| Quotes of the Month
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"I was walking down the street wearing glasses when the prescription ran out."
-Steven Wright
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please."
-Mark Twain |
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Joke Time
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A young man walked into our insurance office to purchase coverage for his new motorcycle. Only one question confused him. "Do you have a lien holder on the vehicle?"
"I've got a kickstand," the prospect replied. "Is that the same thing?"
Source: www.basicjokes.com
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It's Time for Another IIF contest!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What would summer in the US of A be without the "summer blockbuster?" In honor of the millions of dollars us Americans have donated to Hollywood through the years, the writers at IIF decided to put together a little "quote" contest. The first reader to (1) correctly identify the movie each quote came from, and (2) put them in order by highest grossing box office wins a prize! We'll publish the results in a future issue.
QUOTE #1: "Before we start, did anyone lose a bunch of twenties rolled up in a rubber band? Because we found the rubber band."
QUOTE #2: "But John, if the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists."
QUOTE #3: "He said we weren't going to have to worry about money anymore. So I said 'that's good, one less thing."
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Product Mystery/Deal of the Month: What is Jeff Yates talking about?
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Here's what Jeff Yates, Executive Director for ACT (Agency Council for Technology) has to say:
"Chris has done it again. He presents important information on how the customers and employees of independent agents are changing in a most entertaining and memorable way. Every agent should spend the time to listen to these CDs to understand how the the Gen Xers and Millennials differ from the Baby Boomers and Seniors, as well as from each other. This is great information to help in designing target marketing and service strategies for each of these groups, as well as to gain a better understanding of what makes them tick as employees."
Wow! Thanks, Jeff!
But what is Jeff talking about? Ands what is the special offer we have for all IIF newsletter subscribers? Click that link and all this and much more shall be yours!
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Dingbats and Dillweeds: Because Everyone Loves an Idiot!
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Uh, his name didn't happen to be Jared, did it?
"A Florida man called 911 to complain that Subway has left the sauce off his spicy Italian sandwich. He was arrested after calling a second time to complain that police were not responding."
How to turn $50 into $245,000 in four years - and it's completely legal!
"A Milwaukee man has had his house seized by the city over an unpaid $50 parking ticket. Peter Tubic, 62, concedes he is at fault for not paying the 2004 ticket- which late fees swelled to $2600. Nevertheless, says Tubic, the city overreacted by seizing his $245,000 home. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Richard Sankovitz disagreed, ruling that 'the city was entitled to a judgment' because 'there hadn't been an answer to the complaint."
Source: The Week Magazine
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"Finding a Diamond Among the Coal!" Department
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Surely you've heard that many folks now refer to the World Wide Web as the "World Wide Waste." The amount of digital flotsam and jetsam arriving daily merely from ex-Nigerian officials with a need to move money out of the country is enough to clog up the mightiest mailbox filter!
We mean, how much fun is dealing with that? So here at IIF, where we are always about more fun, we decided-as a public service-to help. Each issue, we will find you a diamond from among the coal, a swan from among the geese, a pearl from among the swine-well, you get the idea. So feel free to reroute all your current e-mail bloat into that "automatically delete" file, while trusting us here at IIF headquarters to pass on anything truly worthy of our valued attention. And hey, it'll be fun!
This issue:
There are two schools of thought in the world of trivial knowledge. The first is: "What's the point?" and the second is: "Wow! Is there anything that guy/gal doesn't know? I want to be him/her!" If the latter is your camp, check out this gem of a collection and sign up for the daily quiz. Who knows? You may just learn what the longest running comedy play in London* is! How many of you're co-workers can say that?
*The answer to the aforementioned question is "No Sex Please- We're British" which the author of this section found amusing. Come on, admit it- even you "What's the point-ers?" out there wanted to know the answer.
Find the Diamonds!
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News Flash: Fun at the DMV and Heating up the Big Apple!
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Long lines at the DMV? Remember to bring a book, snack, and subrogation waiver
"Antoinette Bowser of Virginia began her driving test by backing into a parked car in the parking lot of the Department of Motor Vehicles, allegedly injuring the test instructor. To cover the instructor's workers-compensation claim, the state is now suing Bowser for $75,000."
Big Apple Risk Management is Hot! Hot! Hot!
"After spending tens of millions on rubberized safety matting for all its playgrounds, New York City is now being sued because the matting gets too hot. At least three families have sued because their children were burned while playing barefoot on the black rubber mats, which in the summer can reach temperatures of up to 160 degrees. An advocacy group for park users called the city 'unconscionable' for installing the mats."
Source: The Week Magazine
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Brand Tip: The Real Reason for the Bucks in Starbucks
By Peter van Aartrijk Jr., CIC
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In a crowded Starbucks on a hazy morning, IIF Chief Fun Officer Peter van Aartrijk made a startling discovery that is sure to shake up the very essence of our agency culture-all while nursing what he used to think was the most important quality of Starbucks: a pretty darn good cup of coffee.
The Real Reason!
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Are We There Yet?
By Chris Amrhein, AAI
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Ah, the plaintive cries of children everywhere, trapped in the back seat of the family sedan as the vacation miles roll interminably onward.
Except in this case, the words are coming from agency owners. And the sad part is there's often no answer. Worse, it may be their own fault for ignoring the most obvious source of measuring agency progress towards success:
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| Book of the Month: Personality Not Included by Rohit Bhargava
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Small and medium sized independents that have grown weary competing with the big houses need this book.
Yes, it's another tome about branding. Yes, it's filled with stories of larger-than-life companies with bazillion-dollar ad budgets. And yes, it also includes some of the best supplemental information for small to mid-sized agencies looking for practical methods to shout "me, me, me!" to consumers who are constantly shelled by eager insurance sellers of all sizes. There are ideas big and small and it's written for everyone- not just those with intimate knowledge of the agency's P&L. Everyone in your agency should read this book NOW.
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Picture of the Month: It's About to Get Ugly!
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Honestly, we can't come up with a single thing to say that isn't worse than what you are already thinking. And for the coverage geeks among you: No, there is no pollution exclusion in the personal auto policy. | |
