Which Insurance Designations Matter Most?

Posted on October 19, 2021October 25, 2021 by Eddie Price

Every insurance agent wants to market themselves in the best way possible, as that helps attract the most clients. One of the first ways to market yourself is by considering what insurance designations to work toward.

Clients will feel that the more designations you have, the more qualified you are to help them. But which designations should you work on first? Prioritize your efforts by focusing on the insurance designations that matter the most.

Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI)

The AAI program is a collaboration between the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America and the Insurance Institute of America. To gain the AAI credential, agents must pass three tests. Those with this insurance designation use it as a comprehensive commercial insurance designation. It lets the agent work with casualty and property lines, customer service, and underwriting.

Association in General Insurance (AINS)

You can receive this insurance designation from the Insurance Institute of America. Those with this designation have knowledge of liability and general property insurance, with a focus on commercial or personal lines – the area you focus on is up to you.

You complete three exams to receive this designation, but there is more flexibility with these exams than other designations. Everyone who earns the AINS designation must complete an exam on personal or commercial lines and another on liability and property insurance policies. In addition to the choice of commercial or personal lines for one test, you also get to choose from around 39 topics for the third test.

Association in Risk Management (ARM)

This is an insurance designation ideal for those working in risk management, and the Insurance Institute of America offers it. In the process of earning this certification, insurance agents learn about the science of risk management. They also develop the skills and knowledge to avoid, manage, and reduce risk.

To receive the ARM designation, you must pass three exams. These cover risk financing, risk assessment, and risk management principles.

Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC)

You can receive this designation from the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research. It is a widely respected designation connected with real-world and practical education. As of a recent count, there are less than 32,000 people with this designation in the United States, giving it plenty of prestige.

To receive this designation, you need to pass five exams. They cover topics such as life and health, agency management, commercial property, commercial casualty, and personal lines.

Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR)

Agents with this insurance designation manage life, personal, and commercial insurance accounts. To receive the designation, agents must show a comprehensive understanding of the various risks for individuals and companies.

Certified Risk Manager (CRM)

Any insurance agent who works in risk management should strive to get this insurance designation through the The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research. A CRM has skills and knowledge related to managing risk, hazards, and loss exposures. A stand-out skill of CRMs is their additional knowledge regarding insurance language. Clients know that a CRM will be able to thoroughly understand their policy in a way that agents without this designation may not.

To receive this insurance designation, you will need to pass five exams. They cover control of risk, analysis of risk, principles of risk management, practice of risk management, and financing of risk. Before even taking those exams, a CRM must complete more than 120 hours of coursework.

Certified WorkComp Advisor (CWCA)

As the name implies, this insurance designation is an important one for companies dealing with workers’ compensation insurance. Given the prevalence of workers’ compensation insurance and claims, this is a useful designation. The designation comes from the Institute of WorkComp Professionals.

Those with this designation are experienced with preparing for premium audits, managing employee injuries, and experience modifiers. They are also equipped to help clients with timely claims management, HR advice for lowering workers’ comp costs and creating effective safety committees.

Certified WorkComp Specialist (CWCS)

There is also a CWCS designation that qualifies agents to manage commercial accounts. These professionals have knowledge and experience dealing with claims management, experience modifiers, and audits. They also provide workers’ compensation education to clients and the employees of their clients.

Charter Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)

This is easily the most respected and sought-after designation in insurance. Only about 4% of those in the industry hold it, and if you do, you are almost guaranteed to get a management role and higher salary.

The Insurance Institute of America offers this designation to those who pass eight exams. Those exams cover property-liability insurance, financial planning, business law, insurance operations, and risk management.

Other Designations

While the above are the most respected insurance designations, they are far from the only ones. Other key designations include Associate in Personal Insurance (API), Professional Commercial Insurance Advisor (PCIA), Qualified Employee Benefits Specialist (QEBS), Qualified Commercial Lines Specialist (QCLS), and Qualified Personal Lines Specialist (QPLS).

The more designations you can add to your title, the better it will reflect on your abilities as an insurance agent and help you attract more clients. It is also smart to look for agents with designations when hiring.

October Product Updates

Posted on October 14, 2021October 25, 2021 by Eddie Price

JenesisNow

On the Client List when you click the next page it now takes you back to the top of the page. Added the pages to the top of the page as well.
We added Acord 90 – Personal Auto Application for Georgia
We have added fields under each user for Date of Birth, Social Security Number, and Pay Rate. This will help with your Human Resources.

JenesisClassic

Suspenses in the agency transaction log will no longer not have the user’s name associated.
When emailing a personal lines or commercial lines ID card from the policy, Jenesis will now make a note at the policy level and not just at the client level.
We have added the ability to filter the Production>> Misc>>New Business Receipt List by Location / User / and Company
We have added a Drill Down capability to the Fees by Agent Report.
After sending email, now in View Notes
Under the customer profile notifications and view, it now shows text message campaigns sent as well as email campaigns.
The user may now send Broadcast J-Mail messages to specific locations.
When creating a certificate of insurance, Jenesis will not automatically check the Policy checkbox if there is a General Liability policy on the certificate.
The Acord 125 prefilled will now fill in the ‘applicant information’ on page 1 with either the applicant’s name or the business name if it’s marked as DBA.

Get Your Insurance Agency Ready for the Holiday Season

Posted on October 14, 2021October 25, 2021 by Eddie Price

Even with the holiday season several weeks away, it is not too early to start getting your insurance agency ready for it. Now is the best time to start preparing for the holiday season if you haven’t already started doing so.

If you aren’t sure what actions to take to prepare for the holidays, we’ve outlined the most important ones below.

Get Your Holiday Marketing in Order

One of the first things to do is start working on your holiday marketing. This will prevent you from scrambling at the last minute to try to get everything in order. You want to have everything ready to go when the holidays get closer, so you can post or send out the materials.

On top of that, remember that it is up for debate when the holiday season officially starts. Some people will start making important plans in early November or even sooner. You may need to start some of your holiday marketing then.

As you create your holiday marketing, consider the following strategies.

Send Holiday Cards to Build Long-term Relationships

Part of running an insurance agency is building long-term relationships with clients. The holidays are a perfect opportunity to do so, thanks to the festive season. A simple method of doing this is to send holiday cards. They can feature a staff photo or something similar. Even something simple will show your clients that you care.

Create Personalized Marketing

Another way to build relationships is with personalized marketing. For example, create videos or a blog series that looks behind the scenes at your company. You can even make it holiday-themed, such as a compilation of staff sharing a simple holiday greeting.

Consider Service Packages Focused on Holiday Travel

You should also think about what type of services people will want from your agency this time of year. Holiday travel is the perfect opportunity. If you sell travel insurance, promote it. If you sell car insurance, promote the benefits of having a good plan before a road trip to visit family. Get creative to fit your products.

Emphasize Hectic Holiday Seasons and How Your Services Save Time

As you develop marketing materials, consider highlighting how hectic the holiday season is. From there, highlight how your insurance agency’s services save time and stress.

Buckle Down During Fall

The holiday season is busy for everyone, which means that after Thanksgiving, you may not have as many appointments. Prepare for this by buckling down in the fall to make sure hit your numbers. That way, if your holiday season is lackluster from a sales perspective, you are still covered.

Consider Staffing Ahead of Time

One of the most important aspects of getting ready for the holiday season is your staffing plan. Expect your team to want to take time off to be with family. So plan to figure out how to make this a reality.

Start thinking about how you will handle time-off requests early. This involves considering how many people you need to have in the office and who gets priority for requests. Be sure to create a fair system.

When thinking about holiday staffing, the key is to find a balance between family time and staffing. The good news is that, unlike retail, you likely won’t need to have everyone in your agency during the holidays. A skeleton team will likely be enough.

If you aren’t sure about your staffing needs, look back at past holiday seasons for guidance.

Find Ways to Give Back to the Community

The holiday season tends to be a time to give back to the community. Following suit will serve multiple purposes. You will get the satisfaction of helping others and also get to advertise that you give back and are part of the community.

Take Part in Charities

The most obvious way to give back is to participate in charities. This can be food drives, donations, or even hosting events where the proceeds go to charity. For the best results, consult your employees when choosing which charities to support and what to do. Employees are much more likely to join if you choose a charity that they are passionate about.

Provide Workshops and Handouts

Giving back to the community is not just about giving to charities. You also want to give back to your clients and the rest of the local community. A great way to do this is with a workshop or handout that provides education and information. You could offer general workshops that highlight one of your services and provide tips for choosing the right services. Or make it seasonal and go over something like winter safety. You can even tie these workshops back into your services.

Plan to Thank Your Staff

Don’t just give back to the community during the holiday season. This is also the perfect time to let your staff know that you appreciate them. At the very least, consider a small holiday gathering or bringing treats to the office as a thank you. Depending on your budget, consider holiday gifts or bonuses. The key here is to make the thank you message personalized. At the very least, hand sign each card and include a personalized and specific note of gratitude and encouragement.