As a volunteer for IASA, one of the perks I get is a snazzy shirt every year. The shirt has the IASA logo, but no words-if you don't know what it stands for, you have to ask. And when people do, being the smart guy I am, I reply, "International Aeronautics and Space Administration."
It isn't that I'm not proud of associating with insurance people, accountants, and systems folks. It's that I know the reaction most people have to words like "insurance" and "accounting." Let's face it-the image that comes to mind doesn't include tanned, muscular, hero-types.
Insurance people, accountants, and computer geeks-for whatever reason, they all have a reputation for being, well, boring. Admit it. That doesn't make it true, but it is the popular image.
But it shouldn't be. Almost every one of the industry people I've met in the past two years has been intelligent, interesting, and in most cases even entertaining. I've met hikers, world travelers, skydivers, art collectors, and novelists. To the best of my knowledge, I haven't met a single evil person.
So we need to change that image. From agents to adjusters to underwriters and actuaries (although, admittedly, actuaries present a challenge), we need to work to change our image-to get people to say, "You're in insurance? Cool."
In short, insurance needs an agent.
Nice Guys Finish Last
Other industries have good PR. Take private investigators. Thanks to a host of characters from Sam Spade to Thomas Magnum, that looks like a great job. In reality, PIs' work is boring and monotonous 90 percent of the time. There are long days in courthouses and libraries, and long nights in cold cars. Alone.
How about attorneys-talk about publicity! Perry Mason, Matlock, and Ally McBeal make lawyering look like fun. Even bad lawyers come off looking rosy-think of alcoholic, ambulance-chasing Paul Newman in The Verdict. And slimy lawyers are turned into good guys in The Rainmaker when they take on the ultimate evil: an insurance company. Heck, Jack Klugman made coroner look like a fun job!
But where's the Ally McBeal or Magnum, P.I. of insurance? The closest we've ever come is George Peppard in Banacek (back in 1974) and The Thomas Crown Affair. On the other hand, how many times have you seen an insurance company portrayed positively? Terrorist organizations complain when they're portrayed as bad guys-why can't we put similar pressure on the entertainment industry?
(Here's a thought: Have Nicholas Cage be the spokesman for the insurance industry. He's made drunks (Leaving Las Vegas), car thieves (Gone in 60 Seconds), kidnappers (Raising Arizona), and bank robbers (Trapped in Paradise) into heroes-why not insurance companies?)
Just don't forget that we're the good guys. When the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew was shown on TV, some of the strongest images were the people who spray-painted their policy numbers on what was left of their homes. They were counting on their insurance companies to put their lives back together. And that's what they did.
No one should be embarrassed to work for an insurance company. Insurers pay billions of dollars every year to help people when they need it most. When you say you work for an insurance company, the next words you hear should be "Thank you."
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