We are who we insure

    Do Nonprofits Need Management Liability Insurance?

    When you think of Management Liability Insurance, your first thought likely goes to large, publicly traded companies. However, many nonprofit organizations have similar exposures to personal liability risks. If one of these organizations doesn’t have a Management Liability policy in place, they could be leaving their board members and management team vulnerable to potential lawsuits.

    Often times, directors and officers of nonprofit organizations serve in a part time capacity or lack a background in business and finance. It’s likely they know of the need for workers compensation, property and general liability insurance, but are blissfully unaware of their need for Management Liability insurance until a suit is filed against them and it’s too late.

    It’s essential that you make your clients aware of the common risks they may face and how they can protect against potential losses!

    Common Risks

    Essentially, directors and officers are expected to act morally and in good faith with the best interest of the organization in mind. Management Liability Insurance provides coverage against acts that may include actual or alleged errors, omissions, neglect or breach of duty. Some of the common risks that nonprofits may face include, but are not limited to:

    • Discrimination
    • Harassment
    • Breach of Fiduciary Duty
    • Misrepresentation of Company Assets
    • Misuse of Funds
    • Fraud

    When an allegation arises against an organization, the impending lawsuit could require significant financial and personnel resources; possibly even more than they have available to them. A proper Management Liability policy could provide coverage and help keep these organizations running as they settle or defend these cases.

    Loss Control Resources

    As you know, McNeil & Co.’s insurance philosophy places an emphasis on supplementing coverage with a proactive approach to risk management. It’s always best to implement policies and procedures to attempt to prevent losses before they occur.

    Our risk management department has a bevy of available resources to help your clients prepare for and protect against the losses covered by their Management Liability policy. These include sample policies and loss control bulletins providing best practices and SOPs to prevent theft of funds and protect against cyber security risks.

    Our team has also developed E-Learning courses, like our recently updated Sexual Harassment Prevention and Preventing Workplace Violence training’s, to help organizations maintain a safe work environment. All E-Learning courses are free of charge to all McNeil & Co. policyholders.

    For more information on our loss control offerings, visit our resources page or call our Risk Management department at 800-822-3747 ext. 176.

    So What About That Question…

    This article opened with a single question: Do Nonprofits Need Management Liability Insurance? Although every client is different, you can see that many nonprofit organizations have a slew of potential exposures that would render a Management Liability policy necessary. Take a look at your existing book of business and see if there are any opportunities for you to help your clients cost-effectively manage their risk!

    If you’d like more information on McNeil & Co.’s available coverage, please contact your marketing representative or visit our Contact Us page to submit an inquiry.

    Looking for more information on Management Liability insurance for nonprofits? Check out articles from IA Magazine and Insurance Journal.

    By: Tim Woitach

    What’s an Insurance Agent’s Role in the Claims Process?

    In the insurance industry, claims are inevitable. One day you’re going to receive a call from a client saying there’s been an incident and they need to know what to do next. Will you be prepared when they do? Although the insurance company manages the claim, independent agents often are the point of contact for insureds and play a crucial role in the claims process.

    Before a Claim Occurs

    The best insurance agents get out ahead of claims and help their clients mitigate risk before an incident occurs. The first step is digging deeper into the insureds exposures and ensuring that there aren’t any gaps in their coverage. Dealing with a claim is stressful enough without discovering that it’s not a covered loss. You can also help your clients mitigate risk by providing them with loss control policies and procedures to implement. McNeil & Co.’s Risk Management team is constantly updating our available resources and E-Learning courses to help promote safety and reduce losses (You can contact our Risk Management team at losscontrol@mcneilandcompany.com or 800-822-3747 ext. 176).

    During the Claims Process

    Mitigating risk can help reduce the likelihood of losses, but accidents still happen. Throughout the claims process, your clients will likely have plenty of questions and concerns. Common inquiries may include:

    • How do I file a claim?
    • Who will evaluate the loss?
    • How long will the process take?

    There aren’t universal answers to these questions, so make sure you stay on top of the procedures for each of the carriers in your office. McNeil & Co. has an in-house claims department that will process losses, allowing for a one-stop shop for personalized service and support for your clients. By logging on to our Agent Area platform, appointed agents can access their policyholders’ claims information in real-time, including: Claim Number, Status, Principal Claimant, Date of Loss, Date Reported, Claims Description, Adjuster & Total Losses Incurred. Keeping your clients informed throughout the claims process can help ease any concerns they may have and can strengthen your relationship in the end.

    Speaking of client relationships…

    Customer Relationship Management in Claims

    As you know, relationship building is essential to an insurance agent’s success. This is never more evident than when a client must deal with a claim. Although you aren’t the one who processes the claim, to your customer’s you are the face of the insurance company. A lengthy or difficult claim can create a tenuous strain on the relationship you’ve developed by working closely with your insureds. You can counteract some of these potential issues by directing your clients to the appropriate contacts and providing advice as you guide them through the claims process. Displaying that extra care and effort during potentially difficult circumstances can strengthen your existing relationships and may even lead to client referrals that generates new business.

    By: Tim Woitach

    Visit our Claims page for more information on our in-house claims department.

    McNeil & Company To Be Acquired by Arch Capital Group Ltd.

    Cortland, NY—McNeil & Company (“McNeil”), a leader in specialized risk assessment and insurance, announced today that it has entered into an agreement under which Arch Capital Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: ACGL)(“Arch”), a leading global insurer, will acquire McNeil & Company. The transaction is expected to close later this quarter.

    McNeil & Co. will retain its identity and remain headquartered in Cortland, NY as a standalone affiliate of Arch Insurance Group (U.S.).

    Building on a successful 17-year partnership, this acquisition will provide mutual benefit to both parties. With over $11 billion in capital, Arch will provide McNeil with new opportunities to achieve scale and grow its business through additional products and resources, delivered through McNeil’s existing platform and unique distribution system. McNeil will continue to operate as it has for the last 28 years, but with greater capital strength and a broader range of expertise to draw from.

    “We’ve established ourselves as thought leaders in specialized risk management and insurance with a suite of policies that are never off the shelf, with service that’s always a step ahead and with training and risk management programs designed to prevent loss before it occurs,” said Daniel F. McNeil, Founder and President of McNeil & Company. “Becoming part of Arch won’t change any of that but will give us an unparalleled opportunity to build on that leadership and take it even further with additional resources. We will continue to offer exceptional products based on genuine industry knowledge and a consultative approach to mitigating risk.”

    “We have tremendous respect for the high quality and experience of McNeil’s workforce and the customer-oriented nature of the company’s culture,” said Nicolas Papadopoulo, Chairman and CEO of Arch Worldwide Insurance Group. “We’re excited to build on McNeil’s success, grow its business and develop deeper relationships with its customers. McNeil’s excellent reputation in the industry will greatly enhance Arch’s ability to distribute top-quality specialized products and programs.”

    The longstanding relationship between McNeil and Arch provides confidence in a good cultural match between the firms. McNeil has been a pillar of the Cortland community and a generous contributor to local organizations for many years, and Arch is committed to continuing and expanding McNeil’s support of the Cortland community. In fact, as part of this continued support, McNeil has recently made a $7 million donation to Le Moyne College, a private Jesuit college in Syracuse, NY, which will be used to launch a new undergraduate major in risk management and insurance. The donation will allow the school to establish endowed professorships to support the major and will provide new opportunities for new graduates to work in the industry.

    About McNeil & Company
    McNeil & Co. is a nationwide leader in specialized insurance programs, drawing on deep industry expertise to develop and deliver policies and risk management services that meet the unique needs of clients. McNeil & Co. offers the best possible specialized coverage, along with a full array of risk management services, to help customers maximize preparedness and grow their businesses. Established in 1989 to answer a need for more comprehensive, tailored policies in the emergency services market, McNeil & Co. has developed and expanded a model for specialty insurance programs based on genuine industry knowledge and a consultative approach to loss control and risk management. Acclaimed products include AdvenSure, AnimalKeepers, ASIP, Car Wash, ESIP (and Benefits), FireWatch, HOMed (O&P Plus), WildPRO and the Bar, Tavern, Club program. For more information, visit: mcneilandcompany.com.

    About Arch Capital Group Ltd.
    Arch Capital Group Ltd., a Bermuda-based company with approximately $11.02 billion in capital at June 30, 2018, provides insurance, reinsurance and mortgage insurance on a worldwide basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries.

    Contact:
    media@mcneilandcompany.com

    View source version on Business Wire.

    Is A New Market Right For Your Agency?

    Expansion into new markets can help your agency grow exponentially. But which markets should you pursue and when is the right time to jump in?

    One way to expand your insurance agency’s business is to pursue entering a new market. Be careful though. jumping feet first into an industry without conducting the proper due diligence can be costly. Your agency could end up expending a lot of time, capital, and resources pursuing business without yielding any results.

    If your agency is thinking about entering a new market, here are four steps you can take to help determine what industry is the best fit.

    Define Your Territory

    It may seem obvious, but before you can determine the validity of a market, you must define the territory you are willing to cover. This is a necessary step to identify both market opportunity and competitor information; crucial data in determining if and when you should enter a new market.

    Perform New Market Research

    While assessing a potential new market, it’s important to collect and analyze consumer information and market opportunity. It’s beneficial to target industries that function like those that you already write. This will help your agency adjust to selling to a new type of business without much of a learning curve.

    For example, in 2017, when McNeil & Co. was pursuing potential new programs, we identified the animal welfare industry as a prime opportunity. Many of the Humane Societies and SPCAs that we target operate like our ESIP clients. Both often have a workforce made up of mostly volunteers, are associated with a municipality, and are controlled by a board of directors.

    After developing a list of potential markets that align well with your existing expertise, you need to evaluate the potential opportunity. If there are only a handful of organizations located in your territory, you may need to move on to the next potential market.

    Develop Competitor Analysis

    After finalizing your list of markets for your agency to pursue, it’s time to analyze the competition. For an agent, the competitive landscape is two-fold. Make sure to evaluate both the carrier programs that service the industry you’re targeting and the other agents in your territory that are actively writing the organizations that you’ll pursue. An oversaturated market may not be worth the time and resources you would expend.

    In addition to market saturation, you need to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors’ products. Are there highly specialized programs available or are competitors offering piecemealed policies to their clients? The competitive landscape is a major factor in determining whether you should enter a new market.

    Assess Agency Capabilities

    Before you finalize entering a new market, you must ask yourself a few questions. Do you have the staffing and infrastructure in place to expand or will you have to hire more employees? Can you leverage any of your existing core competencies to accelerate growth and make the transition more seamless? Do your existing carriers offer a program for this market or will you have to develop new relationships. Assess your agency’s capabilities and address any issues and concerns before pushing your chips all-in on a new market.

    Successfully entering a new market will always partially be driven by outside factors. But putting in the work in the front-end can help your agency mitigate the risk and choose the right industry.

    By: Tim Woitach

    For related articles, visit Inc. and Entrepreneur

    Lexipol and McNeil & Co. Announce Partnership to Provide Fire Policies and Training

    Lexipol, the leading provider of state-specific policies and training for public safety agencies, and McNeil & Co., a nationwide leader in specialized risk management and insurance programs, are pleased to announce a partnership to offer policy solutions for fire operations. As part of the agreement, Lexipol will offer its Fire Policies and Training solution at a discount to the clients of McNeil & Co.’s Emergency Services Insurance Program (ESIP), which offers some of the most comprehensive insurance coverage in the emergency services industry.

    Developed by industry professionals and public safety attorneys, the Lexipol Fire Policy and Training Manual includes more than 165 policies and 25 procedures for high-risk operations that are continuously updated to meet changes in laws and best practices. The subscription-based service also includes short, scenario-based training bulletins to reinforce policy content and accountability reporting.

    “We are pleased to partner with McNeil & Co.,” said Lexipol CEO Michael Davis. “Our partnership gives Lexipol the opportunity to work collaboratively with an industry leader and provide unparalleled benefits to their clients.” This sentiment was echoed by David Denniston, McNeil & Co. Director of Risk Management: “It is important that we continually offer added value to our insurance clients and programs. Partnering with Lexipol enhances the safety of our clients and the communities they serve and protect.”

    McNeil & Co. clients that take advantage of the partnership will receive the benefits of increased safety along with reduced risk, liability and costs associated with out-of-date or incomplete policies.

    Lexipol currently offers public safety coverage to more than 3,200 fire and rescue, corrections and law enforcement agencies in 35 states.

    To learn more, visit www.lexipol.com/fire and www.mcneilandcompany.com.

    What’s Driving Your Agency’s New Business?

    “Good afternoon, this is Tony Blackwell from McNeil & Co…”

    Sound familiar? If you’ve sent us a new submission over the past several months you’ve probably received a phone call from Tony. In an effort to better understand and measure our marketing efforts, we started with the basic question of why? The MGA business model doesn’t lend itself to receiving market feedback directly from insureds, making it challenging to determine the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. That’s where Tony comes in. But before we get to that, let’s look at a seemingly simple question: What’s driving your agency’s new business?

    Any agency principal will tell you they want to drive new business. Few can tell you, with certainty, the most effective and efficient way their company can do it. As technology continues to advance, insurance companies and agencies are developing best practices for defining the source(s) of their new business and identifying the areas where they should expend additional resources.

    Now you’re probably thinking “That sounds great, how do I get started?” There isn’t a specific formula that works for every company, but here are a few processes that McNeil & Co. is currently implementing to determine how we can help our agents write more business across all our specialized programs.

    The Right Lead Management Tool For You

    Agency management systems are an independent agents best friend. There are dozens of products available, but how can you ensure you have the right system for you? Every agency’s budget is different and their specific needs will vary greatly. Resources like Capterra and G2 Crowd provide compiled lists of products available and the features they offer so you can find the perfect solution for your agency.

    One function that can’t be overlooked is customer relationship management (CRM). In late 2016, McNeil & Co. started using Microsoft Dynamics as our CRM tool; the primary hub for our marketing and sales efforts. With up-to-date account information all in one place, we’ve been able to better interact with you, our appointed agents. Dynamics also allows us to more accurately measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. This is vital to forecasting future marketing efforts and ensuring we are deploying the right amount of time an personnel on each campaign.

    Make sure that whatever agency management system you choose allows you to attribute your leads to specific efforts from your marketing or sales team. This will help you guide the client through the sales process and aggregate data on what strategies effectively drive new business.

    Identifying Your Lead Sources

    Most CRM tools come with default Lead Source fields like Advertisement, Cold Call, Web, Referral, and Other. Obviously, these defaults won’t perfectly encompass your efforts, but while you edit the list try not to create too many Lead Source options. The point of this designation isn’t to drill down to the specific action that led to the sale but rather to discover how that prospect was found in the first place. Meet with your team and brainstorm where prospects are coming from on a 30,000ft level.

    For reference, our Lead Source fields are Partner Referral, Advertisement, Cold Call, Trade Show, Web, Email Marketing, and Direct Mailing.

    Attributing Submissions to Specific Campaigns

    If the Lead Source covers the 30,000ft view of where leads are coming from, campaigns reflect specific efforts that lead directly to an opportunity to quote and help illuminate the customer journey.

    Create a specific campaign for all your marketing and sales efforts, attaching any contact that is touched in these efforts. Attending a trade show? Create a campaign. Placing an ad in an industry publication? Create a campaign. Sending an email blast to a segmented group of prospects? Create a campaign.

    By the time an opportunity to quote comes about, a lead may have been contacted during multiple campaigns. That’s okay! This is all part of the customer journey and can help paint the picture of your customer lifecycle.

    Bringing It All Together – Gathering & Inputting Data

    When a submission comes in, the who, what, and when are already defined. But what about the where and the why? That’s where Tony Blackwell comes in. As we continue to work on our own CRM workflows, Tony has been tasked with discovering where new opportunities came from and why they were submitted to McNeil & Co.

    Was it a customer you met while attending a trade show with one of our employees? Did someone from your office attend our McNeil University producer training? Whatever the answer, the where and why can help us tailor our marketing efforts to support you, our appointed agents.

    As we continue to improve our marketing and sales workflows, agent communication will remain a key focus of our overall efforts. As such, we open the floor to you. Have any thoughts on how we can help you generate more leads and write more business? Let us know! Email socialmedia@mcneilandcompany.com with any feedback you have.

    By: Tim Woitach

    Trade Show Tips for Insurance Agents

    I’ve previously written about trade show dos and don’ts and the important role these events can play in your agency’s marketing efforts. Today I’m going to go a step further and break down 9 factors to address to make the most of any trade show you’re attending.

    Pre-Show Planning & Marketing

    Attendee/Lead List – Which of your clients are attending? Are there any leads that you’re currently working on? What competitors will be at the show? If the show doesn’t supply you with an attendee list before the show, look into creating your own contact list of clients and leads to invite to the show using your existing customer database/CRM system.

    Booth Space – Location. Location. Location. Select a booth space that will help optimize walking traffic and highlights your booth. Gauge the size of the show and make sure to bring enough marketing materials/collateral. Larger shows with more opportunity may warrant a giveaway or raffle to help engage more customers.

    Logistics – Confirm travel, lodging, equipment, shipping, etc. to make sure everything will be copasetic when you arrive. You want to focus 100% of your energy on customers once you hit the floor, so it’s essential the logistics are handled beforehand. If you can manage it, have a point person at the office who can trouble shoot any issues that arise.

    During the Trade Show

    Client & Vendor Meetings – Reach out to clients, prospects or vendors that are attending the show and try to set meetings outside of exhibit hours. Some shows have the show floor open for 1-2 hours out of the day, so optimize your time in other ways.

    Lead Collection – How are you going to collect contact information? What is going to incentivize an attendee to give you their email address? The main purpose of the show is to generate leads and drive business, so make lead collection a high priority for everyone at your booth. Make sure you are collecting all the information you need to update records in your CRM system and not wasting good leads by not getting a phone number or email.

    Classes & Seminars – Some of the best networking at a trade show takes place during the educational sessions. It’s also a great opportunity to stay on top of the hot topics in the specialized industries you serve. Investigate potential speaking opportunities and become a thought leader in the industry you’re serving.

    Post Show Results & Follow Up

    Post Show Lead List – Update your attendee list with any new contacts you met at the show. Take the time to scrub the list and classify each account in the correct stage of the sales cycle. Input all account and contact information into your CRM system ASAP and schedule out follow up tasks appropriately.

    Show Results – How many concrete leads did you get? How much exposure did your agency earn? Simply put, you have to determine if the juice was worth the squeeze. Develop a system to analyze the quantitative and qualitative results and determine if a show is worth the time and money spent to attend. If not, is there something you can change to make it worth while or is it a show you are going to scrap altogether?

    Plan Ahead – Don’t wait to lay the groundwork for next year’s trade show. If the show results say this event was a success, register and reserve your booth sooner rather than later. Some shows even have booth reservations during the last day of the show! The sooner you act, the more likely you’ll be to get prime booth real estate. Get the show on the calendar and schedule a planning meeting a few months in advance to make sure you get everything perfect.

    Continuously analyzing and improving your trade show plan can help you optimize your time, money, and overall marketing success!

    By: Tim Woitach

     

    Educational Marketing Campaigns

    Leveraging educational content to inform buyers how your agency can help them mitigate risk.

    In previous blogs, we’ve discussed how to establish your agency as an insurance expert and often referenced the importance of providing relevant content to policyholders and prospects alike. This month, we’ll be taking a deeper look at the benefits of educational marketing and how to go about initiating a campaign. Here are 4 tips to get you started:

    Establish Campaign Goals

    Educational marketing campaigns all begin with one question: what does your audience need to know? Take the time to research the industries you serve and ask your customers what they are most interested in learning to develop a list of possible topics. Once you’ve whittled the list down, you have your first goal: Effectively Teach Your Customers About The Chosen Topic.

    We’ll touch on how to go about this a little further down, but for now let’s focus on the second goal of the campaign: Drive Business. The information you are providing is a great resource for your clients and can be used to add value to your proposal. Additionally, you should use your campaign to promote action and guide prospects to insurance and risk management solutions you offer that directly address their concerns.

    Develop Engaging Content

    On it’s own, educational content can be boring and dull. Thankfully there are countless methods available to help provide your information in an engaging fashion. We’re talking info graphics, videos, short & long form articles, quizzes, online training courses; the possibilities are abundant. Try a few different options and see what content works best for you and your customer base. The more interactive and engaging your content is, the more effective your campaigns will be.

    Scale Across Platforms

    Most, if not all, of your materials are going to be relevant to a greater audience than the one you are targeting with your educational marketing campaigns. If your campaign is email based, share the content on your website and across your social media accounts as well. Allow the people using your resources to share them with their followers and others in the industry. You would be surprised at how many people are looking for the type of information you are providing and just don’t know where to find it.

    Plan Follow-Up

    It’s important that your agency has a plan in place for campaign follow-up for existing clients providing feedback, existing prospects requesting more information and new contacts who are reaching out for the first time. Provide a means of contact in your campaign materials and have a designated employee filtering responses and getting inquiries in front of the right person. If you have new contacts reaching out, make sure you gather their contact information and input them into your CRM system. Consider automated messaging and setting up a template for new contacts interacting with one of your campaigns.

    Whether you’re trying to maintain your client base, reach out to prospects or grow your lead list, educational marketing campaigns can be extremely beneficial for your insurance agency.

    Have ideas for future blog topics? Let us know by emailing socialmedia@mcneilandcompany.com

    For more on producing educational content, check out this article from Property Casualty 360.

    Maintaining Client Relationships Through Email

    I’ve previously preached the importance of meeting with your customers face-to-face as often as possible to establish a strong relationship. However, as your book of business grows and your agency expands its reach, it becomes more and more difficult to keep up with the in-person visits. Insurance agents must be able to develop and maintain client relationship through email.

    So how do you effectively develop a rapport with customers and maintain a fruitful relationship during the purchasing life cycle, all through email marketing? Here are a few tips to help your insurance agency get started:

    Balance Your Marketing Content with Personal Communication

    Marketing is the lifeblood of an insurance agent’s sales pipeline. You have a product that will benefit your client or prospect and you want to get your message in front of them as often as possible. But oversaturation can cause you to come across as disingenuous and do more harm than good.

    Balance is key for effective email communication. Make sure that you send personalized messages to your clients when it’s applicable and you touch on information specific to their company. Don’t be afraid to show your personality and charisma as you aim to develop a rapport with clients and prospects alike.

    *In your mass-marketing emails, try to write as if you are communicating with a single person. This can help add a level of personalization to your email to larger audiences and make your customers feel that you are communicating with them instead of selling to them*

    Contact Customers with a Purpose

    Consistently reaching your customers via email messaging is key to maintaining your client relationships and it’s good to establish a regular communication schedule. However, if you don’t have relevant and valuable content to provide your clients, these messages can do more harm than good. Customers can become disillusioned with your agency if you are sending them the same spam marketing messages that every other insurance provider does.

    The same goes for personalized messages. Checking in on a client isn’t a bad thing, but consistently reaching out without any purpose to your message can weaken your relationship. Think about your interaction with marketers and sales people. When they email you frequently without providing anything of value, how do you react.

    In the end, having a schedule to consistently touch your contacts through email is important to maintaining client relationships, but only if you keep providing content that is valuable to your customers.

    Don’t Let Your Messaging Get Stale

    Maintaining a particular email format or template can be good for brand recognition and consistency. Customers can easily differentiate your email from other marketing correspondence that are filling up their inbox. But this means you must keep your messaging fresh and unique so your clients don’t get tired of the “same old thing.”

    Try mixing up your content styles with images, videos, and infographics to keep your messaging from getting stale. Ask your customers what would pique their interest and what they would find useful. The key is to try new things and offer valuable content without losing the interest of your clients.

    Nothing can build and maintain a client relationship better that face-to-face interactions. But with these tips, you can leverage email communications to maintain the relationships you have while you continue to expand your reach and grow your book of business.

    By: Tim Woitach

    For more information on relationship building through email marketing check out articles from Thomson Reuters (@thomsonreuters) and Outbound Engine (@outboundengine)

    Continuing Education – Beyond CE Credits

    Move beyond the stigma of Continuing Education and help your agency become an industry expert.

    Say the words Continuing Education around a group of agents and you’ll usually hear a chorus of loud sighs in response. Most insurance professionals think of CE as those hours of online classes you have to take every two years so your license doesn’t expire. However, the idea of Continuing Education isn’t exclusive to insurance and the licensing process. It presents an opportunity for your agency to stay ahead of the curve and become an expert and a leader in the industries you serve.

    Insurance Industry Education

    Your typical Continuing Education class discusses topics like ethics and compliance. These are essential for everyone in the insurance industry to understand, but your learning doesn’t need to stop there. Expand your scope beyond bi-yearly CE credits and pursue classes and seminars on other aspects of your job. Reach outside of the insurance bubble and register for sales and marketing conferences that can offer a different perspective on how to grow your book of business. Remember, just because Henry Ford developed the assembly line system to manufacture cars doesn’t mean it isn’t applicable to every other mass-production industry in the world.

    Know Your Products

    In specialized insurance, the coverage is complex and always evolving. It is essential that you stay up to date on the ins-and-outs of the products you offer and know what to leverage to set yourself apart from the competition. But with McNeil & Co. offering 10 programs that cover even more classes of business, how can you stay on top of everything?

    Our marketing representatives and underwriters are available to discuss any of the 10 programs we offer and our newsletter provides agents with resources and updates on a monthly basis. We also hold a bi-annual producer training event that provides an overview of each of our products for agents who are looking to grow their book of business beyond one program. If you want to learn more about the opportunities available to your agency, call 800-822-3747.

    Learn the Industries You Serve

    You could be a walking insurance encyclopedia and never make a single sale if you don’t take the time to learn your customer’s business. A Fire Department’s wants and needs are different than that of a Car Wash operator or an owner of a Hunting Lodge. Attend events and trade shows specific to the industries you serve and learn about the issues that are affecting your customers. Take your learning beyond coverage and become a valuable partner for your clients, not just the person who sells them insurance.

    Continuing Education is an essential part of becoming a successful insurance professional. So next time you hear the words, replace the sigh with the excitement of new opportunity.

     

    By: Tim Woitach

    • E-Learning

       

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      Our E-Learning platform is available 24/7 to meet the needs of the student. These online courses are offered free of charge to our insureds. Additional classes are being developed on a regular basis, so check back often to see new opportunities.
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      Our Programs

      We offer some of the most comprehensive insurance coverages in the industry. Let us propose a customized insurance package for your organization.

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      Have questions about your policy, want more info on our programs or need to be put in touch with a local agent? Contact us today and we'll be glad to assist you!

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      800.822.3747

      info@mcneilandcompany.com

      67 Main St
      Cortland, NY13045