I N  T H I S  I S S U E ...

  * Link For License Renewal
  * Dues Increase Reminder
  * CE Happy Hour
  * December Meeting
  * Holiday Happy Hour
  * President's Message
  * Tips for Organizing Office Parties
  * Reducing Your Holiday Stress
  * Capitol Conference 2008
  * How To Talk to Angry Customers
  * Leading Producers Round Table
  * SIIA Washington Update

CE Happy Hour

Worksite Marketing Trends & Strategies
Sponsored by:
Southern Benefit Services

Tuesday, December 4th

3:30pm -4:00pm: Registration & Happy Hour/ Appetizers & More!
4:00pm- 5:00pm: CE Presentation

Serrano's Salsa Company- Clearview Mall

Credit Card Pre-Payment: $20.00 Members/ $30.00  Non-Members
At the Door Payment: $25.00 Members/ $35.00 Non-Members

CE Hour Included for Members & Non-Members

More Info

Holiday Happy Hour

Monday, December 17th
5:00pm - 7:00pm

Free Event for Members & Non-Members!

Free Appetizers!
Drink Specials & Free Valet Parking
Intrigue Martini Bar at Sweet Fire & Ice
Door Prizes!

Members- Bring a new member with application in hand
& get a $10.00 gift card to Sweet Fire & Ice!
More Info

If the thought of organizing another ho-hum holiday event for your office, plant or store staff is making you wish the Grinch really would steal Christmas, here are some expert tips for turning your party from blah to blowout!

Get Help 
Organize the more social staff members into a committee. Not only will they give you input for party ideas, but by making them part of the process, you can guarantee there will be less grumbling about the plans made. Solicit ideas from employees by either collecting answers on a short questionnaire or setting up a suggestion box.

Let's Get Outta Here 
If you normally hold your company party surrounded by equipment, computers, desks, store merchandise and piles of work to be done, it's tough for your staff to get into the holiday spirit. Move the party to another, more festive site. However, if you don't want to go the hotel or restaurant route, think outside the box and choose an art gallery, day-cruise ship, museum, country inn, ice rink or other non-traditional locale. Or pile the gang onto a chartered bus, serve snacks-on-the-go and tour your city's holiday light displays. 

It's the Season for Giving 
Most people like to give to charities during the holiday season. Make it easy for your employees to do so by setting up an area at the party where they can donate non-perishable food items and unwrapped toys. These then can be gathered and donated to a charity or two in your area.

When the Music Moves You 
If you can't afford to bring in a live band or DJ, at least provide a quality sound system with a multi-disc player. Ask your employees to bring in their favorite CDs, set the player on random play and then put someone in charge of periodically changing the albums to ensure a variety of music. Another viable option for music is the use of your "in-house" talent bank. Musical genius may dwell within your employee ranks.

Peace on Earth 
When the party is held in the afternoon, it's understandable if it's an employee-only affair. However, if it's an evening event, allowing your staff members to bring their spouse or a guest will go a long way to keeping peace, at least in their home. If you plan a family event, be sure to plan extra-special activities, refreshments and gifts for youngsters. 

Be Responsible 
Provide festive and delicious non-alcoholic drinks for teetotalers. Depending on the circumstances, it's possible that you might find yourself liable if an employee causes an accident while driving home intoxicated from your party. Either limit alcohol consumption, provide employees with a ride home, or set up a designated driver car pool.

It is Better to Give--Real Gifts 
When selecting a guest gift or take-home favor, avoid an item emblazoned with your company logo. No matter how attractive or useful, it still serves as an advertising specialty rather than a true gift. A perfect present is one personalized with the name of the guest or at least one that has been specially selected for that individual.

This time of year affords you the ideal opportunity to reward your employees with a festive break from their daily pursuits. Your special occasion can also be a time for them to not only mix and mingle with each other but perhaps with customers or clients, as well. Your warm, friendly and fun gathering will be remembered and appreciated by your guests until the next holiday season. 

In today's world of two-earner households, 1.87 children, and a myriad of obligations and scheduled activities, the average American's plate is already brimming with more than a fair share of time-draining responsibilities. An American Psychological Association (APA) 2007 poll shows that "one-third of Americans are living with extreme stress and nearly half of Americans (48 percent) believe that their stress has increased over the past five years."

It's no wonder then that the holiday season -- with its merry "To Do" list -- can lead us to a state of "extreme difficulty, pressure, or strain:" The American Heritage Dictionary's apt definition of "stress."

Take actions now to reduce stress levels this season and even put the "Happy" back in your "Holidays."

Take care of yourself 
Your body and mind function best with adequate sleep, nourishment and exercise. This is your first line of defense against the added stress and demands of the holiday season.

Don't be tempted to get by on less-than-needed sleep; instead, look for ways to simplify holiday preparations. Try not to overindulge in too many fatty or sweet-laden foods that abound this time of year. These types of food zap your energy levels, and can send your mood on a roller-coaster ride of unwanted highs and lows. If you must cut back on your normal exercise time, try to keep fit by incorporating some movement in your daily errands; i.e., parking further away from store entrances, or taking stairs instead of escalators or elevators.

Don't break the bank 
Money is one of the top reasons Americans are stressed during and even after the holiday season. Establish limits that won't cause a financial burden on you and your family. Homemade or thoughtful, inexpensive gifts from the heart are often cherished far more than high-priced items. Long after those expensive gifts have been opened, what you gave will most likely be forgotten, but what you paid will keep coming back month after month... in your credit card bills.

Prioritize, and keep the rest simple 
There are not enough hours in the day -- unless, maybe, if you're Martha Stewart -- to do everything to perfection. Make a list of everything that needs to get accomplished, and choose three things that mean the most to you; for example, spending time with family, baking homemade cookies and sending beautiful holiday cards with handwritten personalized messages inside. Everything else: Simplify, simplify, simplify. Let's say you want to simplify gift giving, consider buying different versions of the same item; like buying a different book for each person on your gift list. Choose each person's book with his or her individual preferences and interests in mind. Or, if the idea of gift wrapping box after box sets your heart a-racing, consider using holiday drawstring or gift bags.

Identify your holiday stressors 
APA recommends that you ask yourself which particular holiday events or situations trigger your stressful feelings. Then determine if you are relying on unhealthy behaviors like smoking, drinking or eating to manage stress -- behaviors that can contribute to common health problems like obesity, heart disease and diabetes ... and ultimately, more stress. Replace any unhealthy coping behaviors with healthy ones like taking especially good care of yourself during the holiday season, and asking for and accepting help from others.

APA also reported in December of 2006 that "women (44 percent) are more likely than men (31 percent) to report an increase of stress during the holiday season, citing lack of time (69 percent versus 63 percent), lack of money (69 percent versus 55 percent), and pressure to give or get gifts (50 percent versus 42 percent) as primary stressors."

Laughter is the best medicine 
If you find yourself getting way too stressed, it's time to take a laughter break no matter how busy you think you are. Rent a classic holiday comedy like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation or A Christmas Story. Watching these two dysfunctional, funny and flaky families get through their Christmases will not only make you laugh, but will also make your own holiday problems pale in comparison. Another more current holiday film that is already a classic is Elf. This sweet and funny movie will not fail to entertain, especially the exceptional performances of Will Ferrell and Peter Dinklage.

Schedule some tranquil time for yourself every day 
One of the world's greatest leaders in the field of mind body medicine, Deepak Chopra, meditates every day for about an hour and a half. This holistic healer manages to do this in spite of an exceedingly busy schedule. Chopra says, "Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It's a way of entering into the quiet that's already there-buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day."

So, the last thing you might want to do during the hectic holidays is the very thing that you need to do: Take some time to be silent and reflective, even if it's just 15 minutes. There is scientific proof that doing so can decrease blood pressure, pulse rate, and improve blood circulation. Give this gift to yourself each and every day, and try to replace your holiday anxieties with the warm loving messages truly intended for the season.

Lighten up 
OK, what's the worst that could happen if you don't get everything done? One woman I know found out. Right in the middle of addressing her Christmas cards -- she got up to the letter "J" -- her husband became severely ill from an acute case of pneumonia. Soon after, he started taking a prescribed medication, and went into life-threatening anaphylactic shock. She didn't know if her husband and beloved father of their two children would survive. After six days in the hospital, he returned home -- two days before Christmas.

The last half of the Christmas cards were never mailed. The tree never went up, and half of the gifts never got wrapped. And it just didn't matter after all. Her husband was alive and on his way to a full recovery ... and the unbelievable kindnesses that were extended to her and her husband by the nurses, doctors and perfect strangers in the hospital, brought to the forefront the true meaning of the season. It was the most beautiful and precious Christmas their family had ever shared.

Reach out to your fellow man 
Tap into the deeper values of the season. Holiday time is the perfect time to forget about your own problems and think about doing something for someone else. In doing so, your own concerns will soon be displaced with that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you reach out and make's someone's life a little brighter.

The holiday season can be a difficult, sad or lonely time for many individuals. Consider doing one of the following with your family: Invite an elderly widow or widower in your neighborhood into your home for cocoa and cookies, "adopt" someone for the holidays who is either away from family or has no family, serve a meal at a local soup kitchen, or visit with some elderly folks at a nursing home (and don't forget to bring along some small gifts).

www.businessknowhow.com

How to Respond to Angry Customers
Ten powerful steps to diffuse angry customers, address the issues and sustain customer loyalty

1. Assume that the Customer has a Right to be Angry  
Nobody makes mistakes on purpose, but they do happen. If you are working in a call center, behind a counter or in any capacity that directly interfaces with customers then you are going to encounter an irate customer at some time. The most common response is to evaluate the merit of the complaint while you are listening to it. Try to curb that common response and replace it with the assumption that the customer has a right to be angry, even before you know the details.

Perhaps the customer feels betrayed because the product or services did not meet expectations. The customer may be angry because he or she made incorrect assumptions that led to improper expectations. The customer may be angry because of previous experiences, previous contacts with your company or simply because the problem occurred at a very inconvenient time in the customer schedule. Regardless of the circumstances, acknowledge the customer has the privilege to be irate. Listen carefully to how the anger is expressed so you can find the root cause of the emotion.

2. Listen to Emotion without Emotion  
Listen to the inflections and emphasis that the customer places on specific topics to identify the emotional catalyst. Listen to the emotion as well as the words. This will help you to identify the specific item or items that need primary attention. Resolving a technical issue may be only partially effective if it does not also address the customer emotional concerns. It may not be possible to completely resolve the emotional distress, but it is appropriate to acknowledge it.

Imagine that a customer experienced a technical malfunction when downloading digital images of a special event, wedding or family vacation. The technical issue may be related to hardware or software, but the emotional distress is related to the risk of losing precious memories. While it is necessary to correct the technical issue, it is also appropriate to acknowledge the risks that create the emotional response. Try to preserve the precious memories or at least explain why they can not be retrieved, but do not ignore the emotional catalyst.

Do not respond with emotion. Remember that the customer anger is not directed at you personally, even if the customer language is directed at you. If the customer language is attacking and borderline abusive, it is because the customer is looking for acknowledgement and response to the emotional distress as well as the technical or administrative issues. It may be necessary to repeatedly acknowledge the customer emotion to diffuse the situation and reassure the customer that you are attentive to the importance of the emotional distress as well as the technical issue.

3. Be Patient  
Customer conversations come in waves. When the customer is at the peak of expressing anger, sorrow or distress, be patient and listen. It is not effective to interrupt the customer when he or she is venting combustible sentiments. It is like pouring gasoline on a raging fire. Rather, wait for the waves of emotion to recede and then use that opportunity to interject with reassuring comments.

Sometime the customer anger will erupt and return like another set of waves. When that happens, be patient and wait for the customer to run out of gas before you approach the fire again. Reiterate your compassion, acknowledge the customer right to be angry and the catalyst for the emotional distress. Takes quiet deep breaths and wait patiently for your turn to speak.

4. Speak Softly  
If you encounter a loud and abusive customer, respond by speaking softly and with a very steady tone. If you try to shout over the customer or interrupt, then the customer will concentrate on the verbal battle for attention and will not pay attention to the importance of your message. If you want your message to be heard, wait for a pause in the customer tirade. Silence is your golden cue that it is time to speak your important message in a soft voice. Eventually the customer will have to lower his or her voice to hear what you are saying.

Even though it may seem that the customer does not care about what you have to say at first, remember that the customer approached you for resolution. The customer may have built up a considerable amount of emotion before reaching you, but ultimately the customer does want your advice and assistance to resolve the problem. Once the customer remembers why he or she contacted you, the customer will be receptive to your soft spoken conversation.

5. Reiterate  
Make sure that you are addressing the technical, administrative and emotional aspects of the customer concerns. After you have listened carefully to the customer, reiterate the priorities that you believe that you heard from the customer perspective. This will assure that you are focused on the appropriate issues and reassure the customer that you are concentrating on the proper priorities.

Use a soft, firm and inquisitive voice. Ask the customer to confirm that you have restated the facts and priorities accurately, then write them down.

6. Own the Problem  
It does not matter who created the problem or what transpired before the customer got to you. Tell the customer that you own the problem and will apply your personal effort to achieve results.

Sometimes it may be tempting to distance yourself from the problem by stating that you are not responsible for it, that another department will need to handle it, or that you are just a messenger. Put that temptation in a can and put a lid on it. Expressing that you do not have ownership of the problem or the potential resolution gives the customer a feeling of being adrift and powerless. if the customer senses that he or she is communicating with someone who is powerless, it will create yet another reason to be frustrated and angry.

Even if you do need to work with other departments, get manager approval or coordinate some other type of response, inform the customer that you will personally take the matter into your own hands and follow-up on the issues. The customer does not know your company, your policies or your procedures. The customer will never be able to navigate the requirements, restrictions or resolution with the same knowledge and experience as you. Reassure the customer that you will use your knowledge and experience to coordinate the best possible resolution, even if you need to get the assistance of other parties to achieve it.

7. Place the Customer First, Problem Second  
In most cases there are two conflicting issues that occur simultaneously when dealing with irate customers. There first issue is the customer emotional distress. The second is the technical or administrative issue that caused the emotional distress. While it may seem logical to focus first on the technical or administrative issue that cause the emotional distress, it is important to acknowledge the customer anger first and the technical issue second.

Resolving the technical issue may or may not fully resolve the root cause of the customer distress. Acknowledge the customer concerns first and try to calm down the customer enough to help you concentrate on the technical or administrative problems. Sometimes the technical problem may require much more attention because it may impact other customers. Acknowledge the individual customer emotion first, resolve the specific customer technical issue second and reserve addressing any bigger issues as independent activity.

8. Triage  
Once you have an opportunity to focus on technical and administrative issues, triage the root cause of the problems to determine what went wrong. Analyze the problem and provide corrective measures or detailed information in an effort to avoid duplicating the problem with other customers. It may be necessary to obtain some additional information from your customer to accurately analyze the root cause of the problem.

9. Correct the Issue  
Correct the issue for the specific customer and also look for long term corrective measures. It may not be feasible to give your customer a guarantee that the correction will resolve all problems permanently, but it may be appropriate to reassure the customer that you will be available to assist in the event that another different problem should occur again. Demonstrate your confidence that this specific problem is resolved and is not expected to reoccur. Demonstrate your attention to the specific customer by reiterating original concerns and actions that you took to correct the issue.

10. Follow Up  
When possible, follow-up with the customer after sufficient time has elapsed to demonstrate that the corrective action has been effective. A phone call or a personalized postcard demonstrates individual attention and acknowledgement. Demonstrating compassion and attentiveness thirty days after a problem has been resolved is a powerful message to show that you really do care about the individual customer. This follow-up after the anger has subsided and the corrective action has been demonstrated as effective may be enough to retain loyal customers and earn a few new ones.

• Web Seminars: The Leading Producers Round Table sponsors several Web seminars each year. The Web seminars will deal with advanced topics that are of interest to the top producers in the industry. The seminars will be open to the general public, but LPRT qualifiers will be able to attend these Web seminars free of charge.
  
• LPRT Educational Track at the NAHU Annual Convention  There will be an LPRT-focused educational track at the NAHU Annual Convention. This educational track, like the LPRT Web seminars, will deal with advanced topics.
  
• LPRT Qualifier Discounts A 5% discount on all NAHU services and meetings, including Capitol Conference and the Annual  Convention, will be given to qualifiers at the Leading Producers and Presidents’ Council levels of production.   A 10% discount on all NAHU services and meetings, including Capitol Conference and the Annual Convention, will be given to qualifiers at the Eagle and Golden Eagle levels of production and Lifetime qualifiers.
  
• LPRT Products The Leading Producers Round Table will offer LPRT logo merchandise.
  
• Recognition  The Leading Producers Round Table recognizes qualifiers in myriad ways for their outstanding   achievements.  LPRT qualifiers receive a certificate with their name and level of qualification each year  until they attain Lifetime status. Lifetime qualifiers receive a lifetime achievement plaque. Additionally, Golden Eagle qualifiers receive an eagle statue. Qualifiers also receive an LPRT pin, which is usually presented at local or regional leadership conferences.
  

SIIA WASHINGTON REPORT

 Your Summary of Government Action

Affecting Self-Insurance in Washington, D.C. and Elsewhere
 

SIIA’s missionary work for ERISA finds important pockets of support – In off-the-record informational meetings last week with staff members of several key members of House and Senate committees, SIIA lobbyists learned there is little appetite among them for draconian changes to ERISA, but a consensus that improvements must be made in the nation’s health care system that will result in reducing the number of uninsured people.

Clinton-Nelson bill would establish multistate cat pools – Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced on Wednesday legislation intended to help states deal better with natural catastrophes.  The Homeowners Defense Act of 2007 was introduced in the Senate as companion legislation to a House measure introduced earlier.  States would be allowed to pool their catastrophic risk and then transfer it to the private market through cat bonds or reinsurance.  And the bill would establish a National Homeowners Insurance Stabilization Program to provide low interest federal loans to states impacted by natural disasters.

What? Another California health plan?  Yes, Democrat legislators introduced a new health reform proposal that they say meets Governor Schwarzenegger halfway by including both individual and employer mandates.  However, it still contains many of the core principles of Assembly Bill 8, the measure that the governor vetoed earlier this year. Features include a mandate for individuals to purchase health insurance, but exempts those who can’t afford it if the price is more than 6.5% of family income.  And a sliding scale for employer contributions would be capped at 6.5% of payroll, down from 7.5% in the earlier bill.

Congress promotes commercial DVD – Some members of Congress joined in a news conference to promote the release of the DVD of Michael Moore’s latest film and then copies were delivered to Congressional offices and to presidential candidates of both parties.