What we say does matter. Unfortunately, most of us don't listen to the words that we use. They might seem harmless, but what messages are we sending to others about ourselves and how we perform our jobs? In this article, John Graham looks at some of the words and phrases that we all utter on occasion. Very often, we use these phrases as excuses about why something didn't get done.

THE ILLUSION OF SERVICE by Al Diamond I recently tried a little experiment. Two agencies that I encountered expressed a great deal of pride in the degree of service provided by their staf...

THE KEY TO PROFITABILITY by Mary Beth Bolen To be successful in business, carrier marketing managers must thoroughly understand what business they are in, why they are in it, and ho...

I think of management as a puzzle: Put the pieces together in the right order, and you have a beautiful picture ? jumble them, and you have a pile of pasteboard. In this document, Mike Manes offers guidelines that will help you assemble a masterpiece.

There is a lot to be concerned about when you own a business. You must keep track of and file your tax documents on time, and you must accept and file compliance documents for your business.

The growth of E-commerce is driving a fundamental change in selling mentality.
E-commerce changes selling. Driven by E-commerce, a fundamental and far-reaching change is taking place in professional selling. The salesperson who’s emerging might well be known as a “customer evangelist.”
Apple Computer and other companies employ evangelists as enthusiastic representatives of their best interests. Taking that imagery a step further, customers will enjoy the benefits of doing business with a new type of sales rep.

THE NEXT CHALLENGE: CUSTOMIZED DISTRIBUTION MODELS As the demand to identify and meet customer needs intensifies, the insurance industry is being challenged to respond with customized, multiple-...

THE PERFECT EMPLOYEE: PERFECT OR NOT? by Grace Bauer I just finished talking to a customer about one of his staff members. 'He's a perfect employee,' the customer said. 'He's ki...

THE QUALITY SCORECARD by Al Diamond Without industrywide efforts to improve, the insurance industry will continue to be susceptible to alternative markets, alternative-distribution channels, an...

THE ROLE OF AN OWNER: IS IT ABOUT YOU OR THEM? by Jack Burke Leadership means a willingness to embrace chan...