Now that you’ve decided on the markets to pursue and your marketing approach, it’s time to initiate the plan. In this final article of a three-part series Jack Fries discusses the steps you’ll take to implement a successful marketing and sales strategy.

COMMISSION-REDUCTION STRATEGIES by Ken Buehler Commission reductions have been in practice for a number of years and, given the current expense reduction needs of carriers, there are no r...

COMMONALITY BREEDS RELATIONSHIPS by Jack Burke We're more alike than we think. Relationships, whether face-to-face or cyber-distanced,...

COMMUNICATING IN A CRISIS by Janine Reid Protecting your company's reputation and credibility during a crisis is a responsibility that you need to address from the get go. ...

COMMUNICATION BUILDS TRUST by Bill Cates Why we all need honest communication in our business and personal lives. In his book Just Be Honest, Steven Gaffney believes that withhold...

Very few employees will leave your agency simply for more money. They will usually have other valid (to them) reasons that, when also combined with a higher salary, push them to seek employment elsewhere. If a review of the compensation survey results (from another Middleton letter) confirmed that your agency is paying people within a reasonable range of 'average,' the level of compensation should not be of major concern. What you do have to worry about is how you are paying those dollars and how your management philosophy and style complement the overall compensation administration plan.

There are still those who believe that something will stick if you toss enough stuff against the wall. John Graham believes that we fail to ask ourselves the right question, the one that defines the marketing and sales mission.

CONNECTIONS: 'DO UNTO OTHERS ...' by Jack Burke Happy employees make for happy customers. You've heard that before, along with 'Your employees will treat your customers the same way the...

CONSULTANTS: TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR! by Mike Manes A consultant's work should go to the bottom line, not the bottom shelf. Mike Manes presents a set of quest...

CONSULTATIVE BROKERAGE: A THINKING PLAYERS GAME by Rob Ekern Selling, like golf, requires careful thought. As a young man, I occasionally played golf on a competitive ba...