CHOOSING THE RIGHT MARKET FOR YOUR AGENCIES by Janet Lewis After the work that goes into finding and qualifying prospects, getting in the door, and gathering the proper data to quot...

The cluster concept has been a popular one for doctors, dentists, realtors, and others for many years. Insurance agency clusters have been around for a few decades, but interest in them intensified during the hard market of the early 1980s. At that time, smaller agencies banded together to protect themselves against increasing carrier demands brought on by tighter market conditions.

Successful marketing of Commercial Lines requires a detailed plan. The first step is to assess where you are right now. In this first of a three-part series, Jack Fries examines the preliminary steps that an agency should take in marketing Commercial Lines.

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...

COMPENSATING YOUR SALES CENTER COORDINATOR By Darren Clevenger One of the most critical factors that can make the difference between an average sales center coordinator and a great ...

COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL Dear (Customer Name): HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT INSURANCE? Probably not a lot, because you have a business to run. When you deal with (Your Agency Nam...

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.

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...

CONSULTATIVE SELLING WORKS! by Al Diamond In a soft market, dont sell your clients - help them! The only...

CREATE A MARKETING SYSTEM by Steve Anderson Ive been thinking a lot lately about how important a successful marketing program is for an agencys long-term health. It s...