Risk Services Of Arkansas - April 2021

Risk Services Of Arkansas - April 2021

SPECIALIZING IN YOU Agriculture Ministries Education Environmental Hospitality

Not-For-Profit

Technology

April 2021

Health Care

Manufacturing

Staffing

Transportation

Financial

Construction

Energy

THE FIRST ‘RENAISSANCE MAN’

Exploring Who Jesus Was in Light of the Easter Season

T his year, Easter Sunday falls on April 4. Now, there are a lot of different ways that people celebrate Easter. Maybe you go to a church service in the morning, or you have dinner with your family. Maybe the holiday is a day to hide Easter eggs for your kids and eat all the chocolate you can. Maybe your Easter looks a little like all of those things combined. For Christians all over the country and all over the world, like myself, Easter is a holiday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after he was crucified. You might not be super religious or very well versed in the Christian faith, but I would be willing to bet you’ve at least heard of Jesus. My impression is that most people, Christian or not, know at least a few things about who Jesus was. You probably know that he was an itinerant teacher who was born and lived in the area that’s now Israel and Palestine, that he had a short but powerful ministry, that he was crucified by the Romans, and that after his crucifixion, his followers claimed that he rose from the dead. In popular culture, Jesus is usually portrayed as a gentle bearded guy with long hair who patted little kids on the head and taught folks with stories using a lot of “thee’s” and “thou’s.” However, the truth is really a lot different than that. In fact, he sparked a revolution — just not the kind of revolution that his followers wanted. Certainly, Jesus was the personification of love, but he was also what I would describe as a “man’s man.” He was a carpenter by trade, a real craftsman, for much of his life before he started

teaching. And while much of what he taught may not seem very revolutionary today, for that day and age, it was radical. He taught in Roman-occupied and Roman-controlled Judea. The Romans valued pride, strength, victory, and conquest. Jesus taught humility, service, sacrifice, and selfless love. He obviously wasn’t teaching to become popular with the Romans. Jesus also exemplified courage. He treated women with respect and honor in a time when men believed they were little more than property. He treated prostitutes with the dignity they deserved as human beings. He approached and actually embraced lepers, the epitome of outcasts in that day. It was believed that leprosy was highly contagious through touch, but he healed them and welcomed them as followers. He didn’t care where the people he spent time with had been — only where they could go and what they could become. While Jesus was known for attracting followers and disciples from all walks of life, he was equally well-known for his divisive teaching. People didn’t always like what he had to say. Sometimes he would say something that would make many of the people listening to him get up and never follow him again. Jesus was a man who cared more about telling the truth than he did about getting his followers to like him. Eventually, it was his own people who turned him over to the Romans for crucifixion.

believe the Bible, there are extra Biblical accounts (documents not found in the Bible) from secular historians that document that a man named Jesus actually lived and taught in Judea and was crucified by Roman authorities. And since we are celebrating Easter in the year 2021, it can’t be denied that he sparked a movement that continues to this day. My goal in sharing all of this isn’t to preach to anyone or anything like that. These are just some things that I’ve read about, found interesting, and figured were worth sharing in light of the Easter season. While I am a follower of Jesus, I do not always reflect Jesus’ character and teachings, but he was nevertheless a remarkable historical figure, and I think anyone from any sort of background can benefit from learning a little more about him.

Of course, you can read all about Jesus and his teachings in the Bible. But even if you don’t

Specialized Insurance Programs for Specialized Industries. • www.INSURICA.com • 1

S ocial inflation refers to the trend in which societal and legal trends continue to converge in the legal system and the courtroom, resulting in increased litigation, legal decisions tipping in favor of the plaintiffs, larger jury awards, and various other effects. In recent years, both the frequency and severity of liability claims have increased so much that no insurer, no matter how prominent, is unaffected. The cost of claims is going up, which, in turn, leads to rate increases across the board.

THE (NOT SO) SECRET RECIPE Craft the Perfect Follow- Up Email When it comes to securing leads, the follow-up email is hard to beat. One study found that a 12% response rate from two emails increases to 15%–16% with a third email. If you play your cards right, the success of your email marketing could, in large part, depend on your follow-up emails. So, how do you create ones that maximize positive responses from leads? Know your goals. You should have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish with your email campaign. Which metrics are most important to you? The number of times recipients open your follow-up email? That they click a link in the text? That they reply? Maybe tracking total conversions resulting from follow-up emails is important to you. Whatever the case, knowing your goals is a good first step. Find the ideal number of follow-ups. Obviously, not following up at all is a recipe for abandoning several potential leads. However, sending too many follow-ups can leave potential leads annoyed and unwilling to look into your business. According to several studies, the ideal number of follow-up emails is no less than three, but no more than seven. Time your follow-ups right. You don’t want to space your emails so far apart that leads forget about you, but you also don’t want to spam their email box so often that they get annoyed. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 48 hours before sending a follow-up email after the initial email. After that, wait 2–4 days before sending another. Craft appealing content. This point is worth its own article, but briefly put, your follow-up email content is incredibly important. Create a subject line that will grab readers’ attention. Then, be polite, direct, friendly, and personable in each email. As you send out more follow-ups, become more specific about the deal you’re offering and make it more enticing. Above all, you should constantly tweak your follow-up content and overall strategy as you gain new information. As you continue to create follow-up emails, you’ll learn what works best.

There are four key factors that drive social inflation in this day and age.

1. Juror’s Perspective: Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a growing anti- corporate sentiment in America, meaning that most jurors are consequently biased in favor of the plaintiff in the courtroom. 2. Litigation Funding: Claimants increasingly receive outside help from investors who pay their legal fees in exchange for a piece of the settlement. 3. Plaintiff’s Bar: The sheer number and overall savvy of plaintiff attorneys is growing. 4. Normalization of Nuclear Verdicts: Caps on punitive damages and damages related to pain and suffering are shooting through the roof or going away altogether, so plaintiffs can receive more and more in settlements. In order to properly respond to social inflation and prevent litigation, you need to choose the right partner in an insurance carrier. Here are a few qualities to look out for. 1. They take a comprehensive approach to preparing for and preventing harmful litigation. A comprehensive approach might include the use of cutting-edge evaluation tools, intentional litigation strategies, and using >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

insurica.com

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs