EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN by Virginia Bates According to a study by Conning & Co., small agencies have experienced flat growth over the past five years, with owner compensati...

EXCELLENT SERVICE IS MORE THAN A STATE OF MIND by E. Al Diamond When asked, 'What is your greatest strength?' most insurance agents will answer 'Excellent service.' Yet if all the age...

EXCESS-INTEREST WHOLE LIFE: MODULE V-A THE COVERAGE Excess-Interest Whole Life insurance is one of those products that few people know about-or know well. It's k...

Despite concerns about life insurance company solvency and uncertainty over health-care reform, now is...

FIND OUT WHY YOUR CUSTOMERS LEAVE by Jack Fries It costs about five times more to obtain a new customer than to retain an existing one. Though companies spend thousands of dollars to cr...

How do you know what to change to make your agency run better? You're proud of your accomplishments, but can't seem to make the progress you desire year-by-year. In this document, Al Diamond recommends that during your planning process, instead of focusing outwardly on your competitors, the industry, or the economy, try focusing inwardly instead.

As your agency grows, you will probably recognize the need for the services of a public relations (PR) advisor to help you get media exposure.
To choose the appropriate PR advisor, you should have a good idea of what to expect in the way of services, what you need (or more accurately, want to accomplish), where to look for an advisor, and how to select one. Not an easy task, but it's a lot more manageable if you plan ahead.

FINDING THE RIGHT CSR by William Vericker Where, and what, to look for hiring quality CSRs. When clients call, e-mail, or visit your agency, they count on someone to service their bus...

To embrace — and benefit from — change, follow these guidelines.
Unrelenting and increasingly rapid change demands that the insurance industry rapidly uncover new ways to evaluate and respond to its marketplace.
I’ve worked with many highly successful insurance companies and agencies, helping them achieve higher levels of profitability through more sales, customer and employee loyalty, and retention. However, in many of these organizations, management remained blind to the dire need to change, despite its apparent desire to achieve higher profits. Managers can’t see the compelling need to change from the ways that allowed the organization to be successful in the first place.

Are you using video to connect with prospects, clients, referrals, and potential alliances? Did you know that a website...