Product Management Skills and Techniques
Learn the skills, tips and techniques used by the most successful property and casualty product managers in the business today!
This intensive and comprehensive 2 day program will teach you the methods and techniques needed to manage a successful and profitable product.
Please click on the following to learn more about our Product Management Skills and Techniques Seminar.
- List of the tools you will learn
- What you don’t know can hurt you and your company
- Who should attend?
- What should you expect from this seminar
- What will you learn?
- When you leave this seminar, you will know:
- Comments from recent attendees
- Companies whose employees have attended this seminar
List of the tools you will learn
- How and why product managers work well for insurance companies.
- Key ways to get all areas of your company focused on the right results.
- How to select, get, and keep the most profitable risks.
- Critical analytical skills and methods to manage a profitable product.
- Proven marketing techniques used by the top pros in the field.
- How to design and price products to maximize profit and sales potential.
What you don’t know can hurt you and your company
“We’ve always done it this way…” “Well, it’s worked fine before…” “I don’t see any reason why we should change now…”
Unfortunately, too many insurance company marketing and underwriting managers are full of reasons why they should stick with the tried and true, even when they know it isn’t working. Most insurance companies try to do everything themselves, and often rely only on the knowledge of people who’ve been there for years and stick to the old methods.
This lack of innovation and change is costing insurance companies millions of dollars every day, as they churn out more and more unprofitable products. That’s why we have developed this information packed seminar that teaches current and future product managers the latest skills, tips, and techniques to create and manage profitable products.
In just 2 days, we will fuel the creativity of product managers, and we will furnish them with nearly all the knowledge they’ll need to help make profits again. The seminar covers all key aspects of product management including:
- The job description,
- Understanding the business,
- Quantitative analysis,
- Marketing,
- Product design and pricing,
- The overall team building needed to be profitable in the price competitive environment you face today.
The program is designed to be practical and interactive: seminar participants are encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions throughout the program. We will also be available for questions at the end of each day.
Who Should Attend?
- Current product managers, marketing managers and underwriting managers, trainees and assistants.
- Key people and “up and comers” in customer service, claims, sales, underwriting, accounting and control, and information technology.
- Representatives from companies who do not currently have product managers, and want to find out how the product management concept can help their companies.
What should you expect from this seminar
This program will:
- help those now dealing with products do their jobs better,
- assist people in support services better understand their role, and increase their contribution to the company, and
- provide an excellent set of training skills for people who are relatively new to your company or the industry.
What you will learn?
The Nuts and Bolts of Product Management
The role and responsibilities of the product manager. Where does the job fit in the organization. The traits of the most successful product managers, and how they handle job stress.
Interfacing with the Rest of the Company
What to expect from other departments. What they should expect from you. How to deal more successfully with customer service, underwriting, claims and Information Technology.
Using Analysis to Get Results
The most important types of data analysis, and how to make them work. How to use numbers to understand what the market, the competition, and your product is really doing. How to build your own competitive information network.
Product Profitability
How insurance companies REALLY make money. What makes a product profitable. What the product manager can do to improve profitability. How to relate investment income to underwriting profits.
Analytical Skills, Tips and Techniques
How the expense ratio affects products and profits. The real facts about loss reserves, product tails, loss development and reinsurance. How to use different reporting periods to improve data analysis.
Living under Regulation
Practical tips on how to live with those mountains of regulation. How to determine WHICH laws you really need to understand. How to deal effectively with the Insurance Department. And how to use the system to your advantage, despite all the regulations.
Working With Your Distribution System
How to analyze your distribution and identify the most profitable segments. Using contingency commissions and other incentives to maximize results.
The Importance of Marketing
Learn the most effective marketing tools. How to market a rate increase without losing the market. Discover alternative and inexpensive ways to promote your product.
Risk Selection and Market Segmentation
What makes a risk good or bad. How to make your product seem different from the competition’s. How to use market segmentation effectively. Three ways to create profit-making “niche” markets.
Rate Making
How to determine appropriate rating variables and properly set their factors. When is the RIGHT time to change rates, and by how much. What happens when you don’t take a needed rate change.
Product Development and Design
How to design a product that meets market needs. How to design a product with features OTHER than low rates. Proven techniques to make products more attractive and profitable.
When you leave this seminar, you will know:
Little-known tricks of the trade, as practiced by the industry’s most seasoned and successful product managers. The ones who know:
- how to create adverse selection for your competitors
- the difference between underwriting and pricing, and when each is the most useful
- how to gather, control, and use data, without letting it overwhelm you
- the secrets of how to actually “make it up with volume”
- why every ONE dollar saved in expenses can lower rates by up to TWO dollars
- the REAL difference between good and bad risks
- how to motivate your distribution system towards profitable results
- how to effectively market a product without a large budget
- how to get what you want in a product, even when the regulators say “no”
Comments from recent attendees
“This seminar is a must if you choose to be a leader in the insurance industry. I would not just recommend this seminar, I would require it.”
Hal R. Katz, Vice-President
Interstate Auto Insurance Company“I gained 5 years of experience in 3 days.”
Terrance Mobilio, VP -Group Sales Underwriting
Zurich Personal Insurance“The most comprehensive, organized and well-presented seminar I have attended. Will be a great jump start to organizations either considering or in the early stages of implementing a product management approach.”
Dave Michelson, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
National Interstate Insurance Company“This program creates a comprehensive reference point for what anyone related to product management needs to know to be successful.”
Randy Seiner, Underwriting and Govt. Affairs Manager
Universal Underwriters Insurance Company“An outstanding seminar. Any organization that fails to use the described techniques risks putting themselves at competitive disadvantage.”
Jim Berry, Personal Lines Manager
Safety Insurance Company“An absolute necessity for anyone who ever wonders whether or not their product strategies and tactics will consistently achieve corporate profit objectives.”
Ward Stein, Senior Vice President
Associates Insurance Group“Great Course! I’m glad I was one of the product managers who attended.”
Bradley Hyatt, Auto Product Manager
State Auto National Insurance Company“The most comprehensive insurance seminar I have attended in my 18 years in the insurance industry. This seminar more than paid for itself with all the practical ideas I left with.”
Teresa Pugsley, Marketing Manager
RLI Insurance Company“I would recommend it to anyone who is genuinely committed to maintaining an edge on the competition.”
Arthur Dobrucki, Market Development Manager
Farmers Insurance Group“This seminar clarifies the position and responsibilities of a product manager. It helped me to understand the interaction between the product manager and underwriting, claims and marketing areas.”
Marcia Bursinger, Manager – Personal Lines Service
Milwaukee Insurance Company“An excellent in-depth study of the process of product management. Examples, proof sources, and explanation of the various facets were precise and current.”
Douglas Markel, Vice President
Permanent General Companies“A must seminar for anyone in underwriting, marketing or pricing. It focuses on making a profit, then provides the tools to achieve it. Well worth the time and money.”
Jean McGinn, Project Manager – Product Development
Metropolitan Property and Casualty“Super! It is a true road map for the future direction of the insurance industry. The course really is full of ideas and causes you to think of your products in great detail.”
Louie Bode, Product Manager
Bankers Insurance Group“I have an MBA and have been in insurance for 25 years. This has been the best educational three days I can remember.”
Caren Silvestri, Product Manager and Vice President
21st Century Insurance Company“I have been in the business for over thirty years and attended many seminars – this has been the best.”
Garry Manovich, Supervisor – Commercial Lines
SGI Canada“Informative, thought-provoking and insightful. I recommend this seminar without reservation to those looking to renew themselves professionally.”
Keith Green, Product Vice President
Allstate Insurance Company“The most user friendly seminar that I have ever attended. I was comfortable, interested and engaged for the whole 2 ½ days”
Howard Beck, Product Manager
Illinois Casualty Company“In my 20+ yeas of attending seminars, this is by far the best and clearest presentation of extremely useful information”
Jim Brown, Director of Marketing
QualSure Insurance Company“This course is a must for anyone who manages an insurance product. You will obtain a complete understanding of the product allowing you to connect the dots, understanding what decisions you need to make and the ramifications of those decisions.”
Bill Youngstrom, Vice President of Product Mangement
Travelers Insurance Company“The insurance industry would be in much better shape if this seminar was required learning for all insurance managers.”
Kate McGinn, Vice President
XL Environmental“Thought provoking and motivating. Logical concepts that can produce competitive advantages if executed”
Carolyn McGowan – Corporate Underwriting Manager
York Fire & Casualty Insurance Company“From “A” to “Z”, no matter what the product is, this seminar provides the roadmap to write any line profitably.”
Gary McAuliffe – Managing Director
St. Paul Travelers InsuranceCompanies whose employees have attended this seminar
21st Century Ins. Co. Federated Ins. Co. New Mexico Mutual Casualty Co. A.I.B. Financial Group Federated Mutual Ins. Co. New York Casualty Co. AAA Michigan FHM Insurance Group NILS AARP Financial Financial Indemnity Co. Nipponkoa Ins. Co. Acadia Ins. Co. Financial Pacific Ins. Co. NLC Ins. Co. Acceptance General Agy. Firemans Fund Ins. Co. Nobel Ins. Group Access Ins. CO. Firemen’s Ins. Co. Nodak Mutual Ins. Co. Accident Fund Co. First American Ins. Co. Nordstern Ins. Co. ACE-INA Ins. Co. First American P&C North American Specialty Ins. Acuity Financial Co. First Consulting & Admin. Northland Ins. Co. ACUITY Ins. Group First Nonprofit Ins. Co. Occidental Fire & Casualty Addison Farmers Ins. Co. First Trenton Indemnity Co. OHIC Ins. Co. Admiral Ins. Co. FirstComp Ins. Co. Ohio Casualty Group Advantage WC Ins. Co. Florists’ Mutual Ins. Co. Ohio Indemnity Co. Aegis Security Ins. Co. FM Global Ohio Mutual Ins. Group Aetna Casualty and Surety Foremost Ins. Co. Old American Ins. Co. Affirmative Ins. Holdings Fremont Mutual Ins. Co. Omaha Property & Casualty Ins. Agency Ins. Co. Frontier Ins. Co. Omni Ins. Group Agway Ins. Co. GAINSCO, Inc. One Beacon Ins. Group AI Transport Gateway Ins. Co. Oregon Mutual Ins. Co. Alaska Premier Und. GEICO Casualty Co. Orion Specialty Ins. Co. All Risks Limited General Accident Ins. Co. Pafco General Ins. Co. Alliance United Ins. Svcs. General Casualty Ins. Co. Paradigm Ins. Co. Allianz Ins. Co. General Cologne Re Patrons Mutual Ins. Co. Allied American Ins. Co. General Fire & Casualty Co. Patrons Oxford Mutual Ins. Co. Allied Ins. Group General Star Mgt. Co. PC General Agy, Inc. Allmerica Financial Group Geo. F. Brown & Sons Pekin Ins. Co. Allstate Ins. Co. Georgia Mutual Ins. PEMCO Mutual Ins. Co. Alpha Property and Casualty GeoVera Holdings Peninsula Ins. Co. AMA Ins. Co. German Mutual Ins. Co. Penn National Ins. Co. American Agricutural Ins. Co. Germania Cos. Penn-America Ins. Group American Ambassador Casualty Co. GHS Property & Casualty Permanent General Cos. American Bankers Ins. Group GMAC Ins. Co. Pharmacists Mutual Ins. Co. American Commerce Ins. Co. GoAmerica Auto Ins. Philadelphia Ins. Co. American Country Ins. Co. Golden Bear Ins. Co. Phoenix Indemnity Ins. Co. American Express P&C Ins. Co. Goodville Mutual Ins. Co. Phoenix Ins. Group American Family Ins. Co. Graham-Rogers, Inc. PIC Wisconsin American Fidelity Ins. Co. Grain Dealers Mutual Ins. Co. Pilot Ins. Co. American Hallmark Ins. Grange Ins. Group Pinnacle Ins. Co. American Honda Finance Corp. Grange Mutual Casualty Co. Platinum Group of Cos. American Horizon Ins. GRE Ins. Group Plymouth Rock Assurance American International Group Great American Ins. Co. PMA Group American Interstate Ins. Co. Great Pacific Ins. Co. PMI Mortgage Ins. Co. American Management Corp. Great River Ins. Co. Pratt Lambert & Brown American Modern Ins. Group Great West Casualty Co. Preferred Mutual Ins. Co. American Reliable Ins. Co. Grinnell Mutual Ins. Co. Preferred Risk Mutual Ins. American Security Group Guarantee Co. of No. America Premier Ins. Co. of MA American Service Ins. Co. Guaranty National Ins. Co. PreSec Consulting Svc. American Skyline Ins. Co. Guardian General Ins. Svc. Presque Isle Ins. Co. American States Ins. Co. GuideOne Ins. Group Princeton Ins. Co. American Strategic Ins. Corp. Hagerty Ins. Professional Ins. Underwriters American Underwriting Mgrs. Hannover Re Progressive Corp. American West Ins. Co. Hanover Ins. Co. Prudential Ins. Co. Amerisure Harbor Ins. Group PSM Ins. Co. AmFed Cos. Harleysville Mutual Ins. Co. Quadrant Information Svcs. Amica Mutual Ins. Co. Hartford Ins. Group QualSure Ins. Corp. Anchor General Ins. Agy. Hartford Reinsurance Co. Radian Guaranty Anthem Casualty Group Hastings Mutual Ins. Co. Ranger Ins. Co. Aon Corp. Healthcare Underwriters Mutual Redland Ins. Co. Arbella Protection Ins. Co. Highlands Ins. Co. Reliant General Argonaut Group Holyoke Mutual Ins. Co. Renaissance US Holdings Armed Forces Ins. Exchange Home State Cos. Republic Diversified Services Arrowhead General Ins. Agy. Homesite Republic Western Ins. Co. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Horace Mann Group RLI Ins. Co. Associates Ins. Group Houston General Ins. Co. Rockford Mutual Ins. Co. Assurant Group IBM Rockingham Ins. Group Atlanta Casualty Ins. Co. ICAT Managers Royal and Sunalliance Group Atlantic Mutual Cos. ICAT+A253 Rural Electric Utilities Und. Auto Club of So. California IFG Cos. Rural Mutual Ins. Co. Auto Club South Ins. Co. IGF Ins. Co. S.H. Smith & Co. Auto Insurance Stores Illinois Casualty Co. SAFECO Ins. Co. AutoOne Ins. Illinois Founders Ins. Co. Safety Ins. Co.. Auto-Owners Ins. Co. ILM Group Sagamore Ins. Co. AVEMCO Ins. Co. Imperial Fire & Casualty SAIF Corp. Bankers and Shippers Ins. Co. Indiana Ins. Co. SC Farm Bureau Ins. Co. Bankers Independent Ins. Co. Indiana Lumbermens Ins. Co. SCF Arizona Bankers Ins. Co. Infinity Property & Casualty Scottsdale Ins. Co. Baughman Ins. ING Canada Secura Ins. Co. BCAA Ins. Corp. Ins. Corp. of British Columbia Seguros Triple-S, Inc. Bear River Mutual Ins. Insurance House Holdings Seibel’s Bruce, Inc. Belair Direct Ins. Insurance Service Underwriters Selective Ins. Co. Berkley Administrators Insurance Services, Inc. Sentry Insurance Co. Berkley Care Network InsurQuote Service Net Solutions Berkley Ins. Co. of Carolinas InsWeb SGI Canada Berkley Risk Services, Inc. Integon Corp. Shand Morahan & Co. Berkshire Mutual Ins. Co. Integrity Mutual Ins. Co. Shelter Mutual Ins. Co. BISYS Commercial Ins. Svc. International Indemnity Co. Society Ins. Co. Bituminous Ins. Co. Interstate Auto Ins. Co. South & Western General Agy. Blackwell Consulting Svcs. Interstate Ins. Group Southern Pioneer Ins. Cos. Blue Ridge Ins. Co. Iowa Mutual Group Southern United Fire Ins. Brethren Mutual Ins. Co. ISBA Mutual Ins. Co. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Bristol West Ins. Co. Island Ins. Co. State Auto Ins. Co. Brown & Brown, Inc. Itau XL Seguros Corp. State Farm Ins. Co. Builders Insurance J&P Holdings State National Cos. Bunker Hill Ins. Co. J. M. Wilson Corp. Sterling & Sterling CAA Ins. Co. Jefferson Ins. Co. Stonewood Ins. Svcs. CalFarm Ins. Co. JM&A Group Strickland Ins. Group California State Auto Assoc. John Deere Ins. Co. Sumitomo Marine Mgt. USA Cal-Regent Ins. Svcs. John L. Corley, Inc. Sun Coast General Ins. Agy. Camilion Solutions Johnson and Johnson Inc. Sunshine State Ins. Co. Canal Ins. Co. Kemper Ins. Group Superior Ins. Co. Capital City Ins. Co. Kenneth I. Tobey, Inc. T.H.E. Ins. Co. Capitol Indemnity Keystone Ins. Co. Tamarack American Ins. Carolina Casualty Ins. Co. Keystone Specialty Ins. Tennessee Farm Bureau Cascade National Ins. Co. Lake States Ins. Co. Teradata – NCR Corp. Caterpillar Ins. Co. Lancer Ins. Co. Texas All Risk General Agy. Celina Ins. Group Le Mars Mutual Ins. Co. Texas Colonial General Agy. Center Mutual Ins. Co. Leader National Ins. Co. Texas Low Cost Ins. Central Ins. Cos. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co. Thaxton Ins. Central States Indemnity Lincoln General Ins. Co. The American Agency Century Surety Group LoJack Corp. The Dentists Ins. Co. Charter Group, Inc. Louisiana General Agy. The Doctors Co. Chesapeake Bay P&C Co. Lumbermen’s Underwriting THOMCO Chicago Mutual Liability Co. LWCC Three Rivers Re Chile Consolidada Seguros Lyndon Ins. Group TIG Ins. Co. Chrysler Ins. Co. Maine Employers’ Mutual Ins. Titan Ins. Group Church Ins. Co. Majestic Ins. Co. Tower Hill Ins. Group Church Mutual Ins. Co. Markel Ins. Co. Tower Ins. Co. of NY Cincinnati Ins. Co. Maxum Specialty Ins. Toyota Motor Ins. Co. CIS, Inc. Mayfare Management TransGuard Ins. Co. Citadel Assurance Co. McGraw Group Transport Ins. Co. Citizens Property Ins. Co. Meadowbrook Ins. Group Transportation Alliance Bank Clarendon National Ins. Group Med James, Inc. Travelers Ins. Group CNA Ins. Co. Media/Professional Ins. Trinity Universal Ins. Co. Colonial Ins. of California Medical Inter-Insurance Exch. Tri-State Ins. Co. of MN Colony Ins. Co. MEEMIC U.S. Agents Holding Corp. Commerce Ins. Co. Mendota Ins. Co. U.S. Insurance Svc. Commerce West Ins. Co. Merastar Ins. Co. U.S. Liability Ins. Group Commercial Casualty Ins. Co. Mercer Ins. Group U.S. Risk Underwriters Companion Ins. Co. Merchants Ins. Group Ulico Casualty Co. Concord Group Ins. Co. MetLife Auto & Home Unigard Ins. Group Concorde General Agency Michigan Millers Ins. Co. Union Ins. Co. Condor Ins. Co. MICOA Union Standard Ins. Co. Conifer Cos. Mid-Continent Group United Capitol Ins. Co. Constitutional Casualty Co. Middlesex Mutual Assurance United Casualty Ins. Consumers Ins. USA Midland Cos. United States Liab. Ins. Co. Continental Ins. Group Midwest Employers Casualty Co. Unitrin Direct Continental Western Ins. Co. Midwest Mutual Ins. Co. Universal Casualty Co. Co-operative Fire Ins. Millers Ins. Group Universal Ins. Co. Co-operators Ins. Services Milwaukee Ins. Co. Universal Ins. Co. (PR) Cornerstone National Ins. Co. MiniCo, Inc. Universal Underwriters Group Cross Country Auto Svcs. Minnesota Fire & Casualty US Auto Holdings, Inc. CSE Ins. Group Mitsui Sumitomo Marine Mgt. USAA Cos. CUNA Mutual Group MMI Cos. USF&G Cos. Deep South Surplus, Inc. Mo. Employers Mutual Ins. Utica Mutual Ins. Co. DeSmet Farm Mutual Ins. Monitor Liability Managers Valor Ins. Co. Direct General Corp. Monroe Guaranty Ins. Co. VASA North Atlantic Ins. Co. Discover Reinsurance Co. Montgomery Mutual Ins. Co. Victoria Financial Ins. Co. Distinguished Programs Motorists Mutual Ins. Co. Vik Brothers Ins. Group DVUA Mountain States Ins. Co. Viking Ins. Co. E.W. Blanch Holdings MSI Ins. Co. Virginia Farm Bureau Ins. Eastern Casualty Ins. Co. Mutual Benefit Ins. Co. Virginia Surety Co. Economical Ins. Group Mutual of Enumclaw Wasatch Crest Mutual Ins. Co. ECS Underwriting, Inc. NAMIC Ins. Co. Wawanesa Mutual Ins. Co. Electric Ins. Co. National American Ins. of CA Wayne Mutual Ins. Co. Employers Reinsurance Corp. National Card Control, Inc. West Bend Mutual Ins. Co. Encompass Ins. Co. National Farmers Union P&C Western Reserve Group Equity Ins. Mgrs. National Indemnity Co. Western World Ins. Co. Everest Security Ins. Co. National Ins. Assoc. Westfield Cos. Executive Risk National Interstate Ins. Co. Windsor Ins. Co. Farm Bureau Financial Group National Merit Ins. Co. Wolverine Mutual Ins. Co. Farm Bureau Ins. Co. National Security Fire & Casualty Worcester Ins. Co. Farm Bureau Ins. of MI National Specialty Underwriters XL Environmental Farm Bureau Mutual of KS Nationwide Ins. Co. Yasuda Fire & Marine Ins. Farm Family Ins. Co. Nautilus Ins. Co. York Fire & Casualty Ins. Co. Farmers Alliance Mutual Ins. Co. NCCI Young America Ins. Co. Farmers Ins. Group New Hampshire Ins. Group Zurich Personal Ins. FCCI Ins. Group New Jersey Manufacturers Ins. Co. Zurich U.S.