NU senior editors screen the initial entries and pick the top three candidates, with the winner chosen by a Blue Ribbon Panel of industry judges.

An entrant must be a principal from a U.S. independent agency. They must fill out all of the information in the application. 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 clients. (Please note that all financial information and proprietary material submitted will be kept strictly confidential. This material is being collected for judging purposes only.)

Entries must also include an essay of 2,500 words or less on “How My Agency Earns The Trust & Loyalty Of Clients. You may gain some insights on the subject by reading the May 17, 2004 Agency Best Practices column by Bobby Reagan, chairman and CEO of Reagan Consulting How To Score High On The Trust Equation. The online entry form includes a hyperlink to Mr. Reagan's column.

I realize that we ask for a lot of information from agents who want to be considered for our award, but thats only because we want to be sure we are picking true role models for their agency peers. All three finalists will receive invaluable publicity for their agencies both from the profiles published in NU as well as from coverage of the roundtable discussion a few weeks later.

Receiving this kind of recognition will improve your standing with carriers, as well as with clients and prospects. People like to be associated with winners, and NU only features the very best that the independent agency system has to offer.

To enter, go to our Web site www.NationalUnderwriter.com/pandc/ and click on the icon you see with this column. That link will give you a full overview of the program, a copy of the entry form, as well as a link to Mr. Reagan's column. Print it out, fill it out, put your supporting materials together, and get the complete package to me no later than June 13, 2005. I know that sounds like a lot of time, but our entry requirements are not likely to be met overnight, so it' never too early to get started.

Give it your best shot, and good luck!

Sam Friedman
Editor-In-Chief

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, February 11, 2005. Copyright 2005 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.