Category: Agency Management

Astonish to Appear at IIAI Convention and Trade Show

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Does your insurance agency have the recipe for success? When it comes to developing an effective insurance sales strategy, does your agency possess the right ingredients?

The Sheraton Hotel in West Des Moines, IA will be the host of the IIAI's 105th Annual Convention and Trade Show on September 21-22, 2011!

Astonish Results is very pleased to announce its participation in the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa (IIAI) 105th Annual Convention and Trade Show on September 21-22, 2011 at the Sheraton Hotel in West Des Moines, IA!

Between 3:00pm – 6:30pm on Sept. 21st, Astonish will be available at booth 78 during the IIAI’s Annual Trade Show exhibit. There will be a total of three exhibits that will all be concentrated on assisting the needs of the independent insurance agent. Between 5:00 and 6:30, drinks and hors d’ouvres will be served and prizes will be given out!

The IIAI is widely considered to be one of the largest insurance trade shows in the country. Those in attendance will have the privilege of listening to some of the top insurance professionals showcase their expertise revolving around the most effective insurance sales techniques and also discuss the latest issues within the insurance industry.

Speaking at this event will be:

  • Russ Sporer, CPCU, Former Principal of NOEL Insurance Agency
  • Anna Jaeger, Associate Account Executive for Profit & Liability, Travelers Insurance
  • Miles A. Weis, Account Executive Officer, Bond & Financial Products

Additionally, there will be several famous guest speakers on hand including:

  • Terry Branstad, Governor of Iowa
  • Newt Gingrich, Former U.S. Speaker of the House and Presidential Candidate

During the first day of the event, attendees will have the option of choosing between taking a day off at the golf course or to further their insurance education. For those that opt to spend the day out on the fairway with their fellow insurance professionals, then they can participate in the IIAI’s 21st Annual Convention Best Ball Golf Tournament at Beaver Creek Golf Course!

The IIAI 105th Annual Convention and Trade Show in West Des Moines, IA promises to be a very fun, entertaining, and informative event! It will be an excellent opportunity for many insurance professionals to broaden their network, learn from their peers, and further their knowledge of the insurance industry.

If you are interested in learning how you can help your agency grow and discover the recipe for success, you need to register for this great event. Do not miss out on all of the action!

No Comments by on September 14, 2011
filed in Agency Management, Astonish Results News, Consulting, Events, Insurance Marketing, Sales
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2011 Agents Alliance Convention & Expo

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Are you ready to power the future of your agency and be the force that drives change? The 2011 Agents Alliance Convention & Expo will provide the opportunity to listen to some of the top insurance professionals speak about the most ground-breaking, cutting edge insurance marketing strategies in the industry!

This event will be taking place in Palm Desert, CA at the JW Marriot Desert Springs Resort & Spa on September 29th – October 2nd, 2011.

Speaking at this great event will be none other than Stuart Ganis, Executive Vice President of Consulting and Business Development of Astonish Coaching, along with Jerry Pickett, Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions.

On Sept. 29th, and Oct. 1st, Ganis and Pickett will be holding four combined workshops throughout this time. These include:

  • Think you know what your agency is worth? You are NOT even close!
    Featuring: Jerry Pickett
    Sept. 29th, 10:00am – 12:00pm, Salon E
    Oct. 1st, 8:00am – 9:00am, Salon D
  • Insurance Agency Sales & Marketing 101
    Featuring: Stuart Ganis
    Sept. 29th, 2:00pm – 5:00 pm, Salon E
    Oct. 1st, 10:00am – 12:00pm, Salon D

Join Jerry Pickett to learn exactly which key factors determine your agency’s value! He will also cover the Top 5 Reasons Why Agencies Are Losing Value and How to Calculate Your Agency’s Value. Those that attend his session will be entered into a drawing for a FREE Summary Opinion of Value, which is a detailed analysis of your agency’s current market value.

Stuart Ganis will be discussing key elements of Insurance Sales and Marketing and how this can be applied to small and midsize insurance agencies. This workshop will reveal cost-effective marketing ideas that can be implemented in your agency today!

Convention attendees will have the opportunity to stay connected and updated on the latest trends in the insurance industry. More importantly, it is an opportunity for members to gather together and share their knowledge, insight, and field experiences with one another.

Throughout the course of this event, there will be many workshops that can help you discover new ways to help your agency see the bigger picture and effectively approach the modern consumer! If you are interested in learning how you can help your agency grow, you need to register for this great event. Do not be left behind!

No Comments by on September 7, 2011
filed in Agency Management, Astonish Results News, Events, Insurance Marketing, Insurance Media, Leads, Sales, SEO, Social Media, Strategy, Tips, Web Design, Websites
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Astonish Results Brings Fundraising Dollars and Jobs to Newport Beach, CA

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Astonish Results was happy to support a fundraising event for Boys Town California called the Flight of Hope and sponsored by agency partner Tony Alessandra of Insurance Solutions in Mission Viejo, CA.

According to the U.S. Department of Department of Health and Human Services, over 794,000 children are abused or neglected in the U.S. each year with close to 1,800 dying as a result. Donations from the event fund programs for abused, abandoned, homeless and runaway boys and girls and their families. The elegant, Japanese-themed evening raised funds for the development of programs that instill values to strengthen the body, mind, and spirit of youth who need it most.

The guest speaker at the event was a graduate of Boys Town California years ago who returned to share the story of finding her sister at a foster home and her desire to provide the same love and support she received from Boys Town. It was an emotional and heartfelt life experience that left many audience attendees in tears.

“The fact that Astonish Results is willing to support its partners and our cause by travelling across the country to support this event means the world,” said Teresa Dinh, a representative from Boys Town California. “Many of the children we help literally have the clothes on their backs and nothing else, so individual donations go a long way towards improving their lives.”

Along with Mr. Alessandra, Astonish Results’ CEO Adam DeGraide, President Tim Sawyer and senior director of California marketing at the Mercury Insurance Company, David Suarez, sponsored a table at the black tie gala held at the Fairmont Newport Beach in Newport Beach, CA.

Showing support for Boys Town and the altruism of Tony Alessandra, each executive made a significant individual donation that will create jobs in Newport Beach, CA while benefitting children who need treatment or special care to prepare them for a normal life and re-entry into society.

“I was blown away by the support of Astonish Results and Mercury at this year’s Boys Town Flight for hope event,” said Tony Alessandra, owner of Insurance Solutions. “This is a tremendous cause to support because the

services are so critical for helping abused or neglected children get the normal life they deserve.”

Astonish Results CEO Adam DeGraide, “Tony is a great friend and who is devoted to his California community. We’re happy to support his charitable endeavors, especially when it’s for a cause as noble as Boys Town California.”

The event also honored community supporters for their efforts in bringing better care to those in need.

Astonish Results also is in the process of opening a new office in the Orange County California region.  This will bring many new jobs to the community, as well as allowing Astonish Results to serve their clients better on a more local level.  The Astonish Results Orange County office is scheduled to open in 2011.

No Comments by on October 15, 2010
filed in Agency Management, Astonish Results News, Business Development, Charity, Events, Executives, Insurance Marketing, Insurance Media, Recognition
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Email Marketing Still Important to Life and Health

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The internet and social media get a lot of attention in our efforts to generate insurance leads. However, the unsung hero of insurance agency marketing strategies is the tried and true email marketing campaign, which, when implemented smartly and tactfully, provides agencies with a valuable communication to existing and potential policy-holders.

Astonish Results President Tim Sawyer recently sat down with the publisher of National Underwriter, Tashawna Rodwell, to discuss how insurance agency e-mail marketing can drive focused messages to a large audience.  The “Serving the Modern Consumer” video discussion also veered into how combining the use of e-mail with other marketing tools can help build a loyal following.

Mark Shuster of Life Health Solutions and Elaine Henderson of Ken Johnson Insurance also shared stories of how e-mail marketing has worked for their agencies. Mr. Shuster spoke about how sending out automated monthly newsletters, birthday updates, and insurance industry news has helped create awareness of his agency in a way that shows people they aren’t just concerned with selling insurance, but actually contributing to peoples knowledge and understand of it. And because there is a system in place that monitors who is opening the e-mails,  who is reading, forwarding, and engaging in them, everything can be quantified..

Elaine Henderson tells how Ken Johnson Insurance of South Carolina has a full time employee whose job is to create and implement e-mail campaigns while ensuring the quality is reflective of the agencies values and expertise. They add about 200-300 people a week to their e-mail list and earn many referrals because of it.

Tim Sawyer offers four factors that are critical to making e-mail campaigns a successful insurance marketing strategy:

1)      Who you are sending these e-mails to.

2)      What you are sending.

3)      How often your are sending them.

4)      Who is opening them, reading, and forwarding them to peers.

You may view the video in its entirety below:

No Comments by on August 2, 2010
filed in Agency Management, Astonish Results News, Business, Business Development, Insurance Marketing, Leads, Recognition, Sales, Strategy, Training, Websites
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Tax Season a Welcome Time for H.G. Holdam and Astonish Results

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Leaving the old ways of traditional marketing behind and jumping into the new world of technology based marketing strategies proves difficult for some. Not so for CEO Heidi Holdam and Vice President Craig Forte of H.G. Holdam Insurance and Tax Accounting in Palm Beach, Florida.

2010 marked one of the most successful tax seasons in their 20+ year history, much of which they attribute to a successful e-mail marketing campaign the company has been implementing over the past 12 months with the help of Astonish Results. The campaign sent emails to past and present clients and made them aware of the expanding services HG Insurance provides for tax season. The result was a steady influx of internet leads coming in, with a spike coming in the February – April timeframe as people hurry to file taxes by the deadline.

Almost as important as generating the leads, is training the sales associates to treat these leads the same as traditional leads, building a relationship with the customers rather than trying to sell them a quote off the bat.

During an Insurance Journal TV E-Marketing Minute interview with Astonish Results CEO Adam DeGraide, Mr. Forte shares their plan of action by saying it was important to let the customers know what to expect from H.G. Holdam as a company and set the stage for a relationship before trying to sell the service.

In the past few years many insurance agencies have been hesitant to make the switch to social media marketing, but as Ms. Holdam puts it, “I am so glad I made the transition…I spent a lot of money in traditional advertising, all of the traditional ways. For me to just say one day I am going to make the change, and it worked.”

Please enjoy the following video interview to hear more of Heidi and H.G. Holdam’s story:

No Comments by on June 7, 2010
filed in Agency Management, Business, Business Development, Employees, Leads, Sales, Strategy, Tips

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