Welcome to the February Insurance Is Fun "Fun Times" Newsletter! We hope you enjoy this month's offerings. We are working on new layouts and designs, so watch for more changes in the coming months! We appreciate your interest, constructive criticism and eagerly accept your ideas for improving this newsletter, our products and other offerings. Just drop us an e-mail at newsletterfeedback@insuranceisfun.com.

Now, on to the the fun!

Replace “Save the City of Kings from Ork and Nasgood” on your daily planner with “Deliver policy” or “Make 10 cold calls” and the message is the same: Don’t procrastinate!

And so the cannibals dutifully promised not to dine on other staff.

Four weeks later their boss remarked, “You’re all working very hard, and I’m satisfied with you. However, one of our CSRs has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to her?” The cannibals all shook their heads. After the boss had left, the leader of the cannibals said to the others, “Which one of you idiots ate the CSR?” A hand rose hesitantly, causing the cannibal leader to shout, “You fool! For four weeks we’ve been eating producers and no one noticed anything. But noooooo, you had to go and eat a CSR!”

This month, make it a point to more effectively manage your time. Here are two tips that’ll make it a cinch:

1. Pick up a day planner, PC program, or, better yet, an IIF journal from www.insuranceisfun.com. Organize your thoughts and goals, and enjoy the results!

2. Consult with an IIF expert. The finest source of time-management tidbits in our industry is IIF’s contributing editor Bill Wilson. His workbook, “Successful Personal Management,” is available exclusively at www.insuranceisfun.com.

Do you have a great story on how altering your time-management habits changed your life and made you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams? We’d love to hear it! E-mail the secrets of your success to newsletter@insuranceisfun.com.

? Truth decay -- Dentist Alireza Asgari did hundreds of painful, worthless and botched surgeries on patients to steal nearly $370,000 in insurance money. The Wilkes-Barre, Pa., dentist performed unnecessary root canals, cavities and extractions.

? Princess was pauper -- Antoinette Millard pretended she was a Saudi Princess and hobnobbed with Manhattan society, but she actually was the daughter of a Buffalo steelworker. She couldn’t afford the swanky living, and tried to raise cash by lying to Chubb Insurance that a thief stole $226,000 worth of her jewels.

? Blight of the living dead -- Molly and Clayton Daniels dug up the body of an elderly woman, dressed her in Clayton’s clothes, put her in his car, torched it and pushed it off a cliff near Georgetown, Tex. They faked Clayton’s death for $110,000 in life-insurance money. Clayton returned disguised as Molly’s new boyfriend.

? Blind ambition -- Brian Calen made a small fortune in insurance money by lying that he lost his right eye on three separate boat cruises. Here are the Manhattan day trader’s outrageous claims: a sun filter fell off a ship’s telescope while he was looking through it, a champagne bottle exploded on another cruise, and he was hit by a flying toy disc on yet a third cruise.

If you’re interested in viewing the complete list of follies, click on the link below and search for the January 25, 2006, article titled “CAIF Dishonors 2005’s Worst Insurance Con Artists.”

The Insurance Journal

Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, director of undergraduate research and associate professor of psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV, offered this explanation of his findings: “[T]he presentation of peppermint or cinnamon odor while driving may produce a more alert and conscientious driver, and minimize the fatigue associated with prolonged driving.”

In general, prolonged driving increases anger, fatigue and physical demand, while it decreases vigor. However, fatigue ratings were decreased when the drivers were exposed to cinnamon during the test. Both cinnamon and peppermint administration led to increased ratings of alertness in comparison to the no-odor control condition over the course of the driving scenario. Says Raudenbush: “Periodic administration of these odors over long-term driving may prove beneficial in maintaining alertness and decreasing highway accidents and fatalities.”

Looking for proven anxiety-reducing remedies for your workplace? Browse the most extensive catalog of insurance-related stress-killing goodies available in the universe: www.insuranceisfun.com.

Sources: “Driving Scents: A Dash of Cinnamon or Peppermint Keeps Drivers Alert,” 1/24/06, www.theinsurancejournal.com; Wheeling Jesuit University.

In this cheerful yet wise anecdote on life in the wondrous world of insurance agents, the author tells the tale of two mice who one day awaken to a puzzle—their plentiful soft markets, which have served them well for so many years, have suddenly disappeared. Where once an abundance of markets appeared, now only a few hard scraps remained, and those nearly indigestible.

At first our two mice ponder the mystery. Did terrorists steal away their sustenance? After coming to the realization that the soft days were gone, the two choose different courses. One quickly laces up his traveling shoes and sets off in search of new sources of coverage. The other, still totally puzzled at the sudden shift in the marketplace, decides to sit tight and wait for his markets to return. As the one hopes for rescue, the other journeys through a seeming maze of discovery. As he searches, he discovers great truths about insurance markets and writes them on the wall of the maze for his friend or the industry trade press to discover. These include such insights as: “E&S is where it’s at!”; “Reinsurance Rules”; and, of course, “Clients should understand they’ve been getting away with murder on those low premiums!”

At last, both mice find a happy ending—the first by finding sufficient new markets to survive, and the one who stayed home by eventually accepting a buyout offer from a national chain.

The author invites you to decide with which mouse you most identify.

Source: Chris Amrhein, AAI

1. If our brand is [insert your slogan here, such as “Friendly Service”], then how can we all make this more literal and tangible from our customer’s perspective?

2. What specific steps can you do in your daily activity to breathe life into this brand?

And if you’re worried about how your brand is holding up, or have any questions about what makes a solid agency brand, feel free to consult an IIF expert: e-mail Peter at peter@insuranceisfun.com.

Mr. Mandino’s classic “sales people of the world, have faith” tome is one for the ages. After all, the mental preparation that goes into the world’s most basic, yet difficult, profession is indescribable. Overcoming the “no factor” is unnatural for most in this ferocious line of work, yet Mandino’s beautiful depiction of the world’s greatest salesperson is a powerful motivator.

Busy bees have no excuse because the whole book can be easily read in an hour. Circulate a copy around your office and count the smiles. And, yes, the author’s name is Og.

Our IIF “Glad to Be in This Business” Rating: 11*

*That’s out of a possible 10, but the author earns an unprecedented IIF bonus point because we like his name.

IIF Irish Store

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