PRO-to-PRO kicks off on Thursday, February 17, with a luncheon that features the AIMS Society Annual Meeting of Members and the annual conferment for individuals who earned the Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) professional designation. Prior to the luncheon, CPIA trainers and sponsors will take part in “train the trainer” and idea sharing.
After lunch, back-to-back interactive agent and carrier panel sessions, “Making Social Media Part of Your Agency Marketing Strategy” and “The New Marketplace: How to Experience Agency Growth Through Online Niches,” will be followed by a presentation by Omnia Group’s Carletta Neal, titled “Hiring The Best: Key Personnel Traits for Today’s Sales-Focused Agencies.”
On Friday, AIMS Society PRO-to-PRO attendees will meet jointly with the ACORD-User Groups Information Exchange (AUGIE). AIMS Society Executive Director Kitty Ambers, CPIA, CIC, CISR, CPIW, says, “Meeting with representatives from the leading agency management system user groups will provide our members an opportunity to combine their experience and expertise with other industry professionals as they explore relevant sales and marketing issues.”
The morning session will start with a review of findings from AUGIE’s 2010 Agency Technology Survey, followed by an all-agent panel session, titled “Improving Sales Results with Producer Point of Sale Tools.” The morning will conclude with attendee roundtable discussions designed to help agencies capitalize on sales opportunities that result from efficiencies created by automation advances. AUGIE’s Real Time Makes Real $$$$$ guide will provide the foundation for these discussions.
Following a combined luncheon, where attendees will share their own “Bright Ideas” for enhanced sales and management, a half-day session, led by Steve Anderson, publisher of The Anderson Agency Report, will focus on roles and responsibilities of what Anderson describes as “The New Sales Manager.”
The day will conclude with a networking reception for AIMS Society and AUGIE attendees, along with those who will take part in Saturday’s meeting of the IIABA’s Agents Council for Technology (ACT.)
“Each year, PRO-to-PRO brings together dynamic, seasoned professionals who are passionate about insurance agency growth,” says Jim Gosselink, AIMS Society president and president of Pella, Iowa-based Tulip City Agency, Ltd. “This year, we are able to expand the value of our meeting by partnering with AUGIE and addressing common sales and workflow issues that affect independent agents nationwide. We look forward to the opportunity to jointly step back, review and re-energize our sales and marketing activities.”
During the retreat, the AIMS Society will recognize an insurance carrier partner and an insurance agency producer for outstanding performance and achievement. For awards nomination forms or more information about the CPIA designation program, visit www.aimssociety.org.
For more information, contact Kitty Ambers at 877-674-CPIA or kitty@aimssociety.org.