Today’s consumer is different. They expect an individualized approach and want to be understood at a level never seen before. Globally, winning companies and discriminating market leaders are achieving success by capitalizing on consumer insights to get closer to their customers. In order to out-sell the competition, your reps have to understand consumer needs, wants, and preferences. Would you say they are product-centric or market-centric? Make sure your reps are creating positive customer experiences.

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon V

Mobile, custom, fast and easy. That’s what it takes to meet the demands of today’s digital consumer. But it isn’t nearly enough. This fast-moving session will examine what savvy companies — and sales teams — are doing now to earn clients’ attention, and more importantly, loyalty. This takes more than clever marketing or even a presence on all of the latest channels. We’ll cover three key mandates for winning over increasingly hard-to-impress clients.

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon IV

Explore and exchange questions, ideas and solutions with other women executives in the industry. 

For LIMRA members only.

LOBBY BAR

Sponsored BY IMN

Members and carriers only

Grand Ballroom B/C, 3rd Floor

The financial services industry is facing change across all aspects of our business. As distribution leaders, we have to rise above the challenges and uncover the new and innovative approaches to distribution. Drawing on years of industry experience, Brian will share his perspective on today’s environment, and his vision to navigate through these rough waters and embrace the opportunities ahead.

Grand Ballroom B/C, 3rd Floor

Todd Buchholz is a leading voice in the financial services industry and has advised the U.S. Treasury Department, Federal Reserve Board, and most of the leading investment banks in the world. With our changing administration, Todd has been in contact with many of Trump’s closest advisers on financial policy. The Trump presidency could lead to radical revisions in Dodd-Frank, the Volcker Rule, the DOL Fiduciary Rule, and many other planks of President Obama’s economic platform. Trump’s Federal Reserve Board appointments may be unconventional as well, and we could see a re-shaping of policy from taxation to health care to foreign affairs. Todd analyzes these debates in real-time, and will provide targeted recommendations specifically for the financial service industry, while helping you figure out whether the Washington sweepstakes makes life easier or tougher for your company’s bottom line.

Grand Ballroom B/C, 3rd Floor

Culture is critical to attracting and retaining talent. Exceptional results come from exceptional behavior and exceptional behavior comes from an exceptional culture. Great leaders create a culture that energizes behaviors and produces results. Through this session, we will share the top five essentials to change a culture and share experience on how to manage and sustain a culture of success and achievement.

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon V

The power and value of the insurance sales career is often lost in the banter of “Financial Experts” and “In the Know Commentators.” The truth lies in the reality of what advisors deliver and the power of bringing financial security to family businesses and entire communities. Few professional careers can boast of life changing results at a critical time in the lives of the people they serve. So why does the insurance career seem to have such image issues with today’s consumers and potential career changers? This workshop will explore the challenges and seek solutions to these challenges!

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon I-II-III

This session will focus on calling the right plays when working with your wholesalers versus managing through the scoreboard. We’ll discuss key performance “leading” indicators that provide predictive metrics (aka “lagging” results) to sales leaders and a guide for wholesaler activity management. This interactive session will suggest some results-proven KPI’s along with a method to scoring various activities.

Benefits of attending include:

• How to identify KPI’s and testing your beliefs

• A better understanding of the importance of leading versus lagging indicators

• Becoming more contemporary in sales leadership

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon IV

Reinsurance is playing an increasingly complex role in the brokerage marketplace. Our speakers will explore the roles, markets, risk selection issues and potential future state of reinsurance. Three reinsurers will provide scope and varied perspective on this important factor in today’s evolving environment.

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon VI

Companies have struggled to access and engage consumers in working and middle class markets via traditional face-to-face distribution. Recent regulatory changes have accelerated interest in serving these markets through online capabilities. But which consumer groups are most receptive to buying life insurance online? Are there specific strategies that might motivate more people to consider an online purchase? This session will explore the reality around consumer preferences for the online experience.

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon VII-VIII

Having a strong bench of leaders ready to step into a first line leadership role is to your benefit. Yet it is often times easier said than done. It requires strong recruiting and selection of first line leadership candidates, providing an environment where they have early exposure to and experience in a variety of first line leadership scenarios, and perhaps as equally important, time. In this session, you will hear from panelists who are preparing the next generation of leaders for first line leadership opportunities. They will share how they: 

• Identify the right leaders to bring along on the journey

• Prepare them for first line leadership, both before their appointment and after

• Handle retirements with a formal succession plan as well as replacements when there is performance turnover, and

• Incent leaders in waiting

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon V

Thinking about starting a formal teaming strategy? Started to form teams, but want to know what hurdles you might encounter? Then this session is for you! Come prepared with questions for a panel of individuals from companies in various stages of team development.

• What should you consider before developing a formal teaming program?

• How has (or will) teaming improve client experience?

• In what way can teams smooth the transition to the new regulatory environment?

• How do teams improve succession planning and business transition?

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon I-II-III

There seems to be a new “cure” for the Millennial market every day! From retail atelier to retail banking, companies are actively pursuing new ways to approach this increasingly diverse (and demanding) generation. We want to introduce you to how one company views the Affluent Millennial Market from the life insurance carrier perspective. We will introduce you to four critical market segments and provide suggestions on how to attract, work with, interact and communicate in ways that meeting the dynamic expectations of the ever-evolving Gen Y!

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon IV

This workshop will examine the ever-changing consumer demographic, the challenge Brokerage Distribution faces in selling to these markets, and how to best connect with consumers of all types. The discussion will include the opportunity potential and case studies for illustration.

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon VII-VIII

Carriers have different options they can use to connect with consumers directly. They can use their own direct-to-consumer (D2C) distribution capabilities or partner with other organizations that may provide better access to their chosen target market. There are various considerations that come into play when deciding which options to pursue. 

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon VI

The best performing agencies, advisor organizations, and management units are run like businesses, using time-tested best practices, systems, and techniques for leveraging people. When it comes to solid growth while managing risk, including the new fiduciary standards, the system is the solution.

• Learn why agents should stop practicing and start running a business that works.

• Understand the key elements for growth and sustainability through best business practices.

• Discover how to approach DOL compliance with systems.

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon V

The advisor/agent landscape is changing faster than ever before. The ability to evolve from an advisor/agent to a business owner has become critical. This session will give you the chance to hear from leaders of two companies that have implemented successful programs to work with advisors/agents to help them leverage the resources available to assist in this evolution. Hear how these companies have taken advantage of these programs to build better business acumen and drive revenue growth. 

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon I-II-III

Markets are saturated. Traditional life insurance producers are declining. Competition for ultra high net worth clients is furious. How are we going to make our numbers this year? Worried? Don’t be. LIMRA reports that there are still millions of Americans under and underinsured and distribution channels still remain largely untapped.

Understanding those markets and distribution channels are the key to success. Join us in a conversation about finding and understanding untapped markets and untapped distribution. Whether it is a new product, a new process or a new approach…our goal for this meeting is to help you think differently about how we approach the marketplace and the distribution channels that we take us there.

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon IV

Many MGAs count the institutional space as critical to their present and future business. This workshop examines the key issues: Who is successful at this? What are the implications in light of the aging producer population? What are the keys to unlocking this terrific opportunity?

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon VI

Looking to generate new revenue and create a pipeline of leads for distribution? Direct to consumer marketing enables insurance companies to generate new sales while adding value to distribution and enhancing the company’s brand.

• Learn how inforce marketing experiences can impact direct selling results to the broad market

• Hear about the importance of product, channels, and technology combined for optimal pathway to purchase customer experience

• Understand steps you can take to actualize this strategy for your organization

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon VII-VIII

The fact that the world is changing is not new to anyone. The more important question is: What do we need to do in the face of this change? With deep experience accelerating transformation in some of the world’s most innovative companies, Peter Sheahan knows firsthand how to take disruption and turn it to our advantage. In this case-study-rich session, Peter will explore best practices from multiple industries that have experienced transformative change, and unpack the key insights from those that profited from the change compared to those that became victims to it. He will specifically address the massive shift the financial services industry is facing with the DOL fiduciary regulations, and discuss how financial services professionals can turn the challenges of fee transparency and the best-interest fiduciary standard into opportunity.

Grand Ballroom B/C, 3rd Floor

LOBBY BAR

Sponsored by IMN

Members and Carriers Only

This session will address how the speed of technology change impacts advisors, how regulatory requirements are driving the need for documentation to support suitable practices, and the importance of integrated systems. Hear how companies are aligning the needs of their advisors and their customers while supporting the strategic direction of their company. How are they making all this happen? The “agency of the future” and the “advisor of the future” begins now!

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon I-II-III

This session will address how the speed of technology change impacts advisors, how regulatory requirements are driving the need for documentation to support suitable practices, and the importance of integrated systems. Hear how companies are aligning the needs of their advisors and their customers while supporting the strategic direction of their company. How are they making all this happen? The “agency of the future” and the “advisor of the future” begins now!

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon I-II-III

The growth opportunities to a principal owner through sound, smart and strategic succession planning are limitless. Should you buy, sell, or merge? With the DOL rule, and our aging producers, learn how your organization can leverage this industry changing event. This workshop will inspire you to develop your game plan!

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon IV

Technology can provide a real enhancement to production efficiency. This workshop focuses on STP, Quick Issue, and other new business processing tools. It addresses the options, benefits, and challenges of sales technology, including what BGAs want and how adoption can be maximized. Distributor, carrier and vendor perspectives will be offered.

Caribbean Ballroom, Salon V

We are on the cusp of one of the largest waves of technology disruption and adoption in history: The Experience Business Wave. This new wave is driven by the desire of enterprises to leverage technology to better meet their consumers’ needs and their rising expectations to establish competitive advantage. Across industries, new and disruptive companies are setting a new bar for experiences that consumers are now demanding from every interaction. Late adopters soon realize that if they don’t transform and adopt similar technology, they won’t survive.

This session will illustrate how the power of digital channels (web and mobile) not only create significant opportunities for the insurance industry to deliver dynamic and personalized experiences for consumers and agents, but also enhance the experience for agents in their interactions with existing and prospective customers.

Grand Ballroom, B/C, 3rd Floor

The DOL fiduciary rule created a seismic shift in the financial services industry. While reactions among industry participants have been mostly negative, there are some genuinely positive implications of the DOL rule, irrespective of its ultimate scope. While uncertainty today is palpable, the rule has unleashed forces that will significantly transform the industry. One outcome of uncertainty is an unintended but massive gift to the business of income distribution planning. Insurers and distribution organizations have a major stake in exploiting this ​opportunity, but doing so takes newtools, insights and strategies. Those organizations that seize upon today’s uncertain and transforming marketplace are certain to emerge as tomorrow’s market leaders.

Grand Ballroom B/C, 3rd Floor