Search CompleteMarkets

Customer Focus: The Csr's Role In Virtual Business Marketing
CUSTOMER FOCUS: THE CSR'S ROLE IN VIRTUAL BUSINESS MARKETING by Lori Loomis Although a customer service representative (CSR) is responsible for a variety of tasks in an insurance office, the two primary roles are helping customers and processing transactions. When the phone rings, the CSR is usually the first to answer the call. He or she is the front line to the client. What if your CSR could reach these clients/potential clients before they called? Technology is evolving both in the office and online. Agency Web sites have become more than electronic billboards. Growing numbers of CSRs are tech savvy, are active in virtual networking and use Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Agency Web Site I'm a multi-tasker in personal lines at Troy Insurance in Lewiston, Idaho. I'm an agent, CSR, and a hodge-podge of other things. Troy Insurance is a small agency in a small town, but that doesn't mean our capabilities are small—starting with our most basic virtual medium function, the Troy Insurance Web site. Our agency is continually growing. Each of our employees possesses a wealth of knowledge in all different forms of communication. Our Web site has a live streaming feed of daily insurance news. This feed allows people searching the Internet to get the most up-to-date information, and helps Troy Insurance to move slowly up the 'Google' listing hierarchy. The objective is for Troy Insurance to appear in the top five insurance searches when potential clients are looking for insurance in the area around Lewiston. Creating or updating your agency Web site might seem to be an insurmountable task at first. Simplicity is the key. Make sure that the site is easy to navigate and that people will 'identify' with it. Make sure that your Web site contains correct contact information and content tailored to the kind of client you want to attract. The agency's Web site can attract new clients, as well as reconnect with existing ones. A CSR needs to spend only a small amount of time each day to increase the number of customers coming through the agency's virtual front door and finding new clients beyond the agency's geographic area. In addition to updating the Web site with current 'happenings' and new links, the CSR can also add the agency to 'Google Local,' which shows the agency's location and how to find it. In addition, a positive online review of your agency can attract potential clients. A CSR can ask clients for testimonials which will be posted at the Web site. An agency can move up the Google list in no time with great client feedback for all traffic to see on the Internet. The Next Steps At Troy Insurance, the next step will be to become active on Facebook and LinkedIn. For now, I'm taking on one virtual medium task at a time. There are many different types of Internet media that might suit your agency better. Agency producers generate leads, but what about virtual leads? Because virtual networking can appeal to the potential online customer, it has become critical to every part of the ever-changing insurance industry. It's easy for the consumer to interact with an agency Web site or other sites, such as Facebook, without feeling the pressure of 'cold call' marketing. A study by Social Marketing Expert found that Facebook (72.8%), Twitter (42.4%) and LinkedIn (40.2%) are the most popular social networking sites that marketers use, followed by YouTube (28.3%), Flickr (14.1%), MySpace (10.9%), Bebo (3.3%), and Plaxo (1.1%) Facebook. Chances are that some of your CSRs are already on Facebook. Having a business Facebook site will allow the CSR to send an invitation to friends, family, and even agency clients. Requesting an e-mail address can go a long way as far as other marketing efforts are concerned. Requesting a person to become a fan of your agency will still give them the option to 'ignore' or 'add' and let your client or potential client choose to add you to his or her Facebook. Twitter. Twitter is a 'micro blog' of 140 characters or less. Creating a Twitter profile will enable others to find you, and any of those could be a potential client. Twitter allows you to follow other users. Once connected with a target network, you can announce your service or give advice. You don't need to be at your computer to use Twitter. You can use your cell phone for tweeting, which is as easy as texting. Twitter provides an opportunity to engage and interact with your followers to find out what they want as a person and as a potential client.   LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a networking site where business professionals exchange information, ideas and opportunities among more than 200 countries. Potential clients can be introduced, as can service providers and subject experts in the insurance/business. The goal of LinkedIn is to build your network, and the people are your connections. LinkedIn allows people who work in similar professions to chat and helps individuals and organizations connect. Don't go into LinkedIn with a sales approach; make an impression on other users by helping them and answering questions in your profes¬sional realm of expertise. This can be effective in 'Questions and Answers' groups. Word of mouth by participation is the key to new clients. Engage in conversations about products, opportunities and service referrals. LinkedIn also can include company news and employment opportunities. Creating a well-developed profile with easy navigation is the key to making your profile stand out from other business professionals. Give a potential client a glimpse into your business. Including 'recommendations' on your profile page is essential. Create a toolbar for the potential client to link to other social networking sites. Creating this quick search tool bar will make your profile interactive and will keep bringing potential clients and other professionals back to your profile. Your profile will also allow you to have a link to your Web site or blog as well. (Remember that most of these networking sites are free.) Blog. Anyone can create a 'blog.' It can be off the agency Web site or on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Creating a blog that links to the agency Web site may move it up in 'search' rankings. Many blogs provide information on a particular topic that may be of interest to the person creating the blog as well as a potential reader, who could be a potential client. A 2008 study by Technorati found that 12% of Internet users are bloggers and 50% of U.S. readers are blog readers. Create short articles about subjects that interest you. Don't use your blog to sell insurance products. Instead, mention Steelhead fishing in the Northwest (if that's something that interests you) and include a link to other sites in the fishing industry. Commenting on something of a general interest to your target audience will help them get to know you on a personal level and create a following that might want to check out your business. If the topic interests them, they will have this connection to you personally first, then as a potential client second. Word Press and Blog Spot are easy to navigate and show you how to create a catchy blog including RSS Feed links. Conclusion Social media can help agencies reach clients and potential clients. The tech-savvy CSR can be an agency's greatest marketing asset. With a little help, direction and mentoring, an agency and its CSRs can reach new media heights. There was a time when cold calling and face-to-face meetings formed the mainstay of marketing strategy. Many business relationships now begin virtually. Social networking is the first step to expanding your business via the Internet. Insurance has evolved. Technology makes it possible for you to be instantly visible to potential clients. There are many social media online; pick just a few and let your CSRs build new working relationships. Make your next marketing plan fun, interactive, and get your CSRs involved. Welcome to the future of insurance! Lori Loomis, CISR, ACSR, is a Personal Lines agent with Troy Insurance in Lewiston, Idaho. Lori has been presented with awards for 2009 Young Agent of the Year by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Idaho and Idaho Outstanding Insurance Service Representative for 2009. Reproduced, with permission, from Rough Notes magazine.

Telecommuting to Your Virtual Office
WHAT IS A VIRTUAL OFFICE? The virtual office concept, also known as telecommuting or a mobile office, emerged as the American work force shifted from physical labor to knowledge-based work. Workers who create or manipulate information can generally perform anywhere there is a telephone, desk, chair, and computer. Technology enables the knowledge-based worker's office to be portable. "Virtual," by Webster's definition, means "being such practically or in effect, although not in actual fact or name." Employees who work from home or some place other than the main office location are considered to be working in a virtual office. These employees are called telecommuters, a term coined in 1973 by Jack Nilles, a professor at the University of Southern California. A 1990 study estimated that 33 million people were telecommuting at that time, and the number continues to increase. To succeed in the highly competitive global economy, companies must adapt quickly to change. This includes creating assignment-oriented jobs rather than 9-to-5 jobs. Flexibility is the theme of business in the 1990s-and in the next millenium. A virtual office environment allows you and your business to perform in infinitely flexible ways. Let's review the pros and cons of creating a virtual office in the insurance industry. BENEFITS OF A VIRTUAL OFFICE TO THE AGENCY/COMPANY/VENDOR Generates greater productivity. Studies show that employees working in a virtual office are 15% to 30% more productive than their counterparts in a central office. Working in a virtual office allows uninterrupted focus on projects. Your telecommuters can complete assignments in 30 hours that used to take more than a 40-hour week. Off-site employees enhance their productivity by avoiding: Lengthy meetings and luncheons Long breaks in the hallway or at the copy machine Distractions from fellow workers Absenteeism due to car problems, sick children, and so forth Reduces office expenses. When your employees work off site, your office and parking space requirements decrease, reducing your costs. Employees who telecommute part-time can share office space. For example, three or four producers may use the same desk and computer in rotation, each one having separate password-protected files in the system. Enhances recruiting. As you interview new employees, you can be more flexible in the selection process. Since the physical location of your recruits is not as great an issue, you can avoid relocation costs. The option of telecommuting makes your company more attractive to prospective employees. Chances are good that you will even reduce employee turnover by providing a work environment that adapts to a variety of circumstances. Saves money. You are guaranteed to save money with your telecommuters. The quality and quantity of work increase, office expenses decrease, and you retain productive, satisfied employees. BENEFITS OF A VIRTUAL OFFICE TO THE EMPLOYEE Offers flexibility. People are searching for quality of life as they balance work and family responsibilities. A virtual office provides you with flexibility and more control over your life. You can creatively work around personal errands, child care, continuing education, and so forth. Ultimately, the satisfaction derived from this new lifestyle usually translates into greater productivity. Eliminates commuting stress. Futurist Alvin Toffler wrote "Commuting is the single most anti-productive thing we do." For instance, it is estimated that Californians waste 300,000 hours in traffic delays every single work day. A trip that took 15 minutes on a southern California freeway in 1984 will probably take 47 minutes in 2010, and other urban areas are seeing comparable increases in commuting times. A virtual office allows you to translate the wasted time and stress of commuting into top-quality work performance. Enhances productivity. Telecommuters focus on achievement rather than time. Structure your work hours to the times you are most productive and creative. If you function best during the morning, you can begin work at 7 a.m. in your virtual office instead of wasting valuable time in traffic. Saves money. Telecommuting enables you to save money on gas, tolls, child and family care, restaurant lunches, dry cleaning, and new clothes. Employees can work in their jeans after their one-minute commute to the spare room or garage office. CONSIDERATIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL OFFICE Carefully select the correct job. Not every job can be transferred to a virtual office. If you own a storefront agency with walk-in traffic, your receptionist needs to be at the front counter, not working at home. Generally, the guidelines for determining a telecommuting job include the following: Requires limited or infrequent face-to-face communication with other employees Uses a computer and telephone as its key tools Involves easily measurable performance and work Does not require routine access to materials at a central work location Carefully select the correct employee. The ideal candidate is self-disciplined, self-motivated, trustworthy, not easily distracted, and organized, and enjoys working independently. Budget initial expenses. You may have to purchase a computer with a modem (or notebook), a desk, a chair, a fax machine, insurance coverage, and an additional telephone line for your telecommuter. You may even buy a beeper or portable telephone to keep telecommuters accessible at all times. However, these investments will soon pay off with dramatic productivity gains. Establish a performance agreement. Determine with your off-site employee how to measure job achievements. This guarantees that your telecommuters are working, not playing, at home. Experiment with a virtual office for a limited time to ensure it is appropriate for your business and your employees. You may start with telecommuters working two or three days away from the central office and then increase the number of days as you see the positive results. Manage the change. Telecommuting is unfamiliar for you and most workers. Managing change within your organization will be your greatest challenge. Maintain regular communication with your on-site and off-site employees as you implement this new organization. TYPES OF POSITION TO CONSIDER Many positions in the insurance industry are ideally suited for telecommuting. For carriers, ideal jobs for a virtual office include actuary, field marketing representative, programmer, and systems analyst. For agencies, positions that work well in a virtual office include marketing representative, producer, and telemarketer. Automation vendors can use telecommuting with positions such as programmer, sales support representative, sales representative, systems analyst, technical support representative, and trainer. Your challenge is to think creatively and flexibly. Be willing to re-engineer your organization to meet the demands of today's changing business needs. Consider Peter Drucker's counsel: "Commuting to the office is obsolete. It is now infinitely easier, cheaper and faster to . . . move information . . . to where the people are."

...SHA compliance safety and health officers, who are chosen for their knowledge ...

Diving Into Internet Marketing
Consumers' buying and shopping habits have changed. Think about what you do when you're thinking of buying a new product or service. For most people, the research process starts by going to the Internet and searching for that product or service. Using the Internet to search about insurance is no different. According to comScore Inc.'s April 2009 Online Auto Insurance Report, 32.1 million auto quotes were submitted online in 2008. Of these, 52% of respondents said they had shopped for Auto insurance within the past 12 months, and 63% went online to get a quote. The total number of policies actually purchased online, however, was just 2.3 million. These numbers should be both an encouragement and a wake-up call to insurance agents. The trend of consumers and businesses going online to research their purchases is not going to slow down. Yet these numbers also show that even though people are going online to research, most still want to talk to a person before they actually purchase a policy. The Internet represents a great untapped marketing opportunity for every agency. The skills necessary to take best advantage of this opportunity, however, are different and will require time and effort to learn how to maximize its use. There are many different ways to use the Internet as a marketing tool, including blogs, social networking, and search engine optimization (SEO). Let's take a quick look at each. Blogs If you've been paying attention at all to the social Web, you've probably heard about blogs. A blog is simply an online journal. Here's how Wikipedia defines the term: A blog (a contraction of the term 'weblog') is a type of Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. 'Blog' can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Blogs have existed for a number of years and have become a popular source of information and commentary from a wide variety of people. There are literally millions of blogs written by all kinds of different people. A typical blog combines text, images and links to other blogs, Web pages and other media related to its topic. For an agency, a blog represents a very interesting way to have an ongoing dialogue with both customers and prospects. For example, a blog posting can answer a common question that the agency has been receiving about a coverage issue. Vaughn Insurance Agency used its blog after a major ice storm to answer customers' questions about insurance coverage. The Founders Group is using its blog to talk about and promote the free seminars the agency provides for prospects and clients. A distinctive feature of a blog is the ability for the reader to leave comments in an interactive format. This is an important part of many blogs because it allows conversation between the bloggers and their readers. Providing focused information on a particular topic along with the ability to create a conversation with those who read the post is what has made blogs popular. Blogs also are one of the best ways for an agency to increase its visibility to search engines. Constantly updated content helps a Web site move higher in search results. Facebook Facebook has become the face of the social Web. Estimates put the total membership in the United States at about 80 million accounts. The fastest-growing demographic is people age 55 and over; 50% of the accounts set up on Facebook are by people over age 35. This is not just for college kids anymore. From a marketing perspective, there are two aspects of Facebook that an agency should pay attention to. First is the social networking aspect. There are an increasing number of agencies that have created a Facebook fan page for the agency. There are a few agencies that are making their Facebook fan pages an integral part of their Web sites and online presence. See Beeler Insurance as an example. This agency is using Facebook to reach out to and interact with their clients. Because of this presence, they are also reaching out to their clients friends (we would call them prospects). The second aspect of Facebook marketing is Facebook advertising, one of the most targeted forms of advertising currently available on the Internet. This provides a new way for insurance agents to communicate and connect to new audiences. Because of the information that is provided in a Facebook user's profile, an agency can target their ads to a very specific type of person. For example, you can target an ad to display to only those people who have a particular city listed in their profile. LinkedIn LinkedIn is Facebook for professionals. At last count, it had more than 42 million skilled professional users from all over the world, comprising 150 different industries. When someone joins the site, they create a personal profile that sums up their professional achievements. These profiles enhance their visibility to prospective clients, current and former colleagues and potential business partners. Members can add connections by inviting business contacts to join LinkedIn, and to connect to other members as a trusted contact. The LinkedIn Answers feature permits members to ask the community any question. Members provide answers. It is a free feature and one of the best ways to raise your profile by providing quality answers to posted questions. A simple search shows many questions posted about business insurance. Providing quality answers to those questions may bring new prospects to your agency. LinkedIn Groups, which is searchable, is another feature that permits members to set up a new business partnership by joining an industry, alumni or any professional group. LinkedIn is simply the networking agents have always done, only now in an electronic forum. Used effectively, it can be a great tool to help a producer identify the right individuals within a prospect company to set up a meeting about reviewing their insurance program. Twitter Twitter is a 'micro-blog.' In 140 characters or less you can describe what you are doing, reading, thinking, or whatever else you think others will find of value. For most people, Twitter has moved beyond describing what you are having for lunch. It doesn't really matter whether you care or not. However, it might matter to certain clients. Recently an insurance agent in Boston told me that he had written two technology accounts because of Twitter. Twitter can represent another communication channel for customers who are inclined to be on the leading edge of technology and communication. Although you might not want to be an active twitterer, I suggest you try it for 30 days before dismissing it. Setting up an account is easy. There are an increasing number of insurance people (agents and insurance companies) on Twitter that provide a tremendous amount of useful information. YouTube YouTube is a video sharing site where users can upload view and share video clips. Google acquired the site in November 2006. Before the launch of YouTube in 2005, there were few easy ways for ordinary computer users who wanted to post videos online. With its easy-to-use interface, YouTube made it possible for anyone who could use a computer to post a video that millions of people could watch within a few minutes. It's hard to find someone who hasn't viewed a video on YouTube. From funny to educational, there are a huge number of videos available for viewing on YouTube. We believe that the video represents a great opportunity to create a personal connection with prospects and clients. Rick Dinger, an agent in California, is using YouTube to promote his own TV-style ad. He hired a local production company to record the video. The total cost was $500. Once the video is uploaded to YouTube, it can be linked from the user's Web site and e-mail message, Facebook page or any other place on the Internet. Agents can use video uploaded to YouTube to educate their prospects and clients about insurance coverages, answer frequently asked questions so their staff doesn't have to spend time answering the same question over and over, and use it as a promotion item explaining why someone should work with that agency. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Studies show that more than 80% of Internet searchers never make it past the bottom of page two of a search engine results page. My hometown of Franklin, Tenn., has a vibrant downtown with many different kinds of shops and restaurants. Think of Internet search results as being located on Main Street in downtown Franklin. Those businesses on Main Street receive a tremendous amount of walk-in traffic because they're visible to the people walking by. Internet search results are similar. If your agency shows up on page one or two of the search result, it's like being on Main Street and people will find you easily. Being further down in the search results is like having your business three blocks off Main Street — much harder for people to find you. SEO is the science and art of getting your agency listed on the first search results pages. There have been many books written on the ins and outs of SEO. You should talk to whoever has designed and is maintaining your Web site to make sure that your site is being optimized for search engine results. Conclusion The key to making the most of Internet marketing is to begin by creating a marketing strategy for your agency. Once you decide where you want to go, determine what tools are available to help you get there. We've described some of the tools that are available. Begin experimenting. Find someone in your office who has a passion for marketing and let them 'play.' The sooner you begin utilizing these new tools, the more quickly you'll see your business grow.

Program Brokerage Corporation (PBC) offers a Terrorism product for all classes of business nationwide. The policy is written for stand-alone acts of Terrorism certified or uncertified with no required claim amount. NEW COVER: Civil Commotion, Malicious Damage, Riot and Strike. Why our program might be better suited to your clients than TRIA: Since 9/11, an event on U.S. soil has never been certified as an act of Terrorism and therefore TRIA remains untested for its loss payment. TRIA sets a high bar for claims to be made with large financial policy triggers, deductibles that have increased year over year since 2016 and Federal certification. TRIA is a back-stop solution for the insurance industry, while our policy is tailored to your clients' individual needs. Coverage Highlights: Limits available up to $250M for Property Damage and Business Interruption No maximum on total insurable values or number of locations Active Assailant sublimit of $500,000 subject to scheduled values Additional limits available on referral basis Sabotage coverage included Threat and Hoax sublimit of $100,000 Denial of Access available up to a 5-mile radius Zero deductible available 24-month policies available Claims-Made Terrorism Liability Coverage sublimit available, up to full policy limits Defense included within limit, Active Assailant Events excluded Required Documents: ACORD125 Schedule of Values 5 Years Loss History Underwritten by AM Best Company rated “A” XV (excellent) For more information, please contact: Gary Shapiro Office: 516-496-1346 Email: [email protected] Tom Henderson Office: 212-338-2946 Email: [email protected] Nicholas Biondo Office: 516-496-1349 Email: [email protected] Stefanie Silvio Office: 401-468-3449 Email: [email protected] Gary Shapiro Office: 516-496-1346 Email: [email protected] Tom Henderson Office: 212-338-2946 Email: [email protected] Nicholas Biondo Office: 516-496-1349 Email: [email protected] Stefanie Silvio Office: 401-468-3449 Email: [email protected] Gary Shapiro Office: 516-496-1346 Email: [email protected] Tom Henderson Office: 212-338-2946 Email: [email protected] Nicholas Biondo Office: 516-496-1349 Email: [email protected] Stefanie Silvio Office: 401-468-3449 Email: [email protected]

Osha's Full Service Area Offices
INFORMATION DATE 19920814 DESCRIPTION USDOL Program Highlights, OSHA's Area Offices TOPIC Area Offices SUBJECT OSHA's Full Service Area Offices ABSTRACT Local offices of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) carry out a balanced mix of programs-enforcement, state programs, voluntary compliance programs, and training and education. The agency encourages communities to call upon OSHA and its staff for a variety of services and technical assistance aimed at promoting safe and healthful working conditions. U.S. Department of Labor Program Highlights Fact Sheet No. OSHA 92-13 OSHA'S FULL SERVICE AREA OFFICES Local offices of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) carry out a balanced mix of programs-enforcement, state programs, voluntary compliance programs, and training and education. The agency encourages communities to call upon OSHA and its staff for a variety of services and technical assistance aimed at promoting safe and healthful working conditions. For example, OSHA safety and health personnel are available to speak at civic clubs, union meetings, and trade association gatherings. When appropriate, OSHA field offices will issue news releases at the local level and brief newspaper and broadcast reporters. These outreach efforts are designed to explain new OSHA standards, encourage participation in OSHA rulemakings and answer questions about the agency's approach to workplace safety and health. These are also ways the agency can promote strong workplace safety and health programs and alert employers and employees to training courses available through the OSHA Training Institute. As with the enforcement programs, OSHA targets its outreach efforts on high hazard industries. The OSHA compliance staff is also familiar with the work of other federal and state agencies and professional safety and health organizations. Thus, they can refer callers to other sources of help such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, or the Employment Standards Administration. OSHA also shares, to the extent possible, technical equipment and materials. Lists of equipment and materials which can be borrowed or reviewed within the OSHA office are available at each area office and also at each closing conference following an inspection. Local OSHA offices can also provide prepackaged training programs to unions or trade groups, or hold brief training sessions in the office conference room. If intensive training is needed, the staff will refer inquirers to the OSHA Training Institute to an OSHA-approved educational center. Other sources for training and education may include OSHA grantees who have developed programs with OSHA's financial assistance. Other topics for high-hazard small business include OSHA's free consultation program; voluntary protection programs: Star, Merit, and Demonstration; off-site employer abatement assistance; onsite consultation for federal agencies; and safety and health program assistance. In short, although OSHA continues to conduct inspections, the agency now offers additional services at its area offices. By broadening the scope of its service, OSHA expects to better assist employers and employees in preventing occupational injury and illness. Reducing workplace accidents and disease remains the agency's primary goal. Expanded outreach, referrals, training and education, and voluntary compliance will enable the agency to work more effectively with employers, employees, and the general public to achieve that goal. This is one of a series of fact sheets highlighting U.S. Department of Labor programs. It is intended as a general description only and does not carry the force of legal opinion.

(Non-Web) Site Planning: Office Layout
'Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.' -- Will Rogers Many agency principals and their staffs are still sitting where they were 10 years ago-literally. They're still on the same patch of carpet in the same corner of the same room. Physical arrangement of the office reflects a business philosophy. It speaks more loudly than any verbal pronouncements of management. It certainly makes workflow easier or harder than it would be otherwise. The Independent Agency System has changed in organizational structure, technology utilization, compensation strategy, and marketing approach; yet its physical plant remains markedly unchanged. But there are rumblings that a new 'shape' is on the horizon-so this might be a good time to study the physical requirements of 'The Agency of Tomorrow' and create an agency of choice, rather than an agency of tradition. WHERE THE PRINCIPAL SITS Leaders are not the head of an organization; they are its heart. They should situate themselves in the heart of the agency. Hearing the buzz of the agency provides a continuous reality check. This helps leaders make decisions based on the way things are, rather than how it's assumed they 'should be.' Separation doesn't make the heart grow fonder; it makes the head more detached. When principals separate themselves, managers tend to follow suit. Managers are accountable for certain results-and when they can't see those who produce these results, they're operating under a considerable handicap. Management is not a solitary undertaking. You can think and create behind glass walls with an open door. COUNTERS: COUNTERINTUITIVE, COUNTERPRODUCTIVE Clients or prospects who visit a traditional agency often see a counter separating them from the agency staff person. There's enough to separate an agency from its clients: banks selling insurance, competing agencies, direct writers, company service centers, and so on. Why add another separation? Why keep your most important asset at arm's length? Why not welcome prospects and clients into your business home? Once visitors are in your office, what message does your environment send them? When prospects come in your office and are ushered into a comfortable (even plush) conference room or a producer's windowed office, they're being told how important they are to your agency. This is a good message. After they've become clients and they visit your office, they may see that the CSR who handles their account does not work in such a lavish office-maybe not in an office at all. Because clients are your agency's lifeblood, the people who handle their accounts should have the pretty, comfortable work areas, complete with windows. Agencies that have reorganized to use account managers (who can concentrate on the client-contact functions of service, placement, certificates, rounding, and so on) and account technicians (who specialize in policy-checking, correction-seeking, and follow-ups) realize that good physical placement increases their effectiveness. Account techs need quiet space to concentrate on technical detail. They must be out of any waiting client's sightline so that there's no pressure of courtesy-that is, so they won't have to interrupt their flow by getting up to help the client. The account techs must be situated close to each other so that they can back each other up comfortably during heavy work times (such as big renewal months) and each other's absences. Sitting account techs separately from the more numerous account managers actually encourages better electronic file documentation and internal E-mail communication, saving time and allowing each to focus on work rather than conversation. Perhaps most important, the account techs must be placed in quarters just as nice as the account managers, to demonstrate that their job role and accountability are as important as those of the account manager. This discourages a second-class image for some of the agency's most valuable employees. WHERE SHOULD PRODUCERS BE? If current clients are your agency's lifeblood, your prospects are its future. Producers who create new business grow your future. One chronic and potentially fatal disease of the Independent Agency System is the belief that producers are supposed to service what they write. Get over it! Producers should be salespeople. Written accounts need to be handled by account managers (what used to be CSRs). Overlap should be minimized. Salespeople must spend the vast majority of their work hours on active sales activity. Producers who spend most of their time working in the only place where your prospects don't go-your office-are in the wrong place. Only in the insurance industry is the outside producer inside most of the time. Most producers don't justify their annual income from new business sales. Management justifies their income with the book they've previously written and then pay CSRs, too, to handle those accounts. Placing producers in a service team (or, heaven forbid, letting them try to manage a service team) reinforces this insanity. Producers need space within the agency for very specific functions: Client meetings: Your agency needs at least one (maybe more, depending on the number of producers) impressive client-meeting room equipped with technology for rating, looking up information, and giving presentations. Sales-program development and account-rounding: Your agency needs a quiet, separate place for the producer to think (wild thought!) and be creative, away from the crowd. Preparing sales presentations: Your agency should provide technology tools, access to information, technical instruction (manuals, CDs, Internet), and practice space. Learning: Your agency needs an in-house educational space large enough to accommodate producers and other personnel who would benefit from educational opportunities. Some agencies are just starting to discuss and experiment with Producer Command Centers, which put the producers together to share ideas, brainstorm, and practice team-selling. (The compensation structure ensures that their 'sharing' is productive and not just fun.) Cubicles work for the identified producer tasks simply because they are 'tasks,' as opposed to eight-hour-a-day occupations. If the agency isn't as comfortable as a producer's Lexus, great! Producers with laptops and in-agency docking stations are mobile and able to communicate in and out of the agency. While our industry's agency-management system vendors need to refine their systems' ability to work better in this mode, this is clearly where we need to go-and systems are good enough now to begin going there. FOUND SPACE Transactional files take much less space than traditional paper files. Agencies that aren't keeping agency copies of standard-policy declaration pages save more space. Agencies that scan appropriate documents save even more space. Policy forms, whether client-specific or specimen, can be researched online, rather than saved on paper. All this space adds up. When account managers handle twice the number of accounts as their prior-generation counterparts, the agency needs fewer desks. Payroll dollars can be divided in larger increments to fewer people. As we realize that 'working' doesn't just mean 'in the office' but also from home or on the road, space can be reconfigured to be larger, airier, and more professional-looking. What recent college grad or young professional considering a change to the insurance industry wants to sit for eight hours a day in a rabbit hutch of a workstation? Any encouragement for young talent to join our industry is a good thing. THINK ABOUT THE MESSAGES YOU'RE SENDING Most agency principals would not put 'decorating talent' in their job descriptions, but maybe they should. You can be a brilliant success or an abject failure in creating a strong work environment. Many agency managers talk about building team spirit but don't have a space that can hold everyone at once. It's like having Thanksgiving dinner in separate rooms. Meeting space for your agency family requires features that are different from those of your client meeting space. Staff meeting space should encourage free thought, discussion, and fun. Here are some guidelines: Light, preferably natural light, stimulates thinking and openness. It discourages intellectual 'hiding' and creates energy. It's a necessity. Space should be flexible. You should be able to break down a large, all-agency-at-once room to more intimate spaces for department meetings, work groups, project teams, seminar work, and other activities for small groups. Display boards or facilities for informal projection should be available to stimulate group focus, keep group work on track, and serve as a credible record of the proceedings. Make sure that notes (flipchart sheets, electronic notes, print copies) are saved as long as necessary for reference, project management, and performance review. Avoid inspirational posters at all costs. Agencies that live up to those statements don't need to put them on the wall. People who work in agencies that don't heed such precepts view them on posters with an ironic twinkle (at best) and frustrated cynicism (at worst). Use artificial plants and flowers to communicate a low threshold for caregiving and a tendency toward disingenuousness. Or you can use real ones to convey your love of life and willingness to work to improve its beauty. Remember that colors, styles, and maintenance all convey a message. Orange shag carpets say, 'We're still in the '60s and we like it' (or 'We can't afford to get out of them'). Dirty, discolored carpet says, 'We've learned to live with problems.' A few carpet tears in high-traffic areas announce, 'Loss control is for you and not for us.' Mismatched patterns and colors bespeak haphazard decision-making and lack of focus. A color scheme, compatible artwork, pieces that make you look twice: these are not easy to put together, but they're worth the time and effort. Take time, enlist a talented family member, or seek professional decorating help-but make sure that the environment tells a story about what the agency wants to be. It will help get you there. DESK ARRANGEMENT Our business successes or failures are in large measure determined by how we work. How we work is heavily influenced by how our work space is arranged. Having your PC behind you indicates that it isn't needed for daily work on client accounts. Putting a guest chair on the side of your desk makes eye contact difficult. Look straight at your clients, and let them see visual information. As one CSR said recently (while creating a 'wish list' for the new office arrangement), 'Being able to see clients and their body language helps me read them. If I know what they're thinking, I can do better by them.' A REVOLUTIONARY THOUGHT If office rearranging is in your agency's future, the project may be bigger than you are. Take advantage of the talent and ideas in your own office. Create a space-planning table in a conference room to allow your agency colleagues-from receptionist to principals-to sketch office arrangements, write down ideas, recommend colors, design a desk arrangement, or express wish-list items. Create a master plan. Disregard the way you've always done things, and have some fun. You can make the place you work help achieve what you want in your work.

...n he part of [Company Name], its officers, directors, employees or affiliates ...o the company and its clients. The officers, directors and employees of [Comp...