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... x No Thanks Loading.. Are Antiquated Phrases Hurting Your Business?4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Gary Blake This content has not been rated yet. As someone who travels from one insurance company to another teaching Effective Business Writing for Claims and Risk Management Professionals, ' I'm often amazed by how many claims letters are weighed down with stodgy phrases reminiscent of the 19th century. How many letters do you see each day that contain enclosed please find, ' under separate cover, ' and please do not hesitate to contact me'? I recently gave a seminar at a 200-employee insurance firm in upstate New York. One of the claims adjusters showed me the claims department's book of form letters. There were more than 80 of them, not counting ones that had exclusionary language by state. Each of these letters is sent out an average of 30 times a month. 80 x 30 = 2,400 letters a month x 12 months = 28,800 letters a year. Only four of those awful outdated phrases per letter would total more than 100,000 in a year! If you think this stilted language isn't hurting your business, think again. These phrases not only alienate the insured and engender a distant tone, they chip away at the long-lasting relationships your company seeks to maintain. They damage a claims professional's relationships with doctors, attorneys, insurance commissioners, and colleagues alike. Risk managers (who write internal audits, loss control recommendations, risk reports, and answers to inquiries) also must eliminate stodgy phrases from their documents to enhance their range of relationships ...

... Categories Popular Recent All risk managers Articles tagged with risk managers Back A Look At Value Added Selling As An Answer To Price Selling This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor , Allen Karlin 4/30/2013 10:41:34 PM A LOOK AT VALUE ADDED SELLING AS AN ANSWER TO PRICE SELLING by Allen Karlin, Ph.D. U.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) Actuarial Checklist For The Insurance And Risk Management Professional This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor , Al Rhodes 4/30/2013 10:45:23 PM ACTUARIAL CHECKLIST FOR THE INSURANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL by Al Rhodes The responsibilities of risk managers, risk management consultants, accountants, and brokers increase as insurance.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) Are Antiquated Phrases Hurting Your Business? This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor , Gary Blake 4/30/2013 12:00:00 AM ARE ANTIQUATED PHRASES HURTING YOUR BUSINESS? by Gary Blake As someone who travels from one insurance company to another teaching Effective Business Writing for Claims and Risk Managem.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) Are Multi-Year Policies Really A Good Choice? This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor , Gary Griffin 4/30/2013 10:35:25 PM ARE MULTI-YEAR POLICIES REALLY A GOOD CHOICE? by Gary Griffin Although multi-year insurance contracts are not new, they seem to be garnering much interest lately. The renewed interest in these polic.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) Boost Agency Value By Winning ...

... . Granted, video can get expensive, but audio tapes are fairly reasonable and can be packaged in any number of ways- depending on your budget and image. There's also an additional benefit to this type of creativity. Too many business cards, brochures, and letters end up in the prospect's wastebasket. Audio and video cassettes are valuable to the holder and are seldom tossed. I've received calls as long as a year after an audio mailing. The caller generally says, It's been sitting on my desk for a year, and I just got around to listening to it. Sponsoring a local golf tournament is another great way to market your agency or brokerage. It's done wonders for Nissan and many other national corporations, so why not duplicate their efforts on a local level? Bring in an antique dealer as a co-sponsor, and buy some hole-in-one insurance to cover an antique giveaway. Local realtors and banks are also excellent co-sponsors who can help with the prizes. Not only is the publicity great, but the tournament affords you the chance to network with clients and prospects. Closer to the office, think about your telephone system. Does a client on hold hear silence or a radio station? If you answered radio station, ' beware of a couple of facts: (1 ) that your clients and prospects may be listening to a competitor's commercial; and (2 ) that ASCAP and BMI can levy stiff fines if you haven't purchased a licensing agreement to rebroadcast the music over your phone system. Don't laugh! Some agencies have been caught and fined. This dilemma's creative answer is ...

... . Granted, video can get expensive, but audio tapes are fairly reasonable and can be packaged in any number of ways- depending on your budget and image. There's also an additional benefit to this type of creativity. Too many business cards, brochures, and letters end up in the prospect's wastebasket. Audio and video cassettes are valuable to the holder and are seldom tossed. I've received calls as long as a year after an audio mailing. The caller generally says, It's been sitting on my desk for a year, and I just got around to listening to it. Sponsoring a local golf tournament is another great way to market your agency or brokerage. It's done wonders for Nissan and many other national corporations, so why not duplicate their efforts on a local level? Bring in an antique dealer as a co-sponsor, and buy some hole-in-one insurance to cover an antique giveaway. Local realtors and banks are also excellent co-sponsors who can help with the prizes. Not only is the publicity great, but the tournament affords you the chance to network with clients and prospects. Closer to the office, think about your telephone system. Does a client on hold hear silence or a radio station? If you answered radio station, ' beware of a couple of facts: (1 ) that your clients and prospects may be listening to a competitor's commercial; and (2 ) that ASCAP and BMI can levy stiff fines if you haven't purchased a licensing agreement to rebroadcast the music over your phone system. Don't laugh! Some agencies have been caught and fined. This dilemma's creative answer is ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Personal Protection Service Questionnaire 6/25/2015 by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. If you have any questions regarding this questionnaire or your insurance, please call. Name____ Occupation____ Address____ Phone____ Best time to call____ YES NO Do you own any antiques, fine arts, collections or other special value items such as tamps or Coins? Do you own any jewelry or furs valued at over $1000 which are not specifically insured? Would you like us to send a form to assist in making an inventory of your personal property? Do you own seasonal property anywhere in New Hampshire? Outside New Hampshire? (please circle) Do you maintain an office in your home - or give private lessons, such as music lessons? Do you want a costimator to help determine what it would cost to rebuild your home at today's prices? Do you plan to buy or sell any property within the next 12 months? Do you live in an area that could be flooded? Do you have a smoke detector or burglar alarm system? (please circle) Do you or anyone in your household smoke? (If not, you may qualify for a non-smoker's credit) Would you like to review the current limits and other coverages on your vehicles? If your car was damaged, is it important to have a substitute car furnished for your use? Do you have a stereo in your vehicle, not factory installed? Do you own a boat? If so, what horsepower? _____ Length____ Sail___ Power____ Do ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Furniture Dealers - "You Don't Just Sell Furniture"4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. FURNITURE DEALERS - YOU DON'T JUST SELL FURNITURE' Dear (Customer Name): You don't just sell furniture. You may also offer antiques and curios. You may provide decorating services to your customers. In short, there are complexities to your business the average person wouldn't understand. (Your Agency Name) does. We've been designing customized insurance programs for furniture dealers for ( ) years. We know you are more vulnerable to product liability lawsuits than the average business. We are aware that you need more insurance for your merchandise. Let us take a look at your business. We can review your particular risks and give you an analysis of coverage recommendations and risk management suggestions. We'll be calling you soon to set up an appointment. Sincerely, (Your Name) Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access to thousands of other great articles. Need more reasons to join? Need insurance for you, your business or your family? Get quality appointments - Save yourself a whole lot of time & money when you use our directory of carriers, wholesalers and service providers. Negotiate lucrative contracts with carriers and wholesalers. Net result. More revenue for your agency! Clients & Prospects will research you, your co-workers and your agency here. The most comprehensive online insurance industry reference library for - Personal Lines Professionals Commercial Lines Professionals Life/Health & Benefits Professionals Online newsletters and content that you can use for ...

... #160 Smoke &# 160 Weight of ice, snow, or sleet &# 160 Freezing of plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or other household systems &# 160 Theft or vandalism &# 160 Falling objects &# 160 Your Business &# 160 Commercial or business insurance offers property and liability coverage whether you operate from your home or another location. While homeowners insurance may cover business property within specified limits, it typically is insufficient and does not protect against lawsuits related to your business activities. Selecting the right insurance is just as important as the choices you make for company stationery, equipment, or services. Your independent insurance agent can help you review your options and tailor coverage that best meets your needs. &# 160 Kay &# 160 Kay is the owner of an upscale antique shop in a trendy part of town. Her sales have grown steadily during the past several years with the public's renewed interest in antiques. Kay takes great pride in her ability to spot the best pieces and prominently displays them in her shop. A series of break-ins in the neighborhood prompted Kay to review her insurance to ensure that her business is adequately covered. &# 160 Kay and her independent agent reviewed her most recent financial statements, the lease on the shop, and her business ledger showing sales, purchases, profits, etc. To assess the state of her business and identify changes from the last review. Given the growth in her business, her agent recommended that Kay consolidate her existing multiple policies and purchase a package policy. &# 160 < Login or Register ( ...

... use? What is the estimated worth of your software? Section I Coverages Do you or anyone in your household own a single item of jewelry, watches, furs, or precious or semiprecious stones worth more than $1 ,000? Does the total value of your jewelry, watches, furs or precious or semiprecious stones exceed $1 ,000? Do you own firearms worth over $2 ,000? Does the value of your silverware, silver-plated ware, gold-ware, gold-plated ware, or pewter, exceed $2 ,500? Do you keep any belongings in your home that are used in any manner for business use worth more than $2 ,500? Do you belong to any association of property owners responsible for something owned collectively? Do you have articles of value such as antiques, stamp or coin collections, fine arts, furs, golf equipment, musical instruments, silverware, china or the like, which you would like to insure on a scheduled per-item basis? Section II Coverages Would you like a limit of liability higher than $100,000? Would you like a higher amount of coverage for medical payments than the $1 ,000 limit? Do you own any other residence? Do you rent the other residence? Do you conduct any farming on your premises? Is farming your principal occupation? Do you own a snowmobile? Would you like to be covered for libel, invasion of privacy or false arrest for an additional $13 a year? Would you be interested in a personal umbrella policy covering you for $1 million above and beyond the ...

... to deactivate your CompleteMarkets Company Profile Deactivate Cancel Loading.. About Us Services Jobs PR Newsletters Employees Articles Blog Photos Group Connections Reviews IMMS Library Immerse yourself in our stacks. Take some time and browse through our library. We have thousands of articles, checklists, tip sheets, sales letters, and more! Communications Marketing Customer Service Planning Finance/Accounting Risk Management Human Resources Selling Legal and E&O Technology Life/Financial Services Glossaries Management Resources & Links Categories Popular Recent All Back Personal Protection Service Questionnaire 6/25/2015 12:00:00 AM by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. If you have any questions regarding this questionnaire or your insurance, please call. Name____ Occupation____ Address____ Phone____ Best time to call____ YES NO Do you own any antiques, fine arts, collections or other special value items such as tamps or Coins? Do you own any jewelry or furs valued at over $1000 which are not specifically insured? Would you like us to send a form to assist in making an inventory of your personal property? Do you own seasonal property anywhere in New Hampshire? Outside New Hampshire? (please circle) Do you maintain an office in your home - or give private lessons, such as music lessons? Do you want a costimator to help determine what it would cost to rebuild your home at today's prices? Do you plan to buy or sell any property within the next 12 months? Do you live in an area that could be flooded? Do you have a smoke detector or burglar alarm system? (please ...

... Centers to educate their clients in direct relationships for processing. The inherent weakness of this system is that many clients have multiple policies through their agents with several carriers. Few will look forward to calling each company to handle processing and claims for a variety of products. That's why they hired an independent agent in the first place-– to manage their insurance portfolio. We need a long-term solution that accomplishes the goals of carriers, agencies, and clients. Carriers want direct interaction with their clients to improve their efficiency. Agencies must reduce their overhead to attain profit efficiencies. They must also use their limited human assets to their best advantage in relationship management. Clients just want simplicity. Younger and automation-savvy clients want to handle their routine insurance processing without visits to their agents or adherence to antiquated "business hours." They now reside in a 24/7 world of e-mail, text messaging, and automated banking and bill paying. They expect our industry to follow suit. Those clients who still want individualized personal service expect their agent to be the single point of contact for all of their insurance needs. Using the agency automation system to its greatest advantage will create fully secured portals within each agency's system that will empower clients to access their account with each insurance company. The client will be able to inquire about payment history and status, identify costs associated with contemplated policy changes and request those changes, and report claims online or to a live representative. The banking industry has already embraced this technology. Their customers can use their local bank branch or access their account any time ...