Free Webinar December 20, 2011 – Tune-Up Your Search Engine

Employee Assistance Program

Please click here for an invitation to another thought provoking Webinar conducted by the Association-sponsored Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)—AllOne Health Resources.  This Webinar, titled “Tune-Up Your Search Engine,” is scheduled on Tuesday, December 20, at 12:00 noon, 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. EST.  Instructions for accessing the webinar are in the announcement.  We hope you and your employees find the information useful and interesting!

Contact:
Robert E. Messing
Director of Administration, Group Insurance Services
MassachusettsBankers Association
One Washington Mall, 8th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02108-2603
Tel. (617) 523-7595

SafeTalk newsletter: NEW Foreign Check Rider Now Available

Contact
Jason Faulkner, Account Executive
Telephone: (216) 220-1339
Visit the ABA Insurance Services, Inc. web site.

Diminish Your Training Frustrations: 4 Tips for Improving Employee Performance

Customer Appreciation Program

If your financial institution is like most these days, you’re taking a hard look at how you can drive employee performance with minimal training expense. As part of that consideration, you might be trying to maximize the partnership you have with your insurer to leverage their subject matter and industry expertise when preparing your teams to sell insurance. While leveraging your insurer relationship to train your employees can help, you aren’t alone if your FI has had some frustration with the insurer training experience.

A recently published research report entitled Bridging the Cultural Divide Between Financial Institutions and Life Insurers(sponsored by Affinion Group and conducted by Effron Company) aimed to identify the characteristics of a successful FI/insurer partnership, and also highlight opportunities for improvement. While the study was based on a pair of almost identical surveys sent to insurers and financial institutions, one of the most interesting sets of results highlighted the perceived inadequacies of training by both the FI and the insurer. To wit, there were dramatic splits between the “importance” and the “satisfaction” of the following for FI’s:

• Customer service training
• Back office support
• Training for new product roll outs
• Training for technology at point-of-sale

In each case, the financial institutions said these training programs were very important, but that the programs were not being effectively executed.

It’s not surprising that training is a point of contention, because quite frankly, it can be hard without appropriate performance support in place.

When any of your FI’s product partners are providing training, consider these tips to not only make your roll-out more successful but also make learning stick:

1. Define mutual expectations for the training initiative: Your partner should provide guidance on what you can expect from their training efforts (from drafts of materials to post-training support). Determine who within your FI will make sure that the knowledge shared is institutionalized across your organization. (Often this responsibility is spearheaded by your internal training department, but it can also include representatives from marketing and sales.)
2. Provide training context: Adults learn best when they understand why they are doing something – how will the training they’re participating in help them perform their job better?
3. Establish specific objectives: What do you want to measure? Sales? Account holder satisfaction? Remember that training should support your FI’s goals and not just be for the heck of it.
4. Create a culture of success: This goes beyond training and speaks to what type of institution you are (or aspire to be!). One 2-hour training session can’t develop an employee from an order-taker to a sales person. Rather, it takes a carefully crafted plan that is reinforced throughout the institution, for training to truly stick. Consider the skill sets of employees you are hiring, the expectations you have for your managers, and the messages you are sending – in the end, a long term strategic plan (with training included as one of the elements of employee support, rather than the only element!) will drive the best results.

Training doesn’t have to be a frustrating experience – with the right considerations early on, it can be a highly motivating, educational, and (dare I say it?) fun experience for both your institution and your insurer.

Erin Evans is the Director of Affinion Group’s Performance Solutions team, which has conducted more than 1,500 training sessions at over 160 financial institutions in the past 6 months.

As a global leader with over 35 years of experience, Affinion Group (www.affinion.com) enhances the value of its partners’ customer relationships by providing comprehensive customer engagement and loyalty solutions that enhance or extend the relationship of millions of customers with many of the largest and most respected companies in the world. For more information about Affinion Group contact Misha Bleymaier-Farrish.

Contact
Misha Bleymaier-Farrish
Senior Manager l Sales Administration
Affinion Group
Telephone: (615) 764-2492
Cellphone: (615) 796-4981
Fax: (615) 764-5492
Visit the Affinion Group web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #48: 2011 Hurricane Season Wrap Up

The Wrap Up

Today officially marks the end of hurricane season. The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season produced a total of 19 tropical storms of which seven became hurricanes, including one that made landfall.

Take a glance at the 2011 storm-track map. Click here to enlarge map and view details.

Although the 2011 hurricane season has ended, the need to prepare for various disasters remains year-round activity. In fact, it may surprise you to know that half of Agility’s disaster declarations this year were due to isolated, non-weather related events.

With that being said, we encourage every business to prepare for all types of hazards by making an emergency plan and building a disaster recovery kit.

Contact

Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Snowtober: Just the Tip of the Iceberg

The Northeast Has Seen its Fair Share of Disasters in 2011

Hurricane Irene. Tropical Storm Lee. “Snowtober.” It seems like every time you turn on the TV, another impending disaster is bearing down on the Northeast. And according to meteorologists, a long winter is in store.

To help businesses prepare, plan and recover from disaster, Agility Recovery, one of the nation’s leading disaster recovery and business continuity providers, has compiled several free disaster preparation checklists.

Click below to download:

• Winter Weather Preparedness Checklist
• Disaster Recovery Kit Checklist
• Influenza Checklist

For more than 20 years, businesses have relied on Agility to plan for and recover from the unthinkable. We are proud to say that we have successfully responded to over 800 disaster events this year alone.

If you have any questions about Agility Recovery call 866.364.9696 or visit www.agilityrecovery.com

Contact

Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #46: Involve Your Organization Top to Bottom

Gaining Support

With the end of the year just around the corner, most companies are in the midst of 2012 budget planning. Tough economic times are forcing small business owners to take a critical look at their past and future expenses.
Due to its perceived complexity and traditionally high cost, management can be quick to put business continuity planning on the budgetary chopping block. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Sometimes all it takes is an internal champion to help upper-level managers see that implementing a solid disaster recovery plan doesn’t need to take a lot of time or money.

To help with this process, Agility is hosting a free webinar tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. EST on securing management support for business continuity. Join Agility’s CEO Bob Boyd as he provides actionable advice and suggestions on how to overcome a lack of internal support.
Click here to register.

Contact

Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

You’re Invited: Disaster Recovery Basics for Financial Institutions Webinar 11/09

So…..
You’ve probably heard that on December 1st, Agility is instituting a rate increase. And you may also recall that you can lock in your lower rate today for Agility’s ReadySuite Financial membership.

But…..You may still have some questions. We understand. Disaster Recovery can seem overly complex at times. That’s the beauty of Agility. We like to keep things simple.

That said, Agility CEO Bob Boyd will be answering questions
at our next Business Preparedness Webinar. We hope you
can join us.

Webinar – Business Survival: Disaster Recovery Basics
Date: November 9th
Time: 2:00 – 3:00pm EST
Click Here to Register.

For immediate answers, contact Kevin Binder at (978) 505-7502 or by email: kevin.binder@agilityrecovery.com.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #44: Stay Safe this Halloween

Trick or Treat!

Seeing as it is Halloween, we felt it was appropriate to take a break from the ordinary and talk about preparedness of another sort…preparing your ghouls and goblins for a safe night of trick-or-treating. By taking a few common sense measures, you can ensure a safe and happy Halloween for all. Happy Halloween!

Recommended Safety Tips From The CDC:

S		Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
A		Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
F		Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
E		Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
H		Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you.
A		Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation.
L		Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
L		Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
O		Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
W		Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
E		Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats unless you know the cook well.
E		Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Otherwise, stay outside.
N		Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #43: Influenza Preparedness Checklist – Protect Your Business

Fight the Flu

It’s hard to believe, but flu season is right around the corner. Officially, flu season doesn’t begin until November, but now is the time for your business to take steps to ensure your employees are protected.

Flu related absenteeism is a huge issue for business owners and can cost employers thousands of dollars in lost revenue and productivity. Below you will find a variety of steps you and your employees can take to help prevent the flu this season.

• Download Agility’s Influenza Preparedness Checklist designed to help employees and businesses take preventative action against the flu.
• Find a flu shot near you. Getting vaccinated is the single best way to avoid the flu.

Practice healthy habits and help stop the spread of germs. Click here for six simple ways to stay healthy and fight off the flu this season.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #42: Winter Weather Webinar

A Chilling Forecast

Winter is right around the corner and with it comes ice storms, blizzards and other cold weather threats. Preparing your organization before a winter storm hits can help you protect your employees, minimize damage and lead to a speedy recovery.

Don’t let a cold and snowy winter interrupt your ability to do business. Join us next Wednesday, October 26th at 2:00p.m. for a free webinar, “Preparing your Business for the Winter Weather Season”.

Help us in welcoming ImpactWeather’s StormWatch Manager, Fred Schmude as he shares the long range winter weather outlook for the 2011-2012 Season. Following Mr. Schmude’s detailed forecast, Agility’s Senior Continuity Manager, Mark Norton will provide you with tips and best practices to mitigate the risks associated with winter weather.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.