2009 News
PPG helps CertifiedFirst network conduct continuing education classes for insurance agents
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – July 28, 2009 – PPG is helping its CertifiedFirst® Network collision center owners and managers build relationships with insurance agents through its Continuing Education Instructor Development Training (IDT) program. Four such programs have been held this year with another scheduled for Dallas, TX, September 8 – 9.
PPG IDT is based on the value of offering continuing education to insurance agents. Insurance agents must maintain their professional certification through continuing education. IDT prepares CertifiedFirst Network collision center owners and managers to become instructors qualified to help agents maintain that certification.
A two-day IDT program will teach participants how to arrange for and present insurance agent continuing education classes, provides a suite of 14 industry-specific courses that are easy for shops to deliver and engaging for agents to experience, and prepares the candidate instructors to deliver them in dynamic fashion.
By becoming instructors, shop owners and managers can initiate and maintain professional relationships with insurance agents. Instructors keep the agents current with the latest collision industry technology and techniques and help them gain familiarity with the CertifiedFirst shop. This, in turn, allows the agents to maintain their certification while better understanding the superior qualifications and capabilities of a CertifiedFirst collision center.
“The PPG Continuing Education Program is a proven sales tool that motivates insurance agents to refer policyholders to the CertifiedFirst Network and to view CertifiedFirst Continuing Education instructors as industry ‘experts’,” said Cheryl Senko, manager of Continuing Education and Network Training for the CertifiedFirst Network. “We utilize state-of-the-art training techniques to help our customers quickly learn this unique program that has the potential to make a dramatic difference in their overall agent communication plan.”
“Building relationships with insurance agents is a vital ingredient in an overall collision center marketing plan, and nothing builds relationships like a PPG Continuing Education program,” added Norm Angrove, senior manager, PPG Value Added Programs.
The IDT program has trained 37 instructors this year. Since the program’s inception in 2005, CertifiedFirst instructors have trained almost 9,000 insurance agents.
IDT is just one element of the insurance marketing program PPG makes available to its CertifiedFirst Network participants. Other Network benefits include marketing and ad templates, precision marketing demographic and sales reports, quarterly agent newsletters, and shop credential presentation materials. Many classes are available through the new CertifiedFirst online Virtual University for agents who cannot attend live classes. In addition, PPG Continuing Education will be the subject of a break-out session led by Angrove at the upcoming MVP Conference to be held in September in Nashville.
For more information about the upcoming IDT event, the CertifiedFirst Network, or PPG Continuing Education, call 1-866-CERT-1st (1-866-237-8178) or visit www.certifiedfirst.com.
about certifiedfirst
The CertifiedFirst Network is a nationally co-branded auto body repair program developed by the Automotive Refinish unit of PPG Industries to designate high-performing body shops in North America. For more information call 1-866-CERT-1st (1-866-237-8178) or go to www.certifiedfirst.com.
about ppg
Pittsburgh-based PPG is a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, chemicals, glass and fiber glass. The company has more than 140 manufacturing facilities and equity affiliates and operates in more than 60 countries. Sales in 2008 were $15.8 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com.