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5 Ways To Help Save or Generate More Money For Your Insurance Agency

3/26/2018

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5 Ways To Help Save or Generate More Money For Your Insurance Agency

Go Green

1.    Printers & Paper

  • Use recycled paper
  • Stop Printing Everything!  When possible, save paper by not printing.  Save all insurance related documents to your agency management system.  
  • If you have to print, use the eco-mode and print in black and white to save color ink.
  • Recycle your used ink and toner cartridges.  Some office supply stores offer ink cartridge recycling reward programs.  Turn your empty ink cartridges in for store credit.

2.    Computers

  • Turn your computers off when you leave for the day.  
  • Consider upgrading your old computers and buy new.  New computers are more energy efficient and they will operate faster making you and your employees more productive and less stressed.
  • Recycle used computers.  

3.    Lighting

  • Turn off lights in rooms that aren’t in use.
  • Don’t leave office lights on overnight.
  • Replace your old light bulbs with halogen incandescent, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs.  Although more expensive than the older wattage bulbs, long-term they will save you money because they use less energy.

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.

  • Signage should be visible from the street.
  • Store hours should be visible from the parking lot.  Have you ever pulled up and squinted to see store hours?  You get out of the car and walk up to the business only to find they aren’t open.  
  • Clean up the parking lot of trash.
  • Fill potholes or pave a problematic parking lot.
  • Landscape.  Weed and plant flowers.  Flowers will attract customer's eyes.
  • Give your agency a new coat of paint inside and out.
  • Paint the interior a lighter color to open up the space and reflect more natural light.
  • Replace burnt out and/or dingy light bulbs
  • De-clutter your offices and desks and recycle piled up papers and files.  Ensure secure document destruction and contact a reputable shredding service.

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

  • Ensure your website is easy to navigate.  Is it impossible to find a quote form?  Quote forms should be visible and quickly accessible from all pages of your insurance agency’s website.
  • Update photos.  Is the photo of you 10 years old?  Update your headshots. Is your storefront photo outdated?  You’ve just painted your office and added some planters. Update your storefront photo.  Post photos of your newly painted office on your social media pages.
  • Update content.  Refresh your content and remember to include keywords about your products and services.
  • Update product and service descriptions.  Refresh your descriptions and keywords.
  • Blog.  
  • Update contacts.  Have you hired a new employee?  Add your new employee’s contact information to your website.
  • Test quote forms.  Fill out all of your quote forms to ensure they are going to the right people.
  • Test on mobile devices.  Your website should be mobile-optimized.  Pull up your agency’s website on a mobile device to see if it’s easy to navigate.  There are websites that will show you what your website looks like on mobile devices.  If it isn’t mobile-friendly, that should be your #1 priority. You MUST have a mobile friendly website today.

Have you recently made significant changes to your agency?  Share what you’ve done to freshen your agency or your agency’s website.

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Tips For Attending Insurance Conventions & Trade Shows

3/19/2018

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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.)  
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Agent Spotlight - Deenah Torres, Insurance World of SWFL

3/6/2018

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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! ;)​

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    Author

    Vikki 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.

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Norcross, GA 30071
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