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Journal

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The GAMA International Journal delivers leadership solutions to ield leaders in the inancial services industry.

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GETTING THE MOST OUT OF ADVISOR TEAMS 18

RUSSELL E. LANE

THE POWER OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE 24

STU SCHLACKMAN, M.B.A.

NEXT GEN: FROM TEAM PLAYERS TO TEAM LEADERS 32

JEFFREY R. HUGHES

LAMP ’13 PREVIEW 40

PLUS

Inside GAMA International 7

Inside GAMA Foundation for Education and Research 9

Washington Watch 11

Leading Indicators 15

2013 Industry Forecast

President’s Message 53

LAMP: Ensuring a Happy New Year

CEO Corner 55

At GAMA, Giving = Giving Back

Have You Read ... 57

Sandra Hughes looks at The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus

LoTT Spot 59

Meghan Wilke explains the importance of getting off to a fast start

Leaders’ Q&A 61

In this economy, how are you sourcing candidates?

Index of Advertisers 63

TOP 10 64

Things to Do in San Diego

32

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GAMA INTERNATIONAL journaL COMMITTEE

Chair

Lillian B. Holt, CLF FSS LILI LTCP State Farm Insurance Companies

John E. Brooks, CLF Resource One Advisors

William J. Cuff, CLU ChFC The Prudential Insurance Company of America

Jeffrey D. Engebose, CLU ChFC CFP CASL FIC Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Greg A. Morabito, CLTC LUTCF

Alpine Brokerage Services

Wayne Ogle, CLF Mutual of Omaha

John A. Ramos, CMFC Trajectory Consulting

GAMA international headquarters

CEO, GAMA International Jeffrey R. Hughes

[email protected]

Vice PresidentBonnie L. Godsman

[email protected]

CEO, GAMA Foundation for Education and Research

Kathryn L. Kellam [email protected]

gama international journal staff

Editor in Chief Mary Barnes

[email protected]

Senior Editor Peter Craig

[email protected]

Advertising Sales Kathryn Hoch

[email protected]

DesignerNicole Lazarus

GAMA INTERNATIONAL executive committee

President

Luis G. Chiappy, CLU ChFC CFP LUTCF AXA Equitable

President-Elect

Howard J. Elias Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

Vice President

Daralee S. Barbera, CFP CLF CMFC Waddell & Reed

Secretary

Robert J. Fashano, M.S.F.S., CLU ChFCGuardian Life Insurance Company of America

Treasurer

William D. Pollakov, CLU ChFC MassMutual Financial Group

Immediate Past President

Kenneth G. Gallacher, CLF FSS LUTCF RFC American National Insurance Company

GAMA Foundation for Education and

Research Vice Chair

Richard T. Cleary, CLTC LUTCFJohn Hancock Financial Network

GAMA INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORS

David E. Ayres, CLU The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company

Mark A. Bonnett Securian Financial Group

James L. Cook Jr., ChFC CFS National Life Group

David L. Hogue, AAI LUTCF Farmers Insurance Group

Lillian B. Holt, CLF FSS LILI LTCP State Farm Insurance Companies

William David Keltner, CLU CLF FIC LUTCF Modern Woodmen of America

John E. Natoli, CLU ChFC CFP CLF CMFC MassMutual Financial Group

Lawrence E. Reelitz, CLF The Principal Financial Group

Timothy P. Schmidt, CLF FIC LUTCF Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Volume 37 / No. 1

GAMA International Journal (ISSN 1095-7367),

Volume 37, Number 1. Published bimonthly by GAMA

International, 2901 Telestar Court, Suite 140, Falls

Church, VA 22042-1205, Telephone: 571-499-4300.

Periodical postage is paid at Falls Church, VA, and

additional mailing offices. Statements of fact and opinion

are the responsibility of the authors and advertisers alone

and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers

or the members of GAMA International. Copyright ©

2013 GAMA International. All rights reserved. Printed

in the United States of America. Materials may not be

reproduced or translated without written permission.

Direct requests for reprint permission to the managing

editor. POSTMASTER: PLEASE SEND ALL CHANGE-

OF-ADDRESS FORMS TO GAMA INTERNATIONAL

JOURNAL, 2901 Telestar Court, Suite 140, Falls Church,

VA 22042.

Subscription: The rate for GAMA International

members is $45 annually, which is included in

membership dues. U.S. nonmember subscription rate is

$150. All other non-U.S., nonmember subscribers add

$25 each year for additional postage. Subscription forms

and further information can be found at gamaweb.com.

Single copies and back issues: Single copies and

back issues are available at the rate of $8 for members

and $20 for nonmembers. Both can be ordered by

filling out the “additional copies” form on the website

gamaweb.com, under “GAMA International Journal.”

Reprints: Reprints of articles published since January

2004 are available from Scoop Reprint Source. Call

800-767-3263 x130 for more information.

Instruction to authors: Please share your expertise

and perspective with us or comment on articles or ideas

covered in recent issues of GAMA International Journal.

To learn more about submitting a story for publication

or to submit a comment, please contact Mary Barnes at

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Advertising: Please visit the website, gamaweb.com,

under “GAMA International Journal” and find the 2013

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The views expressed in the GAMA International Journal

are those of the authors and are not intended to represent

the views of GAMA International. GAMA International

does not endorse advertisers in the GAMA International

Journal or the advertised products and services.

BU I LD ING THE L EADERS WHO BU I LD THE INSURANCE ,

I NVESTMENT & F INANC I A L S ERV I C ES INDUSTRY


JournalI n t e r n a t i o n a l

Journal

• Turn Every Prospect Into a Future Client• Discover Marketing Ideas to Brand Agents

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• Began career in the insurance business in 1973 and transitioned into management in 1976

• Built one of the 100 largest financial services agencies in the US in the town of Greensboro, NC

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Prospecting 52%

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• Began career in the insurance business in 1973 and transitioned into management in 1976

• Built one of the 100 largest financial services agencies in the US in the town of Greensboro, NC

• 16-time qualifier for the National Management Award and Master Agency Award during his time as manager

• Best-selling author of 8 books focused on prospecting and referrals for the insurance and financial services industry

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Business Strategy & Growth Performance Coaching & Mentoring

Producer Development

Frontline Leader Development Recruiting & Selection

Leadership & Culture Retention

Leadership Teams Sales & Marketing

GAMA resources are organized by learning tracks, so you can easily ind the tools that tackle related issues. Look for these icons on GAMA Source and in other GAMA media.

Diversity

G A M A I n t e r n at i o n a l L e a r n i n g T r a c k s

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June 24–28 Program: The Essentials of Leadership and Management—Falls Church, Va.

G A M A I n t e r n at i o n a l c a l e n d a r o f e v e n t s

Visit gamaweb.com for more information and to register for these upcoming GAMA events.

March 10–13 LAMP — Manchester Hyatt Grand, San Diego

Apr. 17 Teleconference: Leading Through Change

Fall 2013 Workshop: Field Leadership Series: Keeping the Right People

May 30-31 Program: Leading From the Front

Sept. 18 Teleconference: Passion Breeds Retention

Oct. 14–18 Program: The Essentials of Leadership and Management —St. Paul, Minn.

Oct. 16 Webcast: The Business and Marketing Plan

R e s o u r c e s

A Sneak Peak at The Miracle Business

The Miracle Business: A Lifetime of Lessons on Leadership is the fourth book in GAMA’s Master Firm Builders series. In it, Maury Stewart, CLU ChFC CLF, of The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, shares the leadership lessons he has learned during a career that spans more than half a century.

In The Miracle Business, Maury uses his wit, wisdom, and way with words to illustrate his lifelong quest for leadership knowledge. He’s a success story personiied — from Midwest farm boy to high-lying life insurance agent — and as Maury will tell you, great lessons can be exhilarating, heartbreaking, and unexpected.

GAMA International wishes to thank Maury for sharing this lifetime of knowledge as well as The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company for its generous support in helping us bring Maury’s message to the industry.

The Miracle Business will be released at LAMP ’13 in San Diego. Visit the GAMA bookstore for your signed copy. And be sure to attend the special Sunday Master Firm Builders session, where Maury, along with fellow authors Phil Richards, Norm Levine, and Quincy Crawford, will share their lessons on leader-ship and business strategy and growth.

For more information about GAMA’s Master Firm Builders series, visit gamaweb.com/programs/master-irm-builders-series.

Miracle excerpt: A Journey of More Than 80 Years

I was born on a farm in Eldon, Iowa, just before the Depression, in a country that offered me opportunities that I know many in this world do not have.

I have read hundreds of books and articles about leadership since those days on the farm. But all I keep thinking about are the things I learned back then, especially from my mom.

Mom was an extraordinary woman. She only had an eighth-grade education. But she possessed an immeasurable amount of knowledge about the things you don’t learn in school. And she taught me well.

Mom encouraged me to have dreams. Where I would be in the future, how I would get there, what I had to learn, and the price I would have to pay to achieve all that.

Service to others was also paramount to her. Mom was always looking out for the less fortunate. We would share our food with the folks in town who had none. Sometimes they’d come to our door looking for help. Servant leadership is so important in all of our lives, and the world would be a much better place if we all served others. I wish she could have seen the impact that she had on me and my life.

Lessons on Leadership (From Maury and His Mom)

■ Be passionate. If you don’t have a passion for it, don’t do it. If you’re going to do something, you have to give it everything you’ve got.

■ Think big. Have big goals. If it doesn’t make you reach, it doesn’t make you grow.

■ Always be giving. You have to dedicate yourself to serving others. Giving of yourself trumps taking from others any day.

■ Always act with integrity. Every action does get noticed. People are watching, always. Be ready for the impact, the positive and the negative, of your actions.

■ Listen closely. Let people talk and you’ll get results. ■ Manage time effectively. Doing things the right way, at the

right time, gets the right results. ■ Think positive. It’s easy to get through the good times.

Anybody can do that. But a good attitude is essential to weathering the bad times.

■ Be humble. Nothing, nothing, nothing is gained when you’re full of yourself.

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For ield leaders to maintain revenue and market share, the

most obvious strategy is to expand the irm’s market to a broader

range of people — of different income and education levels —

in the next generation. But this will not be easy.

The middle-market population is less motivated and less

inancially savvy than the upper-middle-class and afluent clients

the industry has most recently targeted. On the plus side, though,

the middle market is quite large. The number of households with

annual incomes between $35,000 and $100,000 is more than

twice the number earning more than $100,000.1

The challenge for inancial services professionals will be

stimulating demand for greater savings within a more resistant

population. Understanding this population and its inancial

mind-set will be key to middle-market success.

The Changing Business Environment

Firms that provide voluntary beneits to employers will see

fundamental changes in the kinds of businesses they serve in

2020.

The businesses driving the recovery today are health care,

private adult education providers, manufacturers, and

professional services such as management consulting, inancial

services, and administrative services. They are very different

from construction, real estate, retail, and consumer inance — the

industries that drove the economy before the downturn.

Because of their size as well as the economic sectors in which

they function, the businesses emerging from the recovery are less

likely to offer deined-beneit plans and other inancial beneits to

their employees.

The good news for inancial service providers is that this

business shift creates a growing underserved market of people

who need insurance and other inancial products, creating an

opportunity to sell products and services directly to employees

as well as to provide voluntary beneits packages to their

employers. And because these businesses will employ the

professional population that inancial services irms want to

attract, the employers should prove to be valuable gatekeepers.

Reserve Firm 2020 Today

These insights into the future were brought to you by the GAMA

Foundation for Education and Research.

Our newest research study, Firm 2020, will be available in

March 2013 at LAMP ’13 in San Diego. Reserve your copy by

March 10 — at the LAMP discounted price — by calling

Michelle Johninn at 571-499-4308.

For more information on the GAMA Foundation’s research

program, contact Kathryn Kellam, CEO, at kathryn@

gamafoundation.org.

F i r m 2 0 2 0

Market Drivers

In Firm 2020, the GAMA Foundation reveals how a variety of

business and cultural drivers will affect insurance agencies

and financial services firms over the next five to seven years.

We look at our industry’s prospective clients and the

impact that economic and market trends are having on these

households. We pay particular attention to where the money

is in our society, where it’s going, and where market

opportunities and needs are developing or are not being met.

Baby Boomers and the New Retirement

Culture

For the irm in 2020, the market for insurance and inancial

services will be most inluenced by how the Baby Boom

generation adjusts to retirement. Because of its size, wealth,

and income, this generation will remain a powerful force in

the job market and the economy for years to come.

The Boomers control more than half of the country’s

household wealth. How that wealth is managed will play a

signiicant role in shaping the inancial services industry —

and the economic health of the nation itself — at the end of

this decade.

In a case of fortuitous timing, Baby Boomers may also

present a partial solution to the increasing challenge of

attracting and retaining skilled talent to the inancial services

career. Field leaders should give serious consideration to

when and how 54 million Americans, 40 percent of all

workers, will leave the workforce — if in fact they will.

For these reasons and more, it is essential that inancial

services professionals understand Boomer expectations,

desires, and concerns as they enter their senior years.

New Generations and the Underserved

Middle Market

As Baby Boomers move into retirement, the inancial services

sector faces two major challenges.

One is how to continue to be compensated for serving the

Boomers as they spend down their assets. The other is how to

replace these older clients, who will no longer be good

candidates for traditional products and services.

Exhausting the supply of Boomer home buyers was a

principal trigger of the housing market meltdown, and that

meltdown was the underlying cause of the 2007–09 recession.

Financial services providers could face a similar fate if they

cannot ind new products and services to replace declining

Baby Boomer demand.

1Census Bureau, Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009, Current Population Reports.

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GAMA International’s Washington Watch aggregates the mountains of information bombarding you and reports not only Washington news, but also how that news affects you and your producers. Danea “Dani” Kehoe, NAIFA’s associate general counsel for federal tax and employee beneits issues from 1982 to 2000, is now in private practice. Her consulting irm, DBK Consulting, specializes in federal tax, health, and commerce issues pending before Congress and federal agencies. She represents a number of insurance clients, including NAIFA.

Dani values your input. Email comments to [email protected].

The opinions in Washington Watch are not to be construed as legal advice. They are solely the opinions of the author. Washington Watch is intended for the information of its readers, not as lobbying material or as an expression of GAMA International policy or positions.

1 1j a n u a r y / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3

What’s HotWhy It Matters

Tax reform will dominate the 2013 agenda. Also in the mix is entitlement reform.

Risks lurk in every corner of these debates. You and your producers would be

well served by participating in NAIFA’s Congressional Conference in April and

by staying tuned in to developments as the year progresses.

Tax Reform Will Dominate Early in 2013

As the 113th Congress begins the irst of its two sessions, tax reform is at the top of

nearly every lawmaker’s priority list. For most, the effort is a necessary by-product of

trying to bring the nation’s $16 trillion debt (and $1.3 trillion deicit) under control.

Congress will be turning over every stone in its relentless search for revenue to help

control the red ink while furthering (or at least not hurting) economic growth and jobs

production.

Will the substance, policy, and politics of this tax reform effort gel to produce

legislation that can be enacted into law? There’s no safe answer. Currently, it is clear

that “tax reform” — deined as “broadening the base in order to reduce rates” —

means different things to different lawmakers. And this particular effort is especially

sensitive to the old adage “the devil is in the details.”

To make the math work, Congress will have to at least trim and possibly eliminate

many tax rules that are widely used by the middle class. These include rules at the

heart of the insurance industry’s playbook:

■ Tax-free accumulation of life insurance and annuity cash values ■ Tax-free contributions to pensions and other retirement savings plans ■ Tax-free provision of beneits (including health insurance) to employees by

employers (such as long-term-care insurance, cafeteria plans, and lexible

spending accounts) ■ Special tax rate for capital gains and long-term dividends ■ Estate tax rules

Each of these tax rules results in signiicant revenue the government does not

collect because of the rule that makes it nontaxable. Thus each is a target as

Congress looks at “broadening the tax base” (making more economic activity

taxable by modifying or eliminating the special rule that exempts or defers it from

current tax). Tax reform supporters say base broadening is necessary to support

lowering tax rates, which — they say — will promote economic growth. Whether

lower rates will turn out to be “worth the cost” of narrowing or eliminating special

tax rules remains to be seen.

Protecting the rules that govern life insurance, annuities, retirement savings, and

employer-provided beneits will require signiicant, ongoing effort by insurance

agents, inancial advisors, agency and irm managers, and their representatives in

Washington, D.C. To that end, NAIFA is hosting a Congressional Conference in

Washington. April 8–9. You and your producers are strongly encouraged to

participate. You can ind more information, and register to participate, by going to

the NAIFA website (naifa.org) and clicking on the “Congressional Conference” link

at the top of the home page.

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Health ReformWhy It Matters

This year will be a busy one as states, insurers, and employers prepare for full implementation of the many key health reform law rules that take effect in 2014. The “deluge” of proposed regulations has begun.

Agencies Issue Long-Awaited Proposed Health Insurance Regulations On Nov. 20, the three agencies in charge of implementing health reform regulations issued a series of proposed regulations. They cover insurance market rules and rate reviews, essential health beneit packages, wellness programs, and health plan accredita-tion standards. The wellness regulation was proposed jointly by the Depart-ment of Health and Human Services (HHS), Treasury Department, and Labor Department; HHS proposed the other regulations. The proposed regulations cover the following:

■ Essential health beneits. The proposed regulation outlines what beneits constitute a “qualiied” health insurance plan that individu-als must purchase, or else pay an assessment (the individual mandate). Similarly, it sets out the “affordable and qualiied” beneits that most employers must offer, or else pay an assessment (the employer responsi-bility rules). The beneit package must provide beneits in 10 speciied areas — ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance abuse services, prescription drugs, rehabilitation services, laboratory services, preventive and wellness services (including chronic-disease manage-ment), and pediatric services. In

addition, beneit packages would fall into one of four statutory categories (the “metals” plans) based on the level of deductibles and copayments a plan can impose on beneiciaries. The four levels are designated as bronze, silver, gold, or platinum plans, and are based on each plan level’s actuarial value.

■ Wellness programs. The maximum permissible reward offered for participating in a health-contingent wellness program through a group health plan would increase from 20 percent to 30 percent. The maximum permissible reward for wellness programs intended to prevent or reduce tobacco use would rise to 50 percent. The discrimination rules applicable to wellness programs would also be leshed out.

■ Health insurance market rules and rate review. Health insurance providers in the individual and small-group markets would be able to vary premiums to a limited extent. Insurance issuers would have to maintain a single statewide risk pool for each of their individual and small-employer markets, with premiums and annual rate changes based on the health risk of the entire pool. The proposed regulation also reafirms existing-coverage-renewal protections for individuals and employers. It would give young adults and people for whom coverage would otherwise be unaffordable the option of enrolling in catastrophic insurance plans.

■ Accreditation for plans offered through federally facilitated and state partnership exchanges. Such exchanges would accept existing health plan accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) through 2016. Starting in 2017, qualiied health plan issuers must be accredited on the basis of the local performance of its qualiied health plan.

Comments on the irst three pro-posed regulation had be submitted within 30 days of their Nov. 26 publication in the Federal Register. Comments on the proposed wellness regulations are due by Jan. 25.

Action UpdateWhy It Matters

Ongoing judicial challenges to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and GOP efforts to cut federal spending could affect implementation of the health reform law. These issues bear a close watch by those who are advising clients about both employer-provided and individual health insurance.

Deicit Reduction, Judicial Challenges May Affect Health Reform LawThough the Supreme Court last summer found the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate to be constitutional, other legal challenges are still wending their way through the courts. Ultimately, the Supreme Court is expected to settle these issues too.

Two of these challenges are particularly relevant to inancial services businesses. One focuses on the law’s employer-responsibility rules — the requirement that all but very small employers offer affordable, qualiied health insurance to their employees or else pay an assessment. The Supreme Court could ultimately decide, as it did with the individual mandate, that these rules are an exercise of Congress’s constitutional power to tax. But that outcome is not certain.

Another important issue is whether the federal subsidies provided by the health reform law will be available through a federal exchange. The law’s statutory language omits subsidy provisions from the section on federal exchanges, but most health reform experts see this as no more than a drafting error to be remedied.


GAMA International is committed to providing its members with research-based, world-class education and training RESOURCES, to providing a

neutral venue where our members can NETWORK with peer professionals, to providing certiied AWARDS to members who achieve standards of excellence

in distribution management, and to expanding opportunities for professional growth.

■ Development. Proselytizing inancially penalizes those organizations that invest in new producer acquisition and development.

■ Critical mass. Proselytizing shrinks and diminishes our industry.

■ Professionalism. Proselytizing encourages colleagues to function as

competitors, damaging efforts to build and develop the industry through the sharing of best practices.

■ Market impact. Proselytizing distracts us from addressing ignorance and apathy in the marketplace as we invest time and energy in cannibalizing each other’s resources.

■ Consumer impact. Proselytizing leads to the replacement of existing business that is generally not in the best interest of the consumer.

■ Financial results. There is no evidence that buying distribution is less expensive than growing it.

Our Anti-Proselytizing Position GAMA International opposes the practice of proselytizing to build agencies or irms for the following reasons:

Our Value Proposition

Our Mission

Building the Leaders Who Build the Insurance, Investment & Financial Services Industry

Growth through proselytizing is destructive to our industry. There are no short-term answers to long-term success.

Congratulations to Phil Vaccarello for being selected Ambassador of the Quarter for irst quarter 2013!

As Ambassador for the GAMA Foundation for Education and Research, Phil and his fellow volunteers work within their respective companies to educate their peers on the value of the Foundation’s research and ask them to join the elite group of industry leaders who fund this important work.

The Board of Trustees of the GAMA Foundation recognizes Phil — and all of our Ambassadors — for their critical contribution to our mission of funding research-based solutions for leadership success.

Philip Vaccarello, CLF LUTCF

American General Life and Accident

Insurance Company

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What’s new? What’s next? What’s happening?

Each Leading Indicators column covers a single topic and presents the latest word on the subject: the news, the research, the trends — all from the perspective of ield leaders in the inancial services industry. Come here each issue to learn what is just over the horizon and how you can prepare for it.


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Industry Forecast for 2013Why It matters

The insurance and inancial planning industry faces many uncertainties in 2013.

The re-election of President Barack Obama has cleared up some — but not all —

expectations on the regulatory and legislative fronts. Financial advisors are

concerned not only about the iduciary standard and new rules for annuities and

life insurance products, but also the global economy. Forecasters predict the U.S.

economy will continue in a sluggish manner for the irst half of the year, potentially

improving signiicantly in the second half. Advisors expect the revamping of

annuity products to continue during 2013. Meanwhile, interest rates will likely

remain low throughout the year.

Impact of President Obama’s Re-Election

With the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts Dec. 31, couples earning more than

$250,000 will pay an income tax rate of 39.6 percent, up from 35 percent, and

the estate and gift tax rates will rise to 45 percent, with a $3.5 million per-person

exemption.

Obama’s 2013 budget proposal also calls for a decrease in the dividends-

received deduction and the end of tax breaks for corporate-owned life insurance,

which some say could blunt its use as an estate-planning tool. But since these

products are purchased with after-tax dollars, they should not be considered

expenditures targeted by lawmakers to reduce deicits and remedy tax code

concerns, say life insurance experts.

Dan Barry of the Financial Planning Association believes that President Obama

will ensure a more targeted approach to the Dodd-Frank law’s implementation. In

particular, the Department of Labor will move ahead with the iduciary rule, but

progress on that rule from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will

depend on whom the president selects as the next chairman when Mary Schapiro’s

term ends in 2014.

Regulatory Outlook for 2013

A number of changes occurred this year for inancial advisors, including a shift from

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration to individual state-based

registration for those with $100 million or less in assets under management. Experts

indicate that advisors in this category now deal with more than one set of state

regulations, but the transition process will be easier under a Coordinator Review

Program for those registering in four or more states.

Still, a number of regulatory issues affecting advisors are in limbo, including the

creation of a self-regulatory organization (SRO). Some planners and advisors

support FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) as the industry’s SRO. In a

2012 LifeHealthPro article, NAIFA called FINRA a better option than advisors

paying a user fee to fund their SEC exams, or the creation of a new SRO.

Fiduciary Standard Limbo

Advisors did succeed in getting the Labor Department to reconsider its iduciary

standard that governs plan sponsors and service providers of 401(k)s and other

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retirement-planning products. But NAIFA indicates that when the rule is re-proposed by the department, it could include individual retirement accounts, which the group believes fall outside of the department’s jurisdiction.

Other concerns include the possible conlicts between the re-proposed rule and the SEC’s expected uniform iduciary standard. A 2011 NAIFA study, Life Insurance Services Selling, indicated that a uniform standard could raise compliance costs for its members by at least 15 percent. SEC chairman Mary Schapiro has said that her agency plans to propose a uniform iduciary standard in 2013.

u.S. Capital and Reserve ChangesThe National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Actuarial Guidelines XXXVIII, or AG 38, will cause a number of new re-ilings and product changes that will ultimately affect advisors.

Some experts say the rules, which took effect in January, will cause changes to annuities, universal life insurance, and other products; force insurers to increase reserves, which could lead to higher prices and lower proits; reduce guarantees and bonuses for policy owners; and cut the number of products on the market and reduce commissions across the board.

Yet a recent Risk.net article reveals the impact may not be as signiicant as irst expected, as many insurers already held hold high reserve levels.

The Federal Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) recently issued notiications to nonbank irms about the systemically important designation. The designation comes with greater federal scrutiny and tougher capital and liquidity standards and stress tests. Also, carriers must submit capital plans to federal regulators for review. Experts are concerned that the regulations applied to these irms will be too bank-centric, but in a recent LifeHealth-Pro article, Ryan Schoen of Washington Analysis said that according to the FSOC, “new regulations for insurers would be tailored to their speciic risks and business activities.”

An Economy on the MendThough a better economy is expected in 2013, any gains won’t be known until summertime, which means the sluggish economy will remain a worry throughout the irst quarter of 2013. Even dramatic policy shifts — which aren’t likely, given that Congress will remain narrowly divided — would take time to rev up the economic engine. Growth in early 2013 is expected to slow, dipping from just over 2 percent for second-half 2012 to only about 1.5 percent for the irst-half 2013. Tighter iscal restraints — whether from higher taxes, federal spending cuts, or both — will curb gains. Ending the payroll tax break will cut about $1,000 from the average household’s annual income, for example, and trim 0.5 percent from the gross domestic product (GDP).

In the second half of 2013, look for considerably more pep in the econ-omy. As the housing market picks up steam, it will add wealth to the economy and nurture consumer spending. The Federal Reserve will keep mortgage rates near all-time lows, encouraging building and buying. Plus, as the year unfolds, banks will become more eager to make loans. By year-end, GDP growth should be chugging along at a much healthier 3 percent pace, though for 2013 as a whole, another yearly gain in the 2 percent neighborhood is likely.

2013 Market OutlookInsurance producers, especially smaller irms, continue to feel the pressure to merge. Capital Economics predicts that the global recovery will slow and that growth will remain subdued through much of 2013, but the outlook beyond 2013 is a bit rosier.

Still, as governments strive to bolster the economic outlook, through lowering interest rates, the low-rate environment has hampered insurance investments.

A recent Willis Group Holdings 2013 Marketplace Realities report indicates property and casualty insurance rates will be mixed over the next several months as programs come up for renewal. Even so, Moody’s

Investors Service and Fitch Ratings say the market will continue to experience organic growth in 2013.

Annuity Trends in 2013Many inancial advisors are still seeing their companies raise prices, decrease beneits and features, discontinue products, and, in some cases, even leave the business. So industry observ-ers expect to see the revamping of products, features, and investment options continue during 2013. Fixed-indexed annuities are expected to continue leading the way in new- product development across the industry. Meanwhile, guaranteed lifetime-withdrawal beneits have grown in prominence and complexity.

Also in 2013, annuities will play a more signiicant role in retirement-planning exercises and in client portfolios in the post–inancial crisis environment as demand continues to grow for eficient ways to meet desired outcomes and maintain those outcomes during volatile markets. Because the risks in retirement are different from the risks an investor may have faced while accumulating retirement assets, the optimal solutions are different, and retirees will need help understanding and evaluating the differences.

Interest Rates to Remain LowLow interest rates are expected over the next several years, and the life insur-ance market is likely to see its revenues and earnings weaken, which will impair its inancial lexibility, predicts Moody’s Investors Service. The ratings irm changed its outlook for the sector to negative from stable, given the expected tax increases and continued high unemployment rates. Meanwhile, the reinsurance sector is expected to remain stable, as it maintains tighter underwriting and better risk manage-ment, according to Moody’s. Reactions reports that hardening in some primary insurance markets has laid the founda-tion for stability in reinsurance rates.

Abstract News © Copyright 2013 INFORMATION, INC.

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GETTING ThE

MoST OUT OF

AdVISoR TEAMS


1 9j a n u a r y / f e b r a u r y 2 0 1 3 1 9j a n u a r y / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3

A few years back, RUSSell e. LANE introduced

the then-new structure of advisor teams into his

organization, Here he explains how he reinvented

the wheel and made it roll.

“Bringing together the right information with the right people will dramatically improve a company’s ability to develop and act on strategic business opportunities.”

— Bill Gates


When I fIrst decIded it was time to turn my advisor group into an advisor team, it was not exactly out of desperation, but close to it. At that time I was responsible not only for my personal production, but also for that of 10 advisors — three or four of whom were really struggling.

My group of associates was a mixed bag. some were weak at setting meetings; others were poor at closing. they did have real strengths, though, in speciic areas of the planning process, which for us includes ive parts: the introductory meeting, the discovery meeting, analysis, teaching the plan, and measuring and monitoring the plan. they were hardworking, dedicated people who had some of the skills that we needed, (no one person can be outstanding in all ive of these areas). By understanding that some people had greater listening and empathy skills while others were better at teaching and explaining, it became a better process for all involved.

the idea of a formalized team was a relatively new model for the inancial services industry in the late 1990s, and not yet fully tested. It wasn’t until I had a meeting with John Brooks and Mark Benson, in which they laid out the framework for a team-based model, that I saw the potential. I realized it was a way to really utilize these potentially productive individuals, to refocus them and help them draw on their respective strengths to achieve greater success in the inancial services industry.

Upon deciding to move forward with the teamwork approach, we really had to get a handle on two things. first, what exactly did we do and, second, what was it that we wanted to do with our clients and prospects? so we developed ive core roles:

■ Rainmaker. causes meetings to happen. nothing can happen until a positive introductory meeting takes place.

■ Fact inder. does the fact inding or sets the discovery meeting to gather pertinent information.

■ Analyst. Analyzes the data and then develops an action plan based on that information.

■ Teacher–presenter–closer. Presents information, teaches it, and works to get clients to take action on that

information. he or she also implements the strategies and products needed to accomplish clients’ goals.

■ Client representative. services the client and measures and monitors the client’s plans — for life, and even through generations.

these guidelines had built-in lexibility from the time we started out, but the basics remain the same. Once established, we had to identify who would be in the different positions. One person can perform all of these, of course, or you can divide them up among the team according to who is best at which role.

forming the teams and the roles becomes interesting. Up until this point, everyone had been doing all of these tasks themselves. A key role — the teacher–presenter–closer — was the one everybody locked to. this person would get a larger portion of the case and it was more sought after than doing the discovery meeting, analysis, and so forth. We agreed that we would all have to compromise and that no one should be in more than two roles.

As we worked through this new system, there were growing pains, and looking back I wish that we had read a book called Elite Financial Teams: The 17%

Solution. In this eye-opening work, inancial services coach Matt Oechsli explains that the future of deliver-ing excellent advice and inancial services to afluent clients is through elite teams — those with a higher degree of dedication and specialization among team members to a skill that they continually hone. And, in fact, the superstars in leadership, business savvy, inancial acumen, and salesmanship were found only in this small percentage of teams.

F i r s t C o m e t h e S t o r m i n g

After teams are formed, they take shape through what Oechsli calls “storming.” In forming teams, you will ind that you have a lot of egos and personalities that need taming and that everyone will have to come to a consensus for the team to work optimally. Before the team approach, everyone was earning 100 percent and now they know that will not be the case. this can be a very scary bargain for advisors to agree to.

storming, though, is how you can make it all work. It is during this stage that everyone igures out where they

HHaving the right players in the right positions is the main component of a successful team.


it in and what they will be doing. And it is a storm, a true mess, when you’re irst trying to igure out where everyone its in. the goal is to ensure that everyone ultimately lands in the role he or she is best suited to and has a passion for, and that serves the best interests of the team and client. You have to lesh out all concerns (such as what their percentage of the proit will be), personality conlicts, and requisite competency levels to make sure you have the right teammates doing the right things. everyone on the team has to ind his or her niche, and this takes time.

Another useful book to help build or strengthen you team is The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, in which Patrick Lencioni explains that the no. 1 characteristic of a high-functioning team is trust (and, conversely, the no. 1 trait of a dysfunctional team is mistrust). everyone joining in a team venture has to be willing to be completely open and honest. team members — especially leaders — have to be willing to be vulnerable.

One way to jump-start trust building is to have team members share a personal story from their history — something about where they grew up or a pleasant childhood memory. Another way is to develop reliable proiling tools that aid in understanding and describing one another. Agree on a vocabulary and structure for giving and receiving feedback that is objective and productive rather than subjective and damaging. candid communication breeds trust among team members. When you have trust, you have talented people who are committed and a team approach that will deliver better solutions and advice to clients than they could as individuals.

T h e n C o m e s t h e N o r m i n g

After the storming comes what Oechsli calls the “norming” stage. this is when the representatives begin to settle into their roles. they start to do business, routines settle in, and things normalize. continuity is developed, and everyone begins to get comfortable with his or her role and tasks. communicating this process to clients is key, as is bridging the different roles into a cohesive process.

What will the clients think? clients are used to having us do everything for them as dedicated advisors on a one-on-one basis and may worry that with a team structure, there won’t be that same high-trust relationship with the agency. But that isn’t so. If they are concerned, have them picture how a doctor’s ofice works. We don’t think anything of meeting with trained medical administrators or nurses before we see the doctor. In fact, just the opposite is true. Wouldn’t it seem odd if the surgeon or the doctor came out to meet us in the waiting room and helped us with our insurance papers? At a doctor’s ofice, you have different people functioning in a lot of different roles that they have

come to know well to ensure that you get the best service and treatment.

When we began the norming process of developing our team, we didn’t know whether it was going to work, but we could tell that our clients liked it. A top client who had a discovery meeting with one of my partners called me to describe how long the discovery meeting went. As he began, I thought, “Uh-oh, he’s upset because the meeting went too long.” Instead, this client went on to tell me that the meeting went long because it was one of the best meetings he had ever experienced.

It was then I realized that the team approach allows you to devote more specialized time (time doing what you do best) to clients, which enhances their experience. this allows you to really get to know them, to build a stronger, deeper relationship and truly understand them and their needs in a particular area. It’s much tougher to do practicing as a solo advisor who’s trying to be the jack of all trades (and you know the rest of it).

When we launched the team structure, each of us started out doing what we already did best and then got even better at it. Our clients began to get better service and see an improved process. they would tell others about this unique teamwork we had. so while some us were teaching and closing, others on our team were out do more rainmaking, which was crucial for continued growth.

Our team members all have a passion for what they do and have all become better at their specialty through practice and time. now they are more focused and organized and can do the job more quickly and eficiently. In almost anything that people become excellent at, they make it look easy because they love doing it and they’re good at it. As a former teacher and coach, I excel at teaching. If I’m teaching a client about retirement pensions, I’m ecstatic. But if I’ve assumed some other role on the team that I don’t particularly like, I will simply not be as good at it and I won’t have the same enthusiasm.

In It for Life

In addition to effective specialization, the other foundation to successful teamwork is continuity. In inancial services, how many advisors can assure the client that they will be there for life? Quite often the advisor will change careers or retire, leaving existing clients “orphaned” and having to start all over with someone else. With the teamwork approach, clients know that if something were to happen to one of the key team members, the rest of the team will still be in place and their inancial plans will not be disrupted. the client can see that he or she is well taken care of by the team.

But how do you bridge the gap in communication during the transition from one advisor to another? We use systems such as copytalk and redtail to help with this.


team meetings are also key to making sure everyone is on the same page. At the meetings we evaluate where we are with each client on a case-by-case basis, making sure nothing falls through the cracks. eventually, when all the pieces come together from the storming and norming processes, we arrive at the last level.

T h e P e r f o r m i n g L e v e l

At the “performing level,” there is not a need for a lot of conversation about the different efforts we are all putting in. We are more cohesive and more in tune with one another. We are comfortable introducing our team approach to clients and prospects. the team is now solid, and everyone is holding one another accountable to a standard. When you are part of a team, you do not want to let your teammates down. It’s as simple as that.

In the last six years since achieving the performing level, our performance has increased dramatically. Our gross dealer concession has more than doubled, and our life production is up more than 40 percent. the proof really is in the fact that teamwork allows us to see more ideal clients while trusting in a solid processing plan; this, in turn, leads to more production. And because the total production is up, the advisors are also increasing their bottom lines. While we did all have to give up some control, we ultimately got more of what we really wanted: increased revenues and better clients. Only the team model made that possible.

so having the right players in the right positions is the main component of a successful team. UcLA basketball coaching legend John Wooden always said that there were the two fundamentals to winning: getting better players, and getting them to play with simplicity and execution. With those in place, Wooden noted that “much can be accomplished by teamwork when no one is concerned about who gets credit.”

» Russell E. Lane, a recognized expert on the Kansas Public Employmee Retirement System, has more than 25 years of experience as a inancial advisor. He began in the industry by supplementing his income as a history teacher and football and basketball coach selling Franklin Life insurance. This experience opened his eyes to the lack of inancial preparedness among many of his friends

and co-workers. Later, with the goal of “educating the educator” as well as feeding his entrepreneurial side, Russ helped create two inancial services companies: Ameritime to provide the latest information and guidance to educators about the labyrinthine Kansas education pension system, and Compass Financial Resources to provide individual inancial planning to educators and others looking for clarity, conidence, and peace of mind. Russ is also an investment advisory representative with National Planning Corporation and a member of NAIFA, the Society of Financial Service Professionals, and Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group, an organization of inancial advisors dedicated to being leaders in the IRA industry.

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Fair, levelheaded, honest, hardworking. These are traits that most

people use to describe a strong leader. But they are also the

characteristics of people with high emotional intelligence.

Stu Schlackman, M.B.A., explains what emotional intelligence is,

and why it is so important for leaders to cultivate and nourish theirs.

The

Power of

Emotional Intelligence


2 5j a n u a r y / f e b r a u r y 2 0 1 3



the BAsIc PreMIse of insurance and inancial services is people buying from people they have come to trust and want to maintain a relationship with. transac-tions in our line of work aren’t the same as in most others. the products and services we sell are directly related to a person’s most valuable asset: life itself.

trust — the foundation of all strong interpersonal relationships — is developed by having open communi-cation and following through. In short, that means you are honest in what you say and you deliver on the promise of the value the customer expects.

But for inancial services professionals, it involves a bit more than that. An advisor’s greatest challenge is not in getting an initial meeting with a prospect; it’s in having the opportunity to prove his or her worthiness to that prospect, the potential client. And in the challenging world of sales, the fact is, we don’t always get that chance.

As dr. Michael cox (formerly with the federal reserve Bank of dallas) states, the no. 1 skill needed today in business is people skills and emotional intelli-gence. You’ve heard it many times before, of course: the best sales advisors have great people skills. having great people skills is about having the ability to read the other person’s emotions and behavior and to take this into account during the low of your conversation with the prospect. It’s also about having the ability to identify how the other person prefers to communicate and understanding what’s important to him or her. emotional intelligence is the assessing, expressing, and managing of feelings while interacting with others.

Lessons in Emotional IntelligenceIn their book Emotional Intelligence 2.0, travis Brad-berry and Jean Greaves talk about the four components of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, social aware-ness, self-management, and relationship management. following is a rundown.

S e l f - A w a r e n e s s

self-awareness, the most important capability for executives in today’s business environment to have, is understanding who you are as well as what your strengths and shortcomings are. Most of us are already aware of our attributes; the challenge is to know how and when to leverage them and when to hold them in reserve.

for example, if you are someone who likes to begin a sales meeting with small talk and you have a prospect who also enjoys socializing before getting down to business, you will most likely be off to a good start. But if the prospect wants to get right down to business and you continue with small talk, the outcome will probably not be as favorable. so it is important to be cognizant of the other person’s preference in communicating. If you’re self-aware, you will know when to adjust to another’s behavior and preferences.

In selling, you must be conscious of your own preferred style of communicating to a potential client. communication is about speaking and listening, and also involves asking questions. Which one is your strength and where can you improve? some advisors like to go into presentation mode; others prefer to start by asking questions, and then listening carefully and thoughtfully to the answers. You need to know not only your strength and style, but also what the client prefers.

You also need to assess the communication style of the prospect. It always helps to walk in with an agenda to set the expectations for the meeting. Ask the prospect if the agenda is acceptable and get permission as to how you would like to proceed. this will give you an indica-tion of whether you’re on the right track and give you a hint about his or her preferred style of communication. Assess if the prospect is lexible or rigid, casual or formal. does the prospect like to control the conversa-tion or follow it? Learn to adjust your approach.

EEmotional intelligence is the assessing, expressing, and managing of feelings.

The Power of Emotional IntelligenceKey Strategies

»remember that emotions trump everything else. People act out of emotion.

»when starting a meeting, begin with the client’s perspective, not yours.

»adjust your communication style to that of the client.

»ask pertinent questions to gain insight into a client’s perspective.

»help the client relate to your view by telling a relevant story that can lead to action.


Generally, people prefer either to tell or to ask. You can ind out the prospect’s preference within the irst minute of your conversation.

S o c i a l A w a r e n e s s

Bradberry and Greave’s second component of emotional intelligence is social awareness: understanding the emotional state of your prospect. their book includes some key statistics to help underscore the importance of this topic:

■ emotional intelligence accounts for 58 percent of performance in all job types.

■ ninety percent of high performers have high emotional intelligence.

■ Only 36 percent of people can identify emotions as they happen.

■ the brain is hardwired to give emotions the upper hand over logic.

If all this is true, then being aware of what’s going on in a sales meeting emotionally is critical to moving the sales process forward. People buy based on their emo-tions and then justify their decision with logic, so you need to connect emotionally with your prospects and customers. People buy from people who take the time to build a relationship. Advisors who are good at building relationships understand what prospects need, what they value, and what’s important to them in the long term. It involves putting their interests irst and truly caring about them — not prioritizing the sale of your products and services. Instead, the sale is the by-product of successfully building a trusting relationship.

therefore, when it comes to the initial meeting with a prospect, what should you focus on to improve your social awareness? two things: intentions and attentiveness.

first, be clear on your intentions for the meeting. It’s not about trying to make a sale; it’s about looking for the opportunity to show the prospect you are interested in developing a relationship and how you can help achieve his or her inancial goals. At the start of the meeting, set expectations that will help prospects see that you want to help overcome their challenges or achieve their goals. for example, start by saying something like, “What I’d like to do during our time together is understand your long-term inancial objectives to see if we have the right solutions to help you achieve them.”

second, put a premium on attentiveness, both your own and the prospect’s. Be aware of both your energy level and the prospect’s. enthusiasm is contagious, and the customer will be more apt to listen if you are excited about the opportunity to forge a relationship. selling is basically the transfer of emotions from you to the prospect. And we must be aware of is not just our outward energy but our inward attentiveness to how the other person is interacting with us and responding to the situation. A prospect can easily tell whether you are tuned into what he or she is saying.

Key to attentiveness is eye contact. Maintaining consistent eye contact with the prospect will help keep both of you engaged in your conversation. Ask questions that are pertinent to the conversation. Maintain a dialogue where the prospect is doing more than 50 percent of the talking. the result will help you to determine if the prospect is positive, negative, or indiffer-ent toward the conversation; then you can adjust accordingly.

When prospects clearly see that our intention is to add value and to support their goals and objectives, they will be open and willing to converse. When they see that you are truly attentive to hearing what they have to say and you’re asking effective questions, your chances of getting the next meeting dramatically improve. Again, selling is all about people wanting to do business with people they enjoy and trust.

social awareness is the ability to interpret how pros-pects are feeling about the conversation. can you tell if they are agreeing with your points, disagreeing with them, or are they indifferent? how would you adjust your conversation based on how they feel? What can you do to change their viewpoint? In other words, do you have the ability to recognize their emotional state, and can you navigate the change needed to gain their agreement to your points? Which brings us to self-management.

S e l f - m a n a g e m e n t

so balancing the low of the conversation between questions and explanations is critical to understanding how to move the prospect down the path to commit-ment. One of the biggest challenges you have with emotional intelligence is taking your own thoughts and views out of the conversation and being open to the prospect’s point of view. Most of us tend to view life from our perspective for obvious reasons; we interpret and judge everything from our point of view. focusing on the other person’s point of view keeps us open to other ideas.

everything you experience when meeting with prospects and clients starts with your emotional perspec-tive toward them, which affects your behavior and attitude toward them. And, of course, your attitude toward the client will inluence his or her attitude toward you. Your attitude has an impact on every relationship you have. In fact, it’s key to your relationships. People’s irst reaction to most everything is emotional. A positive attitude will always be viewed positively.

One of the best approaches successful advisors use when conveying their message to a prospect is to tell stories. stories of how your products and services have helped families through challenging times and crises have more impact on the person than anything else. these stories reach the emotional side of the brain. the right side of the brain is where our emotions reside; the left side is where logic resides. Logic makes you think; emotions make you act. Logic leads to conclusion; emotions lead to action. stories of the impact you have

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had on others’ lives help your new prospects see the beneits of your offerings because they can relate to the story. People will recall similar experiences that they have had and insert themselves into your story. In other words, they will be better able to relate to you.

R e l a t i o n s h i p M a n a g e m e n t

relationship management is your ability to inluence those around you as well as the reactions and emotions they express. strong relationship-management skills help you gain agreement from others and are critical in building a high-trust relationship.

As leaders, we should be constantly working to elevate our emotional intelligence to achieve outstanding results. despite the analytical tools, processes, and training at our disposal, our interactions with others aren’t based on logic but on emotions. this is why the ability to assess and inluence the emotions of others is a vital characteristic of a great leader.

the Latin root word for emotions is “motere’ which means to move or to act and to motivate. Logic makes us think; emotions make us act. Logic leads to conclusion while emotion leads to action. Leaders with strong relationship management will motivate others to maxi-mize their performance and will at the same time build the relationships with the members of the team. Great coaches in sports are excellent at relationship manage-ment and at helping the team to work better together to maximize performance by leveraging their strengths.

emotional intelligence encompasses how we commu-nicate, how we comport ourselves, how much we exhibit our emotions, and how we build relationships with other people. It is the chief determinant of how we interact with others. And the best part of all: We have tremen-dous control over how we choose to speak, act, and emote. With time, you can turn each of these skills into strengths.

LOG ON to Visit These Learning TracksLEARN MORE

» Stu Schlackman, M.B.A., is founder and president of Competitive Excellence, which helps businesses achieve superior sales results through training and coaching. The Sales Intelligence System helps companies build high-performance teams and increase sales through an understanding of the four different personality styles. Before starting Competitive Excellence, Stu spent 25 years in corporate sales, where he was instrumental in increasing revenue and growing client bases at large corporations. In addition to closing large contracts and leading sales teams, Stu spearheaded sales training initiatives. These initiatives powered his sales teams to exceed sales projections by an average of more than 30 percent annually. Stu is also the author of Don’t Just Stand There, Sell Something and Four People You Should Know. Stu teaches and mentors at Dallas Christian College and is active in the Richardson Chamber of Commerce, the National Speakers Association/North Texas, and other civic and community organizations. Stu can be reached at [email protected].

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Next Gen: From Team Players to

Team Leaders


In the ield and in the home oices, the big question often is how do we move

someone from production to management to build the next generation of ield

leaders? GAMA International CEO Jeffrey R. Hughes explains that while the

two might seem very diferent, the qualities needed to succeed in production

are actually similar to those needed to become a top-performing leader.



A LeAdershIP GAP is looming in the U.s. insurance and inancial services business as the average age of agency heads steadily rises. By the end of 2007, the number of that segment of leaders over the age of 50 had topped 44 percent, according to a 2009 LIMRA MarketFacts

Quarterly report. And while consolidation could lead to an overabundance of displaced leaders, a next generation of ield leaders must be developed. so how does our industry build a strong ield leadership bench to replace underper-forming or near-retirement irst-line leaders and top producers?

for one thing, we have to go about it carefully. We all know the devastating failure rate of personal producers in the irst few years in the business, but for leaders it’s not much better. that same LIMrA report showed that 40 percent of new leaders fail within the irst 18 months.

to transition into a leadership position nowadays, a young personal producer must be slowly given an increas-ing amount of responsibility for recruiting, selecting, training, and helping to create a culture of high trust, reciprocity, top performance, and genuine support. A new frontline leader must get a great deal of training on the recruiting and selection process, especially during the irst few months. they must also be instilled with the vital importance of their own training and coaching relationship with producers. new leaders are, of course, ultimately responsible for their own success or failure, but they won’t get far without strong support from the ield organization’s veteran leaders.

Gen Y to the Rescue

the next group of young people on deck to take on leadership responsibility is Generation Y (born between 1982 and 2003). You’ve heard it all before: this group requires a lot of feedback and encouragement in an environment where they must see the potential for realistic advancement potential. their Baby Boomer parents and teachers gave them a great deal of support growing up: these kids all got awards merely for participating in school projects; they all got to play on the teams. But that last part is where it gets interesting. Gen Yers — also known as Millennials — have grown up accustomed to enjoying equal

participation on teams, to working with and consulting one another (a trend only strengthened by the development of social media). More than previous generations, Gen Yers rely heavily on their peers in pretty much any setting.

so as personal producers they appear to function best in a team selling model — a group of personal producers that can provide junior colleagues with the feedback they need while keeping them motivated. currently, only about 9 percent of inancial services sales representatives work in formalized team-based models, says LIMrA, but the trend should only grow as more Millennials enter the workplace. this collaborative type of model can help increase produc-tivity and address Gen Y’s desire for team-based opportuni-ties in the workplace.

collaboration as part of a team gives personal producers the ability to specialize while leveraging different team members for different tasks, depending on individual strengths. securian financial Group, for instance, imple-mented the team model some time ago; it includes a senior personal producer, junior personal producers, mentors and protégés, marketing coordinators, and a sales leader. securian team members are able to concentrate on the areas most relevant to them and conducive to their skills, and delegate other tasks to support staff. In addition, such team experience better enables some of the personal producers to effectively make the transition to participating as a member of a high-performing leadership team in the future. Millen-nials seem a natural for that model as well.

Becoming an Effective Leader and Team Builder

regarding leadership, it’s traditionally been “lonely at the top.” But maybe not so much anymore. Leadership teams are increasingly important in our industry and others, and this suits Gen Y, the ultimate collaborative generation, perfectly. But being involved in or in charge of a leadership team has its own challenges, as well as its own rules. following are a few.

E n s u r e T h a t E v e r y o n e I s o n t h e S a m e P a g e

to prevent miscommunication and to establish a big-picture goal, a leadership team must possess a shared and compel-ling vision to which the entire organization should aspire.

LLeadership teams are increasingly important in our industry, and this suits Gen Y, the ultimate collaborative generation.


(Gen Yers are especially inclined to put more into the work if there is a clear vision they agree with.) In addition, a irm must possess a mission — a purpose for its existence and more externally focused than the vision. A high-performing team will be devoted to the same vision and mission.

the mission is pretty much set in stone, but the vision must be reviewed at least once a year; this can include adjusting it to accommodate changes in the organization and industry. since everyone also has his or her own personal vision, shaped by their values and experiences, successful leadership teams must get to know the values of each of the people they work with and incorporate the best of them into the organization’s own value system and culture.

S e t I n t e r i m T a r g e t s

establish targets that are adaptable, or “stretchable.” targets include knowing your numbers; using speciic, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (sMArt) goals; keeping your eyes on the targets; and celebrating success. celebrating the achievement of these smaller goals is a powerful motivator and reinforces that organizational progress is being made and that everyone has a hand in it.

H o l d P e o p l e A c c o u n t a b l e

everyone agrees that leaders should hold everybody accountable, but what does that really mean? It means that one takes personal responsibility for the commitments he or she makes and is willing to accept the consequences, good or bad, of performance. top-of-the-line leadership teams have a different method of monitoring this.

“high-performing leadership teams create an environ-ment of personal commitment and ownership by working collaboratively with their personal producers,” according to GAMA foundation research. to see if that’s in play, ask yourself, is there shared information — that is, a mutual review by personal producers of performance? Is there shared understanding, or reviewing things together? Is there shared ownership of outcomes? Are personal producers actively involved in reviewing progress toward goals with their supervisor?

to ensure this environment is on stable footing, a regular performance-monitoring process should be established that tests for:

■ Understanding of vision, mission, and organizational goals

■ Willingness of individuals to strive to meet his or her own goals

■ Ability and skill to do the work at hand ■ the opportunity to provide individuals a chance to

grow and contribute ■ experience (Is any particular team member ready to

take the next step?)

the only way individuals are going to know whether they are meeting goals and moving in the right direction is if they receive regular, constructive feedback. Keep the organization focused on key goals and objectives by consistently addressing results in meetings, newsletters, and other communications while identifying factors that affect the organization’s ability to achieve its top priorities.

D e v e l o p C o a c h i n g R e l a t i o n s h i p s B a s e d o n S t y l e

coaching links individual goals to organizational vision by aligning objectives to achieving future aspirations. But a leader should also be able to account for personality differences when developing a coaching relationship with a personal producer. Good coaching results in clear, construc-tive two-way communication where consensus, advice, and analysis replace directive management. this involves understanding individual coaching styles, described as:

■ Authoritative. has long-term vision and communi-cates clear direction

■ Democratic. sets goals and encourages participation ■ Afiliative. strengthens relationships and connections

each style has its place and time based on the level of ownership the personal producer takes in his or her performance results, behaviors, and, in some instances, tenure in the role.

H av e a D y n a m i c B u s i n e s s P l a n

Whatever the level of management experience, leaders need a road map. After all, leaders are responsible for the performance of a group of people and need to constantly steer them in the right direction. Adjustments must be made and sometimes new routes found and followed. this can be done by following three guidelines:

■ Manage yourself. Be aware of others’ perceptions of you and ask yourself whether you come across as a strong leader who can be trusted and can inluence others to do their best.

■ Lead your network. In organizations there is always a division of labor, which causes competition to arise at times. But it’s a healthy type of competition. Instead of avoiding conlict, a good leader should work on strengthening relationships using his or her inluence and objectively dealing with the issues at hand.

■ Lead your team. A team must be led as a whole, not as a collection of individuals whom one merely coordinates. team members should hold themselves and their teammates jointly accountable. this requires that individuals possess clearly aligned, tangible goals. establishing and holding others accountable to the values, norms, and standards of the team is vital.


Leaders build a collaborative team environment by stressing shared values, mutual trust, and a strong emotional attachment to the task at hand. Building synergy between team members is crucial for team success. Intelligent, strategic personnel selection and role placement will help make sure team members are compatible and are willing to embrace a clear mission and a compelling vision.

team members can be selected by assessing their individ-ual experience and behaviors, what they have to offer, and how they would it with other team members. this can be done by documenting job requirements; assessing what behaviors are important to be successful in the role; sharing the organization’s structure, culture, team values, and beliefs; including key associates in the new-associate recruiting process; and conducting behavioral event interviews where the candidate illustrates competency in certain situations, such as a time when they had to deal with adversity.

A formal, structured orientation program is great for transitioning new members into the team. new members need more mentoring, so maintain frequent contact with them and create opportunities to build relationships. to build an effective team in the ield today requires more than just a judgment about whether they can sell. the leader owes it to the organization to select individuals who will not only be productive but will also enhance the quality of the work environment and culture of the organization.

The Importance of Team Harmony

Often overlooked in team building is the vital factor of team harmony, and this goes for all generations on a leadership team, according to GAMA foundation research.

first, Boomers must be able to empathize with and understand the behavioral and value differences of the multiple generations they lead in order to build a

high-performing work environment. In the same sense, Gen Yers and Gen Xers, as leaders, must come to understand, and therefore reap the beneits from the vast experience of more experienced fellow leadership team members and longtime personal producers. A global ceO survey by Oliver Wyman and the economist Intelligence Unit of 300 executives in 17 industries worldwide found that the major barrier to innova-tion was “lack of a conducive climate” (see sidebar at left) — in other words, lack of organizational harmony. And today, effective innovation is the key to adapting to the constantly changing, competitive environment. high-perform-ing teams build trust through open communication and through leadership that seeks out and carefully listens to input gathered from everyone involved. A team needs to solicit, respond to, and incorporate the ideas of every team member.

W h a t H i g h - T r u s t C o m m u n i c a t i o n L o o k s L i k e

One thing that is essential to building high-trust communica-tion is active listening, or being fully engaged in a conversa-tion. this can be done in numerous ways. they include:

■ Preparing mentally and clearing your space both at your desk and between your ears

■ Being honest and direct ■ Using perception checks to clariiy and reinforce points

being made by the speaker about a certain issue ■ Getting comfortable with silence ■ Using the other parties’ names ■ Asking good questions ■ Paraphrasing ■ sharing your reactions to the speaker’s message

Informal communication methods, such as “managing by walking around” and engaging team members in conversa-tion, scheduling fun social events, and encouraging work-related opportunities for informal communication among groups of team members also foster high-trust communication.

so what do younger people want from the opportunity to lead? Members of Gen X might be looking for opportunities to show their individual contributions to an organization, while the younger Generation Yers might be looking for lexibility and ability to make a positive social impact.

the differences in Generation X and Y may seem contra-dictory at irst, but using leadership teams, good leadership practices, and coaching to transition these younger individu-als into positions of leadership will help create and sustain a strong, productive business organization in the ield and in the home ofice for years to come. By that time, there will be Generation Z, with its own strengths and challenges in adapting to ield leadership and reaping their true potential from it.

In a highly collaborative environment, team members are more likely to like, respect, and trust one another. There are six characteristics of a harmonious team:

■ Flexibility. Processes and policies that help performance should be in place.

■ Responsibility. Individuals should have enough autonomy to be accountable for certain tasks.

■ Standards. Individuals should be challenged. ■ Rewards. These should be tied to key performance

drivers. ■ Clarity. Individuals should know what is expected of

them. ■ Team commitment. People should be proud to

belong to the organization — and trust that everyone is working toward a common purpose. This is particularly important to Gen Yers (as well as Gen Xers).

a Collaborative environment

— Research by Sabah Bhatnagar


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What Does Your Pass Rate Really Cost You?

Henrietta Nye President, Keir Educational Resources

YOU MAY thInK that your ofice pass rate for licensing exams is just ine. It is about the national average of 73 percent. not bad. But if you give a new recruit a second chance to pass the fInrA license, what does that really cost you? Just by allowing the recruit one more try to pass the exam, you are losing 30 days of productivity — probably in the neighborhood of $4,000 in lost sales. to make sure your student passes the second time, the manager or trainer will probably spend some extra time coaching and counseling — estimated at an additional $1,000 cost. Additional paperwork needs to be completed to retake the test and probably other support staff time will be needed to monitor the student — for a total cost of $250. If inger printing is required again, you probably have a $50 charge, background checks over 60 days old will require an additional $100 fee, and the re-sit fee is approximately $265. If the recruit is taking the exam at some distance, there could be travel, hotel, and food expenses, totaling a conservative $200. these expenses come to $5,865 per student.

Use this total of expenses and see what happens with a 73 percent pass rate when you are in the practice of hiring 25 advisors a year. With a 73 percent pass rate (national average), you would have 18.25 students pass the irst time. At Keir, we have been experiencing over a 90 percent pass rate for our fInrA students. With a 90 percent pass rate you would have 22.5 pass the irst time.

In trying to understand the considerations of home ofices in this situation, we spoke with several home ofice trainers to see how this situation might affect them. for many, the manager of a local ofice does the

a d v e r t o r i a l

recruiting, but a new recruit will also be assisted by local support staff and probably two to three people from home ofice. the failed student will require more managerial time, which might include checkpoints for one to two weeks, mentoring, instructing, and the development of new calendars. A failure really involves a lot of people.

Is there any way to calculate the cost from the psychological loss of failing an exam? recruits for sales positions need to have a special level of self-esteem. What does one failure do to the recruit’s belief in himself or herself? this could be a new experience for some of them — hopefully one so shocking they don’t let that happen again. there can also be a psychological change in the recruiter’s attitude toward the recruit who fails the irst time.

do you know your pass rate? We ind that many recruiters and managers have no idea what their pass rate is. this could be costing you quite a bit. Keir can help your students pass the exams the irst time, to get up and running sooner, keep up enthusiasm for their position, and save you thousands of dollars in the process.

The views expressed in this advertorial do not relect the views of GAMA

International or its board of directors.

25 students Pass Fail Cost to re-test $5,865 per student

National pass 18 7 $41,055 rate 73%

Keir Pass 22 3 $17,595 rate of 90%

Savings $23,460

The Miracle Business MAURICE L. STEWART, CLU CHFC CLF

THE PENN MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

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Get the Newest Book in the Master Firm Builders Series!

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Pre-order at gamaweb.com/marketplace at the special price of $25.

Recognizing the unique value of their ield managers, these companies have joined with GAMA International to ensure their ield managers have access to proven leading practices and practical education opportunities. GAMA International commends our partners for their continued commitment to professional development and unwavering pursuit of excellence.

These companies contribute 100 percent of their ield managers’

GAMA International membership enrollment fee (some exclusions apply).

Ameritas • Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan • First Command Financial Services • Genworth Financial • Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance Services • Securian Financial Group • Southern Farm Bureau Life

Insurance Company • Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

These companies contribute 50 percent of their ield managers’

GAMA International membership enrollment fee (some exclusions apply).

Allstate • American Family Insurance • American General Life and Accident Insurance Company • American National Insurance Company • Aviva Life and Annuity Company • The Baltimore Life Companies • Bankers Life and Casualty Company • CouNTRy Financial • FuTuRITy FIRST Insurance Group • Guardian Life Insurance Company of America • Kansas City Life Insurance Company • Knights of Columbus • Modern Woodmen of America • Mutual of omaha • National Life Group • Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company • ohio National Financial Services • The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company • The Principal Financial Group

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America • AXA Equitable • Farm Bureau Financial Services • Fraternal Field Managers’ Association • Lincoln Financial Network • MassMutual Financial Group • MetLife

• New England Financial A MetLife Company • New york Life Insurance Company • oneAmerica® Financial Partners • Paciico • The Prudential Insurance Company of America • State Farm Insurance Companies •

Waddell & Reed • Western & Southern Financial Group • Woodmen of the World

International Partners: AIA • Paciico Vida • Prudential Argentina

platinum

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BuILDING THE LEADERS WHo BuILD THE INSuRANCE, INVESTMENT & FINANCIAL SERVICES INDuSTRy


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Marshall FaulkPro Football SuperstarSponsored by Waddell & Reed Football legend Marshall Faulk has been a three-time all-American running back for San Diego State, an all-pro with the Indianapolis Colts and the St. Louis Rams, and a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. Now he’s helping underprivileged

youths tackle the challenges they face so they can achieve their dreams.

Susan ScottThought Leader and AuthorSponsored by New York Life Insurance CompanyTo Susan Scot, talk isn’t cheap, especially when it’s between business associates. So she founded Fierce, Inc., based on the idea that “while no single conversation is guaranteed to change the trajectory of a career, a business, or a life — any

conversation can,” and also wrote a book on the subject.

kaplan MobrayPersonal Branding ExpertSponsored by AvivaWho can show you how to brand yourself for maximum success beter than Kaplan Mobray? he Wharton B-school grad, who has led corporate marketing, advertising, and brand-development initiatives for Fortune 500

companies, also coaches and speaks on topics like leadership and networking.

Aron RalstonOutdoorsman and Wilderness Advocate Sponsored by Transamerica Agency NetworkIn 2003, ater nearly a week of being trapped alone in a 3-foot-wide canyon in Utah, pinned by a half-ton boulder, Aron Ralston cut of his right forearm with a dull pocketknife, applied a tourniquet, and hiked back to civilization. Now

he’s got a book (Between a Rock and a Hard Place), a movie based on his ordeal (127 Hours), and a don’t-miss story to tell.

Chef Jeff HendersonCuisine Master, TV Star, and Author Chef Jef Henderson turned 10 years spent in prison into a career in food service and ultimately became executive chef at Las Vegas’s exclusive Café Bellagio. He’s also had a Food Network TV show called he Chef Jef Project, and now his best-selling Cooked:My Journey rom the Streets to the Stove is being turned

into a movie starring Will Smith.

LAMP ATTENDEES MEET in general session on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings to hear an exciting mix of big names, top leaders in the industry, and speakers with inspiring messages of hope and tip for success. Don’t miss learning about — or being reminded of — the extraordinary power of leadership.

PRoFESSIoNAL SPEAKERS PRACTITIoNER SPEAKERS


LAMP ’13 GENERAL SESSION Get Inspired

Luis G. ChiappyAXA EquitableLuis Chiappy, CLU ChFC CFP LUTCF — GAMA 2012–13 president — is an executive vice president in the national division of AXA Advisors (an ailiate of AXA Equitable), and senior manager of AXA Advisors in South Florida. Check out his GAMA “state of the union,” covering all the hot developments at

your association.

Tom HegnaTom Hegna, Inc.In the retirement income planning business, there’s nothing like establishing credibility. Before starting his consulting irm, Tom Hegna, CLU ChFC CASL, was a New York Life Insurance Company irst vice president, a vice president, and an annuity manager, as well as a top agent and trainer at MetLife. Now he’s

a GAMA Resource Partner, helping our members tune up their skills with his new book, Paychecks and Playchecks.

Frank T. ScaleseMetLifeFrank T. Scalese, LUTCF, who launched his career as a inancial services rep in 1990, won MetLife’s Management Development Award in 2005, three years ater taking over as managing director of its North Coast Financial Group. Scalese’s passionate approach to helping managers ind new markets in their own

backyards will ofer a fresh perspective and brand-new sources.

J.D. TruebloodState Farm Insurance CompaniesJ.D. Trueblood, CLU ChFC CPCU, who joined State Farm in 1986 as a claims rep, became a manager of agency/sales resources in 2004. He’s now director of agency recruiting and agency/sales resources. his passionate recruiting pro established the State Farm Executive Military Recruiting Steering

Commitee to help connect military vets to State Farm and other companies. He will focus on this subject in his address to GAMA members.


LAMP ’13 LEADING PRACTICES SESSIONS

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER ONLINE,

OUR LEADING PRACTICES sessions feature practitioners and selected vendors sharing industry best practices and ield-tested solutions for your most pressing challenges. Topics run the gamut: from employing sophisticated recruiting and sales tools, such as social media, to controlling expenses to building a succession team. But every workshop shares one thing: You will walk away with a practical technique or strategy that you can implement to improve your business.

Sunday, March 10, 2013 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Sunday Session Featuring the Master Firm Builders Series AuthorsQuincy M. Crawford, CLUGuardian Life Insurance Company of America (Ret.)Norman G. Levine, CLU ChFC RFCLevine Enterprises Phillip C. Richards, CLU CFP RHUSecurian Financial GroupMaurice L. Stewart, CLU ChFC CLFThe Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company

Get ready! GAMA’s next Master Firm Builders book, by Maury Stewart, will be released at LAMP ’13. Come see Maury — with fellow series authors Phil Richards, Norm Levine, and Quincy Crawford — at this all-star session of industry greats. So much knowledge on one litle stage!

Sunday, March 10, 2013 4:15 PM – 7:30 PM Women of GAMA Leadership Session and Networking ReceptionSponsored by New York Life Insurance CompanyJane ContiNew York Life Insurance CompanyGail GoodmanConsulTelSandra E. Harris, CLFState Farm Insurance CompaniesRenee Sherman, ChFC CFP CRP CRPCMetLife

You’ll want to show up early for LAMP’s second annual women in leadership session ater last year’s inaugural standing-room-only event rocked the convention hall. Women’s importance to the insurance and inancial services industry is growing every year, so you won’t want to miss this info-packed special session, or its follow-up networking reception.

Monday, March 11, 2013 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

The Accountability Call System: Making It Work for You Mary Kay Quist, CASL CPCUState Farm Insurance Companies

With increasing workloads for both managers and advisors, inding time to hold agents accountable can be challenging, but without regular activities most producers will fail. Improve focus and consistency while holding your advisors accountable by using the accountability call system. Mary Kay Quist has employed this process within her team to create a 360-degree accountability structure that enhances eiciency and creates a heightened sense of business ownership with producers.

The Firm of the Future: Implementing Advisor TeamsPaul F. Blanco, LUTCF MetLife

he Barnum Financial Group has formed 20 teams consisting of 60 advisors, all of whom are on track to do at least 20 to 30 percent more production than the prior year. For irms to implement team selling successfully, they must understand that partnering the right advisors is only one small step in the process. Building a culture of team selling and properly deining team selling and integrating it into the culture are what have the greatest impact. his presentation will give participants the knowledge, skills, and materials Barnum used to create successful advisor teams.

Special Resource Partner Session

The New e-Entrepreneurs: Connecting With the Next Generation of Sales TalentJoey Davenport, CLU CLTC Hoopis Performance Network

Generation Next, which includes both Generation X and Generation Y, totals more than 130 million young people and represents an unprecedented growth opportunity for the industries that can atract them. he problem is, there is a major disconnect in the inancial services industry between what members of Gen Next are looking for in a career and how recruiters and sales managers are currently positioning the opportunity.

Strategic Referral SourcesKrista L. Swainsbury Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

he best candidates usually come from centers of inluence and advisor referrals. Using the power of social media, Krista Swainsbury has developed systems that will improve both the quality and quantity of the candidates you source from these important meetings. During this session, Krista will take an in-depth look at advanced LinkedIn recruiting methods and provide step-by-step instruction to grow a referral culture within your agency.

Sustained Growth: A Result of Leadership and Execution Jeffrey Domenick, CLU CLF CLTC LUTCFThe Prudential Insurance Company of America

During his 34 years in the business, Jefrey Domenick discovered that the secret to sustained growth lies with creating and developing your management team. To support his management team, Jef has cultivated systems and processes that establish a consistent experience for his agents and ensure that they are receiving the support they need to succeed. Jefrey’s methodical approach has built a management team that focuses on enhancing advisor engagement through a strong support and operational infrastructure.


LAMP ’13 LEADING PRACTICES SESSIONS get wisdom

The 3 M’s of Agency BuildingJohn H. LangdonSecurian Financial Group

“Find ’em, teach ’em, keep ’em” is John Langdon’s mantra — and for good reason! Although John’s irm has been recognized by GAMA as a master agency since 2000, his results began to slip in recent years. John needed to return his irm to greatness. By focusing on the basics — recruiting, training, and retaining the best agents — John’s irm became highly successful once again. With a systemic approach focused on the agency’s value proposition, John has posted double-digit increases in recruiting and production for the last two years.

The ultimate Retention and Development ToolJohn H. yacoubianAXA Equitable

hrough a systematic process, John Yacoubian and his partners have developed a program to demystify the role of frontline manager for interested advisors. John will explain how this three-step process answers the questions many managerial candidates have, determines whether they possess the skills to be successful, and coaches them through the irst year. hrough this process, new managers get a jump start to their new career and hit the ground running.

Monday, March 11, 2013 2:50 PM – 3:50 PM

Building the Future: Developing a Leadership Succession Team Allen Jackson, LuTCFTransamerica Agency Network

In just three years, Allen Jackson took his agency from one of the lowest producing in Transamerica to a top 10 irm. Allen credits this accomplishment to the creation of a leadership succession team. He prepared his future leaders by creating a system that allows potential managers to experience and assist with crucial duties such as recruiting, training, and joint ield work, and lets Allen focus on coaching and developing managers into a leadership team.

Charting Your Vision: using an Organizational Chart Infrastructure to Build Your AgencyMichael Bentz, CLu ChFC CLFWaddell & Reed

Align your team and demystify the process of designing your irm’s structure by adopting Michael Bentz’s organizational chart infrastructure. Communicate this structure to your leadership team so they can clearly see the priorities for the agency and identify areas for improvement. Share the chart with advisors to illustrate the irm’s direction and plans for the future. Employ this chart to demonstrate how teams interact with one another and how outside sources can be used to help achieve the irm’s vision.

Extreme FODMichael F. Scovel, M.S.M., CLu ChFCNew York Life Insurance Company

One of the greatest challenges faced by managers is recruiting and retaining advisors. Michael Scovel discovered that focusing

on ield observation and development (FOD) with both advisors and frontline managers creates an environment of success, with increased retention, production, and agent referrals. Sales oices that have successfully implemented this program enjoy retention and production results that are up to six times greater than their counterparts’ results.

Find, Relate, Connect: You’ve Selected Them — Now Make Sure They Select You Michael D. Becker, ChFC LuTCFNic RomeroMutual of Omaha

Go inside the mind of your next recruit and discover the secrets to ensure that top candidates select your irm when they decide to join the inancial services industry. Mike Becker and Nic Romero will share their insights on key issues candidates consider when selecting a irm and how you can address these concerns to diferentiate your opportunity from others. Discover the strategies Mike and Nic have used to succeed, and leave with a variety of recruiting tactics to improve your results.

Firm 2020: The Forces and Opportunities Shaping Our FuturesEdward G. Deutschlander, CLu CLFSecurian Financial Group

Enjoy a sneak preview of the newest research study from the GAMA Foundation for Education and Research. Firm 2020 will inspire you to think diferently about your business. Its indings will very likely disturb you, spark new ideas about your business model, inspire creative thinking about the work you do and the value it provides, and cause you to reconsider where your irm can best grow and excel in the coming years. he GAMA Foundation’s rich source of insights, trends, and provocative predictions will help you envision and plan for your own irm in 2020.

Make Social Media Work for Your Firm Richard L. Ray, M.S.F.S., CESGuardian Life Insurance Company of America

Increase activity among your producers and frontline managers by leveraging the power of social media. Richard Ray has turned some of the most well-known websites, like Facebook and LinkedIn, into prospecting and recruiting tools that have advanced his irm among tech-savvy clients. Rick’s advisors also use social media to keep their clients informed while creating positive buzz about their services. Atend this session to ind new ways to boost your business using the power of social media.

Striving for Greatness — Agency Growth and DevelopmentJohn McCabe, CFP Freedom 55 Financial

When John McCabe took over his agency nine years ago, the retention rate was 4 percent and the agency was loundering. By focusing on the agency’s strengths, exploiting opportunities within his irm, and addressing the challenges that presented themselves, John nearly doubled his advisors’ income and improved his retention percentage by a factor of eight. hroughout this interactive workshop, John will walk you through the process and the factors he focused on to grow his irm.

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LAMP ’13 LEADING PRACTICES SESSIONS

Business Strategy & Growth

LoTT Program

Performance Coaching & Mentoring

Producer Development

Frontline Leader Development Recruiting & Selection

Retention

GAMA resources are organized by learning tracks, so you can easily ind workshops that tackle related issues.

Leadership & Culture

Sales & Marketing

Supervision & Accountability

GAMA INTERNATIONAL LEARNING TRACkS


Tuesday, March 12, 2013 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

CASTLE Leadership: Journey to the Higher GroundScott A. Hallock and Ronald Testa, CFPFirst Command Financial Services

Become a more inspiring and efective leader through the principles that drive leadership decision and actions at First Command Financial Services, called CASTLE: courage, authenticity, service, truthfulness, love, and efectiveness. his interactive session will guide you through activities to clarify the characteristics you value in leadership and help you apply them in your life. With a strong focus on leadership authenticity, Scot Hallock and Ron Testa will help you uncover your leadership potential.

Special Spanish Session

De Promedio a Superior: Sistemas de ExitoJaime Estrada Febo, LuTCFMutual of Omaha

En esta presentación estaremos discutiendo los sistemas de reclutamiento, desarrollo de agentes, motivación y supervisión que fueron establecidos provocando que una unidad de ventas promedio se convirtiera en líder de producción para Mutual of Omaha.

Finding Diamonds: Tips for Sourcing and Hiring Quality CandidatesTammy Butts, CLuAXA Equitable

Recruiting and selecting the best candidates for their agencies is Job 1 for most managers, but without a systematic recruiting process, they are likely wasting time. Tammy Buts has developed a step-by-step process to maximize recruiting eforts and improve recruiting ratios. In addition to explaining this system, Tammy will ofer tips to improve your results in any recruiting market, from college job fairs to social media to agent referrals.

It’s All About Smart GrowthJoseph D. LoPresti, ChFC LuTCFMetLife

Discover the success equation that Joseph LoPresti used to achieve double-digit growth for his team during the last three years. In this session, he will share the systems and processes he uses to select new advisors and coach new and existing advisors to greater success. Joe will also reveal the tools and techniques he uses to help his advisors manage their practices, maximize their eforts, and improve their results.

Leadership: What Experienced Advisors DesireBrian Brandt, CLu ChFC CFP CLFThe Principal Financial Group

As a young manager, Brian Brandt was challenged to show value to his assigned experienced advisors — those who had been in the business for more than four years. By building a culture around relationships, appreciation, recognition, and respect, Brian has created a positive environment for advisors to succeed in. During this session, Brian will share how he tipped the scale from manager to leader and constructed an environment that is self-sustained through strong agent referrals.

Muda, Mura, Muri: How These Concepts Impact the Financial Services IndustryPaul odland, CLu ChFC CPCuState Farm Insurance Companies

Remaining competitive as a brick-and-mortar irm in the world of online and call center–based insurance companies can be challenging. Gain a competitive edge by implementing the principles of lean manufacturing to improve your irm’s eiciency. Employing this theory in your irm will reduce waste and improve value for your clients. Paul Odland will demystify the concepts of lean manufacturing and explain how ideas that were developed for the industrialized workplace can improve the professionalism of your irm.

Virtually PossibleStephen T. Molen, FICDavid Saviage, M.B.A., ChFC FICThrivent Financial for Lutherans

Using technology to improve business practices is certainly not a new concept, but many in the industry struggle to efectively implement the capabilities available today. Steve and Dave will share how they are delivering training, information, and support to their advisors in a way that not only reduces costs and time away from the oice, but also increases production.

LAMP attendance and participation qualiies for up to 20 hours of PACE credit to maintain designations awarded by the American College. Information on obtaining PACE credit will be available at the GAMA Bookstore in the Resource Center at LAMP.

CONTINUING EDUCATION


LAMP ’13 EXHIBITORS Get resources

LAMP ‘13 Exhibitors

A.D. Banker & CompanyBooth 508Dennis Anderson, CEo TF 800-866-24685000 College Blvd., #120 PH 913-451-1280overland Park, KS 66211 FX 913-451-1214adbanker.com [email protected]

A.D. Banker provides licensing exam (LH, PC, and Series 6, 63, 65, and 66) preparation solutions (live classes, web classes, online, and self-study) and continuing education in all 50 states.

The American CollegeBooth 617Jack Hondros PH 610-526-1454270 S. Bryn Mawr Ave. FX 610-526-1497Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 theamericancollege.edu [email protected]

he American College is the nation’s leading educator of professionals in the inancial services industry. he college serves more than 35,000 students, predominantly through distance education, and ofers an array of specialized designation programs, a master of science degree in inancial services, and customized continuing-education programs. For more information, visit theamericancollege.edu.

Bill Grimes & AssociatesBooth 304Bill and Linda Grimes TF 800-282-241212460 St. Andrews Dr., #A PH 405-748-6800oklahoma City, oK 73120 FX 405-748-6802bgrimes.net [email protected]

See one of the nation’s foremost assessment and selection tools. SPQ*GOLD, the Call Reluctance Proile, is recognized as one of the industry’s top performance proiles.

Bridgeway Learning Systems, Inc.Booth 711Dave Thesing TF 866-377-7598277 Coon Rapids Blvd., #403 PH 763-390-0949Minneapolis, MN 55433 FX 763-392-1911bridgewaylearning.com [email protected]

What makes up a trusted advisor? Character + Competence + Communication Skills (CAPS). You select character. You build competency. We provide the communication skills training advisors need to ethically persuade qualiied prospects to buy — and ideal clients to stay. Experience more fulillment, fun, and inancial success. Stop by and ask us about CAPS.

Career Activity ManagementBooth 405Delia and Barry Alberstein PH 360-371-7470P.o. Box 2040 FX 866-712-6632Blaine, WA 98231 thecamsystem.com [email protected]

he Career Activity Management (CAM) System is a unique web-based practice management program that allows advisors to track and analyze the three key areas of practice management: sales activity, inventory, and follow-ups. Created by the coauthors of Al Granum’s famous One Card System text, Dr. Barry Alberstein and his wife, Delia, the CAM System not only features

the functionality of the classic OCS but ofers integration with Microsot Outlook and Google, coaching assistance, and powerful forecasting tools. All reports roll up to authorized managers, marketing teams, or coaches, and authorized viewers can also see individual case details.

ConsulTel, Inc., Telephone Skills Training Booth 503Gail Goodman PH 914-242-1108150 Buxton Rd. FX 914-242-1109Bedford Hills, Ny 10507 phoneteacher.com [email protected]

Producers continue to struggle with having enough appointments, and managers get frustrated trying to ix the problem. Gail Goodman, a top expert in appointment-seting skills, will provide structured programs for agency. She focuses on two challenges: improving managers’ skills in training and coaching their producers, and boosting agents’ knowledge of how to set up an appointment over the phone.

CopytalkBooths 303 and 305Maree Moscati TF 866-267-9825, x106500 Tallevast Rd., Suite 102 PH 941-894-0007Sarasota, FL 34243 FX 941-894-0008copytalk.com/gama [email protected]

Copytalk makes documenting client meetings and meeting compliance needs faster and easier than ever before. You can dictate the details of your meeting with a simple phone call or through the company’s Android application. Within a few hours, you will receive transcribed text through email, secure download, or automatic integration into many popular CRMs. As Copytalk puts it, “You talk, we type.”

The Culture Index ProgramBooth 417John Puffer PH 262-643-65381492 Spring Park Walk 262-501-0579Cincinnati, oH 45215cindexinc.com [email protected]

he Culture Index Program is a perfect it for every responsibility a manager has in the insurance and inancial services industry. he company will help you transform your recruiting and selection process, and show you how to coach and motivate your team to higher levels of productivity. When it comes to leadership identiication, the Culture Index Program is the most accurate assessment in the marketplace, the company says. And if your goal is to increase retention rates, the company can show you how to double the national average with its Intentional Mentoring Program.

Directions AV Booths 703 and 705Tom Grubbe PH 847-963-8500145 East Commerce Dr. FX 847-963-8509Schaumburg, IL 60173 directionsav.com [email protected]

Your meeting is a unique opportunity to communicate. Our goal is to make your message clear, memorable, and indelible. With creativity and technical expertise, we manage your message with the same expertise we bring to the theatrical side of your show. he messages we produce don’t just make momentary impressions — they have a lasting impact.

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LAMP ’13 EXHIBITORS


Edulence Booths 309, 311, 408, and 410 Peter Getchell TF: 866-EDuLENCE36 West 20th St., 9th Floor PH 212-792-5800New york, Ny 10011 FX 212-792-5810edulence.com [email protected]

Edulence provides easy-to-use online tools and afordable services to create, distribute and track digital media content in the inancial services industry. Home oices, ield oices, and advisors leverage Edulence solutions to enhance their marketing, recruiting, and development initiatives.

ExamOneBooth 608Deanna Havard TF 877-933-926110101 Renner Blvd. PH 601-899-9810Lenexa, KS 66219 FX 913-888-6374examone.com [email protected]

ExamOne, a Quest Diagnostics company, is the nation’s leading provider of risk-assessment information for the life insurance industry. hrough ExamOne’s secure, user-friendly website — examone.com — agents and underwriters can easily order exams, retrieve real-time status, look up requirements, and locate the nearest ExamOne oice.

Fierce, Inc.Booth 302Stacey Engle TF 206-787-1100101 yesler Way, Suite 200 FX 206-787-1120Seattle, WA 98101 ierceinc.com [email protected]

Fierce, Inc., is an award-winning leadership development and training company that drives results for business by improving workplace communication. Tailored to any organization, Fierce principles and methods translate across the globe, ensure individual and collective success, and develop skills that are practical, easy to learn, and can be applied immediately.

GAMA Foundation for Education and ResearchBooth 209Michelle Johninn TF 800-345-26872901 Telestar Ct., Suite 140 PH 571-499-4308Falls Church, VA 22042 FX 571-499-4302gamafoundation.org [email protected]

he GAMA Foundation for Education and Research, created in 1990, is dedicated to research and education that enhances the proitability and productivity of ield management in the insurance and inancial services industry. Its research is used by ield leaders around the world to identify best practices, challenge assumptions, and improve the proitability of their organizations. All GAMA Foundation programs are funded through donations from individual contributors.

GAMA International Registration AreaKathryn Hoch TF 800-345-26872901 Telestar Ct., Suite 140 PH 571-499-4323Falls Church, VA 22042 FX 571-499-4302gamaweb.com [email protected]

From recruiting new advisors to developing leadership teams, GAMA International’s world-class professional development resources provide ield leaders with the critical skills they need to lead and grow their organizations.

Tom Hegna Booths 409 and 411Tom Hegna PH 617-230-4886343 Commercial St. union Wharf #214 Boston, MA 02109tomhegna.com [email protected]

hese aren’t normal times, and Tom Hegna knows it. A former senior executive with a Fortune 100 inancial services company, Tom is now a best-selling author and highly sought-ater speaker who is transforming the way people plan for retirement. With his thought leadership and innovative style, he has shown Baby Boomers how to create security in retirement using inancial products in exciting new ways, proving that a successful retirement is still within reach. Let Tom show your advisors how to help their clients retire the optimal way.

Hoopis Performance NetworkBooths 217, 219, 221, and 320Margaret Brueck PH 847-716-1810790 Frontage Rd., Suite 300 FX 847-716-1801Northield, IL 60093 hoopis.com [email protected]

he Hoopis Performance Network (HPN) is an innovative sales training and leadership development organization that provides resources to inancial professionals. HPN’s suite of products feature web-based learning programs such as the HPN Community, Trustworthy Selling, Advanced Planning Channel, and the eCLTC designation. HPN also hosts live, interactive workshops through its Firm Foundations sales and leadership series.

Identity Branding / e-RelationshipBooths 402 and 404Robert Krumroy TF 800-851-81693300 Battleground Ave., Suite 250 PH 336-303-1000Greensboro, NC 27410 FX 336-303-7318identitybranding.com [email protected]

It’s a fact! Identity Branding’s e-Relationship has been proven to increase retention and production — oten by more than 50 percent. Get your company statistics, the details on the free new-agent e-Relationship version, and how to use it for recruiting.

kaplan Financial EducationBooth 319Greg Brumbeloe PH 608-779-8599332 Front St. La Crosse, WI 54601 kfeducation.com [email protected]

hroughout its 70-year history, Kaplan Financial Education has remained student focused, results driven, and commited to helping individuals achieve their educational and career goals. Whether it is helping a irst-grade student master basic reading skills or assisting a inancial services professional in obtaining a securities license, Kaplan helps students achieve their goals and dreams.


LAMP ’13 EXHIBITORS Get resources

GAMA International Resource Partner

keir Educational ResourcesBooth 610Keir Educational Resources TF 800-795-53474785 Emerald Way PH 513-422-4860Middleton, oH 45044 FX 800-895-5347keirsuccess.com

Keir Educational Resources provides study material to help inancial services professionals pass insurance and securities licensing exams. Keir also ofers study aids for CLU, ChFC, CPCU, and CFP certiication courses as well as comprehensive review material for the CFP certiication national exam. When it comes to exam preparation, Keir delivers the expert resources and proven support that will improve your study experience and maximize your results.

kinder Brothers International Booth 601David Smith TF 800-372-711017110 Dallas Pkwy., Suite 220 PH 972-380-0747Dallas, TX 75248 FX 972-250-3681kinderbrothers.com [email protected]

Kinder Brothers International provides sales training and management development programs to top-tier insurance companies worldwide. Its solutions and services are designed to help sales professionals and sales management through such methods as eLearning, classroom, train-the-trainer, video conferencing, and one-on-one coaching. Globally, more than 300 companies have come to rely on Kinder Brothers for training everyone from the agent to the CEO.

LEAP Systems, Inc.Booths 509 and 511Rod Miller PH 908-231-15111170 u.S. Hwy. 22 East, Suite 204 FX 908-231-8448Bridgewater, NJ 08807 leapsystems.com [email protected]

Using LEAP in your agency is both easier and more powerful than ever before. In addition to new enhancements in our Wealth In Motion sotware, two new systems have been added this year. Wealth Building Cornerstones tackles the retirement income problem with permanent life insurance in an all-new way. And GIVE is the company’s new charitable-giving platform, targeting $1 billion in gits to charity.

Liberty PublishingBooths 609 and 708Jeffrey Rosen TF 800-722-7270, x12285 Sam Fonzo Dr. PH 617-901-2949Beverly, MA 01915 libertyink.com [email protected]

Liberty Publishing’s time-tested, personally imprinted client and prospect newsleters, brochures, booklets, and postcards will turn your prospects into clients, solidify your existing client relationships, encourage the cross-selling of products, and increase your commissions and referrals, the company says. If you’re a inancial planner or advisor, insurance agent or registered representative, accountant or atorney, Liberty’s proven print and electronic communications are a cost-efective way to strategically build your business.

License CoachBooths 717Michael Goff PH 214-432-4838825 Market St. 214-364-4820Allen, TX 75013 licensecoach.com [email protected]

License Coach is an online provider of education courses designed to help individuals pass a variety of professional licensing examinations, including life, health, property, and casualty insurance; series inancial examinations; and continuing-education. Its courses ofer online videos, lash cards, study plans, cram sheets, glossaries, quizzes, and comprehensive exams.

The LIFE FoundationBooth 716Michael Keenan TF 888-LIFE-7771655 N. Fort Myer Dr., #610 PH 202-464-5000Arlington, VA 22209 FX 202-464-5011lifehappens.org [email protected]

he Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE) is a nonproit organization designed to address the public’s growing need for information and education on life, health, disability, and long-term-care insurance. LIFE also seeks to remind people of the important role agents play in helping businesses, families, and individuals ind the right insurance products.

LIMRABooth 317Kathryn Reid PH 860-298-3902300 Day Hill Rd. FX 860-298-4027Windsor, CT 06095 limra.com [email protected]

More than 850 inancial services companies in more than 70 countries turn to LIMA to help build their businesses and improve their performance. hey rely on LIMA’s 90 years of experience in the industry, along with its solutions in assessment, development, and compliance and regulatory services, to help them succeed in today’s rapidly changing marketplace.

Million Dollar Round Table Booths 616, 618, and 620Debra Martin PH 847-692-6378325 W. Touhy Ave. FX 847-518-8921Park Ridge, IL 60068 mdrt.org [email protected]

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) is an international association of nearly 38,000 of the world’s best life insurance and inancial services professionals. Stop by the MDRT booths to see how to drive up your agency’s productivity, and discover how MDRT mentoring helps atain higher production and increase retention.

Mobile Assistant, Inc.Booth 403Corey Westphal PH 608-347-2254 319 yard Dr., Suite 100 Verona, WI 53593mobileassistant.us [email protected]

Mobile Assistant helps eiciently and accurately document critical client meeting information through use of its Mobile Dictation

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LAMP ’13 EXHIBITORS


service. Mobile Assistant is an easy, fast, secure, and extremely accurate way of documenting client interaction, drating leters, and capturing important meeting details. Just call Mobile Assistant from your cell phone and dictate your notes, impressions, and next steps; a professional transcriptionist will type your message and email it back to you.

kaplan MobrayBooth 702Kaplan Mobrey TF 845-358-6105kaplanmobray.com [email protected]

Kaplan Mobray teaches organizations how to develop inspired leaders, increase employee engagement and productivity, and unify diverse workforces for greater teamwork and company growth. Extolled as truly life-changing events, Kaplan’s engaging presentations provide practical strategies to help individuals succeed in all aspects of life.

NAIFA Booth 611Dr. Susan Waters TF 877-866-24322901 Telestar Ct. PH 703-770-8100Falls Church, VA 22042 FX 703-770-8224naifa.org [email protected]

Founded in 1890 as the National Association of Life Underwriters, NAIFA is the trade association for inancial services professionals nationwide. Comprising more than 600 state and local associations and 50,000 members, NAIFA ofers its members unparalleled advocacy and botom-line beneits.

The One Page Business Plan Company Booth 300Jim Horan PH 510-705-84001798 Fifth St. FX 510-705-8403Berkeley, CA 94710 onepagebusinessplan.com [email protected]

Since 1994, independent agents, owners, and executives from some of America’s most successful inancial services companies have used he One Page Business Plan to create clear, concise, and actionable plans. Its consulting, training, and web-based planning and performance management systems are available through our national network of more than 350 senior consultants.

Polaris OneBooth 516Robert Arzt PH 301-610-562410216 Sweetwood Ave. FX 301-610-5625Rockville, MD 20850 [email protected] [email protected]

Polaris One is a training and development company dedicated to the inancial services industry. It ofers individual coaching, management team coaching, and other programs designed to give professionals immediate and signiicant results in their recruiting, retention, and productivity eforts. Polaris One also ofers free teleclasses, monthly e-zines, and collaborative coaching sessions.

Pre.License.com/WebCEBooth 710Dan Tromblay PH 972-616-1148 1212 E. Arapaho Suite 200 FX 312-263-8680Richardson, TX 75081 webce.com [email protected]

PreLicense.com, a service of WebCE, ofers unique online training products to prepare individuals for their state insurance licensing

exam, including state-speciic courses, Exam prepCoach (a live coaching service pairing the student with a personal mentor), and Exam Tutor (an online practice exam tool and state exam simulator).

Richard Weylman, Inc. Booths 603 and 605Richard Weylman TF 800-535-4332P.o. Box 436 PH 941-828-3600Boca Grande, FL 33921 FX 941-828-3604weylmancenter.com [email protected]

Richard Weylman, Inc.’s purpose is to help you “elevate business performance in today’s marketplace.” he organization provides comprehensive consulting, speaking, coaching, and online learning for inancial professionals. It works with dozens of GAMA members and their corporate oices to deliver proven practical strategies that increase production as well as recruiting results.

Sales Activity ManagementBooths 201, 203, and 205Mickey Straub TF 800-254-4SAM15W256 N. Frontage Rd. PH 630-645-1SAMBurr Ridge, IL 60527 FX 630-645-0726salesactivitymanagement.com [email protected]

SAM’s mission is to inspire conidence and success. he company can help you achieve your production and retention goals with some of the most efective activity-management tools and systems available and the training to help you implement them. All of its tools for success are customizable around your unique culture. SAM has more than 55,000 clients, and oices in Chicago and Philadelphia.

Sales Manage SolutionsBooth 510Steve Suggs PH 865-567-287110820 Murdock Rd., Suite 103 Knoxville, TN 37932salesmanage.com [email protected]

If you are looking for some new and innovative resources for recruiting salespeople, Steve Suggs will have his newest book, Can hey Sell — A Sales Leader’s Guide to Recruiting Advisors, plus the Recruiting Tools Field Manual, at the Sales Manage Solutions booth. Managers from 30-plus inancial services companies have purchased this new resource. Come by to learn about this best-practices recruiting system. For the past 25 years, the company has been helping sales managers to increase retention, accelerate ramp-up time, and boost sales.

Stu SchlackmanBooth 301Stu Schlackman PH 214-435-9758P.o. Box 852391 FX 972-479-0588Richardson, TX 75085 superiorsalesresults.com [email protected]

Stu Schlackman is he Sales Synthesizer, sharing today’s realities for superior sales results. He helps insurance and inancial services organizations by training from his book Four People You Should Know. Learn how you can beter understand what your customers value, how they make decisions, and how they prefer to communicate.

LAMP ’13 EXHIBITORS Get Innovation

Securities Training CorporationBooth 700Maggie Hernandez TF 800-782-122317 Battery Pl., Suite 1025 PH 212-485-2230New york, Ny 10004 FX 212-485-2344stcusa.com [email protected]

Securities Training Corporation (STC) was founded in 1969 to address the training needs of the securities industry. From there it went on to become a leading provider of training solutions dedicated solely to the inancial services industry. STC now ofers a wide variety of study options—from traditional classes and self-study materials to virtual classrooms and online on-demand lectures. In addition, we ofer compliance, irm element CE, and life, accident and health pre-licensing training to address service needs.

The Self Management GroupBooth 517Shanan Marshall PH 416-746-0444155 Rexdale Blvd., Suite 304 FX 416-746-6484Toronto, oN M9W 5Z8 Canadaself-management.com [email protected]

Self Management Group, a world leader for more than 30 years, is a single-vendor, fully integrated talent management solution. Our validated assessment tools and performance coaching systems are suitable for selection, succession planning, leadership development, career management, training, and coaching.

Selling In A SkirtBooth 505Judy Hoberman PH 203-605-3635205 Manor Pl. Southlake, TX 76092sellinginaskirt.com [email protected]

What do women want? he insurance industry continues to struggle with inding a way to bring more women into the highest levels of production and leadership. Luckily, Judy Hoberman has the answers. Her company, Selling In A Skirt, has programs that zero in on the diferences between the way men and women communicate in sales and gives your leadership team a structured way of improving your botom line with highly productive women and leaders.

TesTeachersBooth 416 8655 East Via De Ventura E175 PH 888-422-7714Scottsdale, AZ 85258testeachersonline.com [email protected]

TesTeachers has more than 35 years of experience providing licensing applicants the highest-quality tools available to pass the insurance and securities licensing exams on the irst try. Having evolved from a local, live school to a national e-learning and training organization, it has one goal in mind: to provide the simplest-to-use program that is cost-efective and generates the highest irst-time pass ratio of any provider. Its innovative programs include a full lecture course in online streaming format and downloaded format (for a video iPhone, iPod, or iPad), audios of the lecture classes in MP3 format, and online interactive practice and inal exams.

Top Leaders CoachBooth 504Tom Guzzardo PH 678-898-58851155 Livery Circle Lawrenceville, GA 30046topleaderscoach.com [email protected]

he company ofers customized business development and life mastery coaching.

Trajectory ConsultingBooth 400John Ramos PH 866-798-25014801 Lang Ave. NE, Suite 110 Albuquerque NM 87109webuildyoulead.com [email protected]

Do you need to get more done, with less time available? Do you have troublesome challenges or botlenecks that you could ix if you only had the time to devote to doing so? hen stop by Trajectory Consulting’s booth for a free subscription to its e-newsleter, he Trajectory Report. You’ll get ongoing tips and ideas that can help you get a beter handle on it all. Trajectory can also help you ine-tune your procedures on a coaching basis, or do it for you on a consulting basis. Its moto: “We Build. You Lead.”

Trust Builders, Inc.Booth 504Ed Dressel PH 800-773-1138 P.o.Box 1088 Dallas, oR 97338asktrak.com [email protected]

Trust Builders can help your clients answer their retirement questions. he Retirement Analysis Kit (TAK) is inancial planning sotware designed for advisors. It is eicient and efective for handling client question about 401(k), 403(b), 457, hrit Savings (TSP), IA, and Roth retirement plans. One broker dealer notes that “all of [our] top advisors use TAK.” And TAK has been ranked as a top sales tool by a Fortune 100 company.

Women in Insurance & Financial Services Booth 619Deb Duffy PH 866-264-9437 136 Everett Rd. Albany, Ny 12205wifsnational.org [email protected]

Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) is the only national professional organization solely dedicated to atracting, developing, and advancing women in the insurance and inancial services industry.

GAMA International Resource Partner

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Get ready to walk downhe Red Carpet

2013 GAMA

Awards PROGRAM

Application opens Dec. 1, 2012

Visit gamaweb.com/awards for information and to apply for 2013 awards.


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platinum Resource PartnersEdulence • Tom Hegna • Hoopis Performance Network

silver Resource PartnersAM Consulting Group • Bill Grimes & Associates • Employment Enterprises • Fierce, Inc.• Identity Branding • Keir Educational Resources • LIMRA • Referral Coach International • Sales Manage Solutions • Trajectory Consulting

titanium Resource PartnerSales Activity Management

CopytalkLife Securely Noted

®

Associate Resource PartnersMcCauley & Co. • Polaris one • The Ruebling Group • Selling In A Skirt

GOLD Resource PartnersCompetitive Excellence • Copytalk • The one Page Business Plan Company • Point Across

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s e p / o c t 2 0 0 9j a n u a r y / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 5 3

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“Using GAMA’s

new website is a must

for maximizing our

GAMA experience.”

LAMP: ensuring a happy new Year

NOW THAT WE have kicked off the new year, one that

beckons us to meet the ever-increasing inancial needs of

our clients and communities, we must rise to the challenge

and successfully deliver on our calling of changing lives!

As we move toward executing our business strategies

and goals for the year, our success will undoubtedly rest

on our leadership and that of our leadership teams. And

there is no better place to get together with our teams —

to get everyone on the same page and motivated and inspired — than at the

“house that leadership built”: GAMA International’s annual LAMP conference.

The LAMP experience is like no other, and so each year we set new

attendance records, and LAMP ’13 — taking place March 10 to 13 at the

Manchester Hyatt Grand in beautiful, sunny San Diego — promises to be

no exception (see the LAMP special section on page 40). We have a great

program prepared for you and your team. It will be headlined by superstar

speakers Marshall Faulk, Susan Scott, Kaplan Mobray, Aron Ralston, Chef Jeff

Henderson, and leading ield practitioners, and packed with valuable, insightful

Leading Practices sessions that will provide you and your team with real-world

best strategies to implement at your agency or irm. We will also roll out new

programs and products, so if you haven’t registered yet, make sure to do so

and plan on bringing your team.

To assist you in renewing your membership and registering for LAMP, our

team here at GAMA has been busy with the enhancements and implementation

of our new website and technology platform. Visit gamaweb.com to check out

the user-friendly, single-sign-on website, which was designed speciically with

the GAMA member experience in mind.

The completely redesigned site has not only a fresh new look but also direct

links to social media; a new scrolling banner highlighting upcoming events and

new or special products and programs; and a new members-only section that

grants members exclusive access to GAMA Source and the digital edition of

the GAMA International Journal. I think you will agree that using GAMA’s new

website is a must for maximizing our GAMA experience and an added beneit

to our association’s value proposition.

A new year is always full of promise. Opportunities to help our clients and

to grow ourselves and our businesses abound. The need for good and effective

leadership has never been greater. So here’s to a stellar 2013 — and I’ll see

you in San Diego!

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Building Top PerformersBest Practices in Mentoring and Coaching

Discover the practices of your peers and

competitors:

n Learn how your mentoring and

coaching practices compare with the

industry

n Discover what top performers do

diferently

his unique resource on mentoring and

coaching practices is not available from

any other source!

“ he GAMA Foundation

provides the insight and best

practices you need, regardless

of where you are in your

management career.”

MARK J . MARRONI

Receive a 20% discount when

you purchase Building Top

Performers at LAMP.

Visit the GAMA Foundation in

the LAMP Resource Center at

Booth 301 for more details.

To order call 800-345-2687

F R O M T H E G A M A F O U N D A T I O N

209

j a n u a r y / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 5 5

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“This behavior relects

the underlying altruistic

philosophy that is the

motivation for the

important work

that you do.”

At GAMA, Giving = Giving BackGAMA INTERNATIONAL MEMBERSHIP comprises many beneits, the most

signiicant one being the remarkable willingness of members to openly share

ideas and practices that have helped them achieve strong distribution growth

in their organizations. This interchange is unique to our industry and relects

the underlying altruistic philosophy that is the motivation for the important work

carried out by you and your distribution sales, marketing, and staff associates.

As we all know, this is a noble business when conducted at the highest

ethical levels, always putting the prospect’s or client’s needs irst. And the vast

majority of our members see it that way and live it that way. It is these values

that encourage us to share our best ideas with one another — and reinforce the

beneit of giving back.

Most of our Partners in Management Growth companies strongly encourage

GAMA membership and have embraced a “GAMA

culture” within their respective organizations to supplement

the proprietary efforts they take to help develop the skills

of their ield leaders. Those that haven’t are missing a

tremendous opportunity to expand their ield leaders’

knowledge and skills while participating in the important

dialogue of our community of leadership practices. No one person or company

has a lock on all the best distribution practices or ideas. Even the very best can

get even better by joining the conversation and contributing to and learning

from their leadership community.

There are many different Partners in Management Growth companies, from

those that depend on GAMA as their primary provider of ield leadership

development resources to those that rely more on their own company

training and development resources. They all seem to ind enormous value in

supplementing their proprietary resources with the best-practices resources of

GAMA. These companies are involved in all aspects of GAMA. They know that

from our premier professional development resources to our elite awards and

recognition programs, from our industry leadership volunteer opportunities to

our exclusive networking opportunities, GAMA truly has something for every

ield leader. These companies not only recognize the importance of active

GAMA involvement but also encourage their ield leaders to both share and

receive leadership insights they could never achieve alone.

So while I’m preaching mostly to the choir, I’m also reaching out to those

silent company sponsors and individual members of the GAMA community to

stand up and contribute to the dialogue that helps our entire industry continue

to evolve. Leverage the inancial investment you make in GAMA each year by

actively participating in shaping the community of leadership for our industry.

There may be no better time than the start of a new year to join the

community and share ideas with fellow members. Giving at GAMA is really

giving back — and getting back even more.


Al Lucia, David Cottrell, Eric Harvey | The Walk the Talk Company | 88 pages

The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus

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“Hire tough so

you can manage

easily.”

Sandra hughes, CLU FMLI, has been with State Farm Insurance Companies for 22 years, where she started as an intern in Life Actuarial. After three years on the operations side, Sandra became an agent in Iowa City, Iowa, where she grew a successful business and was asked to join the agency leadership team. Sandra has had responsibilities for recruiting, consulting, and coaching agents as they grow their businesses.

WITH THE HOLIDAY SEASON BEHIND US, IT’S EASY TO FORGET THE

important messages about kindness, leadership, community, and service to others that

we send one another. But you can let those lessons continue to resonate year-round

by reading The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus — a book based on the belief

that a leader can get big things done all year long by providing clear goals, solid

accountabilities, ongoing feedback, coaching, and recognition.

This humorous and lighthearted book, in which Santa takes center stage, contains

eight steps to steer you down the road to success:

■ Build a wonderful workshop. Santa has a speciic mission. Every elf on his team

should be able to recite his mission and explain its signiicance. (The same goes

for your “elves.”) Santa also believes that he should focus on his people as his

purpose. Your own values should guide you as a leader too.

■ Choose your reindeer wisely. Hire tough so you can manage easily. Santa doesn’t

have time to deal with problem elves or reindeer.

■ Make a list and check it twice. Have a plan with clearly deined goals and realistic

steps to achieve it. Avoid overanalyzing your plan. Instead, hold frequent meetings

and measure your goals against your benchmarks. And whether it’s time, money,

resources, or employee talent, make the most of what you already have.

■ Listen to the elves. Open your ears. Do you remember when it was just you

running the workshop? Every member of your team contributes to the overall

success of your agency or irm. Pay attention to how your agency is perceived.

Check in with each team member regularly, and ask each for candid feedback.

■ Get beyond the red wagons. Help you team accept the realities of change. Be

a leader, and model change that brings success. Remind everyone on the team

that the client is irst. Help everyone understand the business by making sure each

person knows how his or her role affects the business.

■ Share the milk and cookies. Santa says the elves make a difference every day.

Help your elves to understand the difference they are making. Good performers

need to be recognized. Never be too busy to reward good performance or

obvious improvement.

■ Find out who’s naughty and nice. If there is a performance problem, say

something early. Coach everyone by giving speciic feedback. Don’t forget your

superstars — let them know that they are just that!

■ Be good for goodness’ sake. Lead by example. The tone of the leader determines

the tone of the team. Develop a “What’s Right Test” that reinforces the ethical

conduct you want to support the vision and mission for your business.

Have you read?

Have you read a book that you couldn’t put down—or that you keep bringing up to associates and friends? Have you read a new best seller with fresh perspectives or do you keep going back to an old favorite on your bookshelf that has given you lasting wisdom? Share your ind with fellow GAMA members by emailing [email protected].

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Diane RueblingPresident, Ruebling Group, LLC

(801) 520-6761

[email protected]

www.rueblinggroup.com EXECUTIVE COACHING PLANNING PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS

Creating plans that work and get results

Driving experiential learning and peer-to-peer accountability

Developing personal excellenceD l i l llD l l

Executive One-on-One Coaching

D i i i i l l i d bilii i i i l l ii liii

Action Learning Teams

C i l h k d ldl liCClear, Concise Business Plans

Navigate with ConfidenceAre you on course to achieve your goals?


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Meghan Wilke joined the inancial services industry as an agent in 2007 while still in college. In 2009, she moved into a ield management role with Mutual of omaha, which took her career from omaha to Phoenix. In June of 2012, Meghan became the regional recruiting manager for Mutual of omaha and has relocated her family back home to work in Mutual of omaha’s home ofice. She can be reached at [email protected].

“Getting agents of to

a fast start begins with

the selection process.”

Getting agents off to a fast start begins with the selection

process. Focusing on building trust, setting expectations, instilling agency culture,

and evaluating an agent’s natural market greatly increases an agent’s probability of

survival. Here are the four key elements, with tips on how to reine each:

■ Trust. The easiest way to build trust is to deliver a consistent message throughout

the selection process. Today’s candidates are savvy. What is said in the initial

interview must align with the message delivered in the inal interview or you will

raise red lags. During the irst few months of an agent’s career, when it feels

easy for them to quit, they will recall any promises you made during the selection

process. If what was promised is not what executed, an agent will likely shut down

and become guarded, making coaching and natural-market prospecting dificult.

■ Expectations. When interviewing a candidate, you must have the courage to recruit

with candor. Don’t be afraid to discuss the dificulties agents face in our industry. It

is better for all parties if the individual decides during the selection process whether

he or she has the heart to survive. Bringing someone into your agency who isn’t

properly suited for the position is a strain on you and your other agents. Make

sure your recruiter is familiar with the role of a inancial advisor and the process of

building a book of business. The candidate must be given the good, the bad, and

the ugly from the get-go. In addition, give all candidates a copy of GAMA’s agent

and advisor primer Do Well by Doing Good to help reinforce your message.

■ Culture. Let your team do some of the heavy lifting. Today’s candidates are turned

off by a manager’s hard sell. All leaders can describe their team in a positive way,

but only a positive culture can do the recruiting for you. A candidate’s perception

of your agency culture starts in the lobby. Make sure that the candidate is greeted

immediately upon arrival and that those whom he or she encounters are always

upbeat. Be courteous and friendly, and never make a candidate wait too long.

Showing respect will kick-start a positive relationship.

■ Market. Evaluate a candidate’s natural market up front. Most irms today are

implementing steps in their selection processes like Market Match or Project 100.

To get quality lists of names, position the tool as a value to the candidates, rather

than another qualifying event during the selection process. Entrepreneurial-minded

individuals will be particularly guarded about sharing this vital information. Show

candidates how going through this step will help them achieve higher levels of

success down the road. First add value, then ask for names.

Implementing steps that build trust, set expectations, promote your agency’s culture,

and evaluate an agent’s natural market during the selection process is imperative,

because you never get a second chance to make a irst impression.

Of to a Fast Start

all about lott

LoTT, GAMA International’s Leaders of Today and Tomorrow program, is designed to enhance the career development and networking opportunities of ield leaders who are 40 and under or have fewer than ive years of management experience. To learn more, email [email protected].


Have a Question?

We want to hear from you. Submit your questions to [email protected], and we will answer it in the pages of GAMA International Journal.


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s’ Q

&A

Q: In this economy, how are you sourcing candidates?

A: We believe the best

sources are also our own

representatives and centers of

inluence.

— John Baier

A: The environment does

change how we source.

We always use advisor referrals,

new-recruit referrals, candidates in

process referrals, and referrals from

centers of inluence.

— Jeff Engebose

A: We use a variety of sources,

including agent referrals, referrals

from centers of inluence, personal

observation, networking and community

involvement, campus recruiting,

company website leads, follow-up calls

with past recruits, and career boards

such as monster.com and CareerBuilder.

— Troy Blaine

A: Referrals from my existing

advisors remain my best source.

At least once a week I take an advisor

to lunch and ask for names of people

they know that might be a good it for

our agency.

— Wayne Ogle

A: Sourcing by observation,

through referrals, and by

networking are probably the best

activities, as always.

— John Ramos

“Oh that three million dollars.”

Donate today at: www.lifehappens.org/gamadonate

Young people like Brittney are the reason we exist as an industry. We support the LIFE Foundation and the Life

Lessons program, because for every Brittney, there are thousands of other deserving students that can’t be helped

because of a lack of funding. We can change this—together.

Brittney LaCombe was just 20 years old when her mother died suddenly without life insurance. With only $300 in her

mother’s checking account, Brittney had to make some dificult choices to care for herself and her two younger sisters. With the help of the LIFE Lessons scholarship from the LIFE Foundation, Brittney was able to stay in college and

pursue her dreams of earning a college degree.

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Brittney lost her mother who had no life insurance. But she hasn’t lost hope.

Brittney LaCombe

LIFE Lessons Scholarship Recipient

Change a Life Donate Todaywww.lifehappens.org/gamadonate


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LIFE Foundation 62

LIMRA 56

McCauley & Co. 28

The One Page Business Plan Company Inside Back Cover

Polaris One 10

The Ruebling Group 58

Sales Activity Management 30, Back Cover

Sales Manage Solutions 63

Selling In A Skirt 60

Trajectory Consulting 58

AM Consulting Group 60

Bill Grimes & Associates 23

Competitive Excellence 52

Copytalk 8

Edulence 2

Employment Enterprises 56

Fierce, Inc. 29

Tom Hegna 1

Hoopis Performance Network Inside Front Cover

Identity Branding 5

Keir Educational Resources 10

Tips for Recruiting Salespeople: Subscribe to Steve’s new video blog at www.SalesManage.com/Recruiting

8 reprintable tools to assist you in the recruiting process, including:

Matching Score SheetPhone Screen Questionnaire

Reference Check QuestionnairesIn-depth Interview Questionnaire

Complete Field Manual with Tools for Recruiting the Best Advisors by Recruiting Expert Steve Suggs

Learn to RECRUIT THE BEST salespeople You like them, but …

BUY

the book at

CanTheySell.c

om

www.SalesPowerRoundtable.com

mother’s checking account, Brittney had to make some dificult choices to care for herself and her two younger sisters.


Ideas submitted by GAMA

International staff

Next Issue: TOP 10 WAYS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF

Send in your ToP 10 idea to

[email protected].

Things to Do in San Diego

See what’s under the sea at Sea World.

1

Be forever young at LEGoLANd and enjoy re-creations of the world’s greatest cities.10Explore Coronado Island and visit the famous hotel del Coronado. 9Catch some rays or enjoy a beach bonire at Mission Beach.

8Visit Gaslamp Quarter for boutiques, art galleries, specialty shops, and more.7Listen to your favorite show tunes on the world’s largest outdoor pipe organs at Spreckels organ Pavillion.6Swim, dive, and snorkel at La Jolla Cove.

5Spot the vintage car of your dreams at San Diego’s Automotive Museum.4Walk with the animals at San diego Zoo Safari Park.

3Check out the unparalleled harbor and skyline views at Cabrillo National Monument.2

To

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BUILDING THE LEADERS WHO

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& FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

www.gamaweb.com

View the GAMA International Journal

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