The winning agency will be profiled in a cover story in the Oct. 11 edition of NU. Each of the four agencies receiving an honorable mention will also be profiled in the Oct. 11 edition.

The winning agency will be presented with their award during the IIABA conference, and all top-five agencies will be honored at a reception during the convention in Orlando.

An entrant must be a principal from a U.S. independent agency and must fill out all of the information in the award application, available online at www.NationalUnderwriter.com.

Entries must include a copy of the agency's promotional brochure, a sample proposal for a new or renewal commercial account, as well as letters of reference from commercial clients. (All proprietary material submitted will be kept strictly confidential. This material is being collected for judging purposes only.)

Entries must include an essay on “What Makes My Agency An Outstanding Sales Organization.” In 2,500 words or less, the essay should address:

The agency's general sales philosophy and approach in securing new business and retaining the agency's existing book.

A description of how producers are trained, motivated and managed to deliver sales and related services.

What makes your producers more than just peddlers of insurance policies and price shoppers? Do you offer a proprietary product or tool? A unique service or expertise?

Include a brief but potent sales success story about how a particularly difficult account was secured or retained.

Cite examples of the innovative use of traditional, specialty, excess and surplus, and/or alternative risk-transfer markets, such as captives or risk retention groups.

Demonstrate outstanding customer service in risk management, loss control, employee benefits, claims, catastrophe planning and/or tech support.

The completed entry must be mailed to Editor-In-Chief Sam Friedman at National Underwriter, 33-41 Newark StreetSecond Floor, Hoboken, N.J. 07030. For any questions, contact Mr. Friedman at [email protected].

Good luck!

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, March 19, 2004. Copyright 2004 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.