SWOT ANALYSIS

State Auto Insurance Company - The PaceSetter Program

NAME:

AGENCY:

After completing this form:

  • E-Mail to: by June 16th

During the sales and marketing workshop you will develop a personal marketing plan which will guide your sales efforts for the next 12 months. Developing a marketing plan involves matching the strengths of the products and services you have to offer with the opportunities found in your marketing territory. SWOT analysis is the tool you will use to identify those situations which offer the highest potential return on the investment of your time and money. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.

The attached questionnaire will guide you through an objective analysis of those factors which impact on your personal marketing plan. You’ll want to include your agency principal and your PaceSetter sponsor in this activity. The local public library, Chamber of Commerce, and your State Auto Commercial Senior are also good resources for some of the information required. It will not always be possible to complete every section.

Please e-mail or fax this completed SWOT Analysis form to and bring a copy with you to Columbus.

Call us with your questions.

To complete the questions:

Place your curser in each of the boxes below the questions. As you enter your responses, the boxes will expand to accommodate your answers.

ASSESSMENT OF YOUR CURRENT BOOK OF BUSINESS

Examine the attributes of your current book of business.

1. Your agency's current business mix,
personal verses commercial lines. / Is this a marketing strength or weakness? Why?
2. Your agency’s current sales focus; i.e.,
premium requirements, market niche or restrictions. / Is this a marketing strength or weakness? Why?
3. Your agency’s practice of rounding accounts; i.e., account-development and cross-sell. / Is this a marketing strength or weakness
Why?
4. Your agency’s retention of current accounts. / Is this a marketing strength or weakness?
Why?

ASSESSMENT OF YOUR MARKETING TERRITORY

Examine the attributes of your marketing territory.

1. Define your current marketing territory. / Radius? Counties?
2. Do you see any population trends; i.e., growth, decline or stable? / Is this a marketing opportunity or a threat?
Why?
3. What are the principle industries in your territory? / Is this a marketing opportunity or a threat?
Why?
4. Assess the local economy. / Is this a marketing opportunity or a threat?
Why?
5. How does unemployment compare to the rest of the country or state? / Is this a marketing opportunity or a threat? Why?

ASSESSMENT OF YOUR COMPETITION

Identify your three strongest competitors within your marketing region:

(a)

(b)

(c)

Examine the attributes of your competition.

1. Evaluate your competition in terms of products and services offered. / Is this an opportunity or threat?
Why?
2. Evaluate your competition in terms of
marketing tools available. / Is this an opportunity or threat? Why?
3. Evaluate your competition in terms of underwriting requirements or packaging. / Is this an opportunity or threat? Why?
4. Evaluate your competition in terms of price. / Is this an opportunity or threat? Why?
5. Evaluate your competition in terms of
turnaround time and responsiveness. / Is this an opportunity or threat? Why?
6. Evaluate your competition in terms of
rating and financial stability. / Is this an opportunity or threat? Why?

ASSESSMENT OF YOUR AGENCY

Examine the attributes of your agency.

1. Describe the marketing support provided by your agency. / Is this a marketing strength or weakness?
Why?
2. Describe how written business is serviced? / Is this a marketing strength or weakness?
Why?
3. Describe how business is marketed (quoted, marketed, proposals prepared)? / Is this a marketing strength or weakness?
Why?
4. Describe your other responsibilities within
the agency. / Is this a marketing strength or weakness?
Why?
5. Describe the agency’s reputation within the Community (community involvement, Rotary, Kiwanis). / Is this a marketing strength or weakness?
Why?