June 5, 2008 by Steve.

Are your clients able to communicate with you any way they want—whether by phone, e-mail, Web, call center, or live access? Instant Messaging (IM) is an option that is becoming easier to implement. Understandably, agencies are often concerned about the practical aspects of IM. How will the conversation be documented? Is it worth the time?

One service worth considering is Provide Support (www.providesupport.com), a software and Web process that provides a “Live Chat” option on your site. You are given code that enables you to add a button on your site that a client can click to start a live chat with someone in your office. You select individuals who become part of a chat rotation. When someone clicks on the Web button, a box pops up on the computer of the next person in the rotation. That person is responsible for the instant message conversation.

The price depends on how many users you add. One user costs $99 annually, three users is $200 annually, and 10 operators is $400 annually. The software provides a transcript of each conversation after the call is finished, along with a management recap at night.

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May 16, 2008 by Steve.

An old-fashioned hard copy letter is still the most effective method for initiating a new relationship with a CEO, according to a new study completed by Gentle Rain Marketing. According to 82% of the executives surveyed, the one-page letter ranks number one among the top five methods for developing new relationships with senior-level decision makers. As an increasing number of businesses realize the importance of developing relationships with CEOs and other high-ranking decision makers, the question becomes, what’s the best way to get on their radar screen?

Senior level executives said that if the letter reflected an understanding of a specific key challenge they were facing, it would be read. But there’s a catch. Even if the letter got read, it’s unlikely the letter would motivate the executive to immediately agree to take a meeting. But, if the letter focused on an issue of real interest, and offered some additional information, the executives would be likely to take that next step and request a meeting. According to the report, the key to developing relationships with senior level decision makers is to orchestrate a series of small steps rather than trying to accomplish too much with a single communication.

Some other methods that work to build relationships with CEOs and other top decision makers include writing articles or books (62%). The more the books and articles provided practical ideas that the executives could use in solving real problems, the more this method was effective as a first step in building a relationship. Fifty-nine percent said that advertising was an effective method for building a relationship. Forty-four percent of the survey participants said that they initially developed a business relationship as a result of attending an event or seminar.

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May 12, 2008 by Steve.

Although the delivery of electronic documents is growing rapidly, agencies continue to send many standard letters. Flydoc.com is a Web-based service that allows you to streamline the process of sending printed letters.

To use the service, you simply install a new printer driver that you’ll use to “print” documents. You can print in black and white or color, on a single side or on both sides of the paper. You can choose from three standard double-window envelope sizes, but there’s only one paper option for your sheets: letter-size, 24 pound white.

When you select Print, the document is submitted through the Internet to FlyDoc’s service center. FlyDoc promises to print, stamp, address, and send your documents via first-class mail within 24 hours. The first page costs as little as $.36 per copy for black-and-white printing and $.48 for color; subsequent pages cost $.18 for black and white or $.30 for color. The largest envelope available can hold up to 70 pages.

One nice aspect of the service is that it does not require a minimum number of letters. Being able to pay for individual pieces means you can use the service to send customer invoices or the personalized letters you’ve created using the mail merge feature in your word processor.

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May 6, 2008 by Steve.

A new Web site created by Liberty Mutual is generating widespread acclaim for its ability to educate Generations X and Y about the value of renters insurance. YouCovered.com is a new online experience that has already received several industry awards including a “Best in Class” Interactive Media Award (IMA) and “Site of the Week” from Communications Arts since its debut in October 2007. It was also recognized as a finalist in the 2007 MITX (Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange) Awards.

Since Generations X and Y prefer to “construct” knowledge through experience, view graphics rather than read text, and tend to be visual and kinesthetic learners, this site approaches education through play. A month after launch, approximately 40% of all visitors are entering the quote process.

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May 2, 2008 by Steve.

Apple recently announced plans to enable the iPhone to support the Microsoft Exchange Web e-mail client and to provide new features that have been demanded most by business users. Apple CEO Steve Jobs and senior executives provided more details about the company’s plans to open the iPhone SDK (Software Development Kit) by June to support the development of enterprise-grade applications. Version 2.0 of the iPhone software, due to be released in June, will provide native support for push e-mail; push calendar; push contacts; global address list; support for Cisco IPsec Virtual Private Network, certificates and identities; the WPA2/802.1x security standard; enforced security policies; mass device configuration; and remote wipe.

In addition, the iPhone will gain “native” support for Microsoft Exchange by licensing the Microsoft ActiveSync protocol. This will allow the iPhone to work directly, through firewalls, with the Exchange server. All Exchange features will integrate into the iPhone’s native mail, calendar, and contact applications.

With these enhancements, the iPhone will become a popular choice for agency staff, especially younger producers. Agency IT departments should take the lead and integrate the iPhone into the overall communication framework.

Posted in Cool Tools, General, Agency Management Systems | Print | 2 Comments »

April 16, 2008 by Steve.

I’ve been around this industry a long time. Over the years, I have had the privilege of participating in many projects that attempted to work on improving how agents, agencies, insurance companies, and vendors work. While I believe that progress has been made, there are many gaps in our industry. The industry as a whole needs to work on closing these gaps in order to make a profound difference in the profitability and viability of independent insurance agents.

Every problem we encounter in the industry also presents an opportunity for those willing to take bold steps to fill in the gaps. Here are a few examples:

The communication gap and opportunity—how do we build trust and develop deeper relationships with our prospects and clients in a fast-paced, even frenetic, world?

The generation gap and opportunity—how do we understand the coming generations and provide products and services that they embrace?

The expectation gap and opportunity—how do we begin to understand and respond to the changing expectations of our clients?

The workflow gap and opportunity—how do we streamline workflows so that we spend less time simply processing transactions and more time meeting client needs?

The training gap and opportunity—how do we help our staff learn new software and keep up with the constant changes we need to make to stay current?

The systems gap and opportunity—how do we get all of the hardware and software systems we need to use to communicate with each other so that data and information can be shared with whomever needs it?

This year’s HIGH-TECC conference in Vail, Colo. is specifically designed to help you explore these gaps and maximize the opportunities that are available to agents, insurance companies, and vendors that are willing to look forward. As we begin to fill in the gaps, our organizations are better positioned to meet the needs of clients, staff, and business partners.

At HIGH-TECC, you’ll also discover ways to:

• Develop new strategies to attract and keep customers.
• Sell successfully against low-priced competition.
• Build a strategic long-term plan.
• Reduce your chances of failure.
• Boost your profits and your bottom line.

If you’ve ever thought about attending HIGH-TECC and wondered if it is really worth the time, effort, and money, I would suggest you talk with some of the agents who come year after year. These agents attend repeatedly because they understand the value of working “on” their agency, not just “in” it. They take the time to focus on the big picture, including where they want their agency to be in the future. HIGH-TECC enables you to get answers and solutions from both experts and other agents. It’s a platform where you can get “tried and true” answers to your real- world problems.

Some people have asked, “Why Vail?” The answer is simple: 1) It’s a great place to get away and focus on your business, and 2) Vail in the summertime is a wonderful place to vacation with your family, if you choose.

Again this year, we have a stellar group of presenters—a “dream team” if you will, that you’ll find informative, stimulating, and instructive. And since we value one-on-one interaction, we intentionally keep HIGH-TECC small in size. (Because of that, I encourage you to register early. We’ve even included incentives for you to do so—including a discount—just so it gets to the top of your “to do” list.)

It’s not too early to plan for your summer now. As we all know, July will be here before we know it so go to www.HighTecc2008.com and register now.

I look forward to seeing you at HIGH-TECC 2008!

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April 14, 2008 by Steve.

Microsoft recently announced plans to provide a software-as-a-service offering not just to the large enterprises already eligible for such a service from Microsoft, but to companies of all sizes. Through the new Microsoft Online Services, businesses with less than 5,000 employees will be able to subscribe to Internet-based applications from Microsoft and its partners instead of buying hardware servers and software licenses.

Initially, the company will offer subscription-based applications around e-mail and its SharePoint teamware. Microsoft has already provided similar services for enterprises with more than 5,000 employees.

US-based customers can register to take part in a limited beta of the new service at www.mosbeta.com. 

We have been an advocate of the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model for some time. It is particularly well suited to agencies because it allows them to use sophisticated software without the pain of having to manage software and hardware in-house.

There are a number of examples of other product offerings that utilize this model. Microsoft is trying to head off similar services from Google (Google Apps), Yahoo, and other firms like Dell.

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February 11, 2008 by Steve.

In today’s world, electronic commerce is no longer a “nice-to-have” capability. Many consumers have become less tolerant of paper-based transactions and expect all financial transactions to be supported in an electronic environment. The insurance industry (both agents and carriers) needs to respond to consumers’ experiences with other financial vendors—or risk losing business to financial services organizations that have adopted leading-edge technology. One example is electronic signatures.

The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) was signed into law by President Clinton in October 2000. The insurance industry (especially property & casualty insurance companies) has been slow to adopt the use of electronic or digital signatures.

A new form of electronic signatures is now being adopted by some companies. Voice Signature (v-Sig) allows an individual to use his/her voice to electronically sign a document. Carriers could use v-Sig as authorization to change payment plans, EFT, etc. Google “Voice Signature” to find several companies that are currently providing this service and begin to think about how you can use it to enhance your service to clients.

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