NAILBA Perspectives - April 2016 - (Page 7)

chairman's corner "Not your Father's Agency... Not your Father's Industry..." GEORGE C. VAN DUSEN IV NAILBA CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD M ost of you are probably familiar with the ad campaign, "Not your Father's Buick," which was designed to change the public's perception of the aging car maker and reintroduce Buick as a new and improved, "hip" version of what people had come to know as an "old timer's" vehicle. The central idea was that the company had evolved and changed to appeal to a new generation wanting a sleeker, fresher, more modern design. Recently, I was reminded of this ad campaign as I began to think about the state of the insurance industry and how we all fit within the everchanging structure. My entrance into the business world as an agency owner happened gradually as my father transitioned out over the years, and as this transition occurred, the biggest lessons we learned had to do with accepting change. Because things were changing both internally and in the industry as a whole, we made changes to the structure of our organization and adopted a different vision for what we wanted to achieve. We learned to embrace change and worked together for the sake of our agency. It was no longer "My Father's Agency." More importantly, it wasn't "My Father's Industry" anymore. Over the years, there has been substantial change happening within the insurance industry, and there is little doubt that there will continue to be change. We all face the same challenges, and we all are constantly looking for better ways to run our agencies, with more efficient business standards and more streamlined processes. In order be successful and for your agencies to survive, even thrive, you have to learn to adapt to change within this industry, and one of the best resources for you is your membership in NAILBA. NAILBA has evolved over the past few years and transformed its goals for reaching members because of this ongoing, industrywide change. As your organization, NAILBA has listened to you and has responded to those of you asking for new and improved resources. We can help you run your agencies by giving you access to the tools and resources you need, practical business advice from industry leaders, information on the newest technology and techniques that will impact your bottom line, and help with creating new business contacts and networks. NAILBA has vowed to keep pace with the ever changing insurance industry, and as a response to those of you who have spoken up and requested change, has made adjustments to their outlook and lines of support, all to stay relevant and keep meeting the needs of a new generation of NAILBA members. We are one year into the three-year strategic plan laid out by the Board of Directors designed to make NAILBA: ■ The go-to place for BGA education; ■ The go-to place for information, best practices and ideas; ■ The resource for industry technology updates and information; and ■ An advocate for the industry. What has been done as a result of this three-year plan? Let's review. NAILBA Network was created as part of NAILBA's ongoing technology objective, and it serves as a fantastic venue for the exchange of information, best practices, and networking opportunities. Early metrics indicate that it has been successful and is being utilized by our members, so it's anticipated that this open forum will continue, allowing for members to drive the direction of the forum, shaping its future depending on what topics and issues are most important to you. Also in accordance with the Strategic Plan, the Professional Development Committee has researched available external resources designed to help you run your business more profitably, including webinars and other tools. Watch for these offerings to roll out in the coming months. Further on the professional development side, two workshops and the State of the Industry Panel from NAILBA 35 will be released shortly (or may already be out by the time you read this) as standalone webinars. Finally, the structure of the Annual Meeting has been adjusted again this year, allowing for more breakout sessions, based on attendee feedback. NAILBA University continues to serve the educational and training needs of NAILBA member agencies. Numerous educational and training opportunities exist to help members and it serves as a wealth of information designed for agencies and their success. The NAILBA website presence was revamped over the winter holidays, with all websites migrated to include a secure members-only area, improve navigation, and provide a more mobile-friendly experience. All of this change and evolution has created an updated, more user-friendly design that makes it easier to find the information that's most important to you. NAILBA continues to be an advocate for the industry. Of high visibility is the partnership with the AALU and how we have worked together on the proposed DOL fiduciary rule. It's much harder to run a BGA than it was ten years ago. There are many more complexities to the business, and member agencies look different than they did back then. As I've navigated through the ups and downs of the past few years, our agency has learned to adapt and create opportunity out of any situation we come up against, which has kept us relevant and successful in critical times of economic downturn. We are confident that we can attack anything that we face in the years to come because we're prepared with the tools and resources we need to weather the storm. NAILBA is critical to this confidence because the bottom line hasn't changed: NAILBA is your organization. Agencies are important to NAILBA-and NAILBA is important to agencies. Count on your membership to NAILBA to help you weather the storm and ride smoothly into the future that awaits us. www.nailba.org 7 http://www.nailba.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NAILBA Perspectives - April 2016

NAILBA Perspectives - April 2016
Contents
Chairman’s Corner
CEO Insights
Can You Tell If Your Agency is a Success? Measuring Your Results
NAILBA Charitable Foundation
Life Happens
Member Profile
Agency Successor Networking Group
Calendar of Events

NAILBA Perspectives - April 2016