Aflac 2008 Annual Report Download - page 21

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17
It’s no mystery how Aflac makes a difference.
events. A popular portfolio combination
includes pairing our accident product with
our personal sickness indemnity product.
We are also pairing life products with other
supplemental policies we offer. As a result
of this approach, life premiums and policies
showed double-digit increases for the year.
Aflac’s Field Force: A Strong
and Growing Team
As the primary point of contact between
Aflac and its customers, our sales force
has always been our greatest asset. That
valuable asset continued to grow in 2008.
We recruited more than 25,700 new
sales associates last year, which we believe
benefited in part from the weakening labor
market. At year-end 2008, Aflac U.S. was
represented by more than 74,300 licensed
sales associates, a 4.4% increase over 2007.
Over the last several years, we’ve focused
a significant amount of time and energy
on improving the effectiveness of our sales
force through better training. We continue
to believe that our enhanced training
programs are taking hold and enhancing
the productivity of our sales associates,
especially newly recruited agents. We were
encouraged that the number of new average
weekly producers, or those who are in
their first year, increased 8.4% for the year,
while the number of total average weekly
producers rose 2.6% for the year. Although
total new sales declined slightly for the year,
production from new associates rose 6.7%
over a year ago. In addition, associates in
their first year posted a 14.8% increase in
new payroll account openings. With total
new payroll accounts rising 6.3% in 2008,
we believe we have added “shelf space” that
will lead to better sales when the economy
stabilizes.
In addition to our established training
programs, we conducted our first annual
Aflac National Training Day in 2008, which
was available to all levels of our field force.
One of the main objectives of this training
day was to convey to our sales force how a
weak economy enhances the need for our
products and to train them how to better
sell in the current economic environment.
Founded in 1921 in Beaumont, Texas, the
Texas Coffee Company is rich in history
and at the same time, innovative in the
products and packaging they offer their
loyal customer base. Since 1999, third-
generation entrepreneurs and brothers
Joseph Fertitta (left) and Donald Fertitta
(right), along with their cousin Carlo
Busceme III (not pictured) have led the
company in producing quality spices and
coffees that are produced and distributed
regionally, nationally, and even
internationally through texjoy.com. Not
only does this company make a difference
in their consumers’ culinary options, but
since 1981, they’ve also made a difference
in the lives of their employees by offering
Aflac policies at their worksite.
Members of Aflac’s Texas-East sales force
visit the Texas Coffee Company. Jared Jones,
state training coordinator (far left); Shane
Kirkland, state sales coordinator (third from
left); Brenda Ward, district sales coordinator
(third from right); and Jill Gaspard, sales
associate, (second from right) are all focused
on providing everything Joseph Fertitta and
Donald Fertitta at the Texas Coffee Company
need from Aflac.