EF summer 08.indd - National Association of Professional Allstate ...

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president’s letter Farewell Message from Outgoing NAPAA President BY DALE REVELS, NAPAA PRESIDENT It has been 21 years since I sold my first Allstate policy. There have been a great many changes since then, especially in Florida. What I have learned over the years is that we, the agents of Allstate, are the backbone of the company. We solicit, sell and service the products that the company offers. It is my firm belief that the company’s success is largely due to the efforts of agency owners like you and me. Think about it, if it weren’t for us, where would Allstate be today Still selling auto insurance via direct mail as it did in 1931 Certainly other departments deserve much of the credit too. The claims department, for example, has been delivering the promise for 77 years. The marketing department also played an important role by devel- oping campaigns that brought potential customers into the Sears stores in droves. But in the end, it was agents like you and me who closed the sales and provided the front line service that Allstate customers have come to depend on. This being the case, I find it very strange that we are being rewarded for our contributions with greater expenses and, as in the case of life insurance, less commissions. Soon, we’ll have to bear the costs of agency technology. This seems backwards to me. As small business owners, most of us bend over backwards for our staff. Many agency owners even provide expensive benefits. We are grateful and appreciative of the work they do. Somehow, agency owners don’t feel that same sense of gratitude and appreciation from our main supplier. This doesn’t just apply to agency owners – our EFSs don’t feel a lot of love either. We held our most recent board of directors meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. While we were there, we met with a group of local agents who aired their concerns. Since most of the attendees were from Carolina costal areas where the company has withdrawn from property markets, their most immediate concern was the lack of competitive Expanded Markets property products. Expanded Markets products are written through other carriers that Allstate has approved. Compared to the competition in the Carolinas, the Expanded Markets products are over- Exclusivefocus National Association of Professional Allstate Agents, Inc. P.O. Box 7666 Gulfport, MS 39506-7666 Phone Toll Free (877) 627-2248 Toll Free Fax (866) 627-2232 Web Site www.napaausa.org Email HQ@napaausa.org Jim Fish Executive Editor P.O. Box 7666 Gulfport, MS 39506 Phone (877) 269-3474 • Fax (866) 627-2232 Exclusivefocus@napaausa.org Exclusivefocus and DirectExpress are official publications of NAPAA - The National Association of Professional Allstate Agents, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. It is the policy of this publication to reflect the professional thoughts and attitudes of our members and to advance the professionalism of the insurance industry to the ultimate benefit of the insuring public. The views expressed by NAPAA, or any of its positions relative to its activities and those of its members’ actions on behalf of this organization, are expressly those of NAPAA, and do not reflect the views or the opinions of Allstate Insurance Company, or any of its affiliates. Letters to the Editor: All letters must include an address and a daytime and evening phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and space. This issue of Exclusivefocus magazine may contain articles of interest submitted to NAPAA by outside authors. NAPAA is not responsible for the opinions, advice or accuracy of any information provided therein. NAPAA’s Mission Statement NAPAA is dedicated to the success of Allstate Exclusive Agency Owners and to advance the independence and entrepreneurial spirit of our members. NAPAA’s Goals Our goals are subject to alteration, influenced by a constantly changing environment and the needs and wishes of our members. NAPAA encourages its members to actively participate in the process of defining and refining our Mission, Goals and Positions. Our General Goals: • To provide an organization specifically tailored to benefit Allstate Exclusive Agents • Monitor legislative and legal issues pertinent to Agents and their clients • Maintain an Action Fund to support issues beneficial to agents and clients • Provide reliable communications on all issues that affect Agents and the ability to call upon our members to act • Provide Agents with a distinct voice on issues that affect them, continually exploring options and solutions • Make tools and resources available for members in an effort to increase agency value and success. For more informtion, please visit www.napaausa.org 6 — Exclusivefocus Summer 2008
priced and nearly impossible to sell. Consequently, customers are defecting to other carriers and are taking their auto policies with them. This not only hurts the agents, it hurts the company too. Another major source of irritation is the inordinate number of problems they are experiencing with the new Flood Service Center. It seems that agents and staff spend countless hours on the phone getting policies issued and resolving mundane service issues. Writing and servicing policies should not be such a hassle. The Carolinas are a major flood market and flood insurance is a profit center for the company. It would make a lot of sense for the company to step in and remove the barriers that are impeding sales. Earlier this week, the company sent out a short survey to agency owners. It is my hope that each of you took the time to respond. These are trying times for the company and the agency owner. For its part, the company is doing all it can to satisfy shareholders and grow the brand. Some of its decisions have been and will continue to be painful for agency owners. Many of you have expressed your displeasure about the company’s overall direction and about new company initiatives that can affect your incomes and, potentially, your careers. In fairness to the company, I don’t think it is possible for management to anticipate every negative effect that company programs have on agency owners. It is difficult for them to “walk in our shoes” and understand how we think or feel about the ideas they implement. The NAB is supposed to be their sounding board, but its composition consists of hand-picked, highly successful agents who don’t necessarily represent the rank and file. That is why it is important for all of us to respond to company surveys – it is the only way the company can measure our sentiments. Going forward, agency owners will have new responsibilities and more expenses. After the New Roads to Growth initiative has been fully rolled out, agency owners will pay virtually all of their own expenses. Since the company will no longer have a significant “financial stake” in its agencies, it needs to realize that agencies will live or die on their own. And since agencies will be in a “survival of the fittest” mode, there really is no need for the company to thin the herd. It will happen naturally. In this new environment agencies should be given every opportunity to succeed. Agents will soon realize that the only way to offset rising expenses is to cut costs or produce more business. Those who can’t or won’t take the necessary measures to succeed will ultimately fail. There is no need for management to intercede as agency owners struggle to sort it out. A better tack for the company would be to shift its priorities to finding more and better ways to grow agencies and get serious about competing in every market. Agencies would then grow and prosper and so would the company. By the time you receive this issue of Exclusivefocus magazine, I will no longer be NAPAA President. I was first elected in 2004. Over the past four years I have worked hard to keep your association viable and responsive to the needs of Allstate agency owners. During my four terms we have been active legislatively and have brought more and better communications to you. We have developed new relationships with suppliers of goods and services to help agencies curb ever-increasing expenses and have introduced secondary Grow your Book of Business Every Month with Valpak ® • 75% of Allstate auto and homeowners/ renters insurance consumers use coupons. • Valpak ® 90% consumer awareness is #1 in the shared direct mail industry. • Nearly 40 years experience building businesses like yours. Valpak ® Matches the Allstate Audience Allstate Auto Allstate Insurance Homeowners/Renters Valpak ® Customers Insurance Customers Consumers HH Income $35K+ 78% 80% 76% HH Income $50K+ 58% 61% 62% Age 18-49 61% 59% 60% Age 25-54 58% 58% 58% HH w/Children 42% 40% 28% Contact your local Valpak ® business consultant at 1-800-669-1778 and get started growing your agency BOB today! Sources: Scarborough Multi-Market, 2006, Release 2; Claritas, Inc. 2000 Census with current year projections. Summer 2008 Exclusivefocus — 7
Page 1 and 2: Exclusivefocus Summer 2008 An Offic
Page 3 and 4: We finance Allstate books of busine
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Page 18 and 19: the thief becomes your health infor
Page 20 and 21: agent issues The Kafka Interview IN
Page 22 and 23: [ “I think that Canada is the tes
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Page 26 and 27: feature There Must be a Better Way.
Page 28 and 29: elated bonus. His first step is to
Page 30 and 31: company is “unwilling or unable
Page 32 and 33: Is a sea of paperwork slowing you d
Page 34 and 35: membership musings Standing By You
Page 36 and 37: whether spending this amount of mon
Page 38 and 39: AAs most of you know who have been
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Page 48 and 49: June 10, 2008 Ladies and Gentlemen
Page 50 and 51: on my behalf. Allstate did offer to
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usiness tips Stronger Documentation
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organizing your business Forming an
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the NAPAA market place Agencies for
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