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...e, and support it with employee volunteers; Staff your child care center w...reness Week; Offer funding and volunteers to a local drug rehabilitation c...

... In my area, we have to be all things to all people, ' he says. We have to be everything from writing homeowners and BOPs to doing notary bonds. Identify Needs The handwriting was on the wall, says Cynthia Regnier, CIC, president of Regnier & Associates in Austin . In 1983 and 84, everybody was talking about niche markets, and how an agency would need to develop niche markets to survive, ' she says. Regnier, who had just opened her agency in 1982, heeded the warning. She just recently turned her existing commercial and personal clients over to another agency and concentrated on niches. It was an absolutely, fantastically wonderful thing to do, ' she says. I'm not sure where we'd be today if we hadn't done that. In 1985, Regnier purchased Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services (VFIS) of Texas , which operates as a Regnier & Associates dba. In the first eight months, the agency doubled its premiums. Regnier & Associates has an exclusive marketing agreement with the national VFIS organization, a subsidiary of the Glatfelter Insurance Group of York, Penn. CIGNA underwrites VFIS programs. The secret to any niche is to identify what people need and want, ' says Regnier. No one was doing that for volunteer fire departments over 20 years ago, before Art Glatfelter went to bat for them. VFIS writes all lines of business except workers' compensation' for volunteer fire departments and emergency service organizations. Available coverages include injury-to-firemen liability, accident and sickness, vehicle agreed value for engines, errors and omissions liability, pollution liability, medical malpractice, bonding ...

...veral board members would rally volunteers and get specific jobs done. These s...

... Also, make sure they note anything that was overlooked. This exercise will reinforce your commitment to the project and provide you with a well-balanced, comprehensive training plan. At your next meeting, finalize the list, including time frames and so forth. The list should then be neatly typed for formal discussions. Next, select an appropriate trainer who will be totally responsible for the administration of the plan and will conduct much of the training. Seniority or technical expertise are not the primary attributes of the ideal trainer; enthusiasm, patience, commitment, and strong communication skills are far more important. Add to these qualities a good working knowledge of operations, procedures, and products, and you have your trainer. If you discover several persons who qualify as trainers, offer those persons an opportunity to volunteer. A volunteer is more likely to favor the project. Just keep in mind that any trainer must be given three things: authority, time, and incentives! These necessities will help guarantee the success of the program. Boot Camp Essentials Scheduling is another important part of the planning process. Provide quiet time for the trainer and trainee-but set realistic time frames. Once time is allotted, organize the schedule with a list of goals, such as at the conclusion of six weeks, the trainee should be able to comparison-rate Homeowners and Auto coverages on the system. Obviously, the goals must be specific and measurable. Benchmarks must be established for review by the trainer and the manager. The trainer and trainee should meet every Friday to discuss the activities of the past week. The manager should meet ...

... interest the magazine and follow that style. These features can describe how your agency penetrated an interesting niche market, how you used automation to increase productivity and profitability, or how creative sales ideas have benefited the firm and customers. Once the article is published, make reprints to include with your direct mailings to prospects and to insert into your customers' monthly statements. The article positions you as a professional expert. And people like dealing with pros. If writing isn't your forte, contact community or trade associations about public speaking. Many IIAA or PIA chapters require panel members or speakers at local meetings. Community groups are always looking for capable luncheon speakers. Get your name on their lists. Of course, your topic will recount one of your agency's recent successes. Contact your automation vendor and volunteer to be interviewed whenever their newsletter needs a customer testimonial or profile. Volunteer to conduct a workshop at a regional or national users group meeting. Participate with the vendor's product committee. These activities provide free press that can increase your book of business and your value to the insurance community. Regularly evaluate your publicity program to determine its effectiveness. Conduct a before-and-after survey to evaluate gains. For instance, first call several people in the community and ask what they know about your insurance agency. After three to six months of organized publicity, make more calls to see how awareness improved. In a soft insurance market, you must find cost-effective advertising to keep your agency's name in front of prospects and customers. Obtaining publicity is one way to do this. Reprinted with permission from American Agent & ...

... financial and operating management. The Think Tank' mission would pursue a hypothetical worst case loss scenario and develop vital information such as replacement cost values, alternate temporary manufacturing capabilities, extra expense exposure, business interruption time period as well as any problems associated with contingent business interruption or inability to meet customer contractual obligations. 5.4 Facility Location Considerations The physical location of a major facility complex has a significant bearing on the potential loss magnitude. A rural setting generally increases the desirability from a crime and exterior fire exposure standpoint but complicates the situation from the viewpoint of service availability. The rural area frequently does not have medical facilities which interface with the needs of a major commercial operation. Further-more, there is a vast difference between the protection services and suppression capability of a major metropolitan fire department and a rural volunteer group. A metropolitan location will normally have a substantial water supply with adequate fire hydrant distribution. A rural setting may be void of any water distribution system acceptable for fire suppression purposes. The rural location may have limited fire response with only volunteer fire fighters. The metropolitan fire response in a larger city for a commercial location would normally be three engine companies, two truck companies, rescue squad and a battalion chief. This type of assistance will obviously have a positive effect on potential loss magnitude and life safety considerations. Furthermore, the complex metropolitan fire department will have many services including, but not limited to: a hazardous materials team, marine fire fighting team, as warranted as well as special rescue teams for high angle, confined space and heavy rescue. SECTION 6.0 CRISES EXPOSURE AWARENESS ...

... be made. There must be a capable and enthusiastic support staff to help the producer with the marketing and sales effort. Good technical back-up is particularly important if the salesperson has no  insurance sales experience. Service personnel who are already dealing with a backlog can't respond appropriately to the heavy flow of new business, and the producer will quickly become discouraged. The back office systems and procedures must be running smoothly before you bring a new producer into the mix. The second absolutely crucial ingredient is to make a conscious shift in emphasis from a service to a sales organization. All the principals and producers must renew their commitment to the sales process. This might mean that they'll have to participate in the sales center lead-generation program, writing some additional new business themselves. Or they'll have to volunteer to be a mentor for the new people, spending a substantial amount of time directing opportunities and assisting with the onsite sales activities of the fledgling salespeople. The entire agency compensation structure might need to be redesigned to reward all who help revitalize the sales effort. Most important, many if not all of the principals and employees might have to adjust their attitudes. You can't expect a new employee to concentrate on sales when the prevailing atmosphere is clearly directed toward maintaining a comfortable lifestyle for the incumbents. Everyone and everything in the agency must convey the importance of a high level of sales consciousness. Inactivity breeds more inactivity. The third step to take before hiring a new producer is to develop a program to hire the right kind of people for your agency. There are 30,000 independent ...

... 6-figure range, covering significant property and vehicle schedules, medical malpractice and other types of liability coverage. "Some of these tend to be very competitive accounts, and will change hands between carriers and agents often because of the larger premiums at stake. Then, on the other side of the coin, we see a large percentage of accounts, the ones with the proper risk management measures in place, stay with one agent and one carrier for a very long time." Orlando said. He said that with more than 1.5 million non-profit organizations in the US, there is plenty of opportunity for agents looking to build their non-profit accounts. "That is a significant number of potential clients. Agents should put together a pipeline, work within their communities, participate in the Chamber of Commerce, volunteer on boards and get to know your potential Insureds." Like with many other classes, Orlando said, people within the non-profit community will talk to one another. "When you target non-profits, people talk. Insureds will say so and so handled us well, ' so a lot of time it is referrals, word of mouth; get that first one under your belt and the second one will be easier." He said NIF is writing a lot of Directors and Officers coverage on a standalone basis, adding that D&O might be a great entry way into new accounts. Paul Orlando is the Director of Marketing for NIF Group, Inc. NIF underwrites an exclusive program for Nonprofits and Social Services for Liberty Mutual. Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access ...

... get that message in front of your prospects: Write articles for the local paper or industry trade publications. This is the best free advertising available. Editors are hungry for new ideas to fill their pages. Most articles are 300 to 600 words-one to two typewritten pages. To choose a topic, consider how your product or service is used and what people would be interested in knowing about it. Contractors, interior designers, printers, financial consultants, accountants-someone is interested in what you have to say. Speak to groups. Since writing can be great marketing, take your written word to the podium. Articles are speeches, and speeches are articles. Local groups and trade associations are always looking for speakers for their meetings. If you're nervous about speaking, join Toastmasters to overcome your fear. Volunteer for community projects. Circulating with those you want to do business with is a great way to get your name out. Choose an activity you believe in and enjoy working on. Use press releases to get your name out. Any industry continuing-education class completed, certification or designation earned, award received, or promotion granted, and so on is genuine business news that can be put in the newspaper for free. If the news concerns a particular person, be sure to enclose a photo with the announcement. Become active in your own trade association. Even your competitors can be a source of good press. If you're active and supportive of the group and its individual members, your name will carry a good reputation in your field. Take advantage of cooperative advertising from suppliers. By using ...

... of agreement by the involved parties, thereby reducing areas of disagreement. Once issues in dispute are clearly defined, efforts are made to reach settlements in terms of agreements on liability and damages. Attorneys get involved in mediation sessions. They do not have to settle unless they feel it is in a client's interest. At the very least they have an opportunity to directly meet the other side(s ) . Often, claimants appear with their attorneys to provide a personal perspective on the effects of an injury. This can cause reevaluations of a case's worth by the defense. Settlement Days A new form of ADR is settlement days. Originally, settlement days were day-, week-, or month-long conferences between plaintiff and defense counsel sponsored by local courts or bar associations. Attorneys often serve as volunteer mediators. A more aggressive form of settlement days developed. It involves a one-day conference at a neutral location between claimant attorneys and insurer claims departments or their counsel. Large numbers of claims are negotiated, usually through direct face-to-face bargaining. Unlike arbitrations and mediations, settlement days' fees are always paid by insurers. Although any line of insurance can be involved, Auto insurance cases make up a significant percentage of submitted cases. The three forms of ADR discussed above are by no means all of the options available. Numerous variations on mediations, arbitrations, and mini-trials abound. ADR, as a field, is still growing and developing. In ADR, as in other areas of law and life, claims professionals must use their instincts and common sense in ADR options and vendors. If there ...