AIMS Society recently recognized a professional insurance educator and a state insurance agent association for their success in bringing Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) professional designation education to independent agency and brokerage professionals during 2012.

Becky Lathrop, CPIA, CIC, vice president at Tampa, FL-based Optimum Performance Solutions, was named the first-ever CPIA Facilitator of the Year. She was honored at our 26th-annual PRO-to-PRO Executive Retreat, which was held in conjunction with the organization’s annual meeting in Dallas last month. In 2012, Lathrop taught 17 CPIA classes in Florida, Nebraska and Oregon.

Becky’s strong technical knowledge and engaging presentation style serve insurance professionals well in our CPIA courses. One of her student summed it up when she wrote of Becky’s class, ‘You don’t leave feeling crammed or bored. You leave with fresh new ideas and ready for the next day of work.’

The inaugural CPIA Seminar Sponsor of the Year Award was presented to Professional Insurance Agents of Florida at the state association’s annual Expo and CPIA Conferment earlier this year. In 2012, PIA of Florida offered 18 CPIA classes; 358 students took part and 85 insurance professional earned their CPIA professional designation during the year.

Florida PIA has done a great job helping agencies boost employee skills and performance through the CPIA program. It was exciting to take part in the Expo and Conferment, and see the enthusiasm the entire PIA of Florida Board and Staff has for the CPIA program and the energy they put into it.

During 2012, 519 individuals earned their CPIA professional designation. They were recognized during the AIMS Society Annual Meeting this year in Dallas. More than 4000 people have earned the exclusive CPIA designation since the program was launched in the late 1990s.

Cowboying up! That’s how Chester Butler (@TheButlerCo) described his status on Twitter, in advance of our 26th annual AIMS Society PRO-to-PRO Executive Retreat in Dallas. Many others are probably cowboying up, as well!

Folks have already started to arrive. The hotel is beautiful. The weather is warmer and a lot less snowy than other parts of the country. And we’re enthusiastic about not only the great program we have in store, but also about being able to renew old friendships and forge new ones.

As we know, the digital world moves at a pace faster than many of us could have imagined just a few short years ago. The agenda for this year’s meeting addresses these changes, and how insurance agents and brokers can respond to help grow their business.

The warp speed of the Internet—and Twitter, in particular—has led us to update the hash tag we’ll be using for this year’s event. We decided some time ago to follow our protocol from prior years and use #PTP2013. It seems some folks across the pond thought that was a pretty cool hash tag, and starting using it for an internship program that has generated strong interest—and a strong Twitter following.

But we’re nimble. With a few keystrokes and a couple of clicks, we’ve created a new hash tag for this year’s PRO-to-PRO: #P2P2013. It’s just a little change, but it’s ours. So follow and Tweet along with us over the next couple of days. And include #P2P2013 in your Tweets so we don’t miss them.

Thanks. Now cowboy up!

Art Seifert, CPCU, CIC, RPLU, president of Glatfelter Program Managers, will address the AIMS Society at its annual meeting March 1, which takes place in conjunction with the organization’s annual PRO-to-PRO Executive Retreat. His remarks will focus on the importance of strategic thinking and planning when building marketing and sales capacity in independent agencies and brokerages.

AIMS Society Executive Director Kitty Ambers, CPIA, CIC, CISR, CPIW, said, “Given the rapid pace of change taking place in the insurance arena, it’s especially important now for agency and brokerage leaders to take a step back and make sure they are taking a holistic approach to client acquisition activities. Mr. Seifert’s strong management background and his proven expertise in strategic planning will offer tremendous insight for the principals, producers and other leaders taking part in our flagship event.”

In addition, AIMS Society today announced that Travelers has agreed to support the association as Platinum Sponsor for the annual conference, which brings together industry leaders interested in learning and sharing ideas about new and emerging sales and marketing approaches in the P&C business.

Linda Dodson, second vice president-agent and field sales solutions and operations at Travelers, said, “Travelers is committed to its independent agency partners and their ongoing success. We’re very happy to work with associations such as AIMS Society that educate agents and brokers and help them improve their sales and marketing effectiveness in today’s dynamic insurance marketplace.”

AIMS Society’s PRO-to-PRO Executive Retreat is a unique gathering of top insurance marketing and sales professionals. The 2013 event will take place February 28-March 2 at the Embassy Suites Dallas – DFW Airport North/Outdoor World. To register or learn more, visit bit.ly/PTP2013. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities remain; to learn more, contact Kitty Ambers at 804-674-6466.

In accordance with the AIMS Society’s Bylaws, Article III, Section VI — notice is hereby given that the next Annual Meeting of Members of the American Insurance Marketing and Sales Society will be held at 12 noon on Friday, March 1, 2013 at the Embassy Suites Dallas – DFW North / Outdoor World, 2401 Bass Pro Drive, Grapevine, TX 76051.

This meeting will be held in conjunction with the President’s Luncheon during the 26th Annual PRO-to-PRO Executive Retreat. For information about the Retreat and Registration details, CLICK HEREor call 877/674-2742.  Early Bird Rates are available for AIMS Society Members through February 5.  Discounts are also available if you bring more than one person from your agency!!

The Order of Business will be as follows:

1. Call to Order – Curtis M. Pearsall, CPIA, CPCU, AIAF, ARM, AU, President

2. Reading of the Minutes from Previous Meeting – Michael G. Herzak CPIAL, CIC

3. Treasurer’s Report – Martin A. Lebson CPIAL, AAI, ARM

4. President’s Report

5. New Business

a. Election of Directors (Nomination Details are located at http://aimssociety.org/about/board-of-directors/ should you wish to consider becoming a Nominee.)

Nominees include:

Susan I. Federinko CPIA
Glatfelter Insurance Group
York, PA

Jim Mansfield, CPIA
Mansfield Insurance Agency, Inc.
Lawrenceburg, IN

June W. Taylor, CPIA, CIC, CPIW, DAE
Wilkinson Insurance Agency, Inc.
White House, TN

b. Proposed Bylaws Amendment – Add the following Section to Article V: Board of Directors

Section VII. A Past President of this association shall be entitled to the privilege of discussion and voting at any meeting of the Board of Directors as long as he/she remains in the insurance business, and is a member of the Society in good standing. Past Presidents who have been absent from three (3) consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors during a single administrative year shall forfeit their voting privileges for the remainder of that administrative year. Such voting privileges shall be reinstated during the next administrative year after two (2) consecutive meetings have been attended and completed; after the first such reinstatement, subsequent reinstatements must be approved by the Executive Committee. This Section does not apply to the Immediate Past President or Past Presidents whose terms of directorship under Article V, Section 1, have not expired.

We look forward to seeing you in Dallas!

AIMS Society is accepting nominations for our annual sales and marketing achievement awards, which we’ll present during the 26th Annual PRO-to-PRO Executive Retreat in Grapevine, Texas, in February. The deadline for nominations is January 11.

We’re looking for stand-outs in two categories. The AIMS Society Producer of the Year Award recognizes members for outstanding sales achievement, retention, service, education, and industry involvement. The award acknowledges the achievements of an insurance producer who embodies the principles taught in the CPIA professional designation program Insurance Success Seminars.

The Company Partner of the Year Award honors an Independent Agency Channel insurance carrier that delivers extraordinary support to help independent agents and brokers sell and market insurance better. This support could be in the form of new marketing programs, educational initiatives or innovative product offerings.

For more information on the Producer of the Year and Company Partner of the Year awards, visit aimssociety.org/awards.

Remember, the PRO-to-PRO Executive Retreat–and informal gathering of top insurance marketing and sales professionals takes place February 28-March 2 at the Embassy Suites Dallas – DFW Airport North Outdoor World. To register or learn more, visit aimssociety.org/pro-to-pro.

In last week’s QUIK SALES TIP–a twice-a-month newsletter for AIMS Society members–Dave Brower, Social Media Consultant at Lyndhurst, New Jersey-based The Bogle Agency, offered insight into how the agency uses Twitter to engage community members and strengthen relationships with clients. Here’s what Dave wrote:

In March 2011, The Bogle Agency, led by Principal and AIMS Society Board Member Phil Bogle, adopted an aggressive social media platform, using a state-of-the-art website, which the agency worked with Astonish Results to create, and expanding on our existing Facebook Page (facebook.com/BogleInsurance) and Twitter handle, @BogleInsurance.

Eighteen months later, the @BogleInsurance Twitter account is approaching 800 followers, and we ourselves follow more than 1,400 individuals and companies. These numbers continue to increase each day. Best of all, they give us a very broad-ranging reach in both the local and statewide community.

Through our Twitter platform, we attempt keep expanding our engagement, using Tweets of interesting and informative local information balanced with an overview of available insurance products and references to post on our agency blogs.  We believe that developing just the right balance is an important factor in implementing a successful social media approach.

We fully understand that followers might not contact us today, or tomorrow for insurance, but we hope that they will think of us first, the next time a need arises.

Ideally, we try to Tweet our own content about five or six times a day, and then “retweet” anything of interest from the various entities we follow. This “sharing” and exchange of good information is what social media is all about. Our Twitter account links directly to our Facebook Page, so both groups of followers see the exchange.

Some examples of what we Tweet include:

• Bogle Agency is the platinum sponsor of the Lyndhurst free summer concert series, “Music Under the Stars,” so we continually update our fans about who will appear, what the schedule is, etc.
• We support and collaborate with Comprehensive Behavioral Healthcare, a Lyndhurst company where Phil Bogle serves on the Board of Directors. The nonprofit organization hosts several functions throughout the year, including an upcoming golf tournament, so help promote these by featuring marketing materials for their events.
• We always copy and share Bergen County information and events for families and kids, such as the weekly South Bergenite story, “Five Things to Do in Bergen County This Weekend.”
• Using Google Alerts for Lyndhurst, we track and then share any appropriate local news and happenings.
• We Tweet our own Blog, which usually deals with insurance-related topics and questions. We try to take the mystery out of insurance.
• We also copy and share special “deals” from local merchants, like Sadowski Auto and Fuel (a local Shell station) and Parkway Auto Body.
• We often share good financial articles and videos from sources like Kiplinger, Forbes, the Star Ledger, The Today Show, etc.
• We display photos and share stories from our staff that might “entertain” our followers and help us engage on a more personal level. We also give short bios on new employees and announce awards that the agency and our people may have received.
• Finally, we Tweet recipes and food ideas from sources like Food and Wine magazine, just to break up the flow of information we distribute.

In all, our approach to Twitter is simply to entertain, inform and market our products to our current customers and followers, and to build agency awareness and make sure the Bogle Agency name is on the tip-of-the-tongue of future customers and clients.

How is your agency using Twitter?

The American Insurance Marketing and Sales (AIMS) Society will hold its 26th Annual PRO-to-PRO Executive Retreat February 28-March 2, 2013, in Grapevine, Texas. The event provides insurance agency owners, sales managers, top producers, account executives, and company leaders an opportunity to discuss ideas they can use to help boost sales success and increase revenue.

“Each year, we bring together insurance professionals who are passionate about seeing their organizations grow and who want to find new ways to manage and expand their business,” says AIMS Society President Curtis Pearsall, CPCU, CPIA, AU, ARM and AIAF, founder and principal of Pearsall Associates, an agency E&O consultancy. “The retreat provides an excellent opportunity for attendees to assess and reinvigorate their sales and marketing activities.”

The 2013 meeting will feature a keynote address by Judy Hoberman, founder of Selling in a Skirt. “Judy’s presentations are engaging and humorous,” explains AIMS Society Executive Director Kitty Ambers, CPIA, CIC, CISR, CPIW. “She uses real-life examples and down-to-earth stories to show how men and women sell, manage, recruit, and supervise differently, and how each gender can support the other more effectively.”

During the retreat, the AIMS Society will recognize an insurance carrier partner and an insurance agency or brokerage producer for outstanding performance and achievement. The event also will feature the annual conferment exercises for insurance professionals who have earned the Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) professional designation. For awards nomination forms, go to www.aimssociety.org/pro-to-pro/awards. For more information about the CPIA designation program, visit www.aimssociety.org.

Sponsorship opportunities remain. “PRO-to-PRO provides a way to engage top-level decision-makers who are committed to supporting the sales and marketing effectiveness of their agency plant,” Ambers says. For more information, contact her at 877-674-CPIA or kitty@aimssociety.org.

AIMS Society Director Marty Lebson did not let this one get away! Nice job, Marty!

We all love to celebrate sales successes. As managers, we reward and recognize them. As producers, we pat ourselves on the back. But what do we do if the sale doesn’t go our way? Do we retreat? Do we get upset?

Tom Richard, owner of Tom Richard Marketing and Tom Richard Sales Education, suggests a five-step process to recover from lost sales. Steps include:

• Turn to your personal foundation, those people who believe in you and inspire you to be your best. Pick up the phone and call them, he writes. You feel better right away
• Walk away. Something as simple as doing a crossword puzzle, working on your hobby, or playing with your kids will give you the needed break from work that can help you get over your lost sale, Richard explains.
• Talk to the customers who love you. Call them to make sure everything is going well for them or simply to chat. He says they’ll remind you of why it is great doing business with you.
• Read something inspirational. By reading a chapter or two, Richard says, you’ll find your attitude begin turn around quickly.
• Plan. If the lost sale changes your monthly sales plan, revise the plan, he explains. Then see how you make up for that lost sale.

John Asher, chairman, CEO and master facilitator at Asher Strategies, offers five sales training ideas to teach sales people how to recover from lost sales.

• Do not argue or belittle the decision. Denigrating competitors almost always reflects poorly on the person doing so, he says. It also insults the prospect’s judgment
• Ask what you could have done better. If asked, prospects might open up and share exactly why they didn’t choose your product or service, Asher explains. Learn from lost sales to improve future sales calls.
• Offer backup services. Firmly establish yourself as the prospect’s only rational choice in case the chosen provider fails to deliver, he adds. Even if buyers decline, chances are they’ll call if they become dissatisfied with current provider.
• Thank them sincerely. A thank you following a lost sale is rare, Asher notes, but it helps the salesperson stand out as a professional.
• Check in periodically. “Out of sight, out of mind” is a truism that applies in sales, he explains, so top salespeople don’t let prospects forget they exist, and they’re ready at the first hint a buyer is ready for a change.

Let us hear from you!!
How do you respond to missed or lost sales? Do you use any of these tactics or strategies? Do you have others you’d suggest? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

Kitty Ambers, AIMS Society Executive Director

My, how our world has changed. I am at a stage in life where I am amazed daily at the impact technology has on our day-to-day living. Earlier this month, I accompanied my youngest son on a visit to a college he’s considering. “Several new enhancements are being added to the campus because of requests by students,” explained our student tour guide.

First, the new student activities center will use palm scanning for entrance, instead of requiring students to swipe their Student ID. Wow. I thought that type of thing was available only in a Mission Impossible movie!

Next, the laundry facilities are equipped with text messaging alerts that notify students when to move their clothes from the washer to the dryer or get them from the dryer. Amazing! Students today realize that time is valuable, so there is no time so idly sit around and wait for clothes to wash and dry. To think, I remember sitting in the basement with my great grandmother literally watching the washing machine!

Finally, while I have known this had to be coming, this school has full-fledged use of digital textbooks through CafeScribe. This lower-cost alternative allows students to download textbooks to an iPad or Kindle, and takes advantage of all the features these readers possess—not to mention it is a much “lighter” option than toting around textbooks.

These technologies provide solutions to needs of our future workforce—today.

What expectations do they create for post-graduation? What would happen if they chose to enter the insurance agency business? Would they face frustration dealing with multiple carrier passwords in their management systems when they’re used to swiping a palm for access? Would they sit around watching their email inbox for answers, just as we used to watch the washing machine? Would they need to retrieve manuals from someone’s office bookshelf or carry around paper client files, or would everything be available via the agency’s Intranet or other cloud-based source that is accessible anytime, from anywhere?

The questions all point to a much larger one: As business owners and employers, what are we doing to understand new technologies and deploy these ideas and others to attract youth to our industry? Could we do more?

We invite you to share your thoughts and comments!

Contributed by American Insurance Marketing & Sales Society Executive Director Kitty Ambers, CPIA, CIC, CISR

AIMS Society recently had the privilege to share some insight for an Insurance Journal article titled, 10 Things Agencies Do Right (and Wrong) with Agency Management Systems. Also included in the article was commentary from consultant Angela Adams, consultant and PRO-to-PRO presenter Pat Alexander, ASCnet Chair Maureen Boeing, ACT Executive Director Jeff Yates, consultant and PRO-to-PRO presenter Steve Anderson, and Todd Arnold, co-founder of AB Solutions.

Our association’s contribution focused on how agents use—or don’t use—their systems to maximize sales and marketing efficiencies, topics we frequently encounter and address in our CPIA Insurance Success Seminars. Other contributors addressed a variety of other topics.

What participants said agencies do well include:
• Create Efficiencies.
• Use Accounting Tools.
• Create Agency Value.
• Give Friendly, Conscientious Service.
• Personal Lines Download.
• Create Workflows.
• Front-End Scanning.
• Claims Download.
• Manage Client Relationships.
• Cloud Computing.

They identified several things agents and brokers do wrong, as well, including:
• No Audits.
• Updates and Changes.
• Top to Bottom Planning.
• Report on Too Little.
• Real-Time Quoting and Inquiry.
• Engage With Peers.
• Inconsistent Data Entry.
• No Standards.
• Not Using Full System.

You can read the full article, where contributors explain each point in more detail. Check it out. We’d love to hear what you think, and what you do right—and wrong—with your agency management system.