Dear Subscriber,
Two weeks down and 50 more to go.
I have no big philosophical, feel good, the world is great, message in this edition. Sorry about that, but we all have our off days.
I'm actually writing this late on Friday evening and it's been a crazy week. Trying to get the CGIB events set up, client renewals done and having over promised myself to others (speaking events, setting up Masterclass interviews, etc. etc.) is leaving me a bit short. It's okay...it happens to all of us.
BUT.... Top that off with losing a $200k client after only 2 years has actually pissed me off. True, I had been leaning towards firing them in December, but when they get there before you, it still hurts.
I know someone will ask...WHY? To be blunt... they didn't trust me. They thought everything I said was wrong, and actually went direct to the insurer twice to make changes. In one case (a drug cap wanted AFTER an acute claim had already been paid - they didn't get stop-loss) and the insurer asked if they were sure of the change, as it made no sense, protecting only the insurer at the expense of employees, and they still went ahead. Oh well, not a big issue and the year end will be up even with this loss. Moving on...we all lose cases at some point. I'm no different than you.
So...the second half of January has me headed to Edmonton to speak at the CPBI event and Rick has been good enough to share the -37C temp today...what else can go wrong :-) I'm smiling already...and may be for the rest of the year after that trip, due to frozen face frostbite....
Keep doing great things...
Dave |
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OUR EVENTS
CGIB COFFEE CHATS
Coffee chats are like a virtual breakfast. Log in, ask questions, share problems, seek solutions and talk about what's on your mind. Best done from a computer, with a camera and a microphone. No CE credits, but also no cost, just show up.
QUICK.... PUT THESE IN YOUR CALENDARS NOW!!!!
Tuesday Jan 23, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EST Thursday Feb 8, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EST Tuesday Feb 20, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EST Thursday Mar 14, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EDT Tuesday Mar 26, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EDT Thursday Apr 11, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EDT Tuesday Apr 23, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EDT Thursday May 9, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EDT Tuesday May 21, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EDT Thursday Jun 13, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EDT Tuesday Jun 25, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, EDT
CGIB Members may join the meeting at the time above by visiting... ____________________________________________________________ BREAKFAST MEETINGS CGIB supports the volunteers that runs the breakfast meetings below.
Please find the details for your closest location below. Ajax, Atlantic Canada, Cambridge, Edmonton, London, Markham, Oakville, St Catherines, Toronto, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Windsor or the Virtual National Meeting
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HOLD THESE DATES Halifax April 2, 2025 - Price vs Value, Growing your block (w/o a sale) Toronto May 7, 2025 - Full-day multi speaker event Calgary June 3, 2025 - Full-day multi speaker event Vancouver June 5, 2025 - Full-day multi speaker event Toronto Nov. 5, 2025 - Full-day multi speaker event |
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GET ON SLACK
The CGIB SLACK channel is a great place to pose questions, share info and learn a ton from your fellow members. The info and discussions that are posted there are unlike anywhere in the industry with documents, videos and information available in MEMBERS ONLY to make your life easier.
NOTE TO ALL SLACK USERS: We now have 80+ channels in Slack to handle different topics. Please take a moment to add these channels to your menu. To do so, just click on the + next to Channels on the top left. Browse the channels and then click JOIN to add each of them. By doing so you won’t be missing really great info. |
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SUGGESTED READING
We think the information contained below is of great value and encourage you to read the articles and check out the events that interest you. In most cases, these articles and events are not run by CGIB, so please contact the organizers for more information. We take no responsibility for the websites, events, organizations or their content. |
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https://insurance-portal.ca/health/prescription-drug-plan-the-private-sector-is-part-of-the-solution/ You asked for it…
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She doesn’t grow plants. The plants grow themselves. Her job is to create conditions for the plants to grow. The soil, the water, the light, the weeds… these are the conditions. But none of it happens if the plants don’t do the thing they want to do in the first place. This is always true, anywhere a leader succeeds. Creating the conditions is the hard part.
Put another way... We create the right conditions for our client/partner benefit plans to grow.
We seek to learn if a prospect is someone we want to deal with We ask good questions to find out what prospects want and need. We choose good partners to place business with. We use great plan designs to protect clients. We educate plan administrators on how to reduce risk & run plans. we support them and their staff after putting it all in place.
If we do it all well, great things happen. Such as... - no late applicants
- stable rates
- easier renewals
- great customer service
- higher client retention
- etc. etc. etc.
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Want to provide your admin and support staff with basic knowledge? Want to dig into something more detailed for your benefits/insurance business? Business Career College (BCC) has an extensive catalogue of online CE courses with a number of group benefits specific courses covering topics ranging from contractual concerns, plan designs, and underwriting requirements, to product specifics and integration with government benefits. Courses consist of narrated videos with short, online quizzes. The full catalogue includes over 60 courses, podcasts, and videos covering topics from the world of insurance, investments, financial planning, taxation, and ethics with a focus on technical content and real-world application. Courses are accredited for the maximum categories of credits and can include provincial Life and A&S credits, FP Canada, Advocis, and more!
Use the code CGIB25 for 25% off the yearly subscription Price. The regular retail price is $200/year, CGIB members save $50/year!!!
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Advisor webinar January 16, 2024: Susan Black to join Mark Sylvia and Stephen Frank in group benefits industry outlook panel
The 2024 Empire Life Group Benefits Industry Outlook Panel for advisors takes place January 16, 2024. In this edition, Conference Board of Canada President and CEO, Susan Black, will join returning panelists Mark Sylvia, President and CEO of Empire Life, and Stephen Frank, President and CEO of CLHIA, who have been instrumental in the success of the past two years' events.
The 2024 panel will delve into key trends affecting the group benefits industry and report on advisors’ perceptions of the most positive and most concerning trends affecting their business. The collective insights of Black, Sylvia, and Frank promise to deliver a dynamic and relevant discussion.
"We are excited to have Susan Black join us this year, together with our returning experts, Mark Sylvia and Stephen Frank, who bring an impressive depth of knowledge and expertise,” said Vanessa Lycos, Vice president of Group Marketing at Empire Life. “We’re looking forward to exploring the trends that are shaping the group benefits landscape." Lycos will moderate the panel.
Open to group advisors and industry professionals interested in staying current with group benefits trends, the January webinar offers a concise and valuable opportunity to gain insights from these influential leaders. Registration is now open here. __________________________________________________________________________ The Benefits Trust presents...
Meaningful Executive Benefits
Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am EST
Delve into the world of executive benefits that go beyond the basics. Kevin Brady, Founder and Creator of Advica Health, will lead a discussion on the tax advantages and luxury of medical concierge services that cater to proactive health management.
We’ll explore strategies for attracting and retaining top talent, ensuring client loyalty, and expertly navigating the medical system. Insightful case studies and an interactive Q&A session will round out this session. In this Zoomcast, we’ll look at: - Tax advantages
- Medical concierge services
- Attracting top talent
- Client retention/sticky client
- Medical system navigation
- Case Studies
- Q & A
This Zoomcast will be presented by Kevin Brady, Founder and Creator of Advica Health, and The Benefits Trust, Canada’s largest independent third-party administrator.
__________________________________________________________________________ Join Canada’s premier virtual group health benefits event!
For two decades, the TELUS Health Annual Conference has stood at the forefront, illuminating the health benefits management landscape with unparalleled insights and trendsetting perspectives.
Save the date today for your exclusive access to:
•Comprehensive drug data trends and national benchmarks. •Insights on health benefits trends. •Continuing education credits.
Join us on April 23 and 30, 2024
Registration opens in February 2024** |
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Need help? Have questions? Looking for something?
Reach out to CGIB - Dave Patriarche - dave@cgib.ca - 905-886-9203 |
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