EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS by Troy Campbell The day of the annual performance review is the one you most look forward to during your work life. (Ha!) Systems for evaluating performance have b...

EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE YOUR FIRST CLIENTS by Jack Burke Businesses spend billions of dollars every year to attract and retain clients. On a daily basis, owners and managers shout, Wha...

Distinguish between the terms “non-compete” and “non-piracy.”

In its basic terms, a Non-Compete clause protects the agency against a former employee taking accounts that they produced or for which they were responsible while an agency employee. A Non-Piracy clause protects the agency from a former employee taking any agency accounts, whether or not they were responsible for producing or servicing them.

ENCOURAGE A POSITIVE VIEW OF THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY by Mary Beth Bolen What are two 'facts' most customers 'know' about insurance? One, it costs too much. Two, if they make a claim, their po...

ENCOURAGING CLIENT HONESTY Some people think it's acceptable to be slightly dishonest when they buy insurance. They may fib a little to reduce Auto insurance premiums or try to 'get a little ...

ENCOURAGING STAFF INPUT TO SPUR PROFITS by John Jaques How many opportunities for increasing business do you overlook everyday? This document by John Jaques provides a great way for you...

ESTABLISH PROFESSIONAL IMAGE Dear (Customer Name): At (Your Agency Name), we have been providing quality service for more than ( ) years. We have more than ( ) customers in the area who have insuran...

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Linda Dobson, an estate-planning attorney from Los Angeles. She had this advice for financial services professionals who want to win referrals from estate-planning attorneys:

E-SURVEYS: SELF-SERVING PABLUM by Jack Burke Most questionnaires aren't worth the paper they're printed on because they're designed to elicit only positive responses. Companies are afrai...

EVALUATE PROSPECTIVE BUYERS FOR YOUR AGENCY by Patricia Berry Before selling your agency, get answers to these questions. Many agency acquisitions are based on retention because b...