Remembering Dick and Myra Larkin - National Association of ...

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convention recapSavannah - a Conference to Remember…REFLECTIONS OF A FIRST-TIME ATTENDEESpeaker Sam Glenn creates a “masterpiece.”As I boarded the taxi for the briefride from the airport to the hotel,I pondered for about the twentieth timewhether or not the trip to Savannah wasgoing to be worth the expense. Havingnever been to a NAPAA Conference, Ihad little to go on except for the glowingadvertisements in the DirectExpressnewsletter and my memory of previousarticles in Exclusivefocus magazinerecounting the wonderful time past attendeeshad experienced. As a 20 yearveteran agent, I also wondered whatI could possibly gain from going to ameeting with a bunch of people I hadnever met. I detest being in large groups,and to top it off I didn’t think I packedthe right kind of clothes. This was notgoing to be a fun trip. To say that myattitude had taken a turn for the worsewas an understatement.But to really put things in properprospective, I need to digress a bit. As along time NAPAA member, I often felta certain itching obligation to attend oneof the conferences, if for nothing else butto satisfy my curiosity about what actuallywent on there. To the best of myknowledge, no one in my local markethas ever attended a NAPAA conference,but I guess it’s not something you wouldshout from the rooftops either. What Ireally wanted was an unbiased opinionabout the quality of the meeting. Also,this past year was a tough one for me financiallyso I didn’t need to be spendingmy hard-earned cash playing around atsome boondoggle in Savannah, Georgia.Topping things off was the dangling axeof the dreaded and yet-to-be receivedAgency Status Review. My stress levelwas near DEFCON 2 and climbing.Most Allstate agents are struggling,so I don’t want to try to “outdo” everyoneelse’s problems, but as a Florida agent, Ihave had to deal with a declining automarket, an uncertain economy, a deadproperty market, continued propertynon-renewals and to top it off, the embarrassmentof having the Florida Officeof Insurance Regulation shut down Allstate,not once, but twice. If ever therewere reasons to climb into a cave andhide, I think I had more than my share.But something told me to look past all ofthe garbage that was clogging my brain.So I accepted the financial challenge andjust did it. Whether it was the culminationof so many bad things and the needfor some relief, or the lure of “Springtimein Savannah” as NAPAA put it, Idecided to put my hesitations aside andbooked the trip.Over the succeeding few weeks, I alternatelycongratulated myself for makinga good decision and looked forwardto a new experience, or I derided myselffor spending my hard-earned money onsomething I knew little about. Since mywife could not attend, I at least felt a littlebetter for not incurring the extra airfare.But then there was that guilt thing againfor leaving her behind while I went off tosome “party” in Georgia. The expectationfor a good return on my investment wasstarting to consume my thoughts and so,just prior to the trip, I reconciled myselfto having made a poor financial decisionand I would just try to make the best ofa bad situation.Mansion on Forsyth ParkMy arrival at the hotel brought thingsback into focus and I was pleasantlysurprised by the efficient staff that metme outside followed by the ease of thecheck-in process at the front desk. If firstimpressions are important, then NancyFish’s choice for the Mansion on ForsythPark was a home run. Not only was thehotel staff superb, but the accommodationswere about as elegant as it gets. Myroom was five-star quality and I instantly38 — Exclusivefocus Summer 2009
decided to call my wife and tell her Ifound a new place for a second honeymoon.The ambiance was that good!While East Coast agents will applaudthe location and West Coast agents willbe critical of the choice, the net result ofbeing in historic Savannah in the springwas a huge factor in providing an excellentbackdrop to an environment conduciveto a successful meeting. I’ve beento Vegas many times, as well as other“Convention” cities, so I think I have anunbiased eye for what it takes to make aconference site a good choice. All I cantell you is that those who missed this tripreally missed a great getaway, if for nothingelse but the location itself.The Meat of the MatterMost conferences have a transitionperiod that provides time for late arrivalsto get situated yet also allows theearly arrivals an opportunity to let off alittle steam. Since I arrived a day early,Thursday morning provided me suchan opportunity. And while many choseto play in NAPAA’s golf tournament, Ichose the sightseeing trolley, thus sparingmy budget the embarrassing blow ofhaving to buy a dozen sleeves of balls toreplace the ones I would likely send intothe bay.After the morning activities, I hada quick lunch and then it was time tomeet the various vendors also attendingthe conference. NAPAA providedan entertaining forum for visiting eachvendor. A type of scavenger hunt, eachagent would stop at the various boothsand gather answers to specific questionsassigned to each vendor. This served as agreat ice-breaker and I met several serviceproviders that I plan to use in myagency. At the end of the allotted timeframe, the completed answer sheets wereturned in and used as an “entry” ticketto a multiple-prize giveaway. Many Vendorsgave away high-tech stuff includinga GPS, and the grand prize was a $500American Express Gift Card.It was during this portion of themeeting that I began to mentally “turnthe corner.” Free give-a-ways aside, itwas the opportunity to meet face-to-facethe various vendors that NAPAA had assembledthat really impressed me. Therewere representatives from financial institutions,phone and technical suppliers, aswell as a company offering quality leadsfor prospective customers.There were 14 vendors eager to talkto agents about growing their businessesand finding ways to make agenciesHaving a great time at the 3rd annualNAPAA golf tournament.“So Tom, is the gator part of yourfoursome?”Lee Huffman talks about how to gainmarket share in a down economy.more cost-efficient. Notably absent wasany representation from Allstate. Now Iknow that may sound kind of odd andperhaps a bit harsh. But the reality is thatit was NAPAA that organized the meetingand arranged the interaction withcompanies that could advance our agencies.Not Allstate. It was NAPAA thatfronted the time and expense to organizea conference, at which the only agendawas to encourage the success of an agent’sbusiness operation. Not Allstate.It was that moment, after speakingto the last vendor that I marveled at theunselfish, totally focused reason whySummer 2009 Exclusivefocus — 39
Page 2 and 3: The Best Way to PredictYour Future
Page 4: ExclusivefocusSummer 2009An Officia
Page 8: Savannah ConferenceCongratulations
Page 12 and 13: letters to NAPAAFrom CanadaThings h
Page 14: usiness tipsHow to Keep Clientsin t
Page 17 and 18: often. Dick loved food. Wherever we
Page 20 and 21: It hardly seems possible that DickL
Page 22 and 23: and when they used a search engine.
Page 24 and 25: featureThe Road Ahead -Canada Here
Page 26 and 27: Read between the lines and you’ll
Page 28 and 29: much easier.Once you’ve gotten a
Page 30 and 31: pecially hard these past four or fi
Page 32 and 33: featureReinventing the Wheel...Will
Page 34 and 35: Hypothetical Examples of ALI result
Page 36 and 37: usiness tipsThe Magic of Newsletter
Page 40 and 41: An animated Dirk Beamer emphasizesa
Page 42 and 43: Money Well SpentAs I sat in the Sav
Page 44: technology tipsHas your Agency Miss
Page 48 and 49: featureSnookered by AllstateHow uns
Page 50 and 51: agents now interact with customers
Page 52 and 53: technology tipsBanish your Fax Mach
Page 54 and 55: Too many agents put their faith and
Page 56 and 57: Why join NAPAA?and Section125 Plan
Page 58 and 59: the NAPAA market placeAgencies for
Page 64: I N T R U S I O N F I R E V I D E O

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