THE CHANGING FACE OF THE INDEPENDENT AGENT
Pauline Black's short insurance career is full of accomplishments
By Elaine Tolen
Six years ago, Pauline Black changed careers and entered the insurance industry. Since then, she has excelled as a producer and has been significantly involved in the Young Agents Committee of Washington.
Six years ago, Pauline McArdle Black knew little about the insurance industry. Since then, not only has she become a successful producer, she has also revitalized the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Washington (IIABW) young agents group and has recently been elected to the IIABW board of directors.
A native of Bellingham, Washington, Pauline worked in the banking industry for five years. Although she enjoyed her work, Pauline was looking for a change in 1998 when a high school friend who worked at an insurance agency told Pauline of a job opening. She remembers: "My first thought was, 'I don't want to sell insurance!'"
She took the job at The Unity Group in Bellingham, which is located on the northern edge of the Puget Sound in northwest Washington state, 90 miles north of Seattle and 50 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. She started out in personal lines service, and soon "wanted more." She found her niche in personal lines sales, and is currently a producer at Wycoff Insurance in nearby Mount Vernon, Washington.
Pauline observes that most P-C producers eventually aspire to work on commercial accounts. "So I gave commercial lines a try--it wasn't a good fit. I like the connection with the individual in personal lines. I have more control; I don't have to farm out the quote to several companies and wait on them to reply.
"I educate my clients on how to protect their current and future world. It's heartbreaking to lose your personal belongings, your house, your auto. I ask them, 'Do you want to lose everything you've worked for?!' I don't scare people; I'm just realistic with them," Pauline comments.
"Sometimes my clients reply, 'They can't take what I don't have.' I say, 'Just watch!'"
Rallying the troops
Early in Pauline's insurance career, The Unity Group President Robb Dale encouraged her to get involved in the Young Agents Committee of Washington (YAC). "While the young agents had been an active group, they had also aged together," explains Pauline. "Over the years also, the group had become so integrated with the state association that it had no individual identity."
Not one to sit on the sidelines, Pauline led the charge to reconstruct the Young Agents Committee of Washington. "We had a huge database of potential members, but little participation," she remembers. "We had to show the value of the young agents group. There was a negative perception that young agents just party. Smaller shops especially wouldn't let their younger producers attend functions."
Pauline and the YAC's executive committee of six made several changes to help revitalize the YAC. One of the changes involved the age requirement for YAC participation. "It used to be 35 years or younger, and in the industry for less than five years. This left out a lot of people who really are 'young agents,' so we raised the age to 40 years and younger and eliminated the time requirement," she explains.
The YAC used to sponsor one event a year, according to Pauline, usually in conjunction with the state association's annual meeting. "We've created a separate identity by holding our YAC annual conference on a different date than the IIABW annual conference. My focus has also been to have events more often so our name is out there. Many of these events offer CE credits; topics center on training in sales and industry issues. We've tried to keep the cost to attend low- or no-cost," she says.
A seemingly small logistical change that has positively affected YAC conferences, says Pauline, is moving the start time to 9:00 a.m. instead of the standard 8:00 a.m. start time. "Just that one hour later gives the attendees time to call the office, check e-mail, and other tasks instead of rushing around trying to get it done before an early meeting."
Another goal for Pauline has been to motivate young agents to go beyond YAC involvement and become active in the IIABW state association. Young agents now participate in IIABW activities, such as golf outings, and state and national legislative conferences. "We have to make sure our presence is known throughout the system," Pauline emphasizes.
Now in her third year as president of the Young Agents Committee of Washington, Pauline has seen a great deal of growth and cohesion among the 40 or so active members. "We've proved ourselves to the world," she comments. "The IIABW board is now very supportive, and more carriers are coming on board to support our programs. Our YAC annual conference was so successful last year that we've invited the Oregon young agents to join us this year."
Despite the perception that young agents used to "just party" at young agent meetings, Pauline says the social aspect of the YAC is important from a business perspective. "For instance, we have a holiday gathering where agents can bring a spouse or friend. It's billed as 'social,' but it's very important because it keeps young agents in touch and talking with one another. They're all pretty much in the same boat, facing the same challenges. They bounce ideas off one another in a relaxed setting.
"Sometimes it's hard to talk to more experienced producers," Pauline observes. "Younger agents are more apt to share their problems with each other. We've become a part of each other's lives. We respect each other and help each other succeed."
In giving back to the community, " you improve the perception of insurance people. You may or may not get business, but ... it's still a win-win situation."
Although many agencies have realized the benefit of having their young agents involved in the YAC, Pauline says there are still some holdouts. "But," she laughs, "for those agencies that haven't 'gotten it' yet, I'm pretty loud. Sometimes producers are afraid to ask their bosses to go to a meeting, so I just call them up and ask if the agent can go! You give up a day or two in the office--it's not the end of the world. I get referrals from contacts I have made at these events, and that's good for business. Plus, producers are more likely to stay with an agency if they can go to a meeting; it really helps with morale. We've tried to make events more accessible by holding them in various locations around the state so more young agents can attend."
Some agencies have really thrown their support behind the YAC, according to Pauline. "There is one agency that because of attrition currently has no 'young agents.' But they sponsor young agents from other agencies. That shows that we've proved the value of the program."
Learning from other leaders
In her short time in the insurance industry, Pauline has had the good fortune to be mentored by several industry leaders. One is Robb Dale, now the CEO of The Unity Group, who is active on the state and national level. "He is dynamic and encouraging," reports Pauline. "He'd challenge me to think about my goals. Even now that I work elsewhere, we talk frequently. He'll ask, 'Have you tried this or that?'"
Another mentor in Pauline's life is Rob Bush, owner of Valley Insurance, who was president of the IIABW last year. "He's very supportive of young agents serving on the state board, knowing that industry perpetuation depends on our success," says Pauline. Rob piqued her interest in serving on the IIABW board of directors, and in January of this year Pauline was elected to a two-year term. One area she's especially interested in is governmental affairs.
Life outside the industry
With a full-time job as producer as well as serving on the IIABW board of directors and being president of the Young Agents Committee of Washington, it's not surprising that when asked what she does in her spare time, Pauline just laughs.
"Well, I sit and look at my husband ... No, really, I believe that it is important to give back to the community," she explains.
She has been involved in several community groups, including United Way and the local Chamber of Commerce. "There is such a stigma attached to the insurance industry," Pauline says. "You give up a Saturday to work at a community fair. You chitchat, you're outside, you improve the perception of insurance people. You may or may not get business, but so what? It's still a win-win situation." *