EF Fall 07.indd - National Association of Professional Allstate ...

AAs you read through this issue of Exclusivefocusmagazine you will read severalcomments from agents and vendorswho attended NAPAA’s 17th annualBusiness Conference in Las Vegas. Byall measures, it was a resounding success.Over the years we have had some excellentconferences, but this one ranks asone of the best ever. And, this year conferencespeakers didn’t let us down. Everyone of them offered valuable tips andinformation on a variety of topics. I enjoyedevery speaker, but being the politicalanimal that I am, my personal favoritewas the president-elect of the NationalAssociation of Insurance Commissioners(NAIC) and current insurance commissionerfrom Kansas, Sandy Praeger. I ampersonally grateful for the time she spentwith our group. It is important to makeconnections with those who regulate ourindustry. Your association is working tokeep those lines of communication openThere are many reasons why we hostannual conferences each year. First, itgives our members an opportunity toobserve their professional agent associationin action, as well as interact withNAPAA board members. Plus, it givesthem an opportunity to meet past presidentsand founders of our organization.Second, NAPAA believes that it is importantfor agents to stay informed notonly about matters concerning Allstateand the insurance industry, but aboutbusiness in general. Third, NAPAA believesthat it is very important for agentsto gather together to share informationand discuss common issues.Years ago it was common for agencymanagers, now called MDLs, to hostdistrict meetings and life “walk-ins.” Forthose of you who have never been to oneof these functions, it was a time when allthe agents in a market would convene fora training session or, in the case of a walkin,a business and social gathering wherepresident’s letterWe Can Always Do BetterBY DALE REVELS, NAPAA PRESIDENTagents would hand deliver life apps and thedistrict manager would furnish beer andpizza. These were times when agents couldcommiserate and share war stories. Somehow,that feeling of family has long sincedisappeared. NAPAA believes in preservingthis tradition of agents congregatingtogether. We believe it is both beneficialand healthy. In this issue of Exclusivefocusyou will see how my friend Steve Marcus,an agent in Florida, has developed verysuccessful monthly agent meetings.One of the other great success storiesof the conference was your association’sability to reach out to new sponsors andvendors. As you are aware, agencies willwhat’s insidesoon be responsible for technology expenses.While the NRG’s base and transitioncomponents will help agencieswith immediate technology expenses, webelieve that agencies will be weaned fromcorporate subsidies upon replacing theexisting technologies in their agencies.The third NRG component is based onachieving RFG goals. This permanentcomponent provides an added incentivefor agents who reach their RFG objectives.As difficult as it is to meet RFGgoals year after year, many agencies willwind up paying for most, if not all, oftheir technology expenses.Your association is working diligentlyWill Your Agency Sink or Swim? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Sowing Seeds for the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Captive vs. Independent... Is the Grass Really Greener?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Industry Leading Healthcare Solutions for NAPAA Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Finding the Right MEDIA for the Best Response. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Putting Together an Idea Sharing Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Technology Solutions for Allstate Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26The Canadian Experiment: a Precursor for U.S. Agencies? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30A Small Business Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32NAPAA Conference Quips & Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Increase Your Revenues with Third Party Referrals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38DSL – Reliable, Cost-Effective Connectivity for Your Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Stepping Stones to Purchasing an Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Anatomy of a Toner Cartridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Another Brick in the Wall: What NAPAA Does For You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Managed Services: The Next Frontier of Technology for Business. . . . . . . . . . . 50Protect Your Electronic Customer Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52When Your Callers are On Hold, Your Business Shouldn’t Be. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54How to Successfully Brand Your Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Six Keys to a Winning Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58NAPAA Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614 — Exclusivefocus Fall 2007