31 May The Power of Insurance Periodicals
When you stop and think about it, I trust that you would agree with me that the insurance industry is blessed with a tremendous number of quality insurance periodicals. I regularly subscribe to six or so (some digital, some hard copy) representing both our business’s P&C and Benefits sides. In any given issue, there is great material.
My point for bringing this up is that whether the agency staff is brand new or of veteran status, every agency should have a solid focus on ensuring that the staff is educated on those issues affecting their specific responsibilities and the industry as a whole. These periodicals (many of which are free) are a very effective means to accomplish some of this education.
If you are not receiving these publications, now is a good time to start. If your agency is receiving them, who in the agency sees them? As your office receives these publications, do your best to peruse them promptly for articles that would benefit your agency staff. While routing the publication through your agency is the easiest approach, the periodicals sometimes get “hung up” at a particular staff member’s desk. A better approach is to make copies for all applicable staff members – this will enable them to retain a copy for their future use and as a resource.
The content of these articles also makes for great subject matter at your next agency staff meeting. Bottom line – many excellent authors are contributing to these publications. They offer great suggestions on a host of topics (E&O, coverages, workflow, evolving topics, etc.). Make sure that these publications don’t just get put in a pile to read “when you have time,” as this has the potential to deprive the staff of some great education and knowledge. Each agency staff member will greatly benefit from this great material, and when they grow, the agency grows.
Oh, by the way, using the “tips” in these periodicals will help your agency sell more insurance!