Welcome to SuretyConnect. Where do I start?
What is SuretyConnect?
How do I log into the web site?
How do I change my password?
How do I become one of the "Most Active Members"? Why do users have
"points" associated with them?
My Profile
How do I update My Profile?
How do I control which
information is shown in My Profile?
I am having problems
uploading my profile photo, what is wrong?
How do I change my e-mail
subscription settings?
Directories
How do I locate contacts?
How do I add contacts to My Contacts list?
Why should I add contacts to My
Contact list?
Discussions
How do I respond to other
people’s posts?
How do I start a new discussion
thread?
I am having trouble
viewing the HTML email messages – how do I fix this?
Why do I have
to post messages and reply to them through SuretyConnect?
How do I change the information
in my signature block?
File Libraries
How do I locate files?
What are the rules for uploading
files?
What is the maximum file size I can upload?
What do the "stars" and "score" mean, next to a file title?
What are the “tags” for?
NASBP Membership
How do I join NASBP?
How do I update my company profile?
How do I contact NASBP?
Welcome to SuretyConnect. Where do I start?
What is SuretyConnect?
SuretyConnect is a new, innovative and exciting set of tools that NASBP has
implemented to provide a new dimension to NASBP.ORG. You will experience
improved interactivity with our web site, and more importantly, interactivity
among members, affiliates, and associates.
Through SuretyConnect you can:
- Interact with NASBP members, affiliates, and associates online to
supplement networking face-to-face.
- Participate with groups relevant to your business using
eGroup Discussion Lists.
You decide how to receive postings to the lists and what email
address you want to use.
- Create enhanced profiles – search by enhanced criteria to locate
industry contacts. A robust search feature lets you keep in touch – and lets
visitors to NASBP.ORG locate you to do business.
Your enhanced profile will
have a direct URL and display any groups you participate with.
- Update your company profile and add additional information,
including a logo, to make your information stand out on our
Find a Producer,
Find an
Associate, or
Membership
Directory. If you need to update your company profile, please click
here.
- Answer the Quick Poll on the home page to see instant results to a
question that is specific and relevant to surety bonding.
- Find content quickly and easily using the NASBP Knowledge Base,
containing a library of resources that include web pages, surveys, reports,
presentations, audio, video, discussions, and more.
- Conduct business with committee members or other
NASBP communities in a secure
environment. If you’re on a committee, attended surety school, or are part
of any community at NASBP, you’ll find an area of NASBP.ORG including a
discussion area, file library, and other resources shared by your fellow
participants. Your participation in these NASBP communities enables you to
immediately see the latest postings for that group when you visit the NASBP
home page.
These new NASBP tools will enable you to decide how much information others
see about you, how your emails are delivered and how often they are delivered,
and to what communities and groups you choose to belong.
How do I log into the web site?
To log into the web site, click the link in the upper-right corner of the
screen that says, "Are you an NASBP Member, Affiliate, or Associate? Click here
to login" or click on any area that prompts you for a password. To access the
contents, enter your e-mail address as you username and your last name + 2011 (it is
case sensitive - please remember to capitalize the first letter) as your password.
For instance, if your last name is "Smith":
Incorrect Passwords: smith2011, SMith2011, SmitH2011
Correct Password:
Smith2011
If you require assistance, please
contact us and we will respond
promptly with assistance.
If you are sure you are an NASBP member, affiliate, or associate, please
contact the key contact (the individual who receives the majority of the
communications from NASBP) and request that they add you to our records. If you
are not affiliated with NASBP and wish to be, please visit our
Membership Section to get
more details on joining.
How do I change my password?
You can update your password by clicking My Profile > Change Password. The
link to change your password is located under your profile photo to the left of
your contact information.
How do I become one of the "Most Active Members"?
Why do users have
"points" associated with them?
The point-rating assigned to profiles is a broad reflection of how active
that person is in the NASBP SuretyConnect communities. Points are awarded for
activities such as uploading a file, when others rate the file highly, adding a
photo to your profile, and so on. The point system is not a reward mechanism,
it's simply a rough way to identify especially active users
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My Profile
How do I update My Profile?
You may edit your profile by clicking
My Profile in the
navigation bar. Within your profile, click on the Edit Profile link above and to
the right of your photo.
How do I control
which information is shown in My Profile?
From the My Profile navigation, select
My Preferences.
After you have made changes, click the gray Save button at the bottom of the
page.
I am having
problems uploading my profile photo, what is wrong?
The dimensions of the image must be no larger than 600 pixels wide by 600
pixels high. The file size (kilobytes, megabytes, etc.) does not matter. You can
check the dimensions in programs like Photoshop, Microsoft Paint and Microsoft
Photo Editor. The image must also be saved in a .jpg, .gif or .bmp format.
How do I change my e-mail
subscription settings?
If you are receiving a lot of e-mail as a result of your participation in
NASBP eGroups, you can modify your settings by editing
My Subscriptions. Alternatively, you may click My Profile > My Discussions >
My Subscriptions.
The My Subscriptions page will provide a list of eGroups you are currently
subscribed to. You may choose from the following options:
- Real Time: Receive e-mails as they are sent
- Daily Digest: Receive one e-mail for each list with activity per
day
- PDA: Optimize the messages sent for portable devices
- No Emails: Do not e-mail at all - you can still browse the
discussion board online by visiting
My Subscriptions.
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Directories
Expand on and build your professional relationships among NASBP
members, affiliates, and associates. SuretyConnnect is the power that
enables you to share your interests and concerns with other members,
affiliates, and associates who may be geographically remote, but who
have experience with an issue your client is experiencing. This
powerful new capability enables you to build your referral network that
is so integral to the success of your business.
How do I locate contacts?
By visiting the
NASBP Membership Individual Directory, NASBP members have the ability to locate individual members of
the site who have edited their
profile for the
benefit of file sharing, community/groups, and blogging on various topics. All
NASBP Member, Affiliate, and Associate users can set up a profile with a photo,
bio, professional interests, and other demographics. Once a user has a profile
set up, you can add them to your contact list or specify the pertinent search
criteria to locate that person.
How do I add contacts to My
Contacts list?
There are several ways to add contacts to your list. You must be logged in to add contacts.
- When you perform a search in the
NASBP Membership Directory, you will see an “Add as Contact” link next
to each person in the search results. Click this link to send a Contact
Request.
Detailed Instructions:
Navigate to Directories > Membership Directory > Membership Individual Directory- Insert the individual's name (or other criteria located on the page) and scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Click the "Find Member, Affiliate or Associate Individuals" button.
- Locate the individual you wish to add as a contact by clicking on the words “Add [person’s first name] as contact” beneath their name.
- Click on the word “Send” in the box that appears on the screen. This sends the individual an invitation by email to join your NASBP network.
Below is an example of what appears after locating an individual you wish to add to your contacts. This is an example of NASBP President Spence Miller’s personal profile.
Why should I add
contacts to My Contact list?
This virtual address book makes it easy to send messages to your contacts
through SuretyConnect, to stay in touch or ask questions. Additionally, when you
view another individuals profile, you will be able to see all the contacts that
you have in common with them. Also, you can choose to let only your contacts view and/or comment on your blog (coming
soon).
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Discussions
How do I respond to other
people’s posts?
From within an email that you have received or from within the eGroups message
digest, you can click either:
- Reply to eGroup to send your message to the entire forum, or
- Reply to Sender to send your message only to the sender
Both links are located just to the left of the posting. We recommend replying
only to the sender for comments like “me, too” that add little value to the
discussion.
How do I start a new
discussion thread?
From within an email (HTML version) that you have received, you can start a
new thread by clicking on the Post Message link in the right navigation bar.
Additionally, from the Discussions menu button, you can select Send Message from
the dropdown list. We recommend bookmarking or adding this link to your
Favorites list in your web browser to make it easily accessible.
I am having
trouble viewing the HTML email messages – how do I fix this?
If images are not appearing, it is likely that your email client is set to
suppress images. This should be something you can change in your Security or
Viewing options. If you would rather receive text-based email, go to the
Discussions section and select
My
Subscriptions. In the Mail Format section, select Text. Be sure to hit the
Save button at the bottom of the page after you have made this change.
Why do
I have to post messages and reply to them through SuretyConnect?
There are many features that are made possible with this web-based system.
To utilize the features, messages must be posted and responded to from within
SuretyConnect.
- When you send an attachment through this system, the file is
automatically placed in the eGroup library and a link is sent to members
instead. This means no more blocked attachments because of file size or
type, which is a big problem in other forums.
- Auto-response messages such as "Out of the Office" will not clutter up
this system.
- Since the system automatically adds your signature, there are no more
anonymous postings. The "transparency" – being able to see who is posting
info – of the group makes for a better experience for everyone.
- In other forums, the marketing messages and disclaimers that most
participants have at the end of their emails fill pages upon pages, making
you scroll through all of it to get to the next message. That is now a thing
of the past.
How do I change the
information in my signature block?
From the My Discussions menu, select
My
Signature. We have set a default signature, but you can add, delete or
reorganize the fields that show up in your signature. Please note that the
content of these fields is pulled directly from
your profile. So, if you want to
change the information, you will need to make the change to your profile by
clicking on the Edit Contact Information link to the right of your photo.
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File Libraries
How do I locate files?
By visiting the NASBP File Library, you will have access to many resources
provided by other NASBP SuretyConnect users. These files can be reposted under
your profile once you make a revision of them. You can also blog on a specific
file, score the item, or add it to your ‘favorites’ so that it may be easily
accessed in the future. There are separate libraries under the NASBP File
Library section; these are intended to organize and help sort the various
resources that are available. Other libraries may have been established by users
or categorized by various keywords.
What are the rules for uploading files?
All files that are to be posted in the Resource Library should be accurate
and in context, and shall provide a resource for bond producers. Every file
uploaded must have a descriptive title and description. When possible, NASBP
members should reference these files in their SuretyConnect groups. If at any
time you have questions about how to best post various types of files, please
Contact Us before you post. We reserve the right at anytime to remove files from
the NASBP web site. For complete terms and conditions, click here.
What is the maximum file size I can upload?
The maximum file size is 40 MB. If you wish to upload larger files, you can
post them on a video hosting site, such as youtube, and then embed the url
location into your file posting. One can also try compressing a file via a .zip
file to help get the file below the size limitation.
What do the "stars" and "score" mean, next to a file title?
The stars represent user opinions regarding that item; users can rank
individual tools according to how useful they think it is (five stars = very
useful; to place your vote, simply click on the star representing your opinion
[farther right = higher]). Files also have a "score", listed next to the star
rating. Score is slightly different; it's based on a number of factors and is
assigned by software (based on a number of factors, like how many people
download the file etc.) Stars are assigned by users, and score is assigned by NASBP.ORG. The more stars the item receives, the more useful it is. The higher
score the file receives, the more SuretyConnect thinks the file is a valuable
resource.
What are the “tags” for?
Also know as keywords, tags are another way of organizing and searching for
documents. You can help others find your uploaded file by including tags when
you upload it. We have given you a few sets to choose from, but you can also add
your own. Other members can also add tags to your document, further enhancing
this search feature. Tagging is important when the name of the same policy or
procedure varies between agencies.
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NASBP Membership
How do I join NASBP?
To join NASBP, you must be eligible for the appropriate class of membership.
Please visit the following links for details:
How do I update my company
profile?
To update your company profile, click the link that says, "If you need to update your company profile, please click here."
You can complete this form to request a change to the company profile. You must
be either the key contact or authorized by the key contact to make any updates.
How do I contact NASBP?
Complete the form to
contact NASBP. You may also contact our
staff by visiting this
link.
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