THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2010 

                                                Big “I” National News


Virtual University
Check Out VU’s Flood Training Online
Course covers flood policies, determining flood zones, E&O issues and more.

With the recent flooding in Nashville, are your employees up to date on flood policies? Check out the Virtual University’s National Flood Insurance Program online course, which covers the policy, determining flood zones, general rules, eligibility, coverage, forms, rating and E&O issues of flood insurance and more. It presumes that the student has access to the most recent version of the NFIP Flood Insurance Manual. This course meets the required educational mandates of the NFIP to sell flood insurance.

The Big “I” Virtual University offers significant benefits to all agency employees—from the principal to the receptionist—and it does it all with a few simple clicks of a mouse Your staff doesn’t even have to leave the office to earn those last minute CE credits or take professional development courses. They can sit at their desks and log onto VU to access comprehensive informational sections on sales, sales management, marketing and customer service in the university’s library and insurance research area. There are CE-approved courses, the Accredited Customer Service Representative designation program, as well as a complete online curriculum of sales, customer service and agency management courses that they can study from their desks or homes—24 hours a day, year-round.

Click here to select your state and see what online course offerings are available and get started. In order to take advantage of the research or online courses, each VU user must have their own Big “I” Member login and password. For more information on how to obtain login and password, contact your local state association or logon@iiaba.net.


InVEST
InVEST Program Presents Dach Award to Florida Agent
Lindsey Shank, InVEST graduate, continues to promote program and serve as a role model.

The InVEST program awarded Lindsey Shank, CIC, with the Dach Award. The Dach Award honors an insurance industry volunteer who has made tremendous contributions in fostering the growth and development of InVEST.

Shank is assistant agency manager and assistant vice president of the BB&T Insurance agency in St. Petersburg, Fla. She was an active and top InVEST student her junior and senior years at St. Petersburg Catholic High School. The school’s popular InVEST program is hailed as one of the top in the country.

“Lindsey brings a unique personal success story, experience, professionalism, passion and enthusiasm for the InVEST program,” says Diane Mattis, Big “I” associate vice president, professional development & online resources and InVEST executive director. “Lindsey’s journey from a high school junior to a national and state InVEST program leader and role model exemplifies the program’s mission and we are proud to announce that she is the 2010 Dach Award recipient.”

Shank is a 1999 graduate of St. Petersburg Catholic High School where she won InVEST local, state and national scholarships. She earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of South Florida College of Business. Shank earned her 220 insurance license in 2004 and obtained a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation in 2006.

Shank started as a part time employee at the Iler Wall & Shonter Insurance agency in 1999 and worked there through college. The agency has since been acquired by BB&T Insurance. She has risen through the ranks and currently serves as assistant agency manager and assistant vice president.

Shank is the InVEST State Champion for Florida and has served as the local co-chair of the InVEST Program at her alma mater, St. Petersburg’s Catholic High School, for the past eight years. She has also served as the Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA) InVEST task force chair for the last five years.

“I firmly believe that the future of our industry depends on attracting new talent,” says Robert Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO. “We need InVEST graduates like Lindsey to step up as the next generation of industry leaders.”

Gary Preston, the 2000 InVEST Teacher of the Year and who taught Shank, and Mattis presented the award at the St. Petersburg Catholic High School annual InVEST awards breakfast.

The Dach award is named in memory of the program’s founder, Stephen Dach, and the honoree receives a $1,000 cash prize to be used in his or her InVEST classroom.


Big “I” Fall Leadership Conference
Registration Now Open for Fall Meeting
Head to San Francisco Sept. 22-26.

Join us in San Francisco for the Big “I” Fall Leadership Conference Sept. 22-26. Enhance your leadership skills and network with your peers at this flagship event. The schedule of events includes the installation of the incoming Big “I” Chairman Mike Miley and new to the fall line-up, the Young Agents Presidents’ Panel with Big “I” leadership and CEOs from Fireman’s Fund, The Hanover Insurance Group and MetLife Auto& Home. The program also includes the VU User Group on Sept. 21, Executive Committee meeting on Sept. 22-23, InVEST Board meeting on Sept. 22-23, Education Convocation on Sept. 22-23, Young Agents Leadership Institute on Sept. 24-25 and the Board of Directors meeting on Sept. 25-26. Visit www.independentagent.com/events to register today and check out the schedule of events. You don’t want to miss it!


Best Practices
Joint Planning Tool Quick Step
Automate your agency-company planning.

You don’t have to be familiar with the Best Practices Study to know that having effective carrier relationships is key to the success of any agency. One of the very first tools created when the Best Practices program began in 1993 was the Joint Agency/Company Planning Tool. The notebook contained a description of how to begin the planning process, worksheets for both agencies and companies to complete prior to the joint meetings, and guidance on how to combine two often divergent sets of needs into a single set of goals.

To automate the process, the Joint Planning Tool Quick Step was developed and made available to agents and company partners. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet template, the Quick Step is ready to load and run on your PC. Start on page one and follow the simple step-by-step approach to enter your agency data. The Quick Step takes the entered data and performs the necessary calculations to bring it into a planning format. The data entry is “once and done” - if any data you enter or calculate is also used in future steps, the tool automatically carries it into the appropriate future fields.

This tool takes agents through establishing internal goals, preparing for joint discussions, developing a joint plan and implementing, adjusting and monitoring the plan. The tool has proven to eliminate unproductive effort, reduce costs and inefficiencies for both parties, and greatly enhance the ongoing agency-company relationship. Click here to view the demo version, order and view all the other available resources or email BestPractices@iiaba.net for details.


Trusted Choice^®
Make the Right Impression and Earn Up to $500 for Marketing
2010 Trusted Choice^® Marketing Reimbursement Program pays you.

When making the sale, repetition is key. Occasionally one phone call may do the trick, but more often than not, it takes multiple touches to make the sale. The same goes for branding—and that’s why so many agents are reaping the rewards of the Trusted Choice^® brand. Agencies large and small, state associations and the Big "I" are using the logo in TV ads, on letterhead, Web sites and more. When a consumer sees the national TV commercials or a roadside billboard, independent agents are creating an impression—in fact, millions of impressions. To best leverage Trusted Choice^® membership, the logo must be used correctly and Trusted Choice^® makes it easy. The signature guide illustrates how the logo should be used and the logo files can be downloaded from the Trusted Choice^® Web site. Trusted Choice^® agents who use the logo in 2010 for marketing collateral, whether it’s for stationery, business cards, a Web site or a brochure, can earn up to $500 through the Marketing Reimbursement Program (MRP) to offset the cost. Follow the four easy steps outlined on www.TrustedChoice.com/MRP. Funds are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For more information please contact Ines Hoyle (ines.hoyle@iiaba.net). If you are not a Trusted Choice^® agent, contact Jo Buckley  (joanne.buckley@iiaba.net) for more information.