African-American Agents Urged To Gain Clout By Networking

African-American Agents Urged To Gain Clout By Networking

Las Vegas

African-American insurance agents seeking ways to gain visibility and clout in their industry were urged to connect with other African-American insurance professionals by a speaker at the National African-American Insurance Association conference here.

Motivational speaker and author George Fraser said African-Americans as a group must begin a new fight toward closing the income and wealth gap that exists today. He said this journey will take 100 years and requires the “joining of the dots” between existing African-American groups to form a web of common interest.

“There is an old African proverb, When spiderwebs unite, they tie up the line,” Fraser said.

As the end of slavery and the battle for civil rights and equality were generational battles, this, too, will mean a generational commitment to improvement that the African-American community must commit itself to, including members involved in the insurance industry, he advised.

“We have come a long way, but we have much farther to go,” Fraser said.

He said that while many cultures have joined together in America to improve their overall economic standing, the African-American community has failed to do so. He noted that NAAIA, based in Washington, D.C., is one organization that is beginning the trail toward connecting a web of interests.

“Good ideas take time to grow,” he said of NAAIA, noting that the group has set down the cornerstone to growing a network with other African-American insurance executives and agents throughout the country to “lead our people in this critical industry and guide us and those who follow in your footsteps.”

He admonished those who might believe they cannot succeed in the United States. In America, things are far better than for those of African descent anywhere else in the world, he said.

“In case you think you cant succeed, you must be a wimp,” he declared.

A major portion of his discussion centered on the need for networking, which is one of NAAIAs objectives. He said business success is all about relationships. Having positive relationships with others builds a positive infrastructure that leads to success.

The author of “Success Runs in Our Race: The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the African-American Community” said successful business is all about networking and treating people with respect.

“Business is all about relationships,” Fraser explained. “If you have no relationships, you have no business.”

“Effective people spend 14% of their time cultivating relationships,” he noted. “But the top people spend 54% of their time cultivating relationships–at home, at work and in their communities.”