Copyright © 2012 Insurance Marketing HQ. All Rights Reserved. Snowblind by Themes by bavotasan.com. Powered by WordPress.
To many, Martin Luther King Day is nothing more than one-third of a three-day weekend. Dr. King’s significance has been diluted over the years as the generations of people who were directly affected or influenced by the civil rights leader grow fewer and fewer, but his message remains as powerful and important as ever. Dr. King spoke often of a “Beloved Community” achieved through nonviolence and service to one another. He taught that problems such as hunger and homelessness, prejudice and discrimination could be overcome if American citizens worked towards a common goal and didn’t let ideological differences get in the way.
While insurance agents are not generally drivers of social change, they are essential to the concept of a Beloved Community. By working with people who have experienced catastrophic, life-changing events agents often assume the face of recovery in the eyes of customers, a vital role in any community.
The recent earthquake in Haiti created the need for unbelievable amounts of food, water and medical supplies, but more importantly, the need for people to step up in the wake of a tragedy. Family Insurance Services (FIS), an independent agency with offices throughout Miami recognized the impact on their community. Working with one of their insurance providers, Family Insurance Services set up their main Miami office as a drop-off location for donations while coordinating with a non-profit called Hope for Haiti to advise people who wanted to make monetary donations.
Even without clients in Haiti, FIS understands how important the Haitian community is to Miami and how insurance marketing and day to day operations are trivial in the face of such devastation. This mentality is what separates a regular insurance agency from one dedicated to their Beloved Community.
Two quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reflect the sentiments represented in this post:
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”
Family Insurance Services could have ignored the call to action and gone about business as usual, processing claims, writing policies and strategies for 2010. Instead, they felt compelled to, “…walk in the light of creative altruism,” and answer the call of their Beloved Community.
Insurance Marketing HQ challenges you to do the same in 2010.
