David and Goliath is no longer news. These days, all a boy needs to kill a big man is a gun instead of a sling and a rock. Similarly, technology has created a new world of competition. A David who understands technology can successfully compete against any corporate Goliath.

CRIME COVERAGE PROSPECTING Dear (Customer Name): WHO SAYS CRIME DOESN'T PAY? . . . Crime insurance, that's who. Considering the number of small companies that suffer major losses each y...

CRISIS-MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES by Douglas Henderson All businesses should have a plan of action to respond to a crisis situation. Disasters commence with little or no warning, and a good re...

CROSS-SELL LETTER Dear (Customer Name), We have enjoyed the privilege of handling your Auto insurance and wanted to write about why we hope you'll consider using our agency for your Homeowners cove...

CROSS-SELLING TO CLIENTS TELEMARKETING SCRIPT Producer: Hi, (CLIENT NAME), this is (NAME) from (ABC AGENCY). How are you today? The reason I called is because when (ABC AGENCY) began han...

CUSTOMER SERVICE: WHOM SHOULD YOU lsquo;WOW? by Steve Anderson Ive been reading quite a bit lately about how to create a customer experience that will WOW clients and k...

DEFINE SERVICE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS SERVICE ABOVE AND BEYOND Most agents, when asked by the consumer why he or she should do business with them, will say, 'Because we give great service.' But w...

It's much easier to assess the financial strength of a carrier in the world of Property and Casualty insurance than in the world of Health insurance. Several organizations have standard rating systems to assess a P/C carrier's strength and financial performance. A broker can quickly compare the financial viability of various P/C carriers using an assigned rating. Brokers usually don't even bother to look at an unrated carrier.

After an automated sales center is up and running, it's up to producers to act on the qualified leads that the sales center coordinator, assistant, and support staff have worked on.

Prospecting is an old term; replace it with "business development."

Business development requires a positive attitude, confidence, and discipline. The business development mind-set can be picked up by anyone who has a desire to step to the front line and just do what must be done. Commit to a business development plan of action, then organize and follow through.

DIRECTING AGENCY SALES EFFORTS by Carol Hammes Follow this four-step process and watch your sales and earnings grow. Sales management doesnt have to be complicated. I...