Let's face these days it seems like there danger in everything we do. But don't worry there are plenty of safety tips to ensure there are no mishaps this holiday season. Below is a list of things you can do to make you have a happy, accident free holiday season.
1. Make sure you buy the freshest tree possible (brittle leaves is an indicator that your tree is dry)
2. Cut off a half inch of the trunk of your tree, this will allow the tree to suck in more water
3. When choosing a spot for your tree, make sure there are no heating vents, radiators, fireplaces or used electrical outlets.
4. Make sure your tree is not blocking any exits
5. Make sure you keep candles and other sources of fire away from the tree at all times.
6. Make sure your Christmas tree lights are for indoor use and are the correct voltage. Also only buy UL lights because they are tested for safety.
7. Try to use miniature lights, they produce less heat and are more energy efficient.
8. Make sure your Christmas tree stand is secure and stable
9. Give you thirsty tree a lot of water and re-fill it everyday
10. Check all of your lights for shorts before you put them on your tree
11. Shake your tree free of dry bristles before you take it inside
12. Turn your Christmas trees off at night and when you're leaving the house
13. Keep flammable items like curtains, paper and combustibles away from your tree
14. Have a fire extinguisher nearby for those rare emergencies
15. Discard your tree right after Christmas to avoid having a dry, dead fire hazard in your house!
And remember, most of all, to have a safe, and happy holiday season!
- www.premiumchristmastree.com/a23/Christmas-Tree-Safety-Tips/article_info.com.html
Last week, one of the agents on our network called to speak with me directly after reading this blog. He wanted to contribute his views on a previous post “in person,” rather than leaving a comment.
During that conversation, which ended up lasting nearly an hour (and I loved every minute of it!), we ended up talking about the challenges of being an agent, from persistency, to the cost of underwriting, to finding ways to stay in touch with clients.
But one thing this agent asked resonated especially loudly with me: Why aren’t agents getting out away from their desks, taking seminars and conferences, becoming experts on their products, and networking with other professionals?
And he’s right. There’s a definite perception in the industry that if you’re not sitting at your desk working leads, making calls and following up with clients, you’re not making money.
In fact, a recent article published online at American Agent & Broker indicates that “…agents aren’t particularly keen on lunches and conferences for new product information. Just 4 in 10 say they learn about new insurance products at lunches or speaker events, while less than that say they go to conferences to gain this knowledge.”
I’d like to pose another question I think has equal merit: How much more time could you save and money could you make if you started:
We all know the power of referrals. They cost you nothing and can result in some pretty substantial income. By staying educated, possibly trading business with other agents whose products compliment yours, and using your knowledge to educate clients and promote yourself and your agency, you’re likely to, in turn, increase your referral volume.
Staying educated can also help you gain confidence in yourself and what you do, enabling you to more effectively convey value to new leads and clients.
Do you sit at your desk day after day, working leads but neglecting opportunities to grow your business in other ways? If so, I’d like to encourage you to make a change today. You never know what you’re missing until you try.
P.S.—Please pardon the title. I couldn’t resist!
In the summer and fall of 2009, Reagan Consulting—in conjunction with The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, UNUM, Chubb and Hanover—conducted “The Young Producer Study” to test the validity of these assumptions. (You can access the entire Young Producer Study at 
The study was designed to determine if there was an opportunity to hire more young production talent and document the best practices in hiring young producers.
Young producers were defined as producers hired when they were under the age of 30, hired in the last 10 years, and selling commercial property and casualty insurance or employee benefits.
The first part of the study was an assessment of the industry as a whole to determine the baseline level of hiring for these young producers. The survey included 206 agents and brokers (firms) throughout the country, with the data used as a proxy for the industry as a whole.
Based on the survey results, the success of young producers (48.6 percent) was approaching the success rate of all producers in the industry (53.0 percent), with the success of 23.4 percent of the young producers still unclear.
This data confirmed our belief that some firms were having success attracting, hiring and retaining young producers, and that there is an opportunity to learn from the best practices they were employing.
The next step was a deeper investigation of the firms and producers identified in the baseline study that were experiencing success. Fifty-four firms agreed to complete a detailed survey on their hiring and development practices for young producers. The firms also agreed to identify one or two young producers they considered successful.
A total of 91 successful young producers were indentified, completing a detailed survey about their educational background, a personality and behavioral assessment, and an interview. The firms also provided data on each successful young producer’s production history.
During this process we met and interviewed an extremely talented group of successful young producers and developed a deep understanding of the best practices employed by the successful firms in regards to attracting, hiring, developing and retaining young producers. There were three primary takeaways from our look at successful young producers:
• College Recruiting Works.
The 91 successful young producers that participated in the study were recruited from various sources, including other industries, other firms, college, insurance companies and in-firm transfers.
College, however, was easily the most popular source for successful young production talent. This certainly makes sense given that colleges and universities are concentrated sources of talented individuals, but it also contradicts conventional industry wisdom regarding college hiring.
Further, the success of producers hired directly from college was similar to that of those hired via other sources with regard to production numbers and time to validate.
• Well-Rounded Individuals Often Perform Best.
There wasn’t one characteristic of the successful young producers that stands out. Rather, what was apparent after analyzing the backgrounds of these individuals was their capacity to be involved in many activities and leadership roles while maintaining strong academic credentials.
However, interestingly, in terms of months until validation (when the commissions a producer generates at least equals their personal compensation, so they are in effect paying for themselves), a grade point average over 3.5 did not indicate greater success than that of those with a lower GPA, and within the group the producers with the highest GPA validated slowest.
Also, neither prior sales experience nor a specialty focus indicated success at a greater rate than that of those without prior sales experience or those that were generalists.
• Young Producer Economics Are Attractive.
When compared to hiring other experienced producers, the economics associated with hiring young producers can be attractive. As might be expected, the initial investment (salary) in a young producer is typically much lower than that of an experienced producer.
However, we also determined that successful young producers can perform at a level comparable to successful producers of all ages when give the appropriate resources.
Given the difficult economic environment we find ourselves in, both the relatively low initial investment of a young producer and the ability to generate organic growth for the firm could prove to be attractive.
With all that said, hiring, training and retaining young producers is a different game. Those firms that will succeed must do four things well.
• First, if they want to recruit college kids, they must establish a presence on college campuses as a means to identify the best talent.
• Second, the firms should invest in mentoring of the young producers to the point that mentoring becomes part of their firm’s culture.
• Third, young producers should be hired in classes, fostering a collegial bond among the young producers.
• Fourth, the young producers should be provided with resources that will make them successful.
In summary, young producers will not be able to rely only on experience to win business, and firms that can provide support to young producers via experienced producers or in-house risk management or other resources will have greater success.
None of this is to say that hiring experienced or “older producers” is a bad idea. However, “The Young Producer Study” confirmed our suspicion that a large, untapped resource exists for firms in their search for production talent.
There are compelling advantages young producers can bring to firms from a cultural perspective in the form of energy and enthusiasm, as well as practical advantages from the perspective of shareholder return and client relationship perpetuation.
While it won’t work for everyone, the opportunity to hire and develop young producers is compelling and worth exploring.
Brian McNeely (Bmcneely@reaganconsulting.com) is a consultant and Angi Bemiss(Angi@reaganconsulting.com) is senior vice president at Reagan Consulting Inc., an Atlanta-based management consulting firm that developed and produces the “Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America Best Practices Study.” More information about the firm can be found at www.reaganconsulting.com.
