Update News for August 2006

Here is a quick run-down on what you will find in this bulletin:

• • Compulife Forms Library

     

     

  • Get a FREE PDA and 6 months of Compulife

     

     

  • Our Forms Library Will Be FAST

     

     

  • How the Forms Library Will Work

     

     

  • Compulife Forms Library For Life Companies

     

     

  • FREE PDA software for Life Companies

     

     

  • QuickerQuoter now on Palm and Windows Mobile

     

     

  • If You’re A General Agency – Pay Attention!

     

     

  • You Can Help Us Git-R-Done

     

     

  • Historical CD – Compulife from the Past

     

     

  • General Agencies – How About a FREE PDA Contest?

     

     

  • Got a Big Meeting Coming Up? How About a FREE PDA Contest?

     

     

  • Try a Used Palm FREE for 30 Days

     

     

  • FREE PDA Insurance Quote Button

     

     

  • What’s Next for Compulife

     

     

  • Next Monthly Update

     

     

These topics will be dealt with in more detail throughout this bulletin.

Compulife Forms LibraryWork on Compulife’s new forms library is coming along quickly. We have completed entry of forms for two life insurance companies. Two more companies are promising us their forms and four more are expressing serious interest in providing forms.

We are certain that once the new Forms Library has been released (August/September), more companies will be involved quickly.

Get a FREE PDA and 6 months of CompulifeAny agent, who is instrumental in helping to convince a life insurance company to provide us with their forms, will be given a Palm Zire 31 PDA and 6 (more) FREE months of software. One Palm is available per company/agent. In other words, if two agents work on the same company, we will decide which agent was the most instrumental in getting the company to give us their forms and that agent will get the PDA and FREE software.

Our Forms Library Will Be FASTHaving gone through this process we have learned that some forms are large (HUGE). We have listed forms that exceed 3 megabytes in size. That means you must wait to download that form. Time to wait can ranges from seconds to minutes but regardless of how fast your internet connection, it takes valuable time.

We had no idea how bad this was. To address this Compulife has modified our Forms Library design to deal with this issue. With our new design Compulife’s Forms Library will be the best and fastest way for subscribers to obtain forms.

How the Forms Library Will WorkThere will be TWO forms libraries in the Compulife system. One will be the Master library which is kept on our internet servers. The second will be a local library that is kept on your computer.

The very first time that you ask for a particular form, that form will be downloaded by Compulife from our internet server. Once it has been downloaded a copy of that form will be put into the local forms library on your computer.

The second time that you ask for the form, the form that is already on your computer will be accessed. This means that you do not have to download it again – the form will display instantly.

I spoke to one life company and talked about this. They advised me that a number of their agents kept copies of their forms on their local computers due to the time that it takes to download. I then asked the $64,000 question. How does the agent know when that form has been changed? The IMMEDIATE answer was the agent doesn’t know and that represents a big problem for the company and the agent. If the agent uses an old form, they will need to do it over again. For that reason the company told me it does not like agents who keep copies of forms on their own computer.

I went on to explain that we have solved that problem with the Compulife design. The Compulife program maintains a master list of forms. That list is updated along with all the other term rate files in our software. The forms list will be in midmonth updates each time it changes. When you update Compulife, you will also be updating the most current list of forms.

The master forms list keep track of the form file name, a description of the form, what states it is used in and, most important, the date assigned by Compulife to the form. To review, the Master list is maintained and updated by Compulife.

A second forms list will be kept on the subscriber’s computer. That will be a list of forms that have been stored on that agent’s particular machine. Each form on that list will also record the date assigned to that form when it was downloaded.

Before any form is accessed on the local computer, the date for that form is looked up in the Master list and compared to the date for that form on the local computer. If the date is the same, the form on the local machine is used. If the date is NOT the same, then the form (newer version) is downloaded from the Internet and it replaces the older version on the local computer.

All of this date checking is done automatically. ALL you have to do is ask for the form. Because the master list of forms, and the local list of forms are both on the local computer, there is no access to the Internet required unless the form has not been previously downloaded or there is a newer form available on the Internet.

Do I have to tell you how fast that will be?

Because most agents use the same forms over and over again, this system will save time – a lot of time. It will also represent a minimum need for Internet access meaning that Compulife will not face bandwidth or performance issues.

Compulife Forms Library For Life CompaniesIn fact Compulife is so certain that this method of maintaining forms will be so advantageous that we expect life companies to want that technology. Compulife will be offering the technology to life companies for a nominal cost and we will be happy to maintain the forms lists for those companies. Of course this will be available ONLY to life companies who provide us with their forms for our subscribers.

What we will be able to provide companies is the updated forms list for their products together with a program which will access that list for their own agents. Those forms can then be downloaded from the company’s own website and maintained on the agent’s computer. As it will for Compulife, this will save the company money in download costs, and will give agents faster access to forms they have used before.

Companies wanting more information on that are welcome to call Bob Barney at (888) 798-3488.

FREE PDA software for Life CompaniesProviding a life company is prepared to provide Compulife with PDF copies of their forms, and keep Compulife updated with those forms, Compulife will give the company PDA software for their insurance products. Once again, the PDA quoting software is FREE providing that the life company gives us their forms.

QuickerQuoter now on Palm and Windows MobileAbout two years ago Compulife introduced a product for life companies called QuickerQuoter. The software is designed to quote and compare the products of ONE company. QuickerQuoter is offered FREEto life insurance companies. They in turn can offer it FREE to their agents and brokers.

We have now introduced Palm and Windows Mobile versions of QuickerQuoter. Given that most life insurance companies have no PDA software of any kind, we think this should be a hit.

IMPORTANT: The PDA and Windows Mobile QuickerQuoter is FREE to any life insurance company that wants it but there is a “catch”. Here’s the catch: we need the life company to provide us with their forms.

If You’re A General Agency – Pay Attention!Imagine that you could have a little SD card that you could hand out to your brokers for FREE. Imagine that card lets them quote your favorite life company’s products on their PDA? Do you think that would be useful to your broker? Of course it would.

But Compulife is not going to give you the QuickerQuoter software. We are going to give the software to the life company which can then give it to you for FREE. Do you want the FREE PDA software for your agents?

If you do then please help us convince your life company to give Compulife their forms so that Compulife can give your company the FREE PDA software so that your company can give you the FREEPDA software. Win, win, win!

It’s shouldn’t take much convincing. QuickerQuoter is an outstanding product and offer for life companies. It is a tremendous marketing tool for agents.

And oh, by the way, wouldn’t a Compulife forms library be helpful for you?

You Can Help Us Git-R-DoneAs we have noted, the big problem in providing a forms library is to get the cooperation of the life companies. We now have an excellent carrot to offer companies to help us with this project.

You can help by speaking with your favorite companies and letting them know that this opportunity is now available. Git-R-Done!

Historical CD – Compulife from the PastOne of the projects we have been attempting to accomplish for quite some time is a historical CD which contains past copies of Compulife. Jeremiah has undertaken the task and has now managed to install, zip and archive copies of Compulife going back well over a decade. The month by month archived files can be transferred to a single CD. The history covers almost every month from the current month back to:

• • • April 1990 – United States

 

• • December 1986 – Canada

We are offering either CD to current Compulife subscribers for $99. Life insurance companies, who provide us with their forms, can purchase either CD for $49.

The way that the CD works is that you identify the appropriate zip file on the CD, then open it using winzip (freeware compression software). Once you do, you simply extract the files to a folder of your choice.

DO NOT unzip the files into your current \COMPLIFE folder!

Once that is completed, you open the folder and run the GOWIN program (or GO program depending on the vintage). The program has already been serialized with a licensee name that identifies the historical time period from which it comes.

You will find this CD particularly useful in servicing existing clients. Life companies will find it helpful to plot trends in pricing. It will also prove helpful for those dealing with the media.

General Agencies – How About a FREE PDA Contest?Compulife is now offering an opportunity for General Agencies to make some money promoting Compulife to their brokers. Compulife is offering a contest for your brokers where the winning broker will receive a FREE Palm Zire 31 PDA and a FREE year of Compulife.

The idea is for the General Agency to do an e-mail blast to their agent/brokers advising the brokers that they can obtain 4 months of Compulife for FREE by taking the Dare to Compare Challenge. Each agent who requests a FREE trial of Compulife and completes the Dare to Compare Challenge will be entered into the FREE draw for the Zire 31 plus the FREE year of Compulife. That in addition to getting 4 months of Compulife for FREE.

What’s the catch? NO catch.

In fact here’s the best part for the GA. For each agent/broker who does the Dare to Compare Challenge, the GA will receive $10 off their next purchase of Compulife. If 30 agents enter the contest, next year’s software will be free. Is there any downside to this deal? None that we can see.

Got a Big Meeting Coming Up?
How About a FREE PDA Contest?Compulife will offer the same deal as a door prize for those who have some type of meeting for agents. Here are the conditions:

• 1. You will get up and do a short 5 minute commercial for Compulife in your meeting. We’ll give you the PDA in advance of the meeting, and you will be able to talk about Compulife using it.

2. You will provide Compulife with a list of agents and their e- mail addresses who were entered into the draw.

In return for this, will provide a Palm Zire 31 and a FREE year of Compulife to the winner of your draw.

As an added bonus for those in attendance, we will send each person in the meeting a 30 day FREE trial of Compulife – that’s why we need their name and e-mail address. If more than a dozen people complete the Dare to Compare Challenge, in order to obtain 4 FREE months of Compulife, that second group will be entered into a second contest for the same Zire 31 and FREE year of Compulife. That’s gives your attendees the potential of two Zire 31 prizes for your meeting. Both winners will receive a FREE year of Compulife and if the person is already a Compulife subscriber, that’s a FREE additional 12 months to their existing subscription.

Try a Palm FREE for 30 DaysThe following offer is available to Compulife subscribers who are “paid” subscribers. This means that those who have obtained a FREE subscription through the “Dare to Compare” challenge may not take advantage of this special deal.

You can order a Palm from Compulife and you do not have to pay for 30 days.

MORE IMPORTANT: If you wish to return the equipment at the end of 30 days, you will receive a full credit including the original shipping charge.

If you don’t believe us when we say that the Palm is a great prospecting tool, this is your chance to find out. Get the Palm and carry it with you for 30 days. If it is of no use to you just return it for a full credit.

CONDITIONS:

1. You are responsible for the cost of returning the PDA and/or accessories.

2. The Palm LCD screen must not be “broken”. In other words, don’t drop the Palm and make sure you pack it carefully when you return it.

3. This offer is subject to availability of Palms. Currently we have only about 125 units in stock and so this offer will be based upon first come, first served.

FREE PDA Insurance Quote ButtonHas “prospecting” become a dirty word in the life insurance industry? I have personally spoken to some subscribers about our FREE PDA Insurance Quote buttons and the response has been, “I don’t like to talk about insurance outside the office.”

What?

Folks this is simple. You put on the button and carry your PDA with you. The idea is that you don’t talk about insurance, you get asked about insurance. The following pin is FREE to any subscriber who asks for it:

Once again, the button is FREE to Compulife subscribers. Call to request your FREE button (800) 798-3488.

The pin comes with a money back guarantee. If it doesn’t work we’ll take it back for a full refund; just kidding; it’s FREE!

What’s Next for CompulifeIn addition to the Forms Library, Compulife will turn its attention to adding a single company and product look up function to the bottom of the PDA screen. Instead of just a “compare now” button, there will be a second button called “quote product”. The left rocker button will choose that option.

When you click on “quote product” a list of companies will appear. When you locate and click on the company that you want, a list of the products for that company will appear. When you click on the product, the single product display will appear. This will be the same screen that appears when you click on a product in the comparison results.

Once that is working we will enhance the single product display to give you more information about the individual product. You will be able to view all the modal premium options, the various health categories/premiums, etc.

Dueling Web SitesFor those who update by Internet, Compulife has gone to great lengths to provide you with redundancy in our web sites. Our main web site is:

www.compulife.comHowever, we keep a total of four completely separate web sites, on three more completely different servers, at:

www.compulife.us     or     www.compulife.cc     or     www.compulife.caWhatever we update to compulife.com, we are also updating to compulife.ca, compulife.us and compulife.cc. If one web site goes down, for whatever reason, either of the other three are ready to serve you.

For those doing monthly updates by Internet, we rely on three other web sites to supply monthly updates. These are automatically checked and used by our automatic Internet update software.

Next Monthly UpdateWe plan to post the September 2006 Internet monthly update to our seven monthly update web sites on Thursday, August 31st.

The disk update will be processed Wednesday, August 30th and the disks will be shipped on that day. You should have the disk update by Friday, September 1st.

Monthly Disk UpdatesThose receiving updates by disks must switch over to Internet updates by the end of December 2006. Disk service will not be offered for January 2007 and following.

We would encourage you not to wait until December 2006 to make this change. Not only will you eliminate the expense and hassle of returning disks, it costs less to get updates by Internet.

To switch to Internet monthly updates, go to our web page www.compulife.com and select the second menu choice “Application/License Agreements” Under the section “Application / License Agreements” you will need to select and complete a new License Agreement for the type of license that you have. Indicate on the application form, under “payment option”, that this is a “CHANGE“. After you have printed the new application agreement, please read it, especially the part where you agree that you have successfully downloaded and processed our “mid-month updates”. If you haven’t done that before, call us and we’ll be happy to step you through the procedure. It’s easy.