WASHINGTON, DC, May 9, 2007—Three national insurance companies and an insurance technology company recently received the prestigious “Best Practices Award of Excellence” at the 2007 Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention. The awards were presented at the Young Agents Breakfast and Leadership Panel on April 27.
Honorees included Travelers, Applied Systems, Inc., Central Insurance Companies and EMC Insurance Companies. 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 provides performance benchmarks and business strategies that serve as a guide to improving agency performance.
Travelers received its sixth consecutive Best Practices Award for its educational outreach activities. More than 2,000 insurance professionals have been exposed to the Best Practices program as a result of Travelers efforts’. “Travelers remains the leader in Best Practices, and spreads the philosophy throughout the country,” says Madelyn Flannagan, Big “I” vice president of education and research.
Although not an insurance company, Applied Systems participates on the Council for Best Practices. The company’s staunch support of the Best Practices philosophies has earned it an Award of Excellence. “Applied Systems consistently promotes the importance of agency value and advocates for their customers to strive and attain Best Practices standards,” says Flannagan.
Central Insurance Companies utilized the Best Practices studies by developing a plan with consultations from Reagan Consulting, Inc. The program, called “Vibrant Personal Lines,” is designed to help agents grow their most valuable asset – their agency. Central also conducts Best Practices seminars and gives scholarships to agents to attend the Elite Force Sales Training program. “Central Insurance supports Best Practices with this valuable program,” says Flannagan. “They also make Best Practices widely available through their seminars and scholarships for others.”
EMC Insurance Company purchased a complete library set of Best Practices for all of their branch offices, and offers training to representatives so that they understand the benefits of each tool. EMC Insurance Company also sponsors agents to participate in state Best Practices Management Institutes. “EMC has proven they are committed to Best Practices, and committed to their employees,” says Flannagan.
The Young Agents Breakfast, which also included the annual President’s Panel discussion, was one of the highlights of the Big “I” National Legislative Conference & Convention. Other highlights included: appearances by Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and journalist and television host Bill O’ Reilly.
Founded in 1896, the Big “I” is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life, and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address: www.independentagent.com.
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