FIN2254-1 Allstate Blueprint Spring 2012 Final Low-rez

Your Guide to Selling Financial Services

Vol. 2 | Spring 2012

Teaming UpEA Frank Ciambrone and

LSP Tim Jongquist find Life success.

Two’s Company A collaborative approach works for Victoria Larson and Butch Jeffries’

EA-EFS partnership.

Together for LifeCarleen Desrochers and Steve Prendergast

share real-world customer stories.

The Ballot Effect

Sales Recognition

Auto/Life Discount Update

Also in this issue...

Working Together to Grow Life Business

Success is rarely achieved alone. Whether in your personal or

business life, surrounding yourself with the right people can make

all the difference. Some of you partner with an EFS or work with an

LSP, while others sell solo. In the end, no matter how you choose to

sell life insurance, it’s about helping customers find the protection

they need.

In this issue of Blueprint, we’re taking a look at a few of the EAs and EFSs embodying the spirit of teamwork. These stories are all great examples of how expanding your relationships can serve customers as well as grow your business. I hope you find them helpful and inspirational as you move your business forward.

Highlights include:

As we near the mid-year mark, I’d like to thank you for your hard work and encourage you to stay on track to meet your goals.

Best of luck in your business endeavors,

Robert Becker, Senior Vice President Allstate Life Insurance Company

Robert Becker

Editorial Director Rita Brief [email protected]

Editor in Chief Melanie Mueting [email protected]

Managing Electronic Editor Jerry Johnson [email protected]

Special Thanks to: Shari Ruecker and Chris Makowskyj

Blueprint is published by Allstate Financial Marketing.

Insights from Midwest EA Victoria Larson about collaborating with EFS Butch Jeffries to fulfill customers’ life insurance needs. p. 5

A look into the unique relationship Capital EA Frank Ciambrone has developed with LSP Tim Jongquist to build life insurance sales. p. 3

Hear about how Northeast EA Carleen Desrochers and EFS Steve Prendergast approach challenging customer situations. p. 7

We want your feedbackHow can Blueprint provide the information you need to make AF an increasing part of your business? Email your comments or suggestions to [email protected].

Blueprint will be published again in fall 2012. All editions will be available through eFocus and Agency Gateway. If you would like to receive future editions in hard copy, please email [email protected].

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Exclusive Agents

1. Edwin de Jesus Northeast 93

2. David Thomas California 84

3. Amy Alward Northeast 43

4. Jeremy Olson Northwest 42

5. Ben Rodriguez New York 38

Exclusive Financial Specialists**

1. Gary Wright Southeast 161

2. Lee McPherson Southeast 93

3. Scott Peterzell Southeast 92

4T. Gary Grivner Northeast 90

4T. Jeffrey Stillwell New Jersey 90

5. Kent McGill Texas 88

Best Overall EAs and EFSs** by Proprietary Policy Count

Have you reviewed your life insurance lately?

** Financial Specialists (FSs) in NY

For Broker/Dealer or Agent Use Only – Not for public dissemination. May not be distributed, reprinted, or shown to the public in oral, written, or electronic form as sales material.

AF Proprietary Policy Plan YTD 3/31/2012 Goal 31,493 | Actual 31,128 | 98.8% to Plan*The 2012 proprietary policies include manufactured life and annuity products and Allstate Benefits worksite cases. Note that nonproprietary life is included in actuals until we can separate from our source.

Rankings by RegionBased on Proprietary Policy Percent to Plan* – First Quarter 2012

1. New Jersey ........112.5%

2. Capital.................107.2%

3. Midwest .............106.4%

4. Southeast ...........106.0%

5. Northeast ...........104.9%

6. Southern.............103.7%

7. North Central ....100.4%

8. Southwest ..........100.2%

9. California..............97.8%

10. Northwest ............97.3%

11. New York ............. 95.2%

12. West Central ...... 91.5%

13. Texas .................... 89.9%

14. Florida .................. 81.0%

Correction: The 2011 regional rankings listed in the

Winter 2012 issue were incorrect. We apologize

for any confusion this may have caused.

Please refer to page 9 for the corrected information.

First Quarter 2012

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Frank Ciambrone’s Playbook for Successful Life Insurance Sales

Adding a Team PlayerCiambrone opted to have an LSP to work solely on his behalf and hired Tim Jongquist to fill the role. “I think what makes us successful is that Tim lives and dies by our book of business. He is totally committed to our agency.”

Having Jongquist there to focus on life insurance allows Ciambrone to concentrate on the P&C side of his business. “Tim just takes that pressure off for me,” Ciambrone said. “He is the one in my office who is in charge of life insurance sales. It’s his deal. He’s got to make it work, and he does year in and year out. In fact, last year he sold over 100 life policies.”

Jongquist is also P&C licensed, so he’s able to support that side of the business too. “I take the time to educate the customer to help insulate the book of business for the EA, and then I try to get my sale as well,” Jongquist explained. “That’s when it becomes a win-win situation for us all.”

Frank Ciambrone is no stranger to life insurance sales. Having spent his first 11 years as a managing director with another major life insurance carrier, he saw firsthand the important role it can play in customers’ lives—and in his business model.

So five years into starting with Allstate, he decided it was time to bring someone on to help him provide life insurance protection for customers.

A Win-WinSiTUATioN


Frank Ciambrone

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“People always ask me how I can talk about death all of the time. I tell them I don’t—I talk about survival. I help families survive.”

“If you are successful at doing something and you know it makes a difference in people’s lives, you can truly feel good about what you do.”

Meet FrankFrank Ciambrone has been in the insurance industry for 24 years, 13 of which have been with Allstate. His agency offers insurance advice to customers in Virginia Beach, Virginia, through its 10 licensed employees and three unlicensed support staff. In his spare time, he and his wife Robin, who is also his office manager, like to travel. They have two sons who are ages 19 and 22.

Frank Ciambrone’s Playbook for Successful Life Insurance Sales

Coaching for SuccessWhen Jongquist was hired by Ciambrone, he had been in the life insurance business for just six months. But Ciambrone was able to draw on his own extensive life insurance sales management background to train Jongquist in sales strategies. “It’s extremely important for new agents to understand that they are selling a promise,” said Ciambrone. “And until you pay out your first death claim, you don’t really understand the significance of that. Life insurance is about protecting a family’s future.”

“People don’t like to talk about life insurance,” Ciambrone added. “So we like to put it in terms of income replacement.” Ciambrone has Jongquist ask current homeowners insurance customers about whether they have mortgage protection. “It generates a lot of ‘Ums,’” said Ciambrone. “So then we clarify by asking, ‘If you or your spouse were to unexpectedly die, who would pay the mortgage?’”

Changing the GameWhen it all comes down to it, both Ciambrone and Jongquist believe that selling life insurance is really about protecting the customers they serve. Take, for instance, John and Maria, a couple they both remember well.

A smoker in his late 50s, John was interested in purchasing a life insurance policy to protect his wife in case of his untimely death. Maria wasn’t quite so convinced that investing in a life insurance policy was a great idea. But after much discussion, Maria reluctantly agreed.

John passed away the next year. When Jongquist delivered the death benefit check to Maria, she looked him straight in the eye and thanked him for being persistent. Now she’s a committed customer who entrusts Ciambrone and Jongquist with her investments. “When you pay out a death claim, you become a trusted advisor for life,” said Jongquist.

And that’s when everyone truly wins.


Frank’s Tips to Try: Hiring an LSPGo Green – You want somebody who is life and health licensed with a little bit of experience. Consider someone who is in the first year, is still struggling, and hasn’t yet built his or her own book.

Find a Competitive Edge – Hire someone who you can tell is aggressive and look for a background in sports. Athletes tend to be self-motivated, are team players, and naturally like to win.

Incent Your LSP – Compensate your LSP well for his or her life insurance sales; you will reap the reward on the back end.

Want to know more?If you would like to learn more about how Ciambrone created a successful LSP relationship to build his life insurance sales, contact him at [email protected].

Tim Jongquist

Tim Jongquist & Frank Ciambrone

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While every EA-EFS partnership is different, Larson and Jeffries’ can provide you with ideas about using teamwork to sell life insurance successfully. Learn from their example by taking these four basic steps to lay the groundwork for a strong partnership.

No one can be an expert on everything. And this adage is especially true in the insurance industry. Agents often feel comfortable selling one or more types of insurance, but not all. Rather than spread herself too thin trying to be everything to all people, Victoria Larson decided to rely on an expert when selling life insurance. For the past three years, she’s been working with EFS Butch Jeffries to give customers the right life coverage: Larson helps identify their needs, and Jeffries helps them find the right type of life insurance.

JoINING FoRCESVictoria Larson and her EFS take a collaborative approach

to selling life insurance.

Victoria Larson

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Meet Victoria and ButchVictoria Larson became an Allstate agent in January 2001 after 11 years in management consulting. Her father was with Allstate for more than 30 years, and he encouraged her to pursue a career in insurance. Larson now runs her own business in South Elgin, Illinois.

Butch Jeffries has been with Allstate for 23 years, 10 of which he has spent in sales management. His performance as an EFS is consistently strong, and he was inducted into the Allstate Financial Hall of Fame in 2011.

Find Common ValuesLarson felt comfortable working with Jeffries because she recognized that they share the same professional philosophy. “He had the same values that I have . . . he was going to do the right thing for the customer,” she said. “Ultimately we are both committed to the same goals.” Those mutual goals solidify and direct their partnership.

Establish a Process Without clear communication, customers referred from Larson to Jeffries might get lost in the shuffle. “I have to trust that he will call those people back, and we have worked out a system for him to let me know when he has made contact with them.” A consistent process means Larson can explain the steps to customers and be confident that their experience will match their expectations.

Educate Your StaffWhile Jeffries is a vital partner in Larson’s efforts to teach customers about life insurance, support staff are also key players. Personal Financial Representative Chris Maxwell and life-licensed LSP Chris Lee work with many customers directly. Their role is an important one, so Larson looks for ways to help them learn—even if that means moving her office. “I sit up front . . . it allows my staff to hear when I talk about financial services or life insurance.”

Stay CommittedA business partnership like Larson and Jeffries’ is not always simple. Larson compares the relationship to a marriage—it takes commitment and a willingness to grow and adapt in order to make it work. “It wasn’t necessarily easy between us at times,” she said. But because the pair is dedicated to teaching and listening to each other, “Every year it gets stronger.”


A Note From ButchTo make their partnership work, Jeffries and Larson had to be willing to coach and learn from each other. “[Victoria] is open to ideas that are successful in the financial services world that are different than property and casualty,” said Jeffries.

One difference is the conversation with customers. “Nobody really wants to talk about life insurance,” Jeffries said. “But everybody wants to talk about their family being the most important thing in the world to them.” Jeffries says Larson is genuinely caring, so this focus was natural for her. “We both know that taking care of the customer ultimately is the key to our long-term success.”

The Control FactorGoals are important, but Larson and Jeffries know that worrying about variables can cause unnecessary stress. “We can’t control how many people are going to come into the office or call . . . we can’t control whether somebody is going to buy a life insurance product,” said Jeffries. Instead, the pair focuses on what they can control: getting three to five appointments each week. Reaching that smaller goal is manageable and puts them closer to their overall production goals. “It’s all about the numbers,” said Jeffries.

Victoria Larson & Butch Jeffries

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Real-World Examples of a Partnership at WorkLife Insurance in Action

If you ask Carleen Desrochers about her

partnership with Steve Prendergast, she’ll tell you that they just

click. They share a go-getter mentality, a personal investment

in each other’s professional well-being, and a passion for

helping customers.

Take a look at the following real-world examples to see how

Desrochers and Prendergast work together to provide the life

insurance coverage customers need.

Recently, Allstate agent Carleen Desrochers was performing an annual review for a couple who had an old life insurance policy. She uncovered that the policy was no longer meeting the needs of the customers. It was no longer being funded sufficiently, and it was not performing the way it was projected to when they initially purchased it.

Steve Prendergast was ready to help out when Desrochers discovered the problem and sent the couple his way. “She arranged for them to meet with me to discuss ways to rescue the policy. It was a bit of a difficult situation, and they needed someone to really spend some time with them.” After two lengthy meetings, the couple ended up following his advice to secure their life insurance coverage.

During his fact-finding interview, however, Prendergast learned that the wife was quite concerned about a sizable retirement asset that had no guarantees. “Because a full discovery was completed up front, Carleen and I had another chance to assist them,” said Prendergast. They ended up helping the couple roll roughly $300,000 into a product with income guarantees.

“They’re very happy with the results,” Desrochers said. “Truthfully, I didn’t think in a million years that another opportunity would come out of this. But like I tell my staff, you can’t judge a book by its cover . . . you can’t assume customers have all their stuff together.”

A Policy in Trouble

Spending time with customers to review their situation

earns their trust and generates business down the road.

Carleen Desrochers

Steve Prendergast

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Real-World Examples of a Partnership at Work

Another situation is a reminder of just how important it is to ask every customer about life insurance. Desrochers and Prendergast worked together to provide life insurance for a younger couple. Not long after, the wife died of a brain aneurism at the age of 30. All of a sudden, her husband was a widower with a three-month-old son.

The $800,000 death benefit was a lifesaver. “Without it, the husband would never have been able to keep their home,” Desrochers said. “Steve was able to step in and help with the death claim, working with him to reinvest it appropriately.”

Prendergast set up an education fund for the child and wrote a permanent life policy on the widower. “If we hadn’t helped them get that initial life insurance policy in place,” said Prendergast, “this story could have ended very differently.”

Today, because of their commitment, Desrochers and Prendergast continue to manage property, casualty, and life insurance—as well as additional investments—for this customer and his new wife.

Tragedy for a Young Family

Carleen Desrochers

Converting Term Leads to New Business opportunitiesBoth EA and EFS have the same mentality when it comes to term insurance. “There is never a time when a term policy is written without discussing the option to convert in the future,” Desrochers said. And everyone in her office is committed to contacting these policy owners at least annually to remind them of their conversion privilege.

“Carleen and her staff will set up appointments for customers to meet with me and review what’s going on in their lives,” added Prendergast. “I get to look at an individual’s entire situation, run through a variety of scenarios, and provide recommendations if a conversion makes sense at that time.”Steve Prendergast

& Carleen Desrochers

Meet Carleen and SteveCarleen Desrochers got her start with Allstate when she was 23, helping to build up a strong book of business in her hometown of Tiverton, Rhode Island. Five years ago, she purchased the business from her employer and continued to expand it into a $4.7 million operation. In her free time, Carleen and her husband like to camp, ride motorcycles, and spoil their grandchildren.

After getting a degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and owning his own business, Steve Prendergast found his fit in life insurance sales. Twenty years of experience has taught him the ins and outs of the industry, and he enjoys putting that knowledge to work for Allstate customers. During his off hours, Steve can be found enjoying coastal living with his wife at their Cape Cod home.

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Recognizing EA and EFS*Achievements by Category – First Quarter 2012Leaderboard

Best EFSs* in Region by Total AF Application CountBest EAs in Region by Total AF Application Count

Best EA-EFS* Partnerships in Region by Total AF Application Count

California Ted Brown 101

Capital David Gasper 87

Florida Bennett Leace 58

Midwest Butch Jeffries 101

New Jersey Jeffrey Stillwell 100

New York Mark Fiegoli 74

North Central Clark Anderson 143

Northeast Gary Grivner 105

Northwest David Gould 85

Southeast Gary Wright 161

Southern Troy Trahan 90

Southwest Neil Barney 103

Texas Kent McGill 96

West Central Mark Donley 76

California David Thomas 84

Capital Wally Arcayan 32

Florida Anthony Borruso 46

Midwest Daniel Arenz 51

New Jersey Shawn Burke 34

New York Ben Rodriguez 38

North Central John Bontrager 30

Northeast Edwin de Jesus 96

Northwest Jeremy olson 42

Southeast James Rountree 31

Southern Ronald Rook 51

Southwest Joe Kittelson 25

Texas Brent Walters 61

West Central Jason Park 35

California Kenneth Baker & Rick Domenick 35

Capital Wally Arcayan & William Sinkins 26

Florida Jeff Cato & Bennett Leace 28 Charles Petersen & Denise Chin 28

Midwest Robert Jacob & Dean Shiff 37

New Jersey Scott Sileo & Joseph Craig 21

New York Mark Bugenhagen & Craig Snyder 20 Elizabeth Hanlon & Colin Tooker 20 Mark Jones & Alfred Cornacchio 20

North Central William Woodruff & Clark Anderson 29

Northeast Hal Beimel & Mary Wingrove 23 Robert Heinsinger & Gilbert Tardif 23

Northwest Jeremy olson & Roger Jones 25

Southeast James Rountree & Mark Meehan 31

Southern Adam Bass & Darren Ford 22

Southwest Joe Kittelson & Scott Taubman 23

Texas Eric Brown & Benjamin Fiszman 25

West Central Jason Park & Stephen Martinez 31

Corrected Rankings by Region from the Winter 2012 issue.Life Applications Percent to Plan – Year-End 2011

1. North Central ..........129.3%

2. Northeast .................125.4%

3. Midwest ....................123.2%

4. Texas ..........................123.0%

5. West Central ........... 121.4%

6. Southwest ................ 121.3%

7. Southern ................... 120.4%

8. Northwest ............... 119.4%

9. Capital ....................... 117.9%

10. Florida........................ 117.8%

11. California .................. 115.1%

12. Southeast ................. 114.6%

13. New York .................. 112.8%

14. New Jersey ............... 108.1%

For Broker/Dealer or Agent Use Only – Not for public dissemination. May not be distributed, reprinted, or shown to the public in oral, written, or electronic form as sales material.9

Recognizing EA and EFS*Achievements by Category – First Quarter 2012

Top EFSs* in Region by Total AF Production Credit Top EAs in Region by Total AF Production Credit

Top EA-EFS* Partnerships in Region by Total AF Production Credit

California Terry Carraher $164,915

Capital Ted Kristek $170,486

Florida Harvey Weisenfeld $147,252

Midwest Robert Moauro $138,887

New Jersey Jeffrey Stillwell $442,528

New York Mark Fiegoli $129,008

North Central James Carson $178,585

Northeast Mark Vanarnam $192,267

Northwest Evans Taylor $159,877

Southeast Gary Wright $253,747

Southern Jay Beasley $155,536

Southwest Keith Kellett $162,791

Texas Kent McGill $152,457

West Central Michael Gray $81,218

California Eric Lopez $146,822

Capital Paul Partington Sr. $149,641

Florida Kevin Hewitson $84,912

Midwest Barbara Brown $59,643

New Jersey Peter Arcuri $75,477

New York Matthew Andrews $108,472

North Central Mark Portale $149,431

Northeast Kurt Wicks $90,564

Northwest Samuel Zenor $76,952

Southeast David Ager $517,809

Southern Danny Mills $64,933

Southwest Linda Markham $95,307

Texas Vickie Lundquist $62,261

West Central Raymond Thielen $102,613

California Eric Lopez & Andres Batta $93,830

Capital Paul Partington Sr. & Ted Kristek $149,396

Florida Kevin Hewitson & Harvey Weisenfeld $84,906

Midwest Robert Jacob & Dean Shiff $47,009

New Jersey Joseph Noah & Sam Noah $85,645

New York Elizabeth Hanlon & Colin Tooker $42,833

North Central Eric Carl & James Carson $106,488

Northeast Dominick Valente & Gary Zeman $65,487

Northwest Tim Urling & Steven Roberts $71,433

Southeast James Rountree & Mark Meehan $93,195

Southern Wesley Parks & Patricia Goldin $60,482

Southwest Linda Markham & Mark Markham $94,418

Texas Vickie Lundquist & Dana Lundquist $61,814

West Central Jason Park & Stephen Martinez $70,390

* Financial Specialists (FSs) in NY


Auto/Life Discount – Exciting news!Drive agency results with this discount now available in all states

except CA,1 VA, and NC.2 You’ll find the Auto/Life Discount offers an

easy transition to the life conversation and an opportunity to open doors

to increased life business and stronger auto retention.1 CA’s existing discount will remain in effect. 2 NC is expected to roll out in June.

+ = SAVELIFE

AUTO

See Agency Gateway for details.

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Allstate Investments, LLC (“Allstate”) prepared this article solely for informational and educational purposes for Allstate employees and agents. The article may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. It does not provide investment or legal advice or recommendations. The information in this article is derived from public sources that Allstate believes are reliable; Allstate has not, however, independently verified the information and is not responsible if the information proves to be inaccurate, incomplete, or unreliable. This document may not be copied, reproduced, downloaded, or distributed to others. Any other use, reproduction, or distribution is strictly prohibited.

For Broker/Dealer or Agent Use Only – Not for public dissemination. May not be distributed, reprinted, or shown to the public in oral, written, or electronic form as sales material.FIN2254-1

© 2012 Allstate Insurance Company

3100 Sanders Rd, Ste M4 Northbrook, IL 60062

Every four years, the presidential election takes center stage, impacting many aspects of American life. Not immune to these effects are the markets, which have historically shown the following trends during election years. You’ll notice that equity market performance is modestly lower than average, fixed income yields are slightly higher, and consumer confidence tends to improve.

1. Equity Markets: S&P 500 performance.

2. Fixed Income Yields: Yield on the 10-year Treasury bond.

3. PYE: Previous year-end.

4. Real GDP Growth: Inflation-adjusted measure of national output due to the production of goods and services in the economy.

5. Fiscal Deficits: Measure of federal government’s revenues minus expenditures. A deficit means the government is spending more than it brings in from taxes.

6. Consumer Confidence: Survey that gauges optimism consumers feel about the overall economy and their personal financial condition.

7. Misery Index: Simple addition of the unemployment rate and inflation meant to measure the unhappiness caused by joblessness and rising prices.

PRESoRTED STANDARD

U.S. PoSTAGE PAIDPalatine P & DC, IL

Permit No. 161

By the Allstate Investments Economics TeamMarket Performance During Election YearsThe Ballot Effect

Market Indicator Election Year Trend Measurement Election Year Average

(since 1972)Yearly Average

(since 1972)Variance

Equity Markets1 EquityS&P 500 Performance 5.9% 8.0% -2.1%

Fixed Income Yields2 10-Year Treasuries% change vs. PYE3 0.24% -0.10% 0.34%

Economic GrowthReal GDP Growth4

% change over PYE3 3.61% 2.83% 0.78%

Fiscal Deficits5

Fiscal BalanceSurpluses/Deficits

Raw level ($m) $ (154,427) $ (225,059) -31%Change from PYE3 ($m) $ (22,387) $ (33,389) -33%

Debt AccumulationGross Debt as % of GDP

% of GDP 52.05% 54.61% -2.56%% change vs. PYE3 0.97% 1.55% -0.58%

Consumer Confidence6

Consumer ConfidenceIndex level 97.22 92.03 5.19Change vs. PYE3 1.27 -0.51 1.78

Unemployment & Inflation

Misery Index7

Index level 10.849 10.81 0.03Change vs. PYE3 -0.08 0.05 -0.13

Documents

FIN2254-1 Allstate Blueprint Spring 2012 Final Low-rez