Member Benefits
Below you'll find an overview of the benefits of PIA membership, particularly those benefits offered to PIA members through PIA National. Agents join PIA through their local PIA association which provide benefits tailored to the independent insurance agents in their state, including continuing education. Please contact your local PIA association to join PIA and to learn all that they have to offer you.
Downloadable PIA National Guide To Member Benefits (PDF) This brochure describes the many benefits available to PIA members through PIA's national office.
Have a question about something not addressed below? Contact us.
PIA Branding Program
Local advertising for “Local Agents Serving Main Street America” (SM)
PIA members and the insurance companies they represent can now participate in the PIA Branding Program.
Print Ads: Through the PIA Branding Program, PIA makes available a series of print advertisements [large PDF preview file] that PIA members can run in local publications, customized with their agency logo and contact information and (optionally) a company logo. Ads can also be printed for use as flyers or as inserts in publications. Each ad is available in a variety of sizes, in color as well as black and white.
Radio Ads: PIA has also produced a series of 28 radio ads that PIA members can run on their local radio stations, tagged with their agency contact information. These can be previewed on the PIA Branding Program web page.
Spanish Ads: PIA has recently introduced 25 Spanish radio ads as well as a series of Spanish print ads [large PDF preview file]. The radio ads can be previewed on the PIA Branding Program web page, which is also the destination for PIA members who want to download the ad files to run in their local markets.
Best of all, participation in the PIA Branding Program is free to PIA members and free to the companies that support them. To learn more, click here.
Purchase PIA Main Street Logo Wear & Gear (PIA members & PIA Branding Program sponsors only)
Agency Marketing Guide
2011 edition: The 2011 PIA National Agency Marketing Guide is now available to PIA members. The print edition mailed with the June/July 2011 issue of PIA Connection magazine. A digitial version of the 2011 Agency Marketing Guide is also available.
The 2011 edition focuses on how agents can market their services on the Internet.
Sponsors: PIA would like to thank the sponsors of the 2011 PIA National Agency Marketing Guide:
2010 edition: The 2010 PIA National Agency Marketing Guide contained a soup-to-nuts guide on how independent insurance agents can use social media to support their agency’s sales strategy. Download the 2010 Agency Marketing Guide.
PIA Main Street Store
Insurance Products
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Financial Services
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"PIA Plus" Products/Discounts
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Education
PIA has been leading the way in insurance education since 1931. To learn about the CE, designation programs and other educational opportunities available to agents in your state, please contact your local PIA affiliate.
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Agency Touch Points — The Voice of The Customer (Released December 6, 2011)
Is personal lines insurance just about price? Is it a mere commodity? Is personalized choice and service a thing of the past?
NO!!! New research by The PIA Partnership shows that insurance customers want what independent agents offer. In scientifically validated surveys of insurance customers across the country, The PIA Partnership found that:
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customers want value beyond price
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customers want regular proactive contact to help them be assured that their insurance coverage is comprehensive and up to date
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customers want other things that only independent insurance agents can provide
TAKE THE QUIZ! A brief 6 question quiz on our new Agency Touch Points quiz website takes agents through highlights of the survey and results, providing new insight on commonly held misconceptions that many independent agency personnel have been using to guide their personal lines sales and service.
PIA members need to take this quiz. And anyone in the agency who deals directly with personal lines customers needs to take this quiz. The results will most likely surprise you!
ALREADY TAKEN THE QUIZ? If you've already taken the quiz, then you are ready to access the complete Agency Touch Points website. Since insurance customers have expressed their desire for proactive attention to their insurance needs, they are opening the door to enhanced opportunity for your agency. The full website offers a variety of revenue building tools and resources agencies can use to maximize their “touch point” opportunities with customers and prospects.
Follow the appropriate link below to access the complete Agency Touch Points website:
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Reaching Gen Y
Based on extensive focus group research with Gen Y age group insurance consumers, the Reaching Gen Y online tool, developed by The Partnership, helps agents understand and reach this important age group. Beyond the research itself, this new online resource provides agencies with tools they can use to convert Gen Y age group prospects into loyal agency clients and customers. Download a 1-page flyer about the Reaching Gen Y online tool.
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Practical Guide to Successful Planning
PIA National and The Partnership have created a “Practical Guide to Successful Planning,” which is now available as an online reference and resource center for PIA members.
This is a tool created by agents - for agents. Its purpose is to assist agents in planning efforts within their own agencies and coordinating those plans as they work with the carriers they represent.
It does not matter whether you are new to planning, have had previous experience, or are currently involved in planning efforts, this tool can help you be more successful.
Using the Practical Guide to Successful Planning, you can select your own starting point and then proceed from there to access the right tools to help you be successful in your planning efforts.
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Perpetuation Central
PIA National and The Partnership have created Perpetuation Central as an online reference and resource center for agencies to access as they plan and take steps to implement agency perpetuation or other form of agency ownership transfer.
It offers step-by-step guidance and assistance in identifying issues to be considered, creating a plan and locating available resources.
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Agency Agreement Review Service
The free Agency Agreement Review Service is available to carriers looking to update their agency agreements and PIA members who (1) have recently been issued an agency agreement from a carrier or (2) have particular questions about an existing agreement.
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Using the PIA Logo
One of the more important benefits of being a PIA member is the privilege of authorized use of the PIA Logo to convey your relationship with PIA. PIA members may use the PIA Logo on a variety of items including stationery, signage, web sites and more. PIA members can now download the PIA Main Street Logo as well! Click here
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Communications/Publications
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Grassroots
Occasionally, usually at a critical juncture for a piece of legislation or issue, PIA National seeks the support of PIA members to help legislators on Capitol Hill understand PIA's stances on issues that are important to independent insurance agents. At these times action alerts will be posted on PIA National's Online Grassroots Action Center and an email will be sent to members either nationally or in specific states/congressional districts. Alerts usually include sample language that should be used in letters and emails as well as any other actions that should be taken.
Make Sure We Can Send Grassroots Action Alerts to You Via Email: Members who want to ensure they are included in future grassroots action alerts should set up a PIANET user profile (your login). Just click on the "Member Login" button at the top of the page. Once you have logged in the first time and provided your email address you will be ready to go.
Many PIA members come to Washington, DC each spring to meet with their Members of Congress during PIA's annual Federal Legislative Summit (FLS). To learn more about the FLS, District Lobbying Day, Political Involvement and Advocacy Month or other aspects of PIA's federal grassroots program, please visit the PIA Grassroots Home Page.
Web Site Services
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Member-Only Resources
PIA members have access to member-only information and resources to help them maintain compliance with laws and regulations and improve the operation of their business. Information provided by PIA's regulatory, government and business issues professionals helps PIA members stay ahead of the curve and anticipate change.
Where's All the Members-Only "Stuff"? Where possible, password-protected resources and information is integrated throughout PIANET in topic-related sections. For example, the Agency Disaster Planning Manual would be found on the Natural Disaster page of our Issues of Focus section).
A few miscellaneous PIA member-only resources can be found in the Members-only section of PIANET.
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PIA Political Action Committee (PIAPAC)
Through PIAPAC PIA members pool contributions to help elect those who share PIA's views on Capitol Hill. Many local PIA associations also have PACs.
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The Partnership (fomerly the CCEO)
The Partnership is a body of insurance company executives in charge of independent agency initiatives. Through its activities The Partnership identifies areas of opportunity in the agency-company partnership and conducts solution-oriented research to meet the challenges inherent in developing strategies to enable both companies and agencies to profit from these opportunities.
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Continuing Education/Benefits Offered By Your Local PIA Association
Independent insurance agents in most states are represented by a local PIA association that offers additional member benefits including continuing education. Contact your local PIA association to discover all the benefits available in your state.
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