| Quote of the Month
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"Folk who don't know why America is the Land of Promise should be here during an election campaign."
- Milton Berle
Source: www.amusingquotes.com
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| Joke Time: The Top 10 Excuses for Falling Asleep at Your Desk
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"They told me at the blood bank this might happen."
"I wasn't sleeping; I was trying to pick up contact lens without hands."
"I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm!"
"Amen."
"This is just a 15-minute power-nap like they raved about in the last time management course you sent me to."
"Whew! Guess I left the top off the liquid paper."
"I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work-related stress."
"This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people!"
"Boy, that cold medicine I took last night just won't wear off!"
"Darn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem."
Source: www.comedy-zone.net |
| Dingbats Corner
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"In case you missed it, this week there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died-an entire town destroyed."
- Sen. Barack Obama, on a Kansas tornado that killed 12 people
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| Fun Agency Spotlight: Burkey Risk Services
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Who says you can't create profits, blow the doors off production goals, and still have FUN?
IIF's ongoing worldwide search for truly FUN agencies this month bags "a well oiled 'Team Playin' Machine'" - Burkey Risk Services, Inc. of Maitland, Florida! Read on for Pamela Voight's winning submission on how agency ownership turned a contest, a promise and a FUN workplace into an outstanding year of success - PLUS a Bahamas cruise for not only the entire agency staff but also their spouses/significant others! Even more important, they earn full honors as our IIF FUN Agency of the Month, and a treasured IIF decal for each member of the agency! Congrats, Burkey Risk Services!
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News Flash: World Insurance Organization: Blogosphere Increases Global Warming
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Researchers for the World Insurance Organization are expressing concern that the deterioration of earth's blogosphere may substantiate claims of climate change. "It's worse than we thought" were the words escaping the concerned mouth of Dr. Hanzen- Benson Yorgson, high-exalted poobah and muckity-muck of the WIO's White Coats research squad.
Read the article! |
| The Greatest Insurance Story Never Told: Star Trek Underwriter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Coming soon to Cable Network: TIC-The Insurance Channel!
Star Trek Underwriter. Boldly go where no insurance person has gone before-the future! In the grand tradition of the classic television series, which was able to delve into the controversial issues of its day (racism, Vietnam) with impunity simply by setting them thousands of years in the future, our ongoing mission will be to utilize a thorough coverage analysis of each episode (one per week) as a forum to debate burning insurance issues of OUR time.
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| Brand Tip: Brand Therapy
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The other day I found myself sitting in a conference room with branding specialists from 30 of some of the largest independent agencies in North America. These were people directly responsible for public relations, advertising, customer contact and other forms of marketing communications. They were there to learn from each other.
I felt fortunate to be surrounded by such a creative group. But at times it felt more like group therapy. Someone bravely asked, "How many of you have a strategic agency marketing plan you're working from?"
The answer was shocking.
Learn the answer! |
| Tales from the HR Crypt: Desk Clutter Surprise!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  I was working as the HR Director of a large phone center and got the concerned (more like "caller totally freaked out alert" or "whoa - slow down") phone call about 7 p.m. The supervisor had a situation and he was not sure what to do about it because it was unlike anything he had faced before. An employee had been with our company about two months, and he seemed like he was doing well, though at times he seemed a "little left of center." And then it happened-one day he walked into work and placed his things on his desk. When the supervisor walked by, he saw "them."
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| Contest Winners: June Picture of the Month Caption!
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"But the directions SAID, "Turn right at the blue house!"
Submitted by Cynthia Davidson, Kaplan Financial
and
"Honey, I'm home!"
submitted by Virginia Vaughn, North Florida Agents Network, Inc. Thank you to our many participants! The sanity of IIF'ers were questioned as others wondered about the hysterical laughing bursting forth from the IIF office. Winners will receive a t-shirt, decal, sticky note pad, and the new IIF screensaver!
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Book of the Month: Change or Die by Alan
Deutschman~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Change is the most frightening word in business. Why? Because it means more work, and people don't want none of that! Unfortunately there's not much we can do. Change is both a solution and a problem; life and death. What can your agency do?
Deutschman attacks the fear of change from whence it comes: deep within the human psyche. He pilots you into the minds of people possessed with beating down the monotony monster-the same one that has fed on the lives of people and organizations since the brain's first wave. It's time to clear out those ancient ideas and processes that maintain their chokehold on your agency's ability to survive the future! Finally, a book that can actually show you how! Read it! |
| Product Deal of the Month: Insurance is fun! Screensaver!
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Some say "Save the whales!" Others say "Save the World!" IIF says "Save the screens!"
Yes, screens. While every other cause on the planet has its advocates, just who, we say, is looking out for the one resource most of us can't live without-our faithful computer screens! So help IIF save yours! Loaded with a selection of your favorite IIF images, this will not only protect your loyal electronic compatriot but wow your friends and brighten your day. Grab one now and get free updates for the rest of the year! BONUS for you Apple polishers: IIF also has a version for your Mac! Steve would be so proud...
Our screensaver is on sale this month for only $9.99, a savings of $5 from the regular price of $14.99!
Notice to Funsters! You will receive the IIF Screensaver as part of your Funster membership program! There is no charge for you. Watch your mail as you should have it within the week!
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| Picture of the Month
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Caption: "Of the people, by the people, for the people." (yes, my fellow Americans-him, too)
Source: http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/funnypictures/ig/100-Funny-Pictures/Get-A-Brain-Morans.htm
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| Feedback
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 Does our newsletter have you singing Lee Greenwood's "Proud to Be an American" at the top of your lungs? Or does it make you wish you were back in the USSR? Send comments to chris@insuranceisfun.com.
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