Use the rifle approach to safety

View my most recent column in Allbusiness.com.

New book on risk management a must read

Because I believe in insurance and risk management education, I'm posting a review from claims writer and pundit Kevin Quinley's website praising a new book by insurance professional Rick Vassar.

"Olly olly oxen free! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Reviewed by Kevin Quinley

Hide! Here Comes the Insurance Guy

by Rick Vassar, iUniverse, 2006, 196 pp., $17.95

Somebody once said that a New York accent was the most effective form of birth control known to man. Others might nominate as an effective contraceptive any tendency to talk about insurance… or risk management, for that matter.

Author, risk manager and consultant Rick Vassar has penned an illuminating primer on insurance and risk management in his book, "Hide! Here Comes the Insurance Guy." The title is a take-off on the notion that, for most people, meeting with an insurance person or discussing coverage is as much fun as a root canal or proctological exam. The author – a CPCU and an ARM -- lives a dual existence. By day, he is a mild-mannered risk manager for a company in the Washington D.C. area. In his spare time, he writes and consults on risk management topics (check out vassargroup). Vassar tries (successfully) to cushion the blow and counter the stereotype by presenting insurance and risk management principles in a straightforward way that can profit any business professional.

Part of his theme is that most companies have risks that are overseen by someone whose title is not "Risk Manager." Most companies do not have risk managers; you need to have a pretty big insurance budget to justify that as a full-time position. No company vies to be paying so much in insurance premium that they spotlight the problem by having a full-time individual to tend to it. Nevertheless, all companies have risks and need to manage it. For these risk managers without title or formal portfolio, Vassar's book – perhaps the best risk management book of the year even without that phrase in the title -- is an indispensable primer and guide. Reading and heeding his advice will save businesses much money, frustration and Excedrin-consumption.
Vassar divides his book into three main sections. Part I discusses business strategies to even the playing field between policyholders and insurance companies. Part II walks through the major basic forms of insurance coverage for most any business. Part III rounds out with a useful; glossary and index.

Vassar's target audience is likely not the Fortune 500 or Fortune 1000 risk pro who attends the annual RIMS Conference. There is no highfalutin discussion of enterprise risk management or views from 50,000 feet above ground level. If you are seeking information on Sarbanes-Oxley compliance or the risk management implications of global warming, look elsewhere. The storefront risk manager, though, will find a wellspring of effective tips and tricks between these covers.

Vassar's focus is practical and hands-on, leavened with a self-deprecating sense of humor. Did I say "humor"? Yes, though few comedy clubs are likely to feature an Open Mike night for insurance reps, Vassar takes the human antipathy toward insurance and turns it into a source of mirth and amusement. (Some end-of-chapter checklists would have been a nice addition to the text, but this is a minor quibble.)

So run -- but don't hide - and get your copy of "Hide! Here Comes the Insurance Guy." Get out from under the desk. Leave the closet and face your fears. Insurance and risk management may not be fun (though they are occasionally funny), but Rick Vassar has come as close to anyone in blending sharp wit with moneysaving risk management insights.

Insurance Writer relocates to Phoenix

December 26, 2007



Release Date: Immediate Contact: Nancy Germond, ARM, AIC

Insurance consulting firm relocates to Phoenix

Insurance Writer, owned by Nancy Germond, ARM, AIC, a national risk management and insurance training firm, recently relocated to Phoenix, Arizona.

Insurance Writer was founded in 1997 by Nancy Germond. She has authored scores of articles on risk management, safety, personnel matters and claims management. She authors two columns, one for www.allbusiness.com and for Workers’ Comp Bottom Line, a Thomson West publication. In conjunction with Stillman Thomas, she designs advertising for some of the top MGAs and service providers in the nation. Her website is www.insurancewriter.com. Her blog’s URL is www.insurancecopywriter.blogspot.com.

Germond is a skilled and experienced consultant and presenter. Her relaxed and entertaining talks and columns focus on societal risks impacting today's risk management professional as well as tips for tightening day-to-day business operations.

If you'd like more information, please call Nancy at (602) 870.3230.
XXX

E-mail communications may shoot us in the foot

For an excellent overview of the continuing problems with e-mail discovery, click here. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Insurance Writer announces new column

December 6, 2007



Release Date: Immediate

Contact: Nancy Germond, ARM, AIC
573 638-3738

Insurance consulting firm launches new risk management column

Nancy Germond, ARM, AIC, President of Insurance Writer, a national risk management and insurance training firm, will debut a new column in January 2008 at allbusiness.com, which is owned by Dun & Bradstreet. Ms. Germond’s column, “Risk Management for the 21st Century,” will assist small-to-medium sized businesses in better managing their risk.

As any manager knows, risk is inherent in almost every interaction in today’s increasingly complicated workplace. Many organizations rely exclusively on their insurance agent or broker to handle risk. However, business managers should have a high level of knowledge about managing risk. This column will provide business leaders with practical, common-sense tips to improve safety, better manage risk and the purchase of insurance, and more thoroughly understand the insurance marketplace.

Insurance Writer was founded in 1997 by Nancy Germond. Click here to view here to view her blog or website.

She has authored scores of articles on risk management, safety, personnel matters and claims management. For almost a decade, she has contributed to Workers' Comp Bottom Line, a Quinlan publication. Germond is a skilled and experienced presenter, and her relaxed and entertaining talks and columns focus on societal risks impacting today's risk management professional as well as tips for tightening day-to-day claims operations.

If you'd like more information regarding this or other information, please contact Nancy.

Employers must pay for most personal protective equipment

OSHA has promulgated a new personal protective safety standard which, in a nutshell and with few exceptions, requires employers to pay for all employees' personal protective equipment. For a full read, click this link.

Are you at the right venue?

I recently attended the Workers Compensation Disability Conference in Chicago. There were over 200 exhibitors vying for the attention of the attendees. I tried to visit every booth to view new products and look for article ideas for my monthly column in Workers' Comp Bottom Line. Do you know what I noticed? Some exhibitors were at the wrong trade show.

That's right. They had spent thousands of dollars to buy space, transport and house personnel, furnish marketing material and burn valuable marketing time. The results? Some probably are back in their offices this week, wondering why their phones aren't ringing.

There are many vendors developing products that are ripe for an insurance industry eager, no desperate, to cut costs. But your marketing consultants may not be the best vehicle to ensure you're reaching the right portion of the industry with your message because they don't have a hands-on knowledge of the industry.

You've heard the phrase "targeted marketing." Targeting your prospects ensures your advertising dollars are reaching the audience that needs or will consider your product. The insurance industry is complex, and the consultant or ad agency you use must understand the industry to help you penetrate this complex market.

Here's one example. One young vendor was there with what appeared to be a great program that adjusters can use to dictate their reports and receive them back in just a few hours. With the amount of outsourcing carriers are now doing, this product makes sense. Unfortunately, this venue, where many attendees were Federal employees and adjusters not empowered to make purchasing decisions, probably wasn't a great show for this product. There's several other venues I recommended to this provider that would reap much stronger results.

Your advertising agency should be more than a vehicle to produce copy; it should provide a tailored marketing program that will help your product penetrate a highly competitive and increasingly technical marketplace.

Today, every advertising dollar counts. For a free consultation on your product, call me at 573 638-3738.

Are we focused on the goal

to the exclusion of seeing those around us?

The Oakland Police Department recently spent hours trying to oust a gunman who had barricaded himself inside his house. After two hours of firing tear gas canisters into the house, the officers noticed the home owner standing beside them in the police line up, chanting, "Please come out and give yourself up!"

It's a great thing to set goals and feel proud of our successes, but to truly succeed in life as well in business, we should remember the others beside us, also helping us to succeed. Survey after survey shows employees feel increasingly disenfranchised from their work, which hurts productivity and creates customer service issues galore.

Take a moment today to sincerely thank those who help you to succeed.

Is your Blackberry costing you too much money?

I am attending the Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference in Chicago. I've noticed a few striking changes in the audiences attending events.

Attendees (and many exhibitors) are so busy scrolling through messages on their PDAs and returning cell phone calls or reading text messages, they've stopped talking to people. And they've also, in some cases, stopped listening to speakers. Many of the audience member are terribly distracted, and the same held true in the exhibitor center.

I'm not sure what the answer is, but I do feel that one of the benefits of attending a conference is to schmooze, network, and otherwise meet people and learn about new products. If we're so preoccupied with what's going on back at the office, I'm not sure attendance benefits anyone.

Next time you send your personnel to a conference, suggest they take a break and enjoy the show. One thing I've learned the hard way, whether I'm answering my phone and reading e-mails 24/7 or not, the world spins on without me.

Thank you cards for busy execs

I preach to the converted, I'm sure, about the value of cards in building business. I've discovered a great resource, a card service that allows you to manage all your cards and contacts on line, whether it's birthdays, anniversaries, thank you cards, or seasonal wishes.

For about a dollar (this includes postage), you can send a beautiful card automatically, even personalized in your own handwriting. For more information, take ten minutes and call me for more information.

I find many busy agents are doing Google searches looking for advice on writing cards. This simple program will help you manage your card commitments.

What better way to build relationships than by cards? I've kept in touch over the years with hundreds of people this way. You can, too. Call me (visit my website for contact information) and simplify your life while building your relationships. Isn't that what sales is all about?

Sum up how you serve

When people ask you what work you do, do you respond, "I'm in insurance"? I've killed numerous conversations with that line at parties, or on a plane when I don't want to talk to my seatmate.

There are scores of articles advising a one-minute marketing speech that recommends that you quickly promote yourself to others. I advise a little more caution. When we meet others, we make snap-second decisions regarding whether we're even willing to learn more about them and their profession. Pushing a 30-second "canned" presentation the first few moments you meet someone that so many networking experts promote can backfire.

If you're "in insurance," how about this one-liner? "I help people protect the people they love." Or if you're an HR manager, what about "I help my organization recruit and retain the brightest people in the [fill in the blank] industry."

Build a picture of what you do with your words and open the door to a conversation where, once trust is built, you can divulge more information to others when warranted. Americans are overwhelmed by pitches and we who rely on networking must be careful that we don't come on too strong.

We can paint a picture with our words that shows our enthusiasm for what we do. If we're excited about what we do, it's easier to get others excited, too.

First Boomer applies for Social Security!

On October 15, Kathleen Casey Kirschling, a former teacher, applied for Social Security benefits, according to CBS News. This makes her the first of nearly 80 million Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, to apply for benefits.

77 million Boomers will begin to retire over the next two decades, over 1/4 of the workforce is eligible to retire in 2010. Is your organization ready?

To receive a free White Paper that details 22 steps your company can take to ensure you're ready for this exodus, click here.