Brad Ruben of Archway Computers joins us to talk about all things IT for independent agencies:

Cybersecurity and unusual requirements in carrier contracts
How DMARC impacts your agency emails and what you must do immediately
Why Multi-factor Authentication is so critical
One easy-to-use tech tool that customers love
How AI is being used in agencies today

As an independent agent, it's easy to push IT to the back burner but as Brad explains, having up-to-date software and security procedures is critical. Outsourcing the management of your agency's IT is a good way to reduce the risk of cyber crime and system downtime.

Links:
Archway Computer: myarchway.com

Full show notes and more episodes: Insurance Agency Trendsetters

Insurance Agency Trendsetters: Recent Episodes

Charlotte Hicks and George Robertson

039 — George Robertson and Charlotte Hicks look at some of the main challenges facing agents this year and three ways to be successful in 2023.

038 — Ron Berg, retiring director of the Agents Council for Technology (ACT) joins us to discuss how technology impacts customer satisfaction, the critical role of cyber security in agencies, and how insurtechs are helping agents serve their customers better.

037 — Jes Lipson, CEO of Levitate joins us to talk about the lost art of keeping in touch and how doing it the right way can spur higher sales and higher agency value.

036 — Diane Wagner and the First Choice Agents Alliance had a huge task: Help Nationwide agents negotiate the transition from Exclusive Agent to Independent Agent.

035 – George and Charlotte look back at highlights from the last year and give their predictions for the industry in 2022.

034 – What you don’t know about your customers can hurt you — and them. In this episode, we talk with Ron Shroyer of Aureus Analytics about how Donna for Agents is helping agents improve their customer experience, increase retention, and grow their agencies.

033 – One form. 550 fields. Agents hate it. Customers hate it. But now there’s another way. Discover how Wunderite has transformed the information-gathering process so it’s simple, effective, and customer-friendly.

032 – Aubie Knight of IIANC see a “great day of reckoning” coming for insurance agents. Find out how IIANC is helping their agents prepare and succeed as the insurance landscape changes.

031 – Most agency owners spend their entire careers making sales but forgetting to prepare for the one that has the most impact — selling their agency. Find out what you need to do now so you don’t leave money on the table.

030 – Discover how Chris Paradiso has established a solid, consistent brand that resonates with his ideal customers and has given him consistent, high-quality growth.

029 – Data. It’s been in our agencies all along. We just haven’t been able to see it in a way that’s helpful.

028 – Recently, two 911 calls highlighted a common problem –- we don’t always communicate clearly, even when we’re speaking the same language.

027 – CNA recently experienced a severe and sophisticated rasomware attack. George and Charlotte examine the aspects of the attack and the wide-ranging impacts.

026 – In today’s episode, George and Charlotte talk with Lisa Lounsbury of the Big I New York about their experience through the pandemic, the new ways they are supporting independent agents, and the upcoming launch of Catalyit.

025 – In today’s episode, George and Charlotte talk with Chris Lane of Tarmika about streamlining the commercial lines quoting process so agents can focus their time on the customer, not carrier applications.

024 – In today’s episode, George and Charlotte talk with Jason Liu of Zywave about how the tech needs of today’s agencies drove their acquisitions and platform build-out.

023 – In today’s episode, George and Charlotte talk with Kat Ternes, VP of Revenue at Agency Zoom, about the one step in goal setting most people forget about and how it can make all the difference in the success of your agency.

022 – In today’s episode, George and Charlotte discuss the recent SolarWinds hack and other current cyber liability issues.

021 – In today’s episode, George and Charlotte discuss online censorship and how agents can mitigate the risk to their agency.

020 – In today’s episode, George and Charlotte discuss some of the acquisitions that have happened in the last few weeks and what that means for independent insurance agents.

019 – In today’s episode, we talk about the impact of sudden data loss, ransomware in the news, and how you can keep your agency’s digital assets protected.

017 – Coming into the family insurance agency as a young agent, it would be easy to accept the status quo but that’s not what Cameron Annas did. Find out how he was able to implement significant changes in the agency with the full support of his dad and the existing agency staff.

016 – 2020 has thrown us enough challenges to last a decade. It’s also forever changed how we communicate with our staff, clients, and prospects. Today, we take a deep dive into how communication has changed and what you need to know about internal and external communication in 2020 and beyond.

015 – As the pandemic spread, Chip Bacciocco was faced with the difficult situation of determining what would happen to the Elevate 2020 conference. Hear how Agency Nation pivoted from an in-person conference to an online conference.

014 – The pandemic has shifted consumers attention online. Hear how agencies are attracting new prospects through their websites and online marketing.

013 – Today’s guest is Dr. Michelle Osborne, Chief Deputy Commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Insurance.

012 – As we emerge from stay-at-home orders with a greatly weakened economy, here’s what agents need to do now to ensure the health of their agencies.

011 – Although insurance agencies have been designated as “essential businesses,” most agencies have had to shift to working remotely in order to comply with state stay-at-home orders.

009 – At the recent IIANC Technology Symposium, George Robertson discussed three major tech trends that will impact how you’ll run your agency in the future.

008 – In this episode, discover what prospects really want and what the real problem is when they don’t buy.

006 – In this episode, you’ll get to know business growth and marketing expert Charlotte Hicks.

005 – In this episode, we get to know George Robertson. Find out how George became an expert in insurance agency technology and how he’s helping agencies integrate technology so the business runs smoothly and efficiently.

004 - Your agency management system is packed with valuable data. In this episode, hear how InsuredMine extracts this data and presents it in a way that helps you leverage the information to make more sales and improve customer value.

003 - Are you tired of entering in the information for your commercial clients over and over? Want to decrease the time it takes to complete a commercial application by as much as 73%?

002 - We caught up with Jeff and Una Roy of Clinton, Ontario after the IIANC InsurExpo and chatted with them about the changes they made to boost their agency growth and instill a new culture in the business.

001 - Join Charlotte Hicks and George Robertson as they discuss trends in marketing and technology to help insurance agents be more profitable and efficient and deliver a customer experience that attracts and retains their ideal clients.