NAPAA - National Association of Professional Allstate Agents, Inc.

More documents

Recommendations

Info

tech tips Cell Phone Power Saving Tips Using cell phones solely to make calls is a thing of the past. From work to play, email to video conferencing, we rely on these devices to keep in touch, organize our day and to simply perform our job. While PDAs and their battery life have come a long way over the years, there are still some things Allstate agents should know to keep their businesses running smoothly. • Use the wall charger rather than a vehicle charger as much as possible. • Reduce your volume or use headphones. • Reduce your backlight timeout and brightness (options/screen/keyboard). • Turn off any unused connections when not in use (GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth). • Turn off Camera Flash (Camera/ Options). • When exiting an application, close the application (menu/close) rather than using the back arrow or end button. • Keep your phone in cool climates. Follow one or a few of these steps and you just might be on your way to making one more business call before the end of the day. Sprint is a wireless technology company and ranks #6 among the 500 Greenest Companies in America. For more information on the ideas presented in this article, call #866-869-6686 or visit www.sprint.com/ allstateagent. 56 — Exclusivefocus Summer 2011
. . . . . . . . . . . . . Continued from page 12. The latest Exclusivefocus is both a mixed blessing and a sad metaphor. For those of us who had enough forethought and faith in ourselves to leave Allstate, it’s sad to read how the “Johnny come lately” agents, who’ve been afraid to join and support NAPAA, are now coming to realize that the only way to stop a bully is to stand and fight. I left in 2010, took the TPP and have been able to remove considerable stress from me and my family. I started a new career with a franchise IA and while nothing is perfect, I do not regret my decision to leave Allstate. Now, I feel like I am truly serving my customers. I encourage agents who are completely paralyzed with fear and unable to act, to buck up and do something for themselves and their families. NAPAA is the ONLY organization that can help and is the only source to provide the truth about Allstate. The future is quite dim for Allstate agents. The company has broken the agent’s spirit and minimized the value of their BOBs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Have you heard anything about Allstate allowing mergers in NY If so, are there any restrictions or other criteria Editor’s reply: Yes, we’ve heard they are allowing mergers in NY. It seems they want to downsize the number of storefronts in NY. We don’t know the criteria, but our guess is that the company will only allow agents with a 6.0 or greater RFG to buy and merge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Have you seen the Agency Community The current topic is “How is your Morale” It has more than 22,000 hits so far and the agents are furiously posting replies. If the company is monitoring letters to NAPAA this blog, they’re getting an eyeful. My guess is that they’ll close it down any day. They created it, so they can surely close it down. Editor’s response: While we do not have direct access to the blog, several agents have sent us select posts they found interesting. We can only hope that instead of shutting it down, the company will change its tactics and make an effort to improve morale. Agents could use a dose of support and confidence instead of the steady stream of disrespect and criticism they endure now. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enclosed are some recent posts from the Agent Community blog. This is the tenor of most of the agency force. I never imagined we would see so many agents expressing their discouragement, concerns and downright anger at the direction Allstate seems determined to take. Frankly, most of us don’t care anymore. The average Allstate agent is burned-out and ready to pack it in within 5-7 years. I’ve been here five years and it hasn’t at all been what I had hoped. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Any advice on how I can start the process of selling my agency “under the radar” I think it’s best not to formally notify Allstate for awhile, don’t you My manager told me that he has no way of knowing if they will term me or not because of this year’s ALI results. I can’t take the chance – it’s too much of a crapshoot. No matter what I do, people can be upset about claims, or rates. Maybe the results are actually manipulated by management. I know agents have had huge changes in their scores, but it is too random, and waiting until the results come in leaves me no time, especially with BOBs flooding the market. Editor’s response: The first rule is “do not notify Allstate” until you have a contract signed with your buyer. The less they know, the better it will be for you. We always recommend that agents follow the appropriate steps outlined in your Allstate contract to obtain buyer approval: Enter into a sale agreement with the buyer. Get a signed contract and a down payment. Do not tell anyone at Allstate that you are negotiating, or who with. Submit a formal written request for buyer approval to the Field Vice President and send a copy to the manager of the Human Resources Department. The FSL and TSL should not know you are discussing your sale with anyone. It is none of their business, and they do not have the authority to approve the sale. They also have no authority to turn it down. Finding a buyer is the hard part. Do you have any insureds who might be interested You can also hire a business broker to discreetly find a buyer. If you do, you might want to make sure he/she signs a confidentiality agreement to keep the information private. You can also advertise under “business opportunities,” but you’ll lose some of your anonymity that way. If you still have back issues of Exclusivefocus, there’s a pretty good article on selling an agency in the fall 2009 edition. It’s on page 35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . I am worried to death that I will get the ax for my impending ALI score. I can’t sleep and my stomach is tied up in knots. Going independent seems like such a monumental project. There are so many choices and decisions to make. Not to mention trying to sell my book in a glutted market. Any suggestions Editor’s response: I know this must be overwhelming. Just try to take things one step at a time, not all at once. Here’s a list to start on: Decide what it is you want to do once you leave Allstate. If it’s starting an IA, check out several options and ask questions. Look around at the various insurance opportunities available to ex-Allstate agents. Begin with those who advertise in Exclusivefocus magazine. That will get you started. Make a spreadsheet and ask each one the same Summer 2011 Exclusivefocus — 57
Page 1 and 2:
Exclusivefocus Summer 2011 An Offic
Page 3 and 4:
L APPROVAL We’re lending to Allst
Page 6 and 7: president’s letter NAPAA Roadmap
Page 8 and 9: won’t be easy and it won’t be q
Page 10 and 11: I’m so busy trying to make money
Page 12: terviewed Goering extensively befor
Page 15 and 16: There are no two organizations alik
Page 17 and 18: some wag might ask, “Affiliation
Page 19 and 20: category. Together, our combined ye
Page 21 and 22: usiness and marketing tips Business
Page 23 and 24: Summer 2011 Exclusivefocus — 23
Page 25 and 26: footstool. “He called him ‘Lids
Page 27 and 28: Summer 2011 Exclusivefocus — 27
Page 29 and 30: You wouldn’t want your clients ta
Page 31 and 32: As the national economy sputtered o
Page 33 and 34: of the Google Map from a recognitio
Page 35 and 36: take a minute to set a reminder in
Page 37 and 38: feature Observations and Opinions B
Page 39 and 40: investing Diversification - Who Nee
Page 41 and 42: (2000 - 2009) and when additional a
Page 43 and 44: commissions, while you sell the rem
Page 45 and 46: usiness tips Using Social Media to
Page 47 and 48: feature Anticipating our New Future
Page 49 and 50: were also treated as true IRS “ce
Page 51 and 52: Allstate has re-implemented all of
Page 53 and 54: A Creed for Allstate Agents I am an
Page 55: NAPAA Membership Application and/or
Page 59 and 60: that time, the value of our book st
Page 61 and 62: the NAPAA market place Agencies for
show all

NAPAA - National Association of Professional Allstate Agents, Inc.

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?