Give the gift of EPLI for the holidays!

How many times do we all hear the phrase, "I don't have to worry about EPLI lawsuits in my office"? Or the classic, "For that price I will take the risk."

So what information can we give you to help you help you clients? What can we provide you that will convince your clients that EPLI is needed now more than ever?
For one, try reading the recent article found in National Underwriter magazine called just that - EPLI Needed Now More Than Ever. Next, our friends at National Underwriter have another article in the same online issue about how the 'Recession Creates EPLI Demand'. (If you are not already receiving these online news updates, you should). This suggested reading can provide useful tips.

EPLI Insurance is that "extra" that clients seem to think they don't really need. It is that piece they feel, especially when times are a little difficult and they are trying to cut costs, they can probably do without. As their agent, how do you talk to them about the importance while keeping costs down?

What about all of those Holiday Parties? People that typically don't drink may tend to 'take a sip or two' more than usual around the holidays and let their guard down around other employees and/or employers. Reduced inhibition can lead to situations that create the potential for lawsuit. Comments or jokes made when someone has had a few too many drinks that are misinterpreted by another employee who is sober often lead to trouble.

Defense costs can be costly. Forget about the settlement which obviously can be extremely high in many instances. How will your client defend themselves? How will they protect their reputation?

But, your client doesn't need EPLI, right?

This is the time of year for celebration, jubilation, thanks and good tidings. But it is also the time of year to take a moment and realize that one mistake - or even one person claiming a mistake - can take it all away.

How can they afford NOT to have EPLI?

Jimcor's Professional Liability Specialists are available to assist you and your staff with placing this coverage as well as numerous other professional liability classes.

Call today for more information or click here for a representative near you.

Excess & Surplus Lines Business in NY

Many agents around the country write NY business, some of which falls into the E & S Marketplace.

At Jimcor Agencies we want our agency partners to have access to the tools they need to successfully compete in this environment.  Therefor we felt it important to forward this information by ELANY (Excess Lines Association of NY) regarding Affidavit Part C.

Use of New Affidavit Part C Reminder

We hope this assists you in writing business.

Thank you once again for choosing Jimcor Agencies.

Coryn Thalmann - Finding Time to Pay It Forward

Why do we volunteer?  How do we choose among the so many important causes?  Does it add to our lives or take time away from other things?  We asked Coryn Thalmann, CEO, COO of Jimcor Agencies, to answer a few questions for us on her personal thoughts about volunteering - thanks Coryn for taking the time to talk to us!

Q: What groups do you / have you volunteered for?
C Thalmann: Special Olympics, YIP's, UFO, Board of Directors for NAPSLO Education Foundation to name a few

Q: How do you find the time to volunteer with family and work commitments?

C Thalmann: First, I prioritize all the aspects of my life when making a decision to begin something.  Then, I work with my husband to schedule everything we need to do and continually communicate about changes.  Finally, I try to be 100% present wherever I am.  If I am home playing with my kids, I try and focus on them.  When I am at an event, I focus on those I am meeting.

Q: Do your children know you volunteer?  How do they feel about it?

C Thalmann: They know I am away at times, but don’t really understand what volunteering entails.  They are getting to an age where I will be able to take them to certain events so they can see versus hear about what I am doing.

Q: What is the best experience you have had from volunteering?  

C Thalmann: Seeing a smile on a person’s face!

Q: What would you say if someone said they didn’t have the time to volunteer for a cause?  

C Thalmann: Do what you can.  Every little bit helps so try and find ½ hour to help.

Q: In closing – is there anything else you would want to say?  Any cause close to your heart you would want to talk about?  

C Thalmann: The world is based on people helping other people.  I have been fortunate in my life and feel that paying it forward is a must for me.

So, in closing think about how you "pay it forward"!  What cause is important to you?  Do you volunteer your time?  Let us know :)

Know you want to volunteer but not sure where to start?  Try Volunteer Match! http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Did you know yesterday was Mandela Day? 

http://www.mandeladay.com/
An annual celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life (started in 2009) and a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to" make an imprint" and change the world around them -- by giving 67 minutes of volunteer service. Celebrated on July 18 

The Impact of 2011 Record Year of Cat Losses on Rates

It should not be news to anyone that 2011 was a record year for catastrophe losses.

Lisa Parry Becker with Wm B Parry & Son Ltd out of Bucks County, PA discusses the impact these losses are having / will have on rates in her blog.  In a conversation with Becker she explained that she "decided to do some research since there were obvious questions coming from clients about rate increases."

Who knows what we will see in terms of cat losses for 2012, so for now let's take a look back on 2011 and see what impact those losses are having on us today.

2011 Natural Disasters: Rate Increases on the HorizonBy: Lisa Parry Becker February 11, 2012

Fire Safety

Wildfires have been all over the news.  From Pennsylvania to Long Island, New Jersey to Upstate NY the dry conditions have brought about warnings by the National Weather Service with several fires breaking out in the past few days.

Here are some links from your friends at Jimcor Agencies that can prove helpful for the insurance community and their clients:

US Fire Administration
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/wildfire/

FEMA
http://www.ready.gov/wildfires

NFPA – National Fire Protection Association
http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=244&URL=Safety%20Information/Safety%20tips%20&%20fact%20sheets

The New "SEXY" Insurance

Cyber Liability is the new “sexy insurance” according to the National Underwriter P&C Magazine.
Sexy you say?
Well – those who have had losses I am sure do not find anything sexy about Cyber Liability. They just wish they had it!

Let’s take a look at the case in Minneapolis where a laptop was stolen out of a car. Most medical data includes all (if not some basic form) of an individual’s identity. That can include their social security number!
In the case in Minneapolis, the medical information had been shared with a third party and was presumed to be safe. However the third party did not encrypt the data. Therefore when the laptop was stolen the data was available to anyone and everyone.
So here are the questions – why was this third party able to download data and not have it encrypted? Was it written anywhere that it had to be encrypted? Who monitored the transaction of data?
As more questions from this case arise each day one thing is for certain – patient’s identities were stolen. Who knows how or when or why they will be used – but the information is out there in someone else’s hands.
The first step for the third party company was to contact the patients affected by this horrible situation. Once these parties were contacted some in the firm could begin looking at the how, why and when the event occurred.
“Notification costs usually end up being the biggest hit in these cases” shared Joe Schneider, RPLU and Jimcor’s Professional Liability manager.
“What people and companies don’t realize is that even if nothing went wrong and they took every safeguard – they may still have to notify clients that data has been compromised.”
Schneider continued that some carriers are simply adding on a data breach or cyber liability “rider” as part of the general policy. However clients need to understand that liability limits can be eroded by data privacy losses.
“With notifications making up the majority of the initial costs , usually averaging over $200 per record, it’s no wonder this coverage is being mentioned every time agents talk to their prospects or clients. If an agent is not mentioning this coverage they are not only losing an opportunity, they may be exposing themselves to an E&O claim.”
Schneider also explained that insurance agencies should all have the coverage in place for their own offices. Many go uninsured – and hopefully will see the need before they are hit with a loss.

So… back to this being “sexy insurance”… when you think about it what’s so sexy about losing someone’s identity and then having to pay the costs and fees to help them protect the information and get their lives back on track?

You read the article and decide if this is something you think your agency needs – or your clients’ need. If so call us or email Joe Schneider today.

Star Tribune article

Property Casualty 360 article

Special thanks to Business Insurance for the great cartoon!

Who Makes the Best Trade Show Booth Staff?

Most if not all of us have attended industry trade shows.  Recently Jimcor Agencies sent about 15 people to the PIA NJ/NY Joint Convention in Atlantic City, NJ.  This particular show is three days long, and draws approximately 2,000 industry professionals from around the Northeast US.
In walking around the convention center and looking at all the booths I did notice something that made the Jimcor booth different.
It wasn't the balloons celebrating our 25th Anniversary.  It wasn't the great location right near the entrance.
It was the positive attitude of the Jimcor employees.  Yes, we all wish the market was getting harder.  But if we walk around portraying a negative attitude, who would want to do business with us?
In a meeting prior to the trade show we discussed attire for the booth and the events, who would be attending which classes, who would man the booth when, etc.  We went over every detail.
But actually seeing the smiles on the Jimcor staff's faces, hearing them talk positively to everyone they saw no matter if they were a company, vendor or agent - it was great.
So what can you do in your office to make sure that only the positive attitudes are what people see?
Look at your culture.  What is your office like?  Do people regularly smile and laugh?  Sure, every now and then people have a bad day, but is there one person whose negativity threatens your entire office?
There is always that one person who is a great worker, but their attitude could use some adjusting.
Whatever you decide to do with that employee, DO NOT put them out there in front of your clients.  Think of how you would read someone who had that negative puss on their face, as opposed to the person (who may not be as knowledgeable) who is smiling and extending a hand listening to your concerns.
When looking around your office to see who should be attending an event, look for the people that invite opportunity.  These will not always be your best producers (and that is something else that you should be looking at).  These people will be the ones who even if something is happening in their personal lives, they are able to put it aside and concentrate on the positive of the moment - they put the client first.  These are the people that say "Good Morning" with a smile everyday, even when it is raining.
Consider what your staff would look like at the booth of a huge trade show.  How would your office be perceived?  What would people walk away thinking about your company?
Make sure whomever you have out there marketing for you knows the importance of a smile and eye to eye contact.
For a great article click here to learn more about "Who Makes the Best Trade Show Booth Staff" from AlexisExhibits.com.
To find out where Jimcor will be exhibiting next, email us at info@jimcor.com!

Diversity Discussion with Elmer Rivera (Pt III)

Welcome back as we finish up our conversation with Elmer Rivera, Branch Manager for Jimcor Agencies' Long Island, NY office and President of LABA (Latin Agents and Brokers Assoc.).  Elmer has already answered questions about Diversity with regards to employment in our industry, geographic differences, leadership and more.
Here we will look at what the industry can do to further embrace diversity as well as an inside look at the new trade association, LABA.

Q: What else does the industry need to do to further embrace different cultures in our country?
A: "Bring It To The People" ...We need to educate not only our sales force, but also our office support, customer service reps., claims reps., and accounting reps. The fastest growing consumer group, people from diverse cultures present a great virtually untapped opportunity for insurance companies and agents to sell their products and services. By providing face-to-face communication, with clear product descriptions, and implementing patience & understanding, you can begin to build trust with the culturally diverse consumer.

Q: What is the purpose of your group LABA (Latin Agents and Brokers Assoc) and how are you different from other associations in the area / country?
A: Our purpose is to provide support in the advancement of the Agent and Broker serving the Hispanic American insurance consumer in the North East by assisting in providing the best possible product offerings to this ever growing consumer segment. We are also focusing on promoting education and mentoring to the future young Hispanic American insurance professional.
We differ from other associations in the Northeast by bringing together those already servicing, or interested in targeting Hispanic insurance consumers. We also differ by being the first association that looks to focus on educating not only the agent and broker, but the Hispanic insurance consumer as well. By educating the consumer, we believe we can help the agent & broker facilitate sales and servicing to the Hispanic insurance consumer.

Q: Do you have any additional comments?
A: The bottom line is that today the diverse cultures are what make America truly the land of opportunity, and the insurance industry needs to further prepare itself to take advantage of the opportunities that will come from this fast growing consumer group.


Thank you Elmer for taking the time to answer our questions.

If you would like more information on Jimcor visit our website at http://www.jimcor.com/.
For information on LABA visit http://www.latinagentsandbrokers.com/
You can also email Elmer Rivera at erivera@jimcor.com

In closing, ask yourself how diverse your agency, company or office is.  Look around your community and find ways to learn about the different cultures all around you.  After all, everyone needs insurance!

Wanna be in a relationship?

Relationships are vital to any industry. How important is the 'relationship' today in insurance? With social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and yes, blogging, is the relationship really important? Do we follow companies or people? Or is it a little of both?

At Jimcor we believe it is both. Relationships are first about people. You develop a relationship with the person you feel most comfortable with and that is who you will continue to do business with over time. You want to know that if you call five years from know that person will be there to help you - you want that stability.

However, that same person must also have the tools available to them (the markets for example) to provide you with the service you need to write the account. Without those tools the best relationship cannot succeed no matter how much you like the person.

So to the agent it is about both the person and the company.

At Jimcor we strive to be the best when it comes to customer service. We want to be the first and the last call our agents make and we want them to know they can contact us with questions regarding coverage, markets, etc.

Each year we continue to improve our customer service standards - whether that means quicker quotes or more online programs - either way we give the clients what they want, when they want it and make sure we are there when they need us.

Exceptional customer service can be achieved very simply if your business consistently does the following things:
Be accessible. Answer your phone before the third ring. Have a means for the customer to reach someone immediately without having to leave a voicemail message. People want to talk to a live person.
Listen to complaints or mistakes and fix them. Thank your customer for making you aware of any issues they are having and get them fixed. Chances are there are 24 others with a similar problem.
Provide options. Give your customer choices on how they can do business with you. Make it as easy as possible for them to place their business with you.
Be honest. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Reliability is the key to a great relationship.
Be helpful and courteous. Go the extra mile, offer more and ask if there is anything else you can do for your customer.

These tips, though simple, might take time. Post them in your office. Talk to your staff. Think of ways to make implementation fun.

USLI, one of our over 50 companies, was kind enough to let us copy these customer service points from their newsletter. Companies, vendors, and associations in our industry have tools available that can help make your agency stronger and improve your service standards. Reach out to your business partners to find out what free tools are available to you ... we did!

Relationships and customer service. Business may be conducted online and people may tweet and blog, but it seems the more things change the more they stay the same... our industry is still all about the people at the end of the day.

At Jimcor we pride ourselves on great people, great companies and great clients.

Don't Be a "Card Collector"

Happy Holidays from all of us to all of you - we hope you are having a great holiday! But the question is, how are you going to close out the year?

Everyone is attending holiday parties - industry association parties, Chamber of Commerce parties, etc. What have your friends from Jimcor learned over the years that can help you not be a "Card Collector" when you attend these functions or any trade show or event for that matter?

Sue Linn, Sr. Commercial Lines Underwriter in Jimcor's Mount Laurel, NJ Office will be attending many industry association events this season. You can see her at the PIANJ Women's Business Forum on December 16th! One thing Sue mentioned is that whenever she is talking to someone at these events you have to give them your undivided attention.

"This is hard because there are so many people to see, and so little time. But you have to make sure the person you are talking to feels like the most important person in the room at that particular moment."

How do you do that? Eye contact. Don't look over their shoulder at the next person you want to talk to even if you really have to get away. "If you do have to leave the conversation," suggests Sue, "take their business card and take out your pen and write a note on the back of it in front of them with a reason to call them in the next day or two. But you have to let them see it! Let them know they are important."

Ken Zaloom, who works with Jimcor's Admitted Markets and has been seeing a lot of Worker's Compensation business as of late, was recently at the Independent Agents' of Rockland County Holiday Party.

"There were key people I wanted to talk to going into the evening," noted Ken. "But as the night went on I noticed I had a pocket full of cards and I still hadn't had the chance to talk to some of the people I really wanted to see. What I decided to do was work with the person from Jimcor who came with me and we sort of split the room to make sure we had a chance to talk to everyone. That allowed me to spend time with the people I wanted to spend time with and let them know that we were interested in their business, but still make contact with everyone in the room."

What do both of these stories have in common? Making the person you are talking to feel important. Don't rush the conversation.

One thing that Sue and Ken both mentioned is the MOST important thing to do after any event or trade show?

FOLLOW-UP!

Call the hot prospects the next day, wait a day or two for everyone else. But the hot prospects - pick up the phone. Don't assume they got your email. How do you remember what was hot about the prospect? While you are talking to them at the event, take out your pen and write something on their business card about them - maybe that they are interested in homeowners insurance - or worker's comp. Let them know you are listening. And on your own business card write something as well to make sure they remember you. It can be your cell number if you want them to have it (makes them feel special that they have a direct access number) or just the word homeowner's insurance or worker's comp insurance, etc. You get the picture...

The worst thing anyone can do at these holiday events is be a Card Collector. We have all seen them. They walk around and see how many cards they can get but at the end of the day they forget who half of the people are because the cards generally look the same and they don't follow-up! Admit it - we have all done this at one time or another.

Remember to enjoy yourself. People want to be around you if you are smiling.
Your friends at Jimcor Agencies wish you, your staff and your family a happy and healthy holiday season!

For more information on Jimcor’s program for Worker's Compensation contact your local Jimcor office or visit us on the web at http://www.jimcor.com/.