5 Ways To Help Save or Generate More Money For Your Insurance Agency
Go Green 1. Printers & Paper
2. Computers
3. Lighting
Generate More Money 4. Curb Appeal What do people see when they drive by your insurance agency? Potholes in the parking lot? Peeling paint? Dirty windows? Old, discolored signage? It only takes a second for a potential client to form an impression. If your independent insurance agency looks run down, you’re probably losing potential customers.
Web Appeal Spruce up your physical space AND spruce up your web presence. It’s important to freshen up your web presence on a regular basis. 5. Your Insurance Agency Website
Have you recently made significant changes to your agency? Share what you’ve done to freshen your agency or your agency’s website.
0 Comments
Tips For Attending Insurance Conventions & Trade Shows
This year AccuAgency is exhibiting at more than a dozen insurance conventions throughout the United States. Convention season is a busy time. Most conventions take place in the Summer but more and more associations are adding shows in late Winter, Spring and early Fall. This year we’re attending conventions beginning this month (March) through October. We love attending. We enjoy speaking with agents to learn what makes their agencies successful and sharing what we do to help independent agents be more efficient, productive and successful in an increasingly competitive market. Trade shows can be hectic. As exhibitors, we arrive early and set up our booth making sure we have all of the documentation to discuss our products and services. We have to make sure we have brochures, business cards, etc. as most trade shows last at least a few hours and most conventions have trade shows at least two days. We have a checklist of to-dos before each convention. We always learn something new after each. We always ask, what can we do to make the next convention better? So here are a few tips we suggest agents consider when attending an insurance convention. Plan Your Day In Advance Are you planning to expand and write new lines of business? Are you looking for new appointments? Most associations post a list of exhibitors on their website convention page. In addition, they link the exhibitor listing to the company’s website. Find out who will be exhibiting and do a little research to familiarize yourself with the companies and service providers you want to meet with at the trade show. Make a list of the top exhibitors and booths you plan to attend. Most associations include a trade show floor map in the convention program. Map out your list on the trade show floor map. Once you have visited your list of companies/vendors, visit the remaining booths. You may discover a company or product that’s a perfect fit for your agency or that can fill a need your agency can benefit from. Attend The Social Events You’ve paid to attend the convention, get everything out of it. The social events like dinners, cocktail parties, pool parties, hostipitality suites and happy hours are great places to meet and talk to other agents, people working in the insurance industry and special guests and speakers. These social events are more relaxed and excellent places to network. Relax & Have Fun Most conventions have free time worked into the schedule. Don’t feel like you have to work the entire time. Get out to the pool or beach. Go shopping or play miniature golf. Go out to dinner. (TIP:Some exhibiting companies are encouraged to take agents out to dinner. Would you like to talk to a company one-on-one? Feel out the company representative and see if they would be interested in taking you out to dinner.) ![]() Agent Spotlight - Deenah Torres, Insurance World of SWFL In our latest agent spotlight we’re featuring Deenah Torres, owner of Insurance World of SWFL in Fort Myers, Florida. Here’s what she shared about her agency, herself and a nice, unsolicited compliment about AccuAgency. (Thanks, Deenah!) Before opening my own independent agency, I managed a company owned agency for almost 10 years. During that time, I built that agency from a newly acquired acquisition, to a multi-million dollar book of business. But in the end, I wanted more than just a typical 9-5. As a mom of 4, I felt like my kids were growing up in the blink of an eye and I was missing it. Now owning an agency gives me the flexibility to work a schedule that allows me to be there for my kids more, and that’s what I love most about AccuAgency. Because it is web-based, I can access it from anywhere, and still be there to help my clients. Just last week, I quoted two policies while sitting on the bleachers watching my son’s first high-school baseball game. I may have had to apologize to the client for the cheering (lol) but in the end, my son took the W, and my clients were able to get the coverage that fitted their needs, and their budget! How many years have you been an insurance agent? 11 years and counting! What is your favorite thing about being an insurance agent? I love that I can help people get something they have to have at a price that is affordable for them, without sacrificing the level of customer service they receive. What advice would you give someone who wants to be an independent insurance agent? It isn’t easy, but it is what you make it. There are still days that I wonder if I made the right decision, but with perseverance I have built an agency that I am proud of. What is one of your guilty pleasures? Wine. Oh, and WINE! lol What is something about you that would surprise people? I am the third generation of siblings born on the same day, but in different years. So I have a “twin” brother that is exactly 2 years older than me. He said I was the worst birthday present he ever received! haha Where’s your favorite place in the world? Italy! I love the culture there, the food, the history, and the sheer beauty of it! If you could visit anywhere in the world you’ve never been, where would you go? Hmmm, that is a tough one! On my bucket list is Alaska – to see the northern lights and go whale watching, What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? That would definitely be my husband’s steak and lobster! Always marry a man who can cook! ;) |
AuthorVikki Thomas has been working in the insurance industry since 1995. Vikki has worked for several carriers in customer service, quality assurance, underwriting, product management and marketing. Vikki has worked at AccuAgency since 2008. Archives
October 2018
Categories
All
|