Leadership Perspectives

NO LIMITS TO THE NORTHEAST REGION'S SUCCESS
by John Thorbahn and Mike Walsh
Managing Directors, Northeast Region

The New England area within our Northeast region is a success story — one that embraces the unique qualities of our company and highlights the importance of teamwork. Our opportunity to bring together core competencies, specialties and strengths for our clients under one umbrella is a major part of that story. It’s our individual and collective reputation and relationships that have been the foundation of our success and are the reason we’ve had so much momentum, so quickly. As with most great narratives, it all starts with joining forces for the greater good.

Two Directors, One Direction
When it came time for us to combine our efforts in the form of benefits and property & casualty (P&C), our core values matched up extremely well to each other’s and to where NFP wanted to go. We took our New England practices, integrated our personnel, educated all of our account managers and delivered a high-end service model. Our integrated success, among other mutual benefits, has surpassed any expectations. As always, the cornerstone of every strategy is putting our clients first.

It All Starts with a Plan
Our customers in the New England area are enjoying what we call our “project plan” — a forward-looking statement that’s roughly 24 months long. The plan highlights everything we’re going to do month-to-month for the customer and is an effective strategy that helps make our customers educated consumers.

It’s been seamless for us to bring P&C expertise to our clients who are already enjoying what we offer in the benefits arena. They say, “Look, if you have the same project plan, style, service and standards that you have on the benefits side, then we want to talk with you.” There’s great opportunity there.

Blocking and Tackling
There’s a bit of “blocking and tackling” that goes on when P&C is introduced to a Benefits account. It’s an important step-by-step process. Once the Benefits group introduces us to a prospect, we conduct a team call with representatives from both groups. The lead producer from the P&C group is determined first by industry expertise in the client’s field and second by the size of the opportunity, which then determines what’s needed for those initial meetings. The controlling Benefits producer shares everything known about the account, which is used to form our strategy.

Prime Opportunity
Because of the relationship Benefits has established, these first meetings have resulted in everything from warm leads to leaving with Broker of Record letters in hand that appoint us as the agent. From the perspective of the P&C team, it’s a prime opportunity. The relationship with the Benefits team is so strong that the hit ratio on these integrated selling opportunities has exceeded 75 percent.

As we receive these opportunities, we realize we need to be diligent in the handling of these clients. Our first priority is to keep the existing revenue stream NFP enjoys from them safe. Every resource we have is used to onboard the client as we effectively and mandatorily communicate with the controlling Benefits producer on every correspondence.

A Winning Example
We recently shared a huge P&C win for our region. Our team did a great job cultivating strong relationships with the C-Suite and HR with a company that’s been a valued Health & Wellness and Retirement client for years. This client valued our partnership and proactive approach to account management and saw us as a trusted advisor. When it came time to introduce P&C, the fact that we were able to instill confidence that the delivery model and attention to service would be provided at the same level of excellence meant they were sold. And it all started with a relationship.

Relationships Before Transactions
We’re not just transactional in nature. We’re human … we’re personal. This is true of all of NFP and what we stand for. At the end of the day, if you take the transaction out of the relationship, then the transaction happens automatically. But the first thing you have to do is help people understand this complex world of insurance — the pricing, compliance and service.

What’s the best way? Give clients the transparency through education that they’re so desperately looking for. That’s what they need to make conscientious and good decisions for their company, their employees and themselves. And it’s what holds us to a higher standard with our customers.

The Buck Stops Here
We have a lot of privately held clients and we’ve learned a lot by working with the owners and CFOs. Our goal is for them to see us as strategic business partners. Those individuals are counting on our opinion, so we’d better have testimonials and benchmarks, and we’d better have conviction.

At the end of the day, we’d better be the ones that, when something needs to happen, we’re going to make it happen for them. Even if we do everything the right way, inevitably something is going to occur. You can’t control the world or anything in it. So what we’re really good at is managing the unexpected. When something does happen and the client reaches out to us, we’re able to triage and manage it efficiently. That’s why our retention in the New England area is well over 95 percent every year. And one other really big thing...

Trust Is Everything
There’s a level of trust that has to be present in every interaction, and it’s on us to earn and hold that trust. It’s the glue that keeps our customers with us for the long term and creates an environment where everyone profits — the New England area, our region, NFP and our clients.

We want to be those guys where if our clients see us at a cocktail party, they won’t feel the need to run. Because we won’t try to “sell” them anything ... except maybe a tall tale about an impossible golf shot. Yes, we want to be the ones who, win or lose, share our wealth of knowledge, take care of people and help them through their process. That’s how we build credibility.

Thanks to our culture of integration and teamwork, the sky’s the limit for all of us here at NFP — and we’re thinking that just might be the beginning.

2016 NFP Strategy Summit Is a Wrap

We want to thank all of you who participated in the 2016 NFP Strategy Summit. Without you, we wouldn’t be “uniquely us.” And while Summit is over, the opportunities for you to drive revenue and differentiate your business are just beginning. Hear something at Summit that sparked your interest? Want to know more about a certain presentation? Let’s talk.

Speaking of presentations that sparked interest ... did you see our CEO’s Main Platform presentation? Whether you missed it the first time or want to experience it again, Doug Hammond’s update on NFP performance via Playback will be available later this week. Learn how the evolving makeup of NFP is generating more resources and opportunity, setting the stage for continued prosperity. Eric Boester, executive vice president of Corporate Development, also shared the progression of the new NFP brand work, which tells a powerful and consistent story of our values and who we are. Check your email later this week for a playback of the presentation.

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HR

RECOGNITION

Unsung Hero, Bobbie Johnson

Bobbie JohnsonKindness and professionalism. It’s a powerful combination, and Bobbie has it. As assistant vice president of Technology Solutions Delivery in our New York office, she’s supported the Lawson financial software for as long as NFP has used it. In addition to playing a crucial role as the functional support and project manager, Bobbie also manages the Shared Service Help Desk and put considerable effort into the Salesforce and Concur rollouts.

Her positive attitude and work ethic make others look forward to learning from and working with her. To all the people she’s helped over the years, Bobbie has long been considered an "unsung hero.” And we’re glad that now you know it, too!

Pictured: Bobbie Johnson (right) and Madeline Concepcion (left), Lawson Support Specialist, in our New York office, enjoy a thank you gift from their peers.

Unsung Hero, Emily Vera

Chelsey DebalsiThere’s no question that Emily goes above and beyond her responsibilities as a personal lines account manager in our Orange County, CA, office. The proof is the letters of appreciation and compliments she regularly receives from clients on the exemplary service she provides.

In Q4 2015, Emily assisted 400+ clients — and retained every of them. She also added $11,500 in revenue from new personal lines of coverage and helped the office expand into eight additional personal lines markets. Through her support of new producers, she helped bring in $32,000 of new business production. Beyond her “regular” job, Emily volunteered – yes, volunteered – to fill in as the office receptionist. She does it all with the highest level of professionalism and a smile.

Emily says she “was really surprised and appreciative” that she was nominated as an Unsung Hero. She added that she considers this an award for her entire office team, because without them, she wouldn’t have received this recognition. Now that’s a true unsung hero.

Read more about Emily.

Know an Unsung Hero? Submit a nomination form to humanresources@nfp.com.

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COMMUNITY


Read All About It

Our own James Rowley, managing director, and Charles Yocum, director of retirement consulting and compliance, both in the Mid-Atlantic region, are published in the ASPPA's Winter 2016 issue of Plan Consultant magazine. Read their article on how they built a successful business serving 403(b) plan sponsors.

NFP Voices Support for Autism Speaks Canada

Our Toronto office committed to a three-year partnership with Autism Speaks Canada. The nonprofit supports those who struggle with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This year the office is a Gold sponsor for the Toronto Walk fundraiser. It’s also a key contributor to the MSSNG awareness campaign, which supports the development of the world’s largest database of sequenced genomic information on people with ASDs and their families.

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Well-Being IconWELL-BEING

Stay Connected with Vitality

Want to link your fitness device to your Vitality account? Learn how so that you never miss a step — and earn Vitality points for great rewards.

On-Site Yoga a Hit in Warrington, PA

On-site yoga

Employees in our Warrington, PA, office for an on-site Anusara yoga class. They get to practice their downward dog every Tuesday around lunchtime and earn Vitality points.

Changes Are Coming to ZocDoc

Do you use ZocDoc to find doctors and dentists in-network and instantly book appointments? If so, be aware that ZocDoc for NFP products is retiring. We’re working with ZocDoc to transition over to its standard version, which will still allow you to book appointments quickly and easily. If you’ve already created a “ZocDoc for NFP” account, you’ll notice the following changes when you sign in after March 10:

  • Our company branding will no longer appear in your account.
  • Details for NFP insurance plans won’t be listed in your account. If you already created an account and saved the latest insurance plans, they’ll still be your default when you search on ZocDoc.
  • Preferred providers won’t appear at the top of your search page.
  • You won’t be able to invite a spouse or dependent from your account.

Questions? Call the ZocDoc Service team at 855-962-3621.

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DevelopmentDEVELOPMENT

Learning & Development

E-Learning Made Easy

We heard you. You no longer need to send a request to the Talent Development team to access SkillSoft e-learning content. Just log in to the NFP Education Center via the PeopleFirst Portal and search “SkillSoft” to see all of your learning opportunities. We’ve also expanded the catalog to include the Adobe Creative Suite and more.

In addition to SkillSoft courses, you can also check out 31 new e-learning opportunities from our friends at Corporate Executive Board (CEB), including:

  • Managing the People Side of Change
  • Aligning Development Goals with Business Goals
  • Preparing for Performance Review
  • Building Collaborative Relationships
  • Taking Ownership of Engagement
  • Peer Feedback with Impact

Just search “CEB” in the NFP Education Center to see the courses. CEB is a best practice, insight and technology company that equips 90 percent of the Fortune 500 with intelligence to manage talent, customers and operations.

With nearly 100 percent of participants saying that the e-learning courses in the NFP Education Center are worth taking, now’s the time to see what you’re missing.

Questions? Contact learning@nfp.com.

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FINANCE

1095 Forms Coming Your Way

As you may know, the Affordable Care Act requires organizations to provide employees with form 1095-C. The form contains information about whether their employer offered health care coverage, the type of coverage offered and, if applicable, details on those who were covered during the reporting year. The IRS extended the deadline for employers to mail their employees 1095 forms until March 31, 2016. This means that you’ll receive your forms from NFP by mail at your home address before the end of March.

While the information on these forms may help you prepare a return, it isn’t required. Individual taxpayers generally won't be affected by this extension and should file their returns as they normally would. Do not attach any of these forms to your tax return. Read more about how to interpret your form.

Get Out from Under Student Loan Debt

Burdened by student loan debt? You’re not alone. That’s why we teamed up with SoFi, the largest student loan refinancing provider. The company refinances student loan debt at lower rates than federal and private options, saving their average borrower $14,000. Benefits include:

  • Low rates — Variable rates as low as 2.13 percent APR and fixed rates as low as 3.5 percent APR (with autopay)
  • Simplicity — Consolidate all existing student loans (federal and private) into a single loan with one monthly payment
  • No fees — No origination fees and no prepayment penalties
  • Rate discount — NFP employees receive additional .125 percent rate discount when refinancing through sofi.com/NFP

Register now for one of three upcoming educational webinars on lowering student loan debt with SoFi:

  • Tuesday, March 15, 12:30 p.m. ET
  • Wednesday, March 16, 2:30 p.m. ET
  • Thursday, March 17, 3:30 p.m. ET

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Regional Office & Platform News

HR SERVICES — READY FOR ANYTHING

Did you know how integral our HR Services team is to companies of every size? With industry veterans that have over 15 years of HR experience, we provide HR consulting expertise to any client, regardless of the size of the need or company. We deliver on these key elements:

Consulting projects — We work with our clients to develop and implement employee handbooks, performance management systems, engagement/satisfaction surveys, compensation benchmarking, HR audits and many other programs.

Advisory services — We offer clients’ leaders and managers HR advice of nearly every kind and scope. We advise and guide them on employee management and how to effectively coach and communicate with their team.

Employee call center support — One of our most in-demand and essential services, the center supports a company’s employee inquiries regarding HR, employment and payroll.

Code of conduct/ethics hotline — Our capabilities include serving as the code of conduct or ethics hotline that our clients and their employees can call.

Talent recruiting — We help clients with full end-to-end recruiting for a single hire or as an outsourced recruitment team. From crafting a profile for what the best candidate will offer, to video interviewing, negotiating the offer and completing background checks, we can manage the process at a fraction of the cost of what a recruitment firm would charge.

HR outsourcing — Sometimes we’re the entire HR department for a company. Other times we’re an extension of its HR department, bringing much-needed expertise with a business-oriented, strategic approach. Whether full or partial support is needed, we’re ready to be the “go to” HR service center for small and large companies.

Check out our newly rebranded HR Services collateral:

Learn more about our HR consulting services.

NORTHEAST REGION'S INTEGRATED SALES CONFERENCE COMES TOGETHER

Nearly 150 attendees from the Northeast region came together for the NFP Integrated Selling Conference in Connecticut. The two-day conference generated awareness of solutions available in the region, developed deeper personal and business relationships across our client-facing teams – both sales and account management – and laid out a plan for success in 2016. That plan is already coming to fruition for many attendees who have taken advantage of new opportunities generated as a result of this conference.

Our CEO, Doug Hammond, shared his views on our path forward as an integrated organization and the importance of working together in 2016 and beyond. In addition, each business line, from Property & Casualty and Employee Benefits to Executive Benefits and Retirement, educated participants on the best strategies for introducing existing clients to their solutions.

The event was organized through the combined team efforts of Corporate Development and regional leadership, and made possible by The Standard, Principal, Transamerica and Aflac, among other key partners. Similar events are planned across multiple regions this year to continue inspiring integration between business lines within each region and across the company.


PUTTING RETIREMENT PLANNING FIRST

Companies need to be aware that the majority of employees are worried about retirement planning. In fact, saving for retirement is the most common financial goal for today’s workers, coming ahead of many short-term goals.1 Knowing what employees care about allows employers – and companies like us that serve them – to develop solutions that keep them happy, engaged and productive.

In a recent study, employees were asked to choose their top five financial goals from a list of 202. Choices included a range of family care needs, long-term investment targets and personal aspirations. The winners were:

  1. 1. Save for retirement — At 56 percent, it’s the top goal for employees across every income level.
  2. 2. Eliminate debt — Forty percent of employees said they want to eliminate debt.
  3. 3. Buy a home — Thirty-four percent of employees want to be homeowners.
  4. 4. Invest better — Thirty percent of employees want to pick up some investing know-how.
  5. 5. Create an emergency fund — Creating an emergency fund was a close fifth, with 29 percent of all employees choosing it as a financial goal.

As a company, we provide our clients with the tools and guidance that can help their employees invest better and make smarter long-term decisions — and help employers succeed. Everybody wins.

1Based on Retiremap implementation data from 2015.
2According to Retiremap’s Financial Wellness Insights, Top Financial Goals among American Employees. November 2015.

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Procurement

PACK YOUR SUITCASE AND SAVE

Looking for just the right place to stay? NFP gives you access to Ovation Corporate Travel and its 2016 Preferred Hotel Partners Program. With a portfolio that contains domestic and international hotels, this exclusive corporate hotel program offers:

  • More properties — Over 590 properties worldwide are available to you.
  • Lower rates — One hundred percent of domestic hotels and 98 percent of international hotels in the program offer rates that are lower than those negotiated between hotels and travel agencies.
  • Higher savings — Save an average of 18 percent on hotels.
  • Added amenities — Enjoy value-added amenities such as complimentary Internet access, breakfast and early check-in.

View the hotel program. Then register with your NFP email address and create a password. You’re now ready to take advantage of these specially negotiated rates.

Questions? Contact Silver Chaudry at schaudry@nfp.com or 212-301-1045 for more information.

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Marketing

CHECK OUT THE NFP LOGO SHOP

The NFP Logo Shop offers high-quality, pre-approved NFP items that can be produced within 48 hours. Or you can have any item on the website customized with the NFP logo. Simply select your item and get a price quote and production schedule. Give your clients – and yourself – golf balls, mugs, portfolios, apparel and more. Go to nfplogoshop.com to get started.

BRAND CENTRAL IS THE PLACE TO GO

Looking for NFP brand resources? Visit Brand Central for all the tools you need to tell a clear and consistent story of what we do, what we stand for and our core values. You'll find the logo, brand guidelines, information on how to update your email signature and much more.

Social Media

Get the word out on your office events, charitable efforts and employees’ professional achievements. Submit them for posting on our rapidly growing Facebook and Twitter accounts:

  1. Fill out the brief NFP Social Media Post Submission Form. The form is located on NFP Brand Central, where you’ll find tools and support you need for NFP-related branding, compliance, marketing and public relations.
  2. Email the completed form and any related photos to communications@nfp.com.

Make sure you’re fully connected to NFP by following us on social media. Click the icons below.

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