about the Afford-able Care Act’s requirements for health insur-ance exchanges and essential health benefits. We also discussed Senate Bill 749, enacted by overturning Gov. Nixon’s veto, which places extensive new requirements on health plans. Our roundtable also looked into the financial challenges facing insurers, especially as a re-sult of today’s low-interest rate environment, which puts investment strategies to an un-precedented test.

We ended the day with a general session on market conduct, including Missouri’s process and our encouragement that car-riers self-report when they discover areas of operations that need to be brought into compliance.

We spent considerable time at the summit on three NAIC model laws, not yet passed in Missouri, that are required for accredita-tion: the Own Risk and Solvency Assessment , amendments to the Model Holding Company Act, and reinsurance collateral reform.

Agents who attended the full Director’s Regulatory Summit received six hours of continuing education toward their Missouri producer licenses, and lawyers attending re-ceived continuing legal education.

I want to extend my appreciation to all who attended a rewarding day as regulators and industry came together. If you’d like to review the materials from the day’s sessions, all Powerpoint presentations used that day are available at insurance.mo.gov/summit.

Finally, your association and our depart-ment can share in a significant accomplish-ment for rural policyholders in southwest Missouri. You may know that the legal action involving the Farm Bureau investment in Bar-ton County Mutual Insurance Co. has been resolved to the satisfaction of all involved. As a result, the judge handling the receivership released the company from rehabilitation Dec. 11, 2012. This is a win for policyholders, agents, the county mutual industry, and the town of Liberal, Mo., whose largest employer is poised for a long and prosperous future.


No one writes Excess/Umbrella with the capacity and speed of Burns & Wilcox.

Put the power and speed of the Burns & Wilcox pen

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Derived from our exclusive binding contract authority,

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Overland Park, Kansas | 913.451.3135toll free 866.476.0439 | fax 913.451.3156overlandpark.burnsandwilcox.com

St. Louis, Missouri | 314.819.0400toll free 800.331.4128 | fax 314.819.0440stlouis.burnsandwilcox.com

31637_BURNS_Rocket Pen_KS1_MO1_Missouri Agent_APPROVED.indd 1 10/8/12 2:04 PM


No one writes Excess/Umbrella with the capacity and speed of Burns & Wilcox.

Put the power and speed of the Burns & Wilcox pen

to work for you: Solidify your clients’ coverage with

our breadth of proprietary Excess/Umbrella solutions.

Derived from our exclusive binding contract authority,

our assets allow us to quote and bind policies at rocket

speed. When it comes to securing your clients’ financial

interests, think fast. Think the largest independent

wholesale broker – Burns & Wilcox.

Commercial • Personal • Professional • Brokerage • Binding • Risk Management Services

Overland Park, Kansas | 913.451.3135toll free 866.476.0439 | fax 913.451.3156overlandpark.burnsandwilcox.com

St. Louis, Missouri | 314.819.0400toll free 800.331.4128 | fax 314.819.0440stlouis.burnsandwilcox.com

31637_BURNS_Rocket Pen_KS1_MO1_Missouri Agent_APPROVED.indd 1 10/8/12 2:04 PM

Big “I” PAC election victories

The IIABA’s political action committee celebrated an 84 percent congressional victory rate in the 2012 elections, distributing a total of more than $1.8 million.

“InsurPac supported more House and Senate campaigns than ever before,” says Robert Rusbuldt, IIABA’s president and CEO. “We are pleased with the overall numbers. Big ‘I’ independent agents and brokers have spoken loud and clear through InsurPac dollars, leading to a strong victory rate for the PAC.”

In the 2012 election cycle, more than 5,000 independent agents and others joined forces to support InsurPac with personal, voluntary contributions. InsurPac distributes 100% of its voluntary agent contributions to federal campaigns and, as a result, has an impressive bipartisan track record in Congress and on the campaign trail.

“The political power of the Big ‘I,’ fueled by an active membership, bipartisan Capitol Hill team and InsurPac, cannot be understated,” says Charles Symington, Big “I” senior vice president of government affairs. “InsurPac supported more House and Senate campaigns than ever before and distributed a record amount of money as the largest political action committee representing the property and casualty insurance market.”

In disbursing contributions, InsurPac does not look at party affiliation but supports candidates for federal office, including members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, who have been advocates and supporters of the independent agency system and small business.

2013 Day at the Capitol

Attend MAIA’s FREE legislative event to make a difference in the decisions that affect today’s insurance industry. You will get briefed on pertinent legislative issues by MAIA Executive Vice President Larry Case and lobbyists Chris Liese and Gary Burton. CE for the briefing is filed and pending with the Department of In-surance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration.

After the briefing, you will walk to the Capi-tol, where you will have time to meet with your state Representatives and Senators to let them know what’s important to you and your clients.

A post-event reception that evening features a hearty dinner and casual conversation with your legislators at Capitol Plaza Hotel.

The entire event is free for employees of MAIA member agencies, and we will be joined by members of the Missouri Associa-tion of Health Underwriters and the Missouri chapter of the National As-sociation of Insurance and Financial Advisors. The combined force of these three associations has proven to be a powerful presence at the Capitol in years past.

You can register for Day at the Capitol online at www.missouriagent.org or by calling the office at 800-617-3658.

March 6, 2013, Jefferson City, Capitol Plaza Hotel

Day at the Capitol Agenda 2:30 - 3:30 pm Issues Briefing

(CE pending approval)

3:30 - 5:30 pm Legislative Visits at Capitol

6 - 8 pm Legislative Re-ception & Buffet

(l-r) Rep. Paul Wieland with Doug Clift, Jean-nine Stuart, Brad Greer and Jim Baxendale at the 2012 Day at the Capitol


ENTHUSIASMIT’S CONTAGIOUS

“My hobby as a fitness instructor allows me to help people—similar to my position at J.M. Wilson. I love being able to assist our agents and our companies in finding a solution when a loss occurs.”

Jessica Garcia, CISR Claims Supervisor —and fitness fanatic

Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn!

Managing General Agency Since 1920

Property/Casualty • Professional Liability • Surety Commercial Transportation • Personal Lines • Premium Finance

800.666.5692 jmwilson.com

A revolutionary approach to paying for car insurance

Dwight Hagerregional sales manager, Progressive

You’ve seen the driver. Weaving in and out of traffic at high rates of speed and then slamming on the brakes, narrowly avoid-ing an accident. You may have thought to yourself, “That person is going to cause an accident one of these days.” And you’re probably right.

But up until this point, insurers didn’t have an accurate, reliable way of measuring driving behaviors. They set your rate based on traditional factors like age, credit, zip code, driving record and gender, among other things. But that’s starting to change.

Advances to the insurance industry’s tradi-tional rating model better predict high-risk driving behaviors that are indicative of ac-cidents. In fact, the science of pricing auto insurance is in the opening stages of a revolu-tion, which could affect what all drivers pay for insurance. And the good news is that most drivers will likely pay less than they do under the traditional rating model.

As computerized automotive systems, mo-bile technology and the Internet have con-verged over the last few years, insurance com-panies now have access to something they’ve never had before: data about how individuals actually drive their cars. The data is generated automatically and can include information about driving miles, braking and the time of day at which the cars are driven.

Patterns are emerging from that data, which reveal how everyday driving behaviors can predict the likelihood of a driver filing a claim. This revolutionary way of looking at insurance pricing allows customers to pay based on their own driving habits. Your rate is now personal-ized, and safe drivers are being rewarded with big discounts.

At Progressive, we’re giving drivers an op-tion to plug a small device, called Snapshot®, into their cars. Using a cell phone chip, it trans-mits information about how they drive: the number of miles they drive, the time of day they drive and how many “hard brakes” they make. For privacy purposes, we don’t track drivers’ locations or whether they’re exceeding speed limits. The device does not have a GPS; it transmits solely the data generated by the car itself.

Since 1997, we’ve collected and analyzed five billion miles of driving data. As expected, driving behavior has emerged as an incredibly powerful predictor of claims costs.

Among the findings:

• Driving behavior is more than twice as pre-dictive of claims costs as a person’s driving record, as reflected in the points system, which previously was the most predictive traditional factor.

• When driving behavior is added to the mix of traditional rating factors, the range of rates is about three times as great as reflect-ed in current auto insurance pricing. This


800-226-3224www.fcci-group.com

Not just customers.

Every commercial insurance company wants to build its customer base, increase retention and inspire loyalty.

We do, too.

But at FCCI, we focus on getting to know our customers. Because the more we know, the more we can help you protect business, property and people.

And that’s what we do best.

Relationships.

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FCCI-3-MOAgent-4.375x6.5.pdf 1 5/30/12 5:39 PM

means rates could be far more personalized than they are today.

• The majority of drivers exhibit safer driving behaviors. But they’re subsidizing a smaller number of drivers with riskier behavior.

As driving data becomes an increasingly de-terminative factor in assessing risk, the way insurers calculate rates could change substan-tially, shaking up the industry. The push will be toward greater transparency, as drivers can increasingly see how their daily driving behavior correlates to the price they pay for insurance. They will find a bigger range of available rates, which more precisely reflect their actual risk.

It’s proving to be a powerful tool for agents in attracting new business as well. Now you can present customers with a quote, with the understanding that they have the ability to potentially reduce their rate. Most customers are willing to plug in the device for a short period of time, especially knowing that there’s no risk and their rates can’t go up. It’s a win-win.

Agents are winning too when it comes to retention. We’re finding that customers who receive a discount are staying longer. Once their Snapshot discount is set, it’s applied to all future renewals, with average savings of about $150 a year.

We’re continuing to explore other ways agents can take advantage of this technol-ogy. Soon, we’ll offer a try-before-you-buy option, which will help agents reach an audi-ence that isn’t necessarily even shopping for insurance. Prospects can test drive Snapshot to see if they could earn a discount. It’s a great new business driver, which gives a sneak peek into a potentially lower rate than customers are paying today.

We’ve learned a lot in our fifteen years de-veloping Snapshot, and we continue to adapt and change as we accrue more driving data. But even as things evolve, we’re confident that consumers will come to expect person-alization in all aspects of their life, and the insurance industry is no exception.

So the next time you see an erratic driver, find solace in the fact that you no longer have to pay more for your insurance so that he or she can pay less, thanks to this revo-

lutionary shift in how we all think about car insurance.

Dwight Hager is the regional sales manager at Progressive. He is respon-sible for agency distribution and related strategies for Illinois and Missouri. He can be contacted at [email protected].


Established 1887

Automated Property Insurance Solutions

with the personal touch

www.meramecvalley.com

Technology

What’s your QR IQ?

Amy J. Hoffmaneditor, MAIA

From Taco Bell cups to Ralph Lauren ads, QR codes have popped up everywhere. You might not want to have one engraved on your headstone, a service offered by Living Headstones, or have one permanently inked onto your skin like Fred Bosch of Spain, but if you expect to stay relevant in the world of digital marketing, you’d be well advised to consider adopting this technology.

While some marketing and technology gurus have pronounced the QR code a pass-ing trend, the fact remains that it’s a trend currently enjoying huge popularity. A survey from comScore in 2011 found that during a three-month period, more than 20 million people in the U.S. scanned a QR code. Most scanners were between the ages of 18 and 34 and earned more than $75,000 a year, making them ideal prospects for agents tar-geting profitable, long-term clients.

Including a QR code on your new market-ing materials is a low-cost, often free, way

to engage viewers who expect to be able to interact with the companies they do busi-ness with. Best of all, it’s also free for your prospects. Anyone with a smartphone can download a free QR code scanner, giving them instant access to what you have to offer.

The power of the codeSo what do you have to offer? Many QR codes are links to websites, providing more informa-tion about you, your business or your product. Simply getting the prospect to your website, though, is just the beginning of what a QR code can do.

Do you want users to be able to download your contact information directly to their phones? A QR code can do that. Do you want to initiate an e-mail or a text message, which will be sent directly to your inbox to let you know someone is ready to take the next step? A QR code can do that. Do you want to pro-vide an instantly downloaded PDF of your

technology


agency’s newsletter? A QR code can do that. You can even design a code that will dial your telephone number on the prospect’s phone.

Getting it out thereOnce you’ve decided how to use the code, you can start thinking about how to put it in front of your prospects. Don’t put it on your webpage. QR codes are well-suited for link-ing physical objects to digital content, but they don’t belong online, where it’s easier to click a traditional link.

Start with the items you’re already generat-ing: direct mail pieces, stationary and busi-ness cards are all perfect. Including a QR code turns them from would-be-recycling into dy-namic interactions.

There are free QR code generators online you can use to create your code. More so-phisticated options are available through the paid services of marketing and technol-ogy companies, but the free generators are a great place to start. Once you’ve received the code, you simply place it into your docu-ments. There are no extra costs or production steps when it comes to printing an item with a QR code.

Giving your prospects an incentive to scan the code increases your likelihood of reaching them. In fact, a 2012 survey from eMarketer.com revealed that coupons, discounts and freebies increase the likelihood of getting a scan-through by 43 percent.

Putting a QR code in an unusual or unex-pected place is also a way to increase scans. You don’t have to paint it on the side of your building, although that tactic has been used by several metropolitan businesses. Con-sider putting it on items branded with your agency logo, such as coffee cups and other giveaways. You can even put a QR code on a t-shirt to wear to a community event. People can scan your shirt to automatically like your agency’s Facebook page.

Be practicalDo use caution when you’re deciding where to put your QR code and how to distribute it. You need to be sure that your prospects will be able to scan the code and that they will have a reliable connection on their phones. Avoid places like underground parking ga-rages and elevators where phones may lose

service. You should also be careful if you’re planning to print your code on a large sign. If it’s too big, users may have to stand very far away to scan it, if they can reach it at all. How would you scan a code on a billboard along the highway, for instance?

Keep in mind that your QR code will be printed on a real physical object, which may exist long after your marketing campaign has ended. If your code links to a website that will change or disappear down the road, be sure to let your prospect know that. Your user will also have a better experience when linking to a website if that site is optimized for mobile viewing.

If your item is going to be mailed, make sure that the QR code won’t be covered up by or interfere with the mailing label. Place it away from the edges of paper items that might get torn. QR codes have an error toler-ance rate of 30%, meaning that stains and tears that interfere with less than 30% of the code should not prevent it from functioning, but you still want to protect the integrity of the code.

Fancy codes, big salesThat error tolerance rate can actually be put to use in your QR code itself. You can take ad-vantage of it by placing your logo over part of the code or integrating designs into it. If you’ve mastered your QR code technique or if you’re working with a marketing firm, you can up the creativity with advanced graphic design or even construct a QR code out of everyday objects, such as pieces of candy or jump drives.

Designer codes may be more expensive to produce, but they are more likely to be scanned and also help prevent scammers from covering your QR code with another that links to malicious or fraudulent websites.

QR codes may eventually be replaced by the next next-big-thing, but don’t let this train pass you by while you wait at the sta-tion for the next one. You can put these simple-to-use, cost-efficient tools to work for you now.


Silver Lining.®Your customers deserve a

When something happens to your customer’s home, car, or business, it may not be a disaster. But no matter what it is, your customers always deserve fast and fair service from their insurance company.

West Bend provides a Silver Lining, no matter what the claim may be. When a clothes dryer started a fire while drying towels, repairing the damage and getting Anna’s hair salon back up and running was important. So that’s just what we did.

Sometimes little things mean a lot. And every day, when something bad happens to someone, West Bend makes sure your customers experience the Silver Lining. Because the worst brings out our best.®


myturn continued from page 7

The departmentThe DIFP took a significant hit in its relation-ship with independent agents. Its failure to include all components of its negotiated rehabilitation plan in court filings was some-thing less than transparent. Officials also declined to confirm or deny rumored activity in early face-to-face meetings to discuss the rehabilitation. Officials’ admission that they didn’t understand how agent-insurer rela-tionships were structured or realize the con-tractual ramifications was equally concerning. In hindsight, much of the controversy could have all been avoided by working with the agents at the outset.

Nevertheless, the end result being Barton’s dismissal from the rehabilitation as a viable company rather than facing liquidation is certainly a feather in the director’s cap and something he can claim as a success story. It is not often that companies actually emerge from a rehabilitation proceeding, so that was a significant accomplishment.

Missouri Farm BureauHow Farm Bureau’s involvement is viewed in the long run remains to be seen. Failing to predict the reaction of independent agents to changes in their contractual relationship and proposing to remove a market option for those agents was surprising for an organiza-tion that is generally considered to be politi-cally conservative and a supporter of small business issues. I would think the company has to be a little chagrined in telling its em-ployee agents they have to destroy informa-tion about Barton policyholders, which the company previously provided to them.

So what are positives from Farm Bureau’s perspective? First, you have to give them credit for their willingness to lay out the infusion to allow Barton to emerge from its financial difficulties. The opportunity was there for other insurers as well, but most declined to get involved. Even with its ques-tionable components, you have to give Farm Bureau credit for the outside-the-box vision in crafting their funding plan. It was very unique from the outset.

The component for all Barton policyholders to become Farm Bureau members gives them a sizeable influx of new members.

The increased revenue flow is the big re-ward, and while the total benefit to Farm Bureau is somewhat difficult to calculate, it includes the following:

• an annual $100,000 management fee;• a return of 1 percent over prime rate on

a $17 million-plus loan guaranteed by the Missouri Property and Casualty Guaranty Association;

• premiums for providing the entire reinsur-ance package for Barton through its rein-surance subsidiary;

• a fee of $2.50 per month on each Barton policy.

PolicyholdersThis group should have been the focus of everyone’s attention, but policyholders were handed trying circumstances and few op-tions. Reading press releases indicating that your insurance company is insolvent must undermine the peace of mind insurance is meant to provide. Policyholders were further challenged to decipher notices about how their personal information would be shared, and many saw significant premium increases on their renewal. The most confusing issue for policyholders was learning that they had joined Farm Bureau, having never filled out an application, knowingly paid any dues or even asked to join.

On the positive side, all claims were paid, no policies were cancelled and no premiums were forfeited.

Ultimately, the most important outcome is that policyholders can continue to keep their Barton policies. There is no question that Barton provided a market for risks in areas where options are very limited. Preserving Barton’s place in the market had to be the top priority for all of the stakeholders. Equal-ly important, policyholders can continue to do business with their chosen local agents.

In summarySo there you have my take on the end results. Circumstances should not and did not have to occur the way they unfolded and prolonged what should have been a much quicker resolution.

I am both hopeful and confident that all of the stakeholders will take away some lessons learned from this case and pay heed in the future. While we may not have crafted a per-fect solution for each particular stakeholder, the important result is that the company has survived and remains as an option in the mar-ketplace. That provides a win for everyone.


Enforcement actions• Gernell Armour, Spanish Lake, Mo., vol-

untary surrender of insurance producer license.

• Manuel Baraban, Overland Park, Kan., voluntary forfeiture of $400 for failing to submit monthly affidavit.

• Jordan B. Barrett, Sturgeon, Mo., insurance producer license refused.

• Robert Batzer, St. Louis, Mo., application to add lines to insurance producer license refused.

• Kevin Besta, Las Vegas, Nev., voluntary for-feiture of $250 for failure to report an ad-ministrative action in another jurisdiction.

• Clarence Boyce, St. Louis, Mo., voluntary surrender of insurance producer license.

• Daryl R. Cafferty, Shawnee, Kan., non-resi-dent insurance producer license revoked.

• Mark Cates, Faribault, Minn., business enti-ty producer license voluntarily surrendered.

• Aaron M. Catugal, Lee’s Summit, Mo., in-surance producer license refused.

• Michael S. Clark, St. Peters, Mo., insurance producer license granted subject to special conditions.

• Benjamin Conway, St. Charles, Mo., motor vehicle extended service contract producer license refused.

• Erica Fields, Blue Bell, Pa., voluntary forfei-ture of $250 for providing incomplete or untrue information on the insurance pro-ducer license application.

• Tye C. Garcia, Lee’s Summit, Mo., insurance producer license granted subject to special conditions.

• Kevin N. Greenwood, O’Fallon, Mo., motor vehicle extended service contract producer license refused.

• Guardian Insurance Group dba Global Green Insurance Agency, St. Louis, volun-tary forfeiture of $500 for failing to report mandated information.

• John L. Hall, St. Peters, Mo., motor vehicle extended service contract producer license refused.

• William Johnson, Columbia, Mo., voluntary forfeiture of $300 for failure to submit monthly affidavit.

• Michael Leamanczyk, Houston, Texas, vol-untary forfeiture of $1,000 for failing to submit mandated paperwork.

• Virtis L. Lewis, Edwardsville, Ill., non-resi-dent insurance producer license revoked.

• Stacey M. Marsh, Troy, Mo., insurance pro-ducer license refused.

• Steven Marshall, Kansas City, Mo., volun-tary forfeiture of $1,000 for conducting

insurance business without a license.• Harold D. McBee, Chillicothe, Mo., gen-

eral bail bond agent license and bail bond agent license revoked.

• Aaron Meade, Brandon, Fla., non-resident insurance producer license revoked.

• Richard Netwal, Kansas City, Mo., insurance producer license refused.

• Michael C. Norris, St. Roberts, Mo., insur-ance producer license refused.

• William Perrot, Union, Mo., insurance pro-ducer license refused.

• Riverside Land Services dba Riverside Ab-stract, Lakewood, N.J., voluntary forfeiture of $250 for failing to report an administra-tive action in another jurisdiction.

• Nicky J. Root, Jeffersonville, Ind., non-resi-dent insurance producer license revoked.

• Southeast Surplus Underwriters General Agency, Beaumont, Texas, voluntary forfei-ture of $250 for failing to report an admin-istrative action in another jurisdiction.

• Arthur L. Stringfield, Kansas City, Mo., voluntary surrender of insurance producer license.

• Mark J. Strong, Chicago, Ill., non-resident insurance producer license revoked.

• David Talbert, Blue Springs, Mo., voluntary forfeiture of $500 for conducting insurance business without a license.

• Lindsay Weathers, Clinton, Mo., voluntary surrender of insurance producer license.

• Woodbury Financial Services, St. Paul, Minn., voluntary forfeiture of $250 for fail-ing to report an administrative action in another jurisdiction.

Market conduct exams• Great West Casualty Co., South Sioux City,

Neb., stipulation of settlement filed and voluntary forfeiture of $37,250.

• HMO Missouri, St. Louis, Mo., stipulation of settlement filed and voluntary forfeiture of $5,000.

• Protective Insurance Co., Indianapolis, Ind., stipulation of settlement filed and volun-tary forfeiture of $9,500.

Company changes• American Guardian Warranty Services,

Glen Ellyn, Ill., effective Sept. 25, 2012, registered as a vehicle protection product provider.

• Aspen Bermuda Limited, New York, N.Y., effective Sept. 21, 2012, was approved as a trusteed reinsurer.

• Cambridge Life Insurance Co., Downers Grove, Ill., effective Sept. 17, 2012, filed continued on page 43

regulatoryactions

Grow your business. with Couri Associates.

Or Ask one of these strategic partners about Couri Associates’ value

Visit www.couriagents.com/raves/

Retain your identity

Hear what our associates are saying about our focus on agents and our great commissions!

Interested in becoming part of the Couri family? Visit our website,couriagents.com or give Steve Albinger a call at 800-444-1215.

Scan thiswith your

Smartphone QR Reader App.

Search “QR Code” in your App storeto download a mobile reader.

Or

This is just a sampling of the quality carriers Couri represents.


Grow your business. with Couri Associates.

Or Ask one of these strategic partners about Couri Associates’ value

Visit www.couriagents.com/raves/

Retain your identity

Hear what our associates are saying about our focus on agents and our great commissions!

Interested in becoming part of the Couri family? Visit our website,couriagents.com or give Steve Albinger a call at 800-444-1215.

Scan thiswith your

Smartphone QR Reader App.

Search “QR Code” in your App storeto download a mobile reader.

Or

This is just a sampling of the quality carriers Couri represents.

Form A for proposed acquisition of control of aforementioned company by Aetna, Hartford, Conn.

• Chamberpro Purchasing Group, West Or-ange, N.J., effective Sept. 6, 2012, regis-tered as a purchasing group.

• Conifer Insurance Co., Southfield, Mich., ef-fective Sept. 14, 2012, was added to the list of eligible surplus lines insurers.

• Cornerstone United, Hickory, N.C., effective Oct. 1, 2012, registered as a motor vehicle service contract provider.

• Coventry Health Care of Missouri, St. Louis, Mo., effective Sept. 17, 2012, filed Form A for proposed acquisition of control of aforementioned company by Aetna, Hart-ford, Conn.

• Distinguished Fleet RGP, Wilmington, Del., effective Oct. 1, 2012, registered as a pur-chasing group.

• Ethos Group, Irving, Texas, effective Sept. 24, 2012, registered as a motor vehicle ser-vice contract provider and as a vehicle pro-tection product provider.

• Essentia Insurance Co., Canton, Maine, ef-fective Oct. 18, 2012, filed Form A for pro-posed acquisition of control of aforemen-tioned company by Markel Corp.

• First Nonprofit Insurance Co., Chicago, Ill., effective Oct. 12, 2012, redomesticated to Delaware.

• Forethought Life Assurance Co., Batesville, Ind., effective Oct. 4, 2012, added variable contracts authority.

• Gateway Insurance Co., St. Louis, Mo., effective Nov. 1, 2012, filed Form A for proposed acquisition of control of afore-mentioned company by Atlas Financial Holdings.

• Healthcare USA of Missouri, St. Louis, Mo., effective Sept. 17, 2012, filed Form A for proposed acquisition of control of afore-mentioned company by Aetna, Hartford, Conn.

• HHS Texas Management, Houston, Texas, effective Oct. 16, 2012, was admitted as a third party administrator.

• HSB Specialty Insurance Co., Hartford, Conn., effective Oct. 31, 2012, registered as an eligible surplus lines carrier.

• Lincoln Memorial Life Insurance Co., Austin, Texas, effective Oct. 17, 2012, certificate of authority was revoked.

• McNeil & Co., Cortland, N.Y., effective Oct. 16, 2012, was admitted as a third party administrator.

• Med3000 Purchasing Group, Chicago, Ill., effective Oct. 17, 2012, registered as a pur-chasing group.

• Members Health Insurance Co., Columbia, Tenn., effective Sept. 14, 2012, redomesti-cated to Arizona.

• BJC Corporate Health Services, St. Louis, Mo., effective Oct. 17, 2012, was admitted as a third party administrator.

• Motorcycle Management Consulting Ser-vices, Santa Ana, Calif., Sept. 22, 2012, reg-istered as a motor vehicle service contract provider.

• NASW Risk Retention Group, Greenwood, Colo., effective Oct. 1, 2012, registered as a risk retention group.

• Native Care Health, Quapaw, Okla., ef-fective Sept. 24, 2012, redomesticated to Oklahoma.

• Online Insurance Services, Orange Park, Fla., effective Oct. 17, 2012, was admitted as a third party administrator.

• Palmer Administrative Services, Ocean, N.J., effective Sept. 25, 2012, registered as a mo-tor vehicle service contract provider.

• Plateau Service Co., Crossville, Tenn., effec-tive Sept. 25, 2012, registered as a motor vehicle service contract provider.

• Preferred Motor Sports Risk Purchasing Group, Bloomington, Minn., effective Oct. 1, 2012, registered as a purchasing group.

• Professional Disability Associates, Portland, Maine, effective Sept. 25, 2012, was admit-ted as a third party administrator.

• Rebound Risk Purchasing Group, Chicago, Ill., effective Sept. 14, 2012, registered as a purchasing group.

• Regions Insurance, Little Rock., Ark., effec-tive Oct. 25, 2012, withdrew as a third party administrator.

• Terra Administrators, Deerfield Beach, Fla., effective Oct. 17, 2012, was admitted as a third party administrator.

• Terrafirma Risk Retention Group, Burling-ton, Vt., effective Sept. 11, 2012, registered as a risk retention group.

• Valiant Specialty Insurance Co., New York., N.Y., effective Sept. 13, 2012, was removed from the list of eligible surplus lines insur-ers in Missouri.

• Vantage Warranty, Cedar Park, Texas, ef-fective Sept., 25, 2012, registered as a mo-tor vehicle service contract provider.

• Vision Warranty Corp., Houston, Texas, ef-fective Oct. 22, 2012, registered as a motor vehicle service contract provider.

regulatoryactions continued from page 41


Risk Innovations acquires TASRisk Innovations announced that is has ac-quired the workers’ compensation book of business of TAS Insurance Group, effective Dec. 1, 2012. Risk Innovations will continue to operate the location in Kansas City under the leadership of Jeff Sandy.

Safeco central region gets new general managerSafeco Insurance has appointed Kevin Link regional general manager for its central re-gion. Link has more than 22 years of experi-ence with Safeco.

Cameron’s Kline retiresDick Kline, executive vice president for Cam-eron Insurance Cos., has retired after 22 years with the company and 45 in the indus-try. Kline joined Cameron in 1990. Cards and well wishes are welcomed at 214 McElwain Dr., Cameron, MO 64429.

Sweeny takes Philadelphia helmPhiladelphia Insurance Cos. has announced that Sean S. Sweeney is the company’s new president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2013. He replaces Jamie Maguire, who remains chair-man of the board.

Accident Fund celebrates 100th anniversaryAccident Fund Insurance Company of Ameri-ca celebrated its 100th anniversary in Novem-ber 2012. The company was founded in 1912 as Michigan’s workers’ compensation agency and was privatized in 1994. Accident Fund is now licensed to sell workers’ compensa-tion insurance in 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Awards abound for MAIA Com-pany PartnersWith the announcement of numerous end-of-the year lists, honors and awards, MAIA Partners were recognized for their best-in-the-business practices in multiple arenas. Partner Companies and their respective awards are listed below. If you are an MAIA Partner and would like your award to be featured in Missouri Agent, please submit the information to Editor Amy Hoffman at [email protected].

ProgressiveDownload Company of the Year Total Imple-

mentations; ACORDBest Place to Work for LGBT Equality; Human

Rights CampaignTop 100 Military Friendly Employers; G.I. JobsTop 10 Commercial Carriers by Vote; PC360

EMC Insurance Co.P-C AL3 Download Recognition; ACORDAUGIE Commercial Lines Download Accom-

plishment; ACORDP-C Outstanding Contribution Medium Carrier

Achievement; ACORDDownload Company of the Year Percentage

Growth; ACORDIowa Top 100 Workplaces; WorkplaceDynam-

ics, The Des Moines Register

West Bend MutualTop Five Friendly Companies for Agen-

cies to Do Business With; Deep Customer Connections

2012 Best Places to Work, P-C Insurers Large Employer; Business Insurance

The HartfordP-C AL3 Download Recognition; ACORDAUGIE Commercial Lines Download Accom-

plishment; ACORDP-C Straight Through Processing of Data Ac-

complishment; ACORDMost Compelling Case Study Accomplishment;

ACORDGlobal Reinsurance and Large Commercial Vol-

ume Implementer Accomplishment; ACORDP-C Outstanding Contribution Large Carrier

Achievement; ACORDEarly Adopter Accomplishment Specialty Lines;

ACORDLife and Annuity Outstanding Contribution

Accomplishment; ACORDDistinguished Volunteer Recognition for Ser-

vice Award to Jim Rogers; ACORDDistinguished Volunteer Recognition for Ser-

vice Award to Sandi Perillo; ACORDTop 100 Military Friendly Employers; G.I. JobsTop 10 Commercial Carriers by Vote; PC360Top 10 Commercial Carriers by Rating; PC360

Insurance Program Managers GroupBest Place to Work in Illinois; The Daily Herald

Business Ledgercontinued on page 46

companypartnernews


HM purchases Great Southern InsuranceHuntleigh McGehee, St. Louis, purchased Great Southern Insurance from its parent company, Great Southern Bancorp, effective Nov. 30, 2012.

“We are very excited about this transac-tion, as it gives us great visibility in the Springfield market and Southwest Missouri,” said Huntleigh McGehee CEO Michael Shana-han Jr.

CIC scholarships announcedMAIA and the National Alliance have award-ed scholarships for the cost of one CIC Insti-tute in 2013 to the following members:

Duke Churchill, Mel Gregg-Grand River Insur-ance, Chillicothe

Kevin Clark, Clark Insurance Agency, EllisvilleVicky Maddox, Naught-Naught Insurance

Agency, FultonTina Osborne, Beimdiek Insurance Agency,

CarthageMike Zaricor Jr., First State Insurance Agency,

Farmington

Agencies recognized for wellnessThe Charles L. Crane Agency Co., St. Louis, was chosen as a winner in the “Healthiest Employers” contest by St. Louis Business Jour-nal. The agency topped the list in the catego-ry for organizations with 100-499 employees.

The Cornerstone Insurance Group, St. Louis, was chosen as the journal’s winner in the category for organizations with two-99 employees.

J.W. Terrill, Chesterfield, was a finalist in the contest’s 100-499 employee category.

Lockton receives two awardsLockton Cos., Kansas City, received one of 15 ImpacT Awards for 2012 from the Kansas City Business Journal. The awards recognize companies that implement new technology-based practices. Lockton received an award in the “Cutting Expenses” category for its use of employee-owned mobile devices.

The agency also received the No. 1 rank-ing in the “Retail Brokers, Large Employer” category of Business Insurance’s “2012 Best Places to Work” list.

Balke honored for serviceGinny Balke, St. Louis, has received the “Out-standing Service Professional” award from MAIA Partner ACUITY. Balke is an account executive with Missouri General Insurance Agency, St. Louis.

Noring receives company awardCharlene Noring, Jefferson City, has been honored with the “Award of Excellence” by MAIA Partner Safeco Insurance for the third consecutive year. The award celebrates agents with superior underwriting skills whose agencies have qualified for member-ship in the company’s H.K. Dent Society. Nor-ing is a personal lines manager with Naught-Naught Insurance Agency, Jefferson City.

New faces, new placesDave Koch joined Connell Insurance, Branson,

in the marketing department.John Liston joined SMI Group, a division

of BancorpSouth Insurance, Springfield, as a commercial lines property-casualty producer.

Amanda Pocius joined Lockton Cos., St. Louis, as an account executive.

Stacie Wells joined Ollis & Co., Springfield, as an advisor in the commercial risk department.

Mary Ann White joined The Cornerstone In-surance Group, St. Louis, as the compliance director of plan services.

New membersBerry and Associates, Kevin Berry, St. JosephChampion Insurance Group, Ty Ritter, Kansas

CityEpic Insurance, Paul S. Crisafulli, Lee’s SummitJane Fordyce Insurance, Jane Fordyce,

BethanyLampe Insurance Agency, Jennifer Lampe,

SpringfieldModern Options Insurance, Pamela Pate,

SpringfieldNevada Insurance Agency, John Ogle, NevadaThe Oppenheim Group, David Oppenheim,

St. Louis.

agencynews

John Liston

Ginny Balke

Charlene Noring


ClassifiedsLicensed CSRSt. Charles county insurance agency needs a licensed personal/commercial lines CSR. Send resume, including salary requirements, to: Manager, P.O. Box 608, St. Charles, MO 63302.

The basic classified ad contains a maximum of 35 words (including head). Cost: $27.00 for up to 35 words. Blind ads: $41.00 for

maximum of 35 words. MAIA agency members are entitled to a 50 percent discount on classi-fied ads.

Ads must be submitted in writing to Adver-tising Manager, Missouri Agent, P.O. Box 1785, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1785 or [email protected]. Ads will be invoiced.

Deadline for classified ads: first of month preceding publication.

TravelersTop 100 Military Friendly Employers; G.I.

JobsTop 10 Commercial Carriers by Vote; PC360Top 10 Commercial Carriers by Rating; PC360

Liberty Mutual Business InsuranceTop 10 Commercial Carriers by Vote; PC360Top 10 Commercial Carriers by Rating; PC360

SafecoTop 10 Commercial Carriers by Vote; PC360

ACUITYP-C AL3 Download Recognition; ACORDAUGIE Commercial Lines Download Accom-


complishment; ACORDMost Compelling Case Study Accomplish-

ment; ACORDNo. 1 Friendly Companies for Agencies

to Do Business With; Deep Customer Connections

No. 1 Mid-Sized Employer in the Nation; Great Places to Work Institute, Fortune Magazine

Selective Insurance Company of AmericaP-C AL3 Download Recognition; ACORDAUGIE Commercial Lines Download Accom-


complishment; ACORDP-C Outstanding Contribution Accomplish-

ment; ACORDTop Five Friendly Companies for Agencies

to Do Business With; Deep Customer Connections

Top 10 Commercial Carriers by Rating; PC360

Secura InsurancePlatinum Well Workplace Award, Wellness

Council of America

CNA InsuranceTop 10 Commercial Carriers by Vote; PC360Top 10 Commercial Carriers by Rating; PC360

Accident Fund Insurance Company of America2012 Best Places to Work, P-C Insurers Medium

Employer; Business Insurance

The Cincinnati Insurance Cos.Top 10 Commercial Carriers by Vote; PC360Top 10 Commercial Carriers by Rating; PC360

Philadelphia Insurance Cos.2012 Best Places to Work, P-C Insurers Large

Employer; Business InsuranceTop 10 Commercial Carriers by Vote; PC360Top 10 Commercial Carriers by Rating; PC360

State Auto Insurance Co.P-C Straight Through Processing of Data Ac-

complishment; ACORD

Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co.Gold Well Workplace Award; Wellness Council

of America

New associate membersISU Insurance Services of Indiana, Stephanie

Risk, Zionsville, Ind.Madison Mutual Insurance Co., Gary Robinson,

Edwardsville, Ill.United Home Insurance Co., Matthew Miller,

Paragould, Ark.Wright Financial, Rex Wright, Festus, Mo.

partnernews continued from page 44

AmTrust has the perfect recipe for small businesses

Complementary workers’ comp and BOP coverage By offering a competitive businessowners policy (BOP) a’ la carte or as an accompaniment to our workers’ compensation insurance or commercial auto products, AmTrust has a menu that serves small businesses well.

Better yet, we offer a 10% discount on BOP for our existing workers’ compensation policyholders. An umbrella policy is also available, with limits ranging from $1 million to $10 million to fit over our BOP and commercial auto products.

Your Success is Our Policy.®

For more information about how you can write business with AmTrust, please call 877.528.7878 or visit www.amtrustnorthamerica.com.

A.M. Best rating of “A” (Excellent) FSC IX

Missouri Association of Insurance Agents

PROGRAM 2013Listed below are the companies that strongly support the independent agency sys-tem and the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents.

DIAMOND

PLATINUM

GOLD EMC Insurance Co.Consumers InsuranceWest Bend MutualUnited Fire GroupCameron Insurance Cos.Columbia Insurance GroupMadison Mutual Insurance Co.The Hartford

Insurance Program Managers GroupTravelersAnthem Workers’ CompensationLiberty Mutual Business InsuranceBankDirect Capital FinanceSafecoFirstCompAnthem BCBS

SILVER ACUITYElectric InsuranceSelective Insurance Co. of AmericaSECURA InsuranceCNA InsuranceForemost Insurance Group

United Home InsuranceQBEAccident Fund Insurance Co. of AmericaContinental Western GroupStandard Insurance

BRONZE InsuRisk Excess & Surplus LinesCapital Premium FinancingCFM InsuranceValley Insurance Agency AllianceMJ Kelly Co.Cornerstone National Insurance Co.Risk InnovationsBituminous Insurance Co.Commercial Insurance UnderwritersColumbia Commercial General AgencyEMPLOYERSThe Cincinnati Insurance Cos.Billings Mutual Insurance Co.J.M. WilsonBlueCross BlueShield of Kansas CityPatriot National Insurance GroupPhiladelphia Insurance Co.AmTrust North America

FCCI Insurance GroupAuto-Owners Insurance Co.State Auto Insurance Co.Gateway Underwriters AgencyMed JamesAAA MissouriMidwestern Insurance AllianceAllstate Insurance Co.Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co.United HealthcareAmerican Modern Insurance GroupWestropeASNOM (Agent Support Network of Mo.)Imperial PFSNet Comp InsuranceAmerisure Mutual Insurance Co.SAMBA Safety

Missouri Association of Insurance Agents • 800-617-3658 • www.missouriagent.org

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Missouri Agent January-February 2013

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