THE GENESIS OF MARKETING by Jack Burke 'In the beginning . . .' there was an idea. Then came the plan. Unfortunately, when it comes to marketing, the action often comes b...

In spite of those who claim that “marketing costs too much,” John Graham provides four major reasons why just the opposite holds true.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTRACTS by Al Diamond I have just completed expert witness testimony in a trial of a specialty insurance agency against two former employees and a large firm accused o...

Are independent insurance agents on the verge of extinction? On the MisFortune 500 list of endangered occupations? You might think so after reading some of the press. For a different perspective, Kevin Stipe offers his observations of current and past trends and market conditions to prove that we’re not necessarily going the way of the dinosaur and the door-to-door encyclopedia salesman.

THE KEEP/SELL DECISION by Brian Burke Agency owners who are faced with the decision of keeping or selling their agencies can't really explore one of these routes without investi...

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 NEW SMALL AGENCY by Steve Anderson Theres never been a better time to start a new insurance agency than today. This might seem like a strange comment, given the current state o...

THE PHONE: CURSE OR COMMISSION INCREASE? by Preston Diamond You conduct 60% of your business over the phone-but how many of you actively practice phone courtesy and technique? Having worked...

In the early 1990s a state insurance commissioner, in a Wall Street Journal front-page article, called insurance agents the 'buggy-whip makers' of the late 20th century. Several years later, you seem to be doing just fine, and in many cases, even better than investors in other areas. Kevin Stipe offers an overview of the insurance agency as an investment vehicle in this document.

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