September 18, 2008 by Steve.

As increasing numbers of people use the Internet to find information, savvy producers or staff members should begin creating an online presence. You may need a personal Web site or blog (which can function like a Web site), especially if you will be job hunting anytime soon.

Many recent articles say that, increasingly, job recruiters are placing a heavy emphasis on applicants’ online presence. “Online presence” means how active one is on the Web, including personal Web sites, blogs, published articles, etc. A personal Web site can also be a great way to introduce yourself to potential clients. Writing about risk management issues and the solutions you have created will help you stand out in the crowd of other agents.

If searching for your full name online comes up with nothing, consider buying a FirstNameLastName.com domain. You can create a simple Web site on the domain by publishing copy that explains who you are and what you do—basically a résumé site. Start a blog on that domain or establish a free hosted one on services like WordPress.com and link to it. There’s literally nothing to lose except a few dollars for the domain and hosting. Having a Web site gives you the added benefit of being able to link to your site when commenting on other blogs. This is another great way to gain exposure.

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September 2, 2008 by Steve.

Approximately 80 people gathered in Vail, Colo. in July to spend 2½ days exploring how the insurance industry can bridge the many gaps that stand in the way of continued success. I always return home from HIGH-TECC amazed and humbled.

I am amazed by the creativity, passion, and willingness to explore new ideas that is demonstrated by the people who attend. I’m also humbled by the knowledge and breadth of experience that is represented in such a unique group of people. I received the following from one attendee. It’s just one example of the creativity and open-mindedness I saw.

HIGH-TECC to-do list

I am looking forward to setting up my iGoogle and Facebook pages, using GoToMeetings, and uploading a Flip video to YouTube. Or, maybe I’ll use Silverlight for the HD and agree to work on my “Pillow Talk” blog. Hmmm, I wonder what actress to “walk onto” that page, as I contact Greenleaf with a Jott. I’m sure that name will get plenty of hits, but will West Bend approve?

I better actually accomplish some business before the week goes by! So, I will definitely iDictate, order DYMO Stamps, and follow up with Postful and FlyDoc to get certificates automatically rolling out. Now, if I could just stop Twirling and Twittering with my wiki…

To get all of this done before Friday, I may need to hit Provide Support to Get Satisfaction. Ahhh, maybe in a Second Life. Where did I put that Amazon Kindle?

— Jim Tuisl, “Satisfied HIGH-TECC customer”

That letter may seem a little weird—but every bolded word is a product, Web site, or service that we discussed during HIGH-TECC.

This year, I opened HIGH-TECC with a general session titled Communicate, Collaborate, Connect. It is my belief that the insurance industry as a whole needs to embrace new communication technologies that are already being used by younger generations. During the session, I highlighted several reasons for my belief and delved into specific technology and ways it is being used by others to create relationships in an electronic world.

I explored social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. I talked about how wikis can be used to facilitate conversation and collaboration. I ended the session by showing AVIVA insurance company’s Second Life Island. (Second Life is a 3-D virtual world created by its Residents.)

Agencies and companies need to explore and experiment with these types of communication options to determine how these technologies can and should be used to further customer interaction and enhance business.

The conversations ranged from “this seems really stupid” to “if college graduates are using these tools, we should learn how to use them—especially if we want to hire the younger generations.”

That’s what HIGH-TECC is all about: helping the industry explore what tools are on the horizon and how to use them to make your organization more effective. Make sure you don’t miss out next year. Mark your calendar now for HIGH-TECC 2009, July 19 to 22 in Vail, Colo.

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August 18, 2008 by Steve.

International Risk Management Institute, Inc. (IRMI) has made access to the Glossary of Insurance and Risk Management Terms available on its public Web site, www.IRMI.com.

There is absolutely no cost to access definitions of the 3,000-plus insurance terms it contains. Previously, this resource was only available to those who purchased it.

In addition to definitions of more than 3,000 risk management and insurance terms, the IRMI Glossary translates 860 acronyms and abbreviations, making it one of the most comprehensive and up to date insurance and risk glossaries available.

The IRMI Glossary provides quick answers to questions involving unfamiliar terminology used in insurance policies, submissions, proposals, and risk management reports. It also cross-references to specific sections in IRMI for occasions when more information is needed on selected topics.

The risk and insurance community can contribute by suggesting improvements in existing definitions or suggesting new terms and definitions to include. If your definition is accepted, you will be listed in a special contributors section on IRMI.com, and this listing will include a valuable link to your Web site.

The index to the IRMI Glossary is also available to put on other Web sites in the risk and insurance community. This allows organizations to easily add a glossary feature for their Web site visitors to use, and also include more than 3,000 key terms on a Web site to assist with search engine rankings.

The IRMI Glossary is listed in the Free Resources section of www.IRMI.com on the left-hand side.

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August 11, 2008 by Steve.

Seminars, education forums, and other events are an excellent way to market the services and value your agency provides. Creating an “add this event” link on your Web site is a simple way to help your clients or prospects automatically update their Outlook calendars with the event details.

It’s simple. First, create a new event in your Outlook calendar. Include the event name, specific location information (put in the location line), the time, and any other information you want to include in the notes section. Then click on File|Save As. In the “Save as type” drop-down list, choose the vCalendar (*.vcs) file format. Name your file something relevant (e.g. Workers Comp-Seminar.vcs) and then upload that file to your Web server.

On your Web site (or in an e-mail you send) just point a link to the URL where the file resides on your Web server. When your readers click on the link, the file will open and—voila—Outlook adds it to their calendars.

You may want to include simple instructions. And be sure to test it before you post the link on your site or in an e-mail.

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July 29, 2008 by Steve.

Google is by far the most used search engine. The biggest drawback is that it is text-based. Enter Viewzi, (www.viewzi.com), a new type of search site that offers results as visual images. The company is hoping to radically change how people find information on the Web.

Viewzi draws its flexibility from its “views,” each of which is essentially a customized search aggregator. After entering a search term, Viewzi tries to figure out what you’re looking for, and presents the results in an appropriate view. At launch there are 16 views, including MP3 Search View, Celebrity Photo View, Video View, Album View, 3D Photo Cloud, and the curious Weather View. Each view draws results from different sources, ranging from Flickr to Amazon to Weather.com.

These views help you focus your search on sites that are most relevant. If you enter a search for a song title, you will get the MP3 search view, which lists links to the song. One of the benefits of this search engine is that results are displayed visually. And the Web Screenshot View thumbnail images of relevant Web sites are displayed. You simply flip through the results provided and click on the image to go to the actual Web site.

In practice, Viewzi does a pretty good job at determining which view corresponds to a search term, though it isn’t perfect. The biggest problem is that many of the views are pure eye candy, offering little in the way of useful information.

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July 18, 2008 by Steve.

Kurt Turner is an independent agent in Shelbyville, Ky. He noticed that the best part of company meetings is talking with other agents during breaks. So, he started an insurance community forum site called InsuranceGossip.com, where agents and others in the insurance business can exchange ideas, get marketing sales ideas and tips, and ask/answer questions.

The site is agent-focused and not currently designed for others in the industry. Anyone can browse the site and read the questions and answers. Once you register, you can post (or answer) comments or questions. Different categories have been created to focus discussions on certain topic areas. Access to the site is free and there is currently no advertising.

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July 3, 2008 by Steve.

Search Engine Optimization—getting your agency to show up on a Google search result—is more of an art than a science. While there are many complicated and time-consuming steps an agency can take to improve their search result placement, using Google’s Local Business Center (www.google.com/local/add) is a simple step anyone can take. Doing so will help customers find you using Google Maps.

If you already have a Google account, sign in with your e-mail and password. If you don’t have a Google account, sign up for one and follow the instructions to create a free listing for your agency.

The street address you enter will be shown in the Google and Google Maps search results. Once you’ve submitted your business information, you’ll need to verify the listing before it goes live. A post office box can be used to register. You can verify using a touch-tone phone, SMS, or a PIN that will be sent via regular mail to your business address. Once the listing is verified, your information will normally appear in the Google results. There’s no charge for Local Business Center listings. Google doesn’t accept payment to include listings or sites in their search results.

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June 10, 2008 by Steve.

The National Hurricane Center and Google are working together to create a map that homeowners can use to determine if their property is threatened by a dangerous hurricane storm surge.

Storm surge is considered one of the most destructive elements of a hurricane and the greatest threat to the lives of people who ignore evacuation orders in vulnerable coastal areas. Google will use storm surge data that meteorologists have used for years to determine the flooding threat from any category of storm.

People can plug in their addresses to see at what level they are at risk. The program should be available during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Hurricane forecasters use a computerized model called SLOSH (Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) that estimates storm surge heights by taking into account the size, internal pressure, forward speed, track, and wind strength of a hurricane.

Hurricane forecasters will also offer a new color-coded graphic on the NHC Web site this year that will indicate storm surge probabilities for threatened areas, similar to forecasts they now offer on wind-speed probabilities. The graphic will indicate the probability of the surge reaching or exceeding five feet within a given number of hours.

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