ASCnet Conferees Hear How to Manage a Profitable Business

The latest technologies that allow independent agents and brokers to efficiently manage and ensure a profitable business were presented to more than 1,800 conferees attending the Annual Technology, Education and Networking Conference at the Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

“Catch the Wave” was the theme of the conference, as agents moved from seminar to seminar humming ’60s Beach Boy hits. Attendees found little leisure time due to their jam-packed schedule of more than 60 breakout sessions and seminars during which participants heard experts talk about everything from “Agency Systems Security,” “Workflow Guidelines,” to “What’s Up With Real-Time?” As if the educational sessions weren’t enough, there were also three panel discussions: “Agency Experiences with Vision Migration;” “Ask a Power User;” and “Disaster Planning.”

Dunn inaugurated as ASCnet president
During an early-morning meeting, ASCnet held an inauguration ceremony for its new slate of officers: President Robert “Robby” E. Dunn III, vice president and agency manager of Hotchkiss Insurance Agency in Houston; Immediate Past-president Stuart Durland, vice president and co-owner of Seely & Durland Inc., Warwick, N.Y.; Vice President Donna Abramson, IT manager, Western Financial Group Inc., High River, Alberta, Canada; and Secretary-treasurer Vicky Tuten, CFO, Kinker-Eveleigh Insurance Agency, Cincinnati.

Dunn’s experience is a blend of agency technology and workflow consulting, teaching, association leadership, and agency management. He began his insurance career in 1980 at The R.E. Dunn Agency in Topeka, Kan. Prior to joining Hotchkiss Insurance, he was president of Automated Agency Management as an independent consultant serving nationwide independent agencies and carriers.

Dunn is a National Alliance faculty member, has served on its Agency Management Advisory Committee since 1998, and authored the Academy monographs, Transactional Filing: An Integrated Approach and Imaging at a Glance. He is an active member of the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston, currently serving on the board of directors as vice president. Dunn is a certified national presenter for ASCnet and a frequent presenter at local, regional and national educational conferences.

Pinnacle Award for Carmichael
Ohio Casualty Group CEO Dan R. Carmichael received the third-annual Pinnacle Award for personal excellence in attaining new heights of achievement in agency/company interface.

“Since the first day that Dan arrived at Ohio Casualty nearly four years ago, he has worked hard to enhance relationships with independent agents,” Durland said. “And along that line he has always been an ardent and vocal proponent of technology to improve electronic communications with agents.”

Carmichael enthusiastically embraced IVANS Transformation Station, the Internet-managed data exchange using Web services and ACORD XML to enable real-time transactions between insurance carriers and independent agents and brokers.

Carmichael’s selection, Durland noted, “emphasizes how important the interface issue has become at the top executive level at major independent agency carriers such as Ohio Casualty.”

Carmichael joined Ohio Casualty Corporation as president and CEO in 2000. Prior to that he served as president and CEO of IVANS Inc., Greenwich, Conn., an organization that provides electronic communications services to insurance, health care and related organizations in the U.S. and Canada.

Litwin received Leadership Award
Durland presented ASCnet’s third annual Leadership Award to Jo Ann Litwin, president of Litwin, Castle & Christ in Orchard Park, N.Y. Litwin was recognized for years of industry-wide advocacy on agency-company interface issues, as well as her relentless support for elevating certain initiatives to a new critical mass.

“For years, Jo Ann has been a leading advocate for agency/company interface–pushing agents to use ACORD standards and upload and download,” Durland said. “She’s attended many industry conferences, and spent considerable time visiting agencies and companies promoting interface. Jo Ann’s involvement has helped put us where we are today. Now she’s leading us in this current phase of real-time and IVANS Transformation Station–the numbers of users and transactions have just skyrocketed because of her influence.”

Litwin has 15 years’ of experience in property/casualty insurance, as well as extensive knowledge and background in information technology applications related to process-automation for independent agents. She is now Region 4 director for ASCnet; board liaison for the U.S. and Canadian Interface committees, ASCnet; forms subcommittee chair, ACORD; and property and casualty steering committee, ACORD.

Companies, agents recognized
At TENCon, various companies and agents were recognized for real-time interface. ASCnet recognized The Main Street America Group for its U.S. Download Award; Liberty RAM, U.S. Upload Award; Ohio Casualty, Interface Company of the Year; ING Insurance Co. of Canada, Canadian Interface “Pioneer” Award; SAFECO, U.S. Real-Time Personal Lines/Policy Transaction Award; Progressive,U.S. Real-Time Personal Lines Service/Inquiry Award; Frankenmuth Financial Group, U.S. Real-Time Commercial Lines/Service Inquiry Award; and St. Paul Travelers, U.S. Real-Time Commercial Lines/Policy Transaction Award.

Durland announced a number of Presidential Citations: Donna Abramson, Western Financial Group, High River, Alberta, Canada; Maureen Boeing, Landmark Insurance, Cincinnati; Jennifer Godwin, Guaranty Insurance Services, Austin, Texas; Bill McNulty, Insurance Resource Consultants, Northbrook, Ill.; Cindy Newman, Glenwood Insurance Agency, Glenwood Springs, Colo.; and Carol Pickett, Clemens & Associates, Bloomington, Ill.

TAM, Vision innovations described
Recent TAM and Vision product innovations were described during a technical presentation by James P. Kellner, Applied Systems chairman. An in-depth description of TAM was presented by Tracy Ustinov, agency manager, and Dave DeGroot, product manager, as they outlined TAM and Vision enhancements and discussed new product upgrades in 2004 and 2005.

The highlight of the conference was a stroll through the TENCon exhibition to explore the latest technology, products and services to assist independent agents and brokers. The exhibit was inaugurated by Bill Jenkins, ASCnet executive director, who introduced a conch soloist who led conventioneers into the exhibit area, where more than 65 booths awaited, all set to catch the wave of passers-by with special promotions, a drawing for a new car and one booth to which they were greeted by Baywatch girls. ASCnet staffers were easy to spot in their multi-colored (mostly red) Hawaiian surfers’ shirts.

Conferees got down to business when the breakout sessions and seminars began. Each session went from one to two hours and many were standing-room-only.

‘Magic,’ loyalty bolster agency profits
“You have many opportunities to make magic everyday,” said keynote speaker Rob Morton. A Disney World employee for more than 25 years and a facilitator and content specialist with the Disney Institute, Morton described how insurance agents can use Disney’s marketing concepts to encourage new and especially long-term business.

“Never underestimate the meaningfulness of a magical interaction with your customers,” Morton said. He cited his experience in buying a new house right before Hurricane Charley when his agent went the proverbial extra mile when Morton realized that he could not complete the paperwork for the purchase until he had insurance in place, something he forgot until the day before the paperwork was due to be signed.

Although Morton moved miles from his agent’s office, he still drives to his office due to the long-term relationship.

“Loyalty is a big part of the Disney philosophy,” Morton said. “If employees are loyal and happy, that satisfaction will encourage customers to come back and pay their premiums.”

Morton gave a straightforward and often comical rendition of Disney’s goals in encouraging return business. He pointed out that Disney’s formula could easily be applied to the insurance business: cast excellence, guest satisfaction, financial resources and repeat business.

During an elaborate presentation he referred to statistics showing that Disney’s average customer spends more than $100,000 during his or her lifetime on insurance; therefore a long-term relationship can be very valuable. He also pointed out that employee turnover can be expensive, costing an average of 30 percent of the amount of an employee’s annual salary to find, hire and train a replacement.

Morton talked about Disney’s business strategy, its goal to get customers to come, stay as long as possible, spend as much as possible and come back as often as possible.
“We make it as easy as possible for our visitors to spend as much as possible,” Morton joked.

Morton emphasized how important marketing, customer loyalty and long-term relationships are to business profitability. He said that to be profitable, no matter what the market, it’s essential not to overlook the role that each employee in your organization plays in satisfying customers. He advised his audience to focus on the customer’s entire visit, saying it’s essential to focus on more than just the product. To be profitable and to bring that customer back again and again, it’s necessary to do more than present a product; it’s essential to identify your strengths, what you do well and how you excel over your competition and to emphasize those advantages to your customer.

Topics USA Agencies Profit Loss Tech Ohio Canada Casualty