E&O Prevention
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January 28, 2010
Agents of America
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    EBook Chapter 5
    Letter from the Editor

    We are pleased to announce that AoA is offering its first webinar on February 11, 2010 entitled "How To Effectively Use Twitter to Grow Your Business."  AoA will be offering another Webinar on March 11th entitled "7 Steps to Generating Real, Targeted, and Profitable Business from LinkedIn" by Nate Kievman.

    Our eBook Chapter 5 this month is on mold: "GROWTH OF MOLD LITIGATION & INSURANCE INDUSTRY RESPONSE & INSURANCE AGENT LIABILITY."

    Please check out our new LinkedIn Discussion Group, called "Agents of America."  It is a great place to interact with industry experts.  Also, note that we have added a "Meet The Expert" link as an acknowledgement to our AoA Experts.

    Finally, remember to tell your friends and associates that Membership in AgentsofAmerica.org is now free, due to the support of our sponsors, advertisers and contributors.  This increases the networking possibilities for everyone involved with AoA.
     
    Britton Weimer
    Editor

    How to use Twitter to Effectively
    Grow your Business
     
    Description:
    Join us for an hour long webinar with top social media business coach Laura Roeder, who will teach inside tips and tricks on getting started on Twitter and using it to gain new partnerships, customers and achieve higher success in 2010.

    When:
    Thursday, February 11 at 1:00PM PST

    Where:
    Click below to register and to get a reminder email before the class starts:
    https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/830250923
     ________________________________
     
    POLL:

    Have you ever experienced "tweeters block" and found yourself sitting there staring at the screen without a clue as to what you are supposed to say?

    Table of Contents

    Unfortunate Letters/Emails and Heading Off Potential E&O Claims
    By Colleen M. Murphy



    Pay As You Drive
    By Roy Little

    Write It Down
    By Charles T. Wilson, CMC, CRM, RPLU





    Overcoming Adversity
    By Robert Stuberg

    MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES
    By Dr. Michael Mercer

    JOKES-OF-THE-MONTH
    By Dr. Michael Mercer

     

    Unfortunate Letters/Emails and Heading Off Potential E&O Claims


    By Colleen M. Murphy     Creating a system and plan of action is the most important thing you can do on LinkedIn to drive business. If you don't, you will spend all your time answering questions that are irrelevant to your business objectives and end goals.

    Every manager hired some employees they wish they never hired.  To make light of - and also put light on - hiring losers, I now give you a special gift: 

    a.  Jokes about types of employees you wish you never hired

    b.  Solutions:  Methods you can use - so you avoid hiring such creeps

    read more...
     
     
    Pay As You Drive
    By Roy Little

    Okay, we've all been busy with other things over the last year but I'm surprised this one is slipping under the radar.  Last September, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner  issued final pay-as-you-drive regulations, which will enable insurers to rate their policies based on actual miles driven as opposed to estimated miles driven.   Have you even heard about this?  Judging from the silence out there, not many have.

     

    ________________________________________________

     Ernest Agent
     
     
     
     

    Click Here for Property & Casualty  Sales Marketing Ideas 

     
     
     
     _________________________________________________

    Do you remember the adage, "Compliment in writing and in public; criticize in private - and verbally"?
    How do you think that advice stands up in today's world of restrictive insurance policies and rampant lawsuits? The risks of non-documentation are staggering in today's business environment.

     
     

     

    I often receive questions from employers regarding how long they must retain records.  Here are some record retention guidelines for employers (based upon federal law only; consult your particular State's laws to confirm conformity with the federal requirements):

     

    A 2009 survey of 904 workers in North America conducted by Right Management Advisory Firm showed that 60% of employees intend to leave their companies as the economy improves next year and an additional 27% are networking or have updated their résumés.  Another survey said the average tenure of employees in the United States has dropped to just four years.  That means that every four years, on average, you or someone you know walks into your boss's office and resigns or is asked to leave the company. 

     
    The first 30 minutes of the workday will set the tone for the entire day. For most people, the first half hour of the day consists of settling into the office routine by grabbing a cup of coffee, checking the internet, and, of course, chatting with others. Now, I will never be one to say we have to avoid coffee and/or socializing, but I will be the first to say it is advantageous to put these activities aside until later.
     
    read more...
    Please Do Not Scratch the Wood Floors!
    By Ed Martinez, PHR
     

    Whether a company is evolving from the inception to the growth stage or from the mature to the declining stage, changes and challenges are certain to be a part of that process. However sudden and abrupt changes to an established organization can either leave tracks of success or nasty scratches that leave unpleasant memories for a lifetime. Organizational leaders that focus only on what goes out the door without much concern about internal valuable assets can be likened to the careless individuals who move heavy furniture on beautiful stained wood floors that leave large and unsightly scratches.

    I was poking around my bookshelf the other day and came across an interesting observation by the stoic philosopher Epictetus. He said: "Adversity introduces a person to himself." And I thought, how true this is. In times of stress, people discover things about themselves they never knew before.

    "It's a nice day to start again."
    -  Billy Idol

    "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
    -  Walt Disney

     
    "Put your calendar where your mouth is."
    -  Tom Peters

     
    "Don't make the wrong mistakes."
    -  Yogi Berra

     

     
    Some employees are so lazy . . . even if they have a work-from-home job, they still get to work late.

    Some employees are so stupid . . . when they find out they can apply for other jobs online, they ask, "Where does the line start?"
    This newsletter is produced in conjunction with Agents of America, www.agentsofamerica.org. The contents of which may not be reproduced without the express written permission of Agents of America.