Six reasons why mergers and acquisitions fail.

Few business transactions pack the high-stakes potential of a merger or acquisition. Done well, the deal can help an agency attain new levels of prosperity. Done poorly, it can be crippling.

MERGERS: A CASE STUDY by Larry Morrison and Gary Jacobson This case study is provided as a companion to our article, 'Mergers: The Six Key Issues.' It shows the financial and legal...

Follow this systematic approach to market planning and watch your sales and profitability grow. Today...

Motivation is tied closely to compensation, but the two are very different. Compensation is simply one form of motivation. There are many forms, all of which should accomplish one thing: encourage producers to sell and make them feel good about what they're doing and where they're doing it. A good motivational environment will help both Life and P/C producers. You should have a motivational atmosphere for your CSRs, as well. You should maintain a high recognition level in which all agency members can participate.

f you were managing a start-up band, would you depend solely on Lady Luck? Would you rely on Fortune dumping a great songwriter/arranger in your lap, great musicians who can actually get along, and a strong, powerful record company backing you? Would you just wait without searching for talent, obtaining signed contracts, securing studio time, or acquiring any backing? Of course not. Chris Burand wonders why so many agency principals take this approach to getting good producers.

According to an old axiom, keeping an existing customer is much more profitable than spending money going after new prospects. While that's generally valid in any business, it seems especially true in P/C agencies, particularly when management recognizes dozens of related financial services that can flow through a P/C book of business.

NEW PRODUCER RECRUITING: A GROWING CONCERN FOR AGENCIES by Suzy Hammett The more effective your producer recruitment program, the healthier your bottom line. As an agency expands, it...

NURTURING CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS by Jack Burke I opened the book Relationship Aspect Marketing with some statistics that have withstood the test of time in relation to why businesses lose t...

OPTIMAL LONG-TERM PRODUCER INCENTIVES by Larry Morrison and Gary Jacobson The optimal program for producers involves training and support, short-term compensation and in...

ORGANIZING TO SUPPORT THE SALES EFFORT by Carol Hammes At some point, it becomes essential to step back from the situation and evaluate whether the organizational structure and job descr...