The Florida Association of Insurance Agents' Big I days will always draw the golfers. And carriers will forever host advisory councils and roundtable retreats at luxury hotspots such as South Seas Plantation and Ocean Reef. While that may be fine for well-established agents and scratch players, how does a new agent get in front of the big carriers? Or, for that matter, how does a new carrier best make a pitch to an independent agent? Traditionally, the choices have been limited to hosting or attending an impersonal large-room seminar or cold calling to arrange for one-on-one face time in the office.

Some go-getters at the Independent Insurance Agents of Dade County Young Agents Council are promoting a new concept. Welcome to the world of Speed Meeting, a novel approach to efficient networking in today's multi-tasking, hurry-up business world.

Speed Meeting is a take-off on the speed dating craze, where a group of singles gathers at a cafe or similar venue. Armed with a nametag, a scorecard, and their sparkling personalities, couples are paired up to begin their first date. They are allowed to discuss anything, although they usually avoid direct information on their careers or where they live. Following several minutes of conversation, a bell is rung, and the men move on to meet their next date. Think of it as a flirt's version of musical chairs.

With Speed Meeting, the purpose is business, not romance, as agents and carriers, managing general agents, brokers, and the like see if they “match up.” The innovative meet-and-greet organized by the Dade County YAC was scheduled for late March at a Miami Sheraton.

Phil Yanan of Wilson, Washburn & Forster in Pinecrest, a member of the FAIA's local and state YAC boards, spearheaded the idea. “I was asked to take on the challenge of reinvigorating the south Florida group, which is open to anyone in the insurance industry who is under 40 years old or has less than five years in the business,” he reported. “We wanted to come up with something different to get everyone's attention.

“Our goal for this event is to sit young agents with company people for a set amount of time, about 10 minutes, probably. The agents will sit at tables and have an opportunity to talk with underwriters and insurance representatives and discuss the current market, and individual products and services,” he said. When the allotted time has elapsed, company representatives get up and change tables.

Yanan is optimistic about the inaugural event, noting that he did not get any outright turndowns from carriers and brokers. “There were some people who just did not respond,” he said. “That's fine, people get busy. Some companies have their agents appointed, and if they are not appointing anymore, why run out and meet with a bunch of new agents? That I can understand. But the ones who responded were agreeable and even enthusiastic.”

At press time, over 20 people representing MGAs, carriers, and premium finance organizations had agreed to participate, with more expected.

“Now I have to make sure we have enough agents to go around,” Yanan joked.

What's Your Sign?

One of the companies agreeing to test these new waters is the venerable St. Paul Travelers. Orlando Account Executive Tony Chinchay said, “I work with Phil's agency a lot. When they called and asked me to participate, I of course said yes. My job obviously entails me going to agents, but usually it is a one-on-one meeting or a presentation to introduce a new product or enhancement. It is a little more intimate to do it that way, but it's also time consuming. This Speed Meeting is something completely new, something they conceived and promoted on their own. I think it will be fun.”

Chinchay envisions the Speed Meeting timed sessions as “more of an introduction. Then people will choose who they want to have more discussion with afterwards.” And just like the singles who venture into the world of speed dating (something Chinchay is quick to point out he has not done), he noted that for the Speed Meeting event, “I still have to figure out what I am going to say.”

Just Looking, Thanks

Despite a full dance card, Ron Gabor, president at Gabor Insurance Services in Miami, says his company also will be represented at the Speed Meeting. “We haven't made a new agency appointment in south Florida in quite awhile,” he said. “But we will participate because this is an interesting idea. Most of our relationships go back 40 to 50 years; we are working third-generation relationships. My dad started in the business in the 1940s.”

Gabor's standard modus operandi in fostering those long-term relationships is to meet directly with agents and, more recently, to employ e-mail as the primary communication tool. “We have always operated a little differently from most wholesalers,” Gabor noted. “When we started, we said we would not have more than 100 appointed agents. We had to increase that as things have grown, but we have kept the number to under 200 statewide. Most wholesalers do business with a couple thousand.

“Our objective is to have a much closer relationship with the agencies we do business with. We want the people who are doing the underwriting to know the people, and them to know us.

“We are niche players; very strong on the property side, particularly in habitational — condos and apartment buildings.” (Gabor also operates American Professional Liability Underwriters, Inc., a wholesale broker specializing in the placement of all classes of professional liability coverage.)

Gabor does not employ a marketing force. “We consider everybody in our company to be a marketing person,” he said.

Covering All the Bases

Working from a more traditional marketing model is Sunshine State Insurance Company, a full-service insurance provider specializing in personal property insurance throughout Florida and South Carolina. Its well-rounded agents' communication plan includes personal meetings between company reps and agents, an annual producer council, a newsletter, attendance at the FAIA convention, the Big I days, and the occasional blast fax or e-mail.

Mike Weis, assistant vice president special programs, said his company's long-standing annual invitation-only agents' gathering usually involves about 12 producers. “Four to six of them are invited to attend each time, and they sort of serve as advisory council,” Weis said. “The others are agents who have not had the opportunity to participate in the past. We try to get a mix of people with different books of business and from different areas. It's a one-day event that gives us an opportunity to present what is going on with the company, to talk about new products, and to provide updates on agenda items that previous producer councils have given us.”

Not afraid to try new things, Sunshine State also will be at the Speed Meeting event, news sure to hearten FAIA's Young Agents Statewide Coordinator Melissa Champany. Champany was hired in October to re-energize the group, which has been in existence in one form or another since the 1980s. While agent members in the state group must be under 40 or have less than 10 years in the business, Champany says all are welcome. “Employees and reps can join,” she said. “We want them to be present for anything we do so we can open up those lines of communication and establish a bigger, broader base.”

Champany noted the various educational and social opportunities available, including FAIA Convention YAC night, special YAC sales classes, leadership forums, virtual newsletters, and cocktail parties around the state. “We have golf outings, lunches, socials. That's where all the camaraderie comes in. I am a huge advocate for any kind of involvement that I can get my agents involved in. We have over 100 agents in YAC now. Our goal is to have 250 by the end of the fiscal year in August.”

That's a fast track, even for Speed Meeters.

Special Reports /

In Search of the Perfect Match

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