The Big “I” presented insurance carriers Central Insurance Companies, EMC and Travelers with the prestigious Best Practices Award of Excellence at the recent education convocation held in conjunction with the Big “I” Leadership Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The awards recognize those companies that have made imaginative, outstanding and unique contributions in advocating Best Practices philosophies that enhance the independent agency system. The Big “I” Best Practices program, which was launched in 1993, provides performance benchmarks and business strategies that serve as a guide to improving agency performance.
Central Insurance Companies launched its support for the Best Practices program in 2005 as agents requested guidance from their company partner to grow their personal lines books of business. Central used the Best Practices studies and, through consultations with Reagan Consulting, developed and launched a Best Practices plan. The feedback was positive and the program continues to succeed. Just a few of Central’s initiatives include developing a policyholder mailing program which honors the Best Practices agencies by sending an annual mailer to their Central Policyholders announcing the agency has been awarded with the prestigious recognition, sharing information from 2014 Best Practices Symposium with marketing managers, using Best Practices as part of their workshops and meetings with agents to help them grow their book of business, regularly publishing articles on BP topics for their agents, including their website and participating on the Council for Best Practices, and is a sponsor of the annual study released in partnership with the Big “I” and Reagan Consulting.
EMC Insurance Companies (EMC) was recognized for promoting Best Practices by using Best Practices tools as the basis for agency management process and key areas as joint company planning and business perpetuation; recognizing all Best Practices award winning agencies through both corporate and branch operations they are signed with; and producing articles, seminars, webinars and podcasts based on the foundations of Best Practices. Additionally, EMC shares information from the Best Practices Symposium workshops with marketing representatives, takes a strong consultative approach with agency partners to inform them of what resources are available, participates on the Council for Best Practices, and is a sponsor of the annual study released in partnership with the Big “I” and Reagan Consulting.
Since the Best Practices Awards of Excellence were launched in 2001, Travelers has been recognized each year for their support of the program. Travelers continues to be committed to making a difference by communicating the value of the resources and working with independent insurance agents to help them grow their agencies. Travelers is a leader in implementing the Best Practices Council and program by conducting workshops with their agents and field using the tools and products, regularly featuring and promoting Best Practices tools in its agency publications, distributing the Best Practices materials to agencies nationwide, participating on the Council for Best Practices, and is a sponsor of the annual study released in partnership with the Big “I” and Reagan Consulting.