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| September 2020 | ||||||
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Top 3 Articles
Welcome
From the Desk of the President & CEO
When you think of it, our job in the insurance industry is to help individuals and businesses overcome suffering or overcome the possibility of suffering. We represent an awesome industry and profession and we need to embrace calling our clients and asking how we can help prepare for events and ensure that we can overcome suffering. It’s with this in mind that you will want to carve out just 90 minutes out of each of October 13/14/15 for IIAV’s Virtual Convention and Trade Show.
IIAV Member Resources
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The ongoing impact of COVID-19 presents lingering challenges for business leaders trying to increase the value of their agency. One key aspect is the impact on the agency team and workplace culture. Focus on three staff issues in this period of continued uncertainty: staff retention, second-tier leadership team strength and employee engagement. Your capability to thrive will be a function of a strong agency team. Strong employee motivation, cohesion and buy-in have a significant impact on value-creation. Next Steps: Create an action plan to strengthen your agency team in the final quarter of the year. What actions can you take to retain your key team members that increase agency value? In this period of disruption, what opportunities are there to increase the capabilities of your team? A stronger team results in a more valuable agency. David J. Dillon, Principal   
Upgrade Your Video Insurance Proposal
Over the last six months, we have all received a crash course on how to use video to engage prospects, clients and coworkers. I’ve talked in the past about how to use video to engage with a video handshake. I encourage you to read this article to refresh yourself on the importance of video and the options available.
State & National News
Has your agency ever struggled when considering the pros and cons of bringing on a new producer and what would happen to cash flow as they adjust? If yes, listen to InsurBanc’s Patricia Smith, explain the many benefits of an Agency Producer Development Loan and how it can make the new hire event a seamless process. You can access the video here: YouTube RICHMOND – Hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and a pandemic – 2020 has already been a year filled with disasters. During National Preparedness Month (NPM) each September, we’re reminded that, no matter what the disaster, the time to plan is now.
Join VCU for the Fall 2020 Virtual Business Career Fair on Tuesday September 15, from 11:00 a.m. –3:00 p.m. (This event will include the traditional Fall Meet the Firms Accounting event.)
Cost: $450 (Invoices will be sent after August 1, via an external system)
The fair will be held virtually in Handshake.
RICHMOND – Virginia is establishing a state-based health insurance exchange for the individual and small business market. The Virginia Health Benefit Exchange will operate on the federal exchange – HealthCare.gov – for 2021. Open enrollment to select a Virginia health plan for 2021 will begin on November 1, 2020.
Shift Technology, a provider of AI‑native fraud detection and claims automation solutions for the global insurance industry, and Central Insurance have announced that Shift will support Central Insurance’s fraud detection and subrogation initiatives. As a result, Central Insurance will deploy Force, Shift’s fraud detection solution to uncover suspicious behaviors in the insurer’s auto and property claims processes. The insurer will also use the technology to identify more quickly and accurately those property claims appropriate for subrogation recovery.
The construction industry may emerge from the pandemic strong or relatively unscathed compared to other segments of the economy. But it also faces its share of challenges in managing exposures, delays, added costs and shutdowns in this COVID-19 world Gen Z employees — those born starting in 1995 — have been three times more likely than all other employees since the pandemic started to have sought professional help for stress, burnout or other mental health reasons, according to a new MetLife report. Millennials have also been hard hit. Forty percent of workers blamed reduced in-person interaction with friends, family and co-workers for harming their mental health. The biggest challenges of working from home are:
In October 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal on ADA website accessibility and Congress has failed to establish limitations on these types of claims. There has been a surge in ADA website accessibility litigation and that is expected to increase with more online business being conducted during the pandemic. Here is an article to help your agency make your website accessible. IIAV News
Has your agency claimed its $750? Your agency is entitled to a marketing reimbursement of up to $750 from Trusted Choice brand. Here is a short video which explains all the Trusted Choice branding resources that are available for members — logos, marketing campaign, social media posts, advertising, help with google reviews and more. Upcoming Events
 By now you’ve heard the news — IIAV’s Annual Convention is going virtual! We’re so excited to share all that we’ve been working on behind the scenes and we can’t wait to get you involved in this event. Not only will the three days of the Convention be a great experience, but so will the days and weeks leading up to it!
Your entire team can participate, as the virtual format brings this convention right to your team with minimal impact to your workday!
A conversation series featuring people, ideas and solutions. These conversations will take place virtually, via Zoom. We will connect you, your peers and experts to discuss ideas and help you find solutions. It's been said more times than we can count that COVID-19 has been a great equalizer. While our experiences may not be the exactly the same, we've all been affected as individuals, as teams and as organizations. We'll sit down with five association leaders who represent different areas of the business community. These professions intersect in countless ways: We'll dive into common challenges faced, creative solutions found, and what the landscape looks like for different areas of commerce across the Commonwealth. This candid discussion is a powerful opportunity to learn from each other, exchange ideas and generate new and different solutions to benefit the professionals we all serve. Education
In light of the statewide emergency workplace safety standards in response to COVID-19, IIAV will be offering all continuing education classes virtually. |
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Please join us in welcoming Ben Kusterer as Central Insurance Company’s new Virginia/Maryland Marketing Manager. Ben has worked in the Insurance Industry for over 18 years and his experience includes positions in marketing and commercial P&C underwriting. He holds an associate degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix and earned his associate in commercial underwriting designation in 2013. Ben is a past board member of the Virginia Association of Insurance Agents and has served on various committees within the IIAV. He currently resides in the Richmond area.
