Designations are more than just letters after your name. A designation tells the story of your professionalism and expertise. It speaks of your commitment to your clients. OIA members explain the value.
 

Success Stories

Sarah Amend, CIC, a fifth-generation independent agent who got her designation in 2013, said CIC teaches a mindset imperative to providing proper coverage. “Insurance is more than just memorizing the coverage limits. Insurance policies are layered and just one word can change everything. The CIC program definitely teaches you to think of coverages in a comprehensive way and helps you gain a firm understanding of how each type of policy works and how they flow together," she said.

Amend works at Anderson-Williamson Insurance Agency in Xenia and has been an agent for eight years. “To me, CIC is the distinction between someone who takes their career seriously and someone who gets their agent’s license over a few-week period of time and is happy knowing the minimum. It shows that you’re going to put thought into coverage rather than just checking off the boxes of whatever coverages your territory manager suggests. CIC says you’re more about coverage than about sales,” she added.

Veteran agent Harry J. Bound, CIC, CPCU, CRM of Arnold Insurance Agency in Reynoldsburg agrees. He said the institutes bring out coverage nuances that are critical. “CIC forces you to examine the policy. I read every contract because the training got me into that habit. It got me to be inquisitive about what’s in the contract and to get my clients to read the contract. Now I can take what most people think is a complicated subject and explain it to my clients in a way they understand. That’s the value CIC brings to my clients,” he said. Bound was on the PIA board of directors in the 1990s and has been in the business for over 40 years. He has held his CIC designation for 17 years.
 

The difference a designation makes

In promoting the CIC program, The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research reports that “commercial producers with the CIC designation earn 26 percent more money and write significantly more business than their non-CIC counterparts,” citing a Producer Profile survey.

OIA’s Director of Member Services Mike Grushon, CIC, CRM elaborates that what you really gain is a depth of knowledge about coverage that makes you more qualified and confident. “You know what you’re doing, and you can turn that knowledge into client satisfaction and loyalty. As agents, what we say to clients can have a tremendous impact on their lives. The institutes teach you how the policy applies to real life and reinforces the responsibility you have to your clients.”

If you are seeking a deeper commitment to your career, consider the CIC program. Its intense, hands-on training reveals the details of the insurance contract and sharpens your ability to identify risks, enabling you to provide more value to your clients.

View OIA’s recommended education paths to map out an education program that will help you stay informed and relevant based on your current position and years of experience.