LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR DIRECTORS by George Nordhaus The best-run agencies I know have outside directors. There are lots of good reasons to have them. You get an outside point of view. You get objectiv...

MAKING THE MOST OUT OF AN AGENCYBUSINESS COMBINATION by Carol Hammes Its what comes after the handshakes that counts. INTRODUCTION Youve done the groundwork for a ...

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS by E. Al Diamond How do you know if your agency is doing well? Some agents subscribe to the 'checkbook philosophy.' Their answer is, 'If I can pay a...

Most agencies are automated, some even using their second or third generation of automation. Many agencies load their policy data into the system, interface with their carriers and rarely access their paper files. Few agencies, however, are taking advantage of a well-managed client database. Gathering meaningful data that you can regularly manipulate is the key to successful database management.

MANAGING COMPANY RELATIONS by Carol Hammes In recent reports, I have addressed the changing nature of the relationship between the American agency companies and the independent a...

MANAGING FOR PROPER SERVICE by Catherine Oak Follow these guidelines to boost retention rates and earnings. Due to the costs of producing and servicing an account, the av...

Jack Fries looks into the differences between agencies that sell and retain a lot of business and those that don't. This applies to not only the sales people, but to the CSRs, who have the responsibility of account development.

MANAGING PERSONAL LINES by Carol Hammes Continuing fierce competition in commercial lines is making the personal lines niche look much more attractive to those agencies searching for viable growth...

MANAGING SMALL ACCOUNTS by Carol Hammes Most independent insurance agencies consistently receive between 15% and 25% of their total revenues from their 10 largest accounts. If you think that your ...

MARKETING CLUSTERS - A MEANS OF GROWTH AND SURVIVAL by Jack Fries The benefits, drawbacks, and formation of a marketing cluster. Clustering has been around for ...