Constructeam Hosted Continuing Education Classes
On Wednesday, May 1st, Constructeam hosted continuing education classes for local insurance agents in the Macomb / Grosse Pointe area. They took place at Constructeam’s facility in Fraser, MI, and were taught by Jeff Williams of CRDN. The classes were “Ethics for Insurance Professionals” and “Bed Bugs, Varmints, And Other Critters In My Closet”.
Like many professional industries, Michigan insurance agents are required to continue their education to stay on top of the latest rules, regulations, and trends in the insurance industry. This ensures your insurance agent is staying up to date, and aware of changes taking place in the insurance industry. Insurance agents are required to complete 24 credit hours of continuing education every two (2) years.
The main two ways agents get these credits are via websites online and through in-person classes like the ones held at Constructeam. While online courses are convenient and allow an agent to complete their continuing education from the comfort of their own home or office, there are some definite benefits to attending in-person classes.
Diversity
In the two classes we held, there was a diverse group of insurance agents, from a number of different agencies, who all had varying levels of experience. Some agents had only been in the industry for a few years, while others have been helping people with their insurance needs for decades. While most of the agents in attendance worked for independent agencies (i.e. John’s Insurance Depot), some had a great deal of experience working for single carriers (i.e. State Farm).
Discussions
While the classes themselves are educational, the discussions that come up based on the topics can be just as interesting. Various case study scenarios were proposed during the classes, and different insurance agents were able to share their experiences, perspectives, and overall thoughts on how the situation should be handled. While younger and/or less experienced agents typically benefit the most from this, some of the more well traveled agents learned a few things as well.
Networking
It’s good to get out of the office sometimes and meet people, especially in your own industry. People experience life changes all the time, moving to a new city of example, which can require they find a new career opportunity. By attending insurance industry events and classes, insurance agents can meet agents from other companies, who could potentially introduce them to new career opportunities down the road.
Referrals
People looking for insurance all have different situations and needs, and their insurance policies need to be tailored to fit their circumstances. A single carrier insurance agent might not be the best fit for someone, but instead of giving that person a policy that isn’t the best match, that agent could refer the person to another agency. On the flip side, some agents have different areas of expertise, so an agent who only writes commercial policies might be a great referral source for an agent who is more comfortable writing residential policies for homeowners. These classes can be a great place for agents to meet and find new sources of referrals, or other agents to whom they feel comfortable referring their clients.
All in all, everyone had a great experience. We had the classes, a nice lunch brought in, and all of the attendees enjoyed themselves. We’re looking forward to hosting more classes in the future, and if you’re an insurance agent in the Macomb, Oakland, Wayne County area, you’re more than welcome to attend.
Agencies Represented During The Continuing Education Classes:
- Aitken-Ormond Insurance and Risk Management
- Beck Insurance Agency
- Custom Insurance Agency
- GP Insurance Agency
- Midwest Underwriters
- Morris Insurance Group
Classes Were Taught By: