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Trusted Choice®  |   Best Practices   |   National Legislative Conference   |    Big "I" Markets   |    InVEST  |  IA Magazine   |    Industry News

T r u s t e d   C h o i c e ®
Trusted Choice® Advertising Returns Monday

Trusted Choice® advertising returns to television sets across the nation starting Monday when an ad flight kicks off. The two-week campaign runs through March 27. The ads will highlight the benefits of using a Trusted Choice® agency: choice of companies, customized policies and advocacy support.

The Trusted Choice® ads will appear 53 times nationwide and will be featured on several prominent cable networks including ESPN, Fox News Channel, Turner Network Television (TNT), The Home & Garden Television (HGTV) and The History Channel. Highlights include PGA Golf, specifically The Players Championship, and SportsCenter on ESPN; the O’Reilly Factor on Fox News; Modern Marvels on The History Channel; and popular movie programming on TNT.

To make the most of the March ad flights, Trusted Choice® member agencies are encouraged to run local ad campaigns using the agency tag-able ads. The ads are “tag-able,” meaning you can run a version with five-seconds of information about your agency at the end of the spot. (To order the tag-able TV, radio and print ads at www.TrustedChoice.com log onto the “Agents/Brokers” area and click on “Advertising.”)

Big “I” state associations are adding to the mix with state-level advertising campaigns, which are partially funded by Trusted Choice® through its State Grants Program. This three-pronged advertising strategy—national, state and local—means greater market exposure for all participating agencies.

Trusted Choice® participating agencies can click here to view the complete March ad flight schedule. More ad tips are available online at www.TrustedChoice.com. The next ad flight will run May 9 through 22 during Trusted Choice Month.

If your agency is not yet a member of Trusted Choice®, join today to brand your agency as the smart choice for consumers. To join, go to www.TrustedChoice.com, click on “Agents/Brokers” and then “New Members?,” enter your agency ZIP code to launch the easy sign-up process. For more information, contact Jeff Myers at 800-221-7917; jeff.myers@iiaba.net.| T O P |

Web Site’s Traffic Grows at Brisk Pace

In the past three months, the number of total visits to www.TrustedChoice.com grew to more than a half million—a 27.13% growth over the previous three months’ 396,637 visits. As a result, the number of daily visits grew from 4,311 to 5,481. Additionally, consumers browsing the Web site have increased their visit time by nearly 12% to just under 10 minutes.

The Web site’s number of visitors increased nearly 25% in the past three months. From December through February, there were 218,000 unique visitors compared to 177,070 for the three-month period from September to November.

The number of successful hits for the entire site also experienced significant growth. The past three months saw 12,221,172 successful hits compared to 9,990,440 for the previous three months for a growth rate of 22.33%.

The statistics show that Trusted Choice® advertising is reaching consumers and is making an impact on the more than 150 million viewers who see it each year. Add to that the local ad campaigns individual agency participants conduct, and more consumers are being exposed to the brand and the Web site. The Web report also shows that Trusted Choice® agencies are using the Web site to access the many resources available online like the tag-able ads, “Zoom in on Branding” and the public relations materials.

The combination of these factors has helped boost the profile of www.TrustedChoice.com as the go-to source for consumers and participating agencies alike. As the brand program continues to grow, so to will traffic on its Web site. For more information, contact Jeff Myers at 800-221-7917; jeff.myers@iiaba.net.     | T O P |

B E S T   P R A C T I C E S
Select, Develop and Motivate Producers

“Top Producers: Discover, Train, Reward” is IIABA’s most comprehensive guide to finding, hiring, training and compensating producers. The guide contains numerous worksheets, formulas and charts for setting goals, establishing proper compensation, determining sales potential, agency planning and tracking producer activities. The text is organized into three major sections that cover each step of the process, laying out a complete roadmap:

• Selection is not just the process of finding a top producer, but of finding the right top producer for your agency. This section includes ideas and resources to effectively pre-plan for the type of producer you need and the compensation you should offer. Then you are led through the recruiting, interviewing and hiring process. An extensive appendix is also included on proper interviewing techniques and the types of questions you must avoid or can’t afford not to ask.

• Development covers what to do now that the new producer is on board and includes topics such as designing a career development plan, understanding the four phases of career development, creating a new producer knowledge roadmap, basics of the industry and agency and sales development. The section also provides a unique training matrix, creating a path for educating the new producer in personal lines and/or commercial lines coverages and issues.

• Motivation pulls together the final key to any new producer’s success: proper management and support from the leaders in the agency. The guide covers leadership, mentoring, setting goals and objectives and the skills required for effective sales management. Finally, in recognition of that future day when your new producer has finally “made it,” it provides you with ways to motivate the experienced producer.

This Best Practices guide will save principals thousands of dollars in lost time, effort, cash and wasted potential, yet is priced at only $89.95, shipping and handling included. And as an added bonus, the guide includes the complete text of IIABA’s “Guide to Producer Contracts,” a $29.95 value. To download an order form, click   here. For more information, contact Jennifer Becker at 800-221-7917; jennifer.becker@iiaba.net.   | T O P |

N a t i o n a l   L e g i s l a t i v e   C o n f e r e n c e
Event in Six Weeks

Less than six weeks remain until this year’s Big “I” National Legislative Conference, which may be the most important one in the event’s 29-year history. With producer compensation under fire in the fallout from alleged large-broker bid-rigging, it is crucial that as many independent insurance agents and brokers as possible come to Washington to speak directly with their elected leaders. The Big “I” National Legislative Conference is the insurance industry’s best-attended, most effective legislative meeting. This year’s event will take place April 20 through 22 at the Grand Hyatt Washington. In addition to providing an opportunity to lobby members of Congress on compensation and other important issues, there are also power-packed daily sessions featuring Washington movers and shakers. Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will speak at a breakfast April 21, with other top leaders expected to be announced soon. Other highlights of the Big “I” National Legislative Conference will include an in-depth issues-briefing session; the annual Big “I” congressional reception on Capitol Hill; appearances by numerous high-profile speakers discussing important insurance and national issues confronting lawmakers as well as agents and brokers in Washington, D.C.; and hundreds of meetings on Capitol Hill between Big “I” agents and brokers and their elected representatives in Congress. To register online and make hotel reservations, click  here.   | T O P |

B i g   “ I ”   M a r k e t s
"Think Flood" with FEMA and Big "I" Markets

Unfortunately, too many Americans fail to consider the potentially disastrous impact of a flood on their financial well being. Many assume that since they don’t live near a river, lake or ocean they have nothing to worry about. As insurance professionals it’s our duty to educate them otherwise. Take advantage of the resources available through the Big “I” Flood Program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help protect your clients and to grow your business. When you’re quoting a client, visit www.floodsmart.gov and click on the “assess your risk” link. Then type in your client’s address and determine the flood risk level of the property as determined by FEMA. Once you have convinced your client that he or she needs flood insurance, log onto Big “I” Markets and request a flood quote. We work with Selective Insurance Company to provide you with access to an experienced “A+” rated carrier and competitive commissions. For more information on understanding and selling flood insurance, visit www.independentagent.com/flood or contact Linda Mackey at 800-221-7917; linda.mackey@iiaba.net.   | T O P |

I N V E S T
St. Paul Travelers Hosts Job Shadow Event

St. Paul Travelers, a longtime sponsor of InVEST, hosted its third annual Job Shadow Event Feb. 2, 2005.  Seventy students enrolled in InVEST classes at Bloomfield, Bulkeley and East Hartford high schools were matched with “career mentors” and had the opportunity to learn firsthand about specific careers in the insurance industry by shadowing industry professionals.

“Our students gain a valuable insurance education in the classroom through the InVEST hands-on curriculum,” said Jim Armitage, chairman of the InVEST Board of Directors, “and job shadow events hosted by agencies, brokers and insurance companies supplement this education. By bringing students out into the real world to experience all that insurance has to offer, we can peak their interest and successfully recruit them into the industry.”

National Job Shadow Day begins on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, each year and continues throughout the school year. According to the National Job Shadow Coalition, job shadowing is an academically motivating activity designed to give kids an up-close look at the world of work and to answer the question, “Why do I have to learn this?” To learn more about starting an InVEST class or hosting a job shadow event for InVEST students, click here. For more information, contact Sandra Skipper 703-706-5437; sandra.skipper@iiaba.net.
| T O P |

I A   M A G A Z I N E
Visit the New-and-Improved IAmagazine.com

IAmagazine.com, the Web site of Independent Agent magazine and the home of Insurance News & Views, debuted a new look last week. The new Web site aims to be a more user friendly, streamlined resource for its readers. All your favorites are there, including clues to each month’s Ace Insura and the Premier Insurance Directory. New additions include expanded online-exclusive features. When you visit the new site, be sure to log in with your Big “I” username and password at the bottom right of the homepage to be able to view content that is reserved for Big “I” members only. If you don’t know your password, send an e-mail requesting it to  logon@iiaba.net.   | T O P |