
Chicagoland SIA Blog


Don't make these e-mail marketing mistakes
E-mail can be an important tool for marketing your insurance business. But e-mail marketing can be tricky — federal law requires that anyone sending out e-mail for commercial purposes follow some specific rules or risk costly penalties.

Two ways a global pandemic has changed the business world
It’s been months of uncertainty and upheaval. And now, across the nation, people are going back to work and businesses are trying to reopen and get back on track after the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak. What’s the new normal going to look like? Here are two ways that the global pandemic has fundamentally changed the way U.S. companies do business:

Do you go on the defensive when responding to customer complaints?
Have you ever had a complaint about a product or service and the person you were dealing with immediately became defensive? Were they ready to shut you down before even hearing your side of things?

Simple ways to boost your agency's Facebook reach
Most businesses know Facebook is constantly tweaking its algorithm. This presents a challenge to those looking to garner exposure and attract a strong audience. Here are four tips that you might not have heard of to increase your agency’s audience on Facebook and get your message in front of more people.

Being a business leader means supporting your community
Insurance agents should be business leaders in their community. Part of being a business leader involves leading by example in giving back to the community. If you are considering ways you can make an impact where you live, here are a few ideas.

Employee retention: It's not always about money
We all know that happier workers are more likely to deliver great customer service and stick with your insurance agency over the long term. But did you know that for most people, money can’t buy workplace happiness? Research shows that making employees happy is more than just paying them a good — or great — salary or giving them a raise.

Three common types of insurance fraud
Insurance fraud harms everyone involved: the insurance customer, the insurance agency, and insurance companies. The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (CAIF) reports that nearly $80 billion per year is lost because of insurance fraud.

Employee training options for insurance agencies
In operating a successful insurance agency, an area of key importance is developing an employee training program. All employees should have in-depth knowledge of insurance. You will want producers and other employees involved in selling insurance to obtain an insurance license. Other training could also be beneficial, including sales and customer service training.

Stronger passwords, made easy
How many different login credentials do you use every day? If you are like most people, you have several accounts for your online banking, email, subscriptions, online shopping and other sites. And these are just in your personal life. Chances are, you have a number of passwords you use each day for business as well.