TWO WAYS TO BOOST COMMISSIONS by Gil Simonds Account size and quality can adversely affect the value of an agencys or producers book, due to a combination of lower revenues,...

USE ELECTRONIC FILING TO BOOST SALES, CUT COSTS, AND IMPROVE SERVICE by Jack Fries If youre not paperless, your agency, employees, and especially your customers, are ...

WHAT DO CLIENTS NEED? THAT DEPENDS ON THE CLIENT by Mary Beth Bolen Your job title is customer service representative (or customer service agent) -- but just what does that mean? What is the ex...

WHAT DO LIFE CUSTOMERS EXPECT? There might be some surprises in an article addressing this question which appeared in Resource, the magazine of the Life Office Management Association (LOMA). Based on...

WHAT DOES AN AGENCY OWE ITS PRODUCERS? by Chris Burand This is the softest market the P/C industry has ever experienced. To thrive, agencies must eliminate waste, work harder, and work sm...

Is selling the same as prospecting? Is selling the same as quoting?

No to both questions. In the insurance business, selling is comprised of two components, but neither of them involves prospecting or quoting.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT OWNER? by Catherine Oak If the role of an owner was treated like any other position in an agency, what would the job description look like and what are the key characteri...

Far from just another sales technique or gimmick, Productive Selling Attitude (PSA) is a fundamental approach to making sales.

PSA is emerging from a clear understanding of how customers think, as well as from the expectations of suppliers and vendors.

Only those who are brutally honest with themselves really make it in sales - this means admitting that it is getting more difficult to "make the sale."

The obstacles to success are everywhere. Automated telephone systems serve as an impenetrable wall. The fear of making a wrong decision creates endless delays and false starts.

WHAT'S A CUSTOMER WORTH? by Al Diamond You work hard to sell insurance to new customers, we all know that, and that is why we pay for marketing and advertising to prospects, the general public...

When you experience those fearful moments of awkwardness or self-doubt, what’s your response? Bill Cates describes how your response to the everyday fears in life (business and otherwise) will make a huge difference in how successful you become.