Agency Markets Takes Commercial Lines New Producer Program into 2nd Year

Boston, MA -  December 2, 2008 – Liberty Mutual Agency Markets and its eight regional commercial lines companies are graduating their first class of producers through a new Commercial Lines New Producer Program which will continue in 2009 with sessions in January and again in June.

This innovative and intensive program immerses participating commercial lines producers in a 30 week development curriculum which relies on both agency and company resources to provide producers with instruction, mentoring, and on-the-job applications to form the foundation for a successful career. 

“This program takes a more interactive and comprehensive tact than what most carriers offer, which is commonly classroom training in far shorter time frames,” said Kenneth J. Swymer , director, National Learning Programs, Liberty Mutual Agency Markets. “This is a blended learning approach that combines online learning, webinars, and in-agency activities with classroom training. It affords producers less time away from their agencies and more time to build their books of business.”

The core elements of the curriculum include The Forum Corporation of North America’s Consultative Selling Skills and the Insurance Institute of America’s (IIA) Accredited Adviser in Insurance (AAI) materials, in addition to Agency Markets’ regional companies’ underwriting and coverage resources. Participants typically devote 15 – 18 hours per week on the curriculum and its associated activities. Successful program completers earn the AAI designation. 

“We’re using a risk management approach to identify exposures and develop a plan to address them through a variety of risk management techniques,” said John A. Cunningham , manager of the Commercial Lines New Producer Program. “By integrating the consultative selling skills process with risk management, new producers learn to adopt a professional adviser approach to growing business.”

Daniel McQuilkin, owner and principal of Insurance Management Group in Marion, Indiana, was among the first businesses to participate in Agency Markets’ Commercial Lines New Producer Program. “We were looking for some formal coverage training, but this was so much more. The use of the AAI insurance training in concert with consultative selling skills has really allowed our producer to grow. The rigorous nature of the program also lends itself to the development of effective time management skills.”

Beginning with an orientation at the Agency Markets company’s nearest regional office, the new producer and agency manager receive a program overview and meet staff and training support personnel who will assist throughout the 30 week development program. New producers are instructed in the Principles of Commercial Lines Insurance, Multi-Line Insurance, Company Products and Services, and Agency Operations and Resources. Upon completion of the program, new producers will have learned:

• Commercial lines loss exposures, coverage forms, and endorsements;
• Risk analysis techniques and tools;
• The Agency Markets regional company’s products and services;
• Agency operations and agency management tools;
• Effective sales techniques and approaches to selling commercial lines; and
• How to create a sales plan.

Producers log on to their workplace desktops to complete AAI program modules and exams and participate in online discussions. An Agency Markets’ Participant Guide and Manager Guide provide a structured timeline for weekly activities to be completed. Each producer has an agency mentor who follows the producer’s progress in the curriculum and spends two to three hours per week ensuring that the producer is applying the learned sales and technical concepts to the agency’s business.

Weekly web-meetings led by the New Producer Program Manager bring together participating producers from agencies located across the country to create a learning community where knowledge and experience and successes and challenges are shared. New producers also interact person-to-person with regional company staff, including underwriting teams and territory managers during three scheduled events: the regional orientation; four and a half days of classroom training on company product and services; and the program graduation.

“The content, style of teaching, and interaction between new producers in the web-based classes is really quite impressive,” said Tom G. Wilcox, Agency Principal of Wilcox, Jones & McGrath, Inc. in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “The program presents an in-depth study of commercial forms and policies as well as sales strategy, which greatly enhances the value of the training we do on the job.”    

For more information about the upcoming 2009 sessions of the Agency Markets Commercial Lines New Producer Program, contact a territory manager with the regional company in your area (America First Insurance – Central Region, Colorado Casualty – Mountain Region, Golden Eagle Insurance – California, Indiana Insurance – Midwest Region, Liberty Northwest – Northwest Region, Montgomery Insurance – Southeast Region, Ohio Casualty – Mid-Atlantic Region, Peerless Insurance – Northeast Region).

About Liberty Mutual Agency Markets

Liberty Mutual Agency Markets, a business unit of Liberty Mutual Group, offers personal and commercial insurance through independent agents throughout the United States. Commercial lines products are offered through eight regional companies and Liberty Agency Underwriters, which provides excess casualty coverage. Personal lines products are offered nationally under the Safeco Insurance brand. Liberty Mutual Surety provides nationwide contract and commercial surety and fidelity bonds, and Summit provides workers’ compensation coverage in the Southeast.

Agency Markets operates under a unique national/regional model that leverages the service-oriented focus of regional operations with the cost efficiencies of a national infrastructure to deliver quality products and services to agents and brokers and the customers they serve. 

Commercial Lines:

• America First Insurance™ (Gulf Region)
• Colorado Casualty™ (Mountain Region)
• Golden Eagle Insurance™ (California)
• Indiana Insurance™ (Midwest Region)
• Liberty Northwest® (Pacific Northwest Region)
• Montgomery Insurance™ (Southeast Region)
• Ohio Casualty™ (Mid-Atlantic Region)
• Peerless Insurance™ (Northeast Region)

Personal Lines:

• Safeco Insurance (National)

Other Product Lines:

• Liberty Agency Underwriters™ (Excess Casualty)
• Liberty Mutual Surety™ (including Liberty Agency Underwriters™ - Bond)
• Summit™ (mono-line Workers’ Compensation)

Liberty Mutual Group ranks 94 on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations based on 2007 revenues. The company has financial strength ratings of A (Excellent) from the A.M. Best Company, A2 (Good) from Moody’s Investors Service, and A- (Strong) from Standard & Poor’s.

Contact:

Christopher Goetcheus, 774-279-5923
or [email protected]