COMMERCIAL AND PERSONAL LINES PROSPECTING LETTER Dear (Customer Name), I'm dropping you a simple note today to say one simple thing: WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS!! And that we're more than willing to g...

Use this “one-two” technique to wedge your way into taking accounts from your competitors.

COMMONALITY BREEDS RELATIONSHIPS by Jack Burke We're more alike than we think. Relationships, whether face-to-face or cyber-distanced,...

COMMUNICATE WITH EMPLOYEES! by Al Diamond Treat your employees like customers - not children! Most agency principals have owned one or two agencies and have been ...

COMMUNICATION BUILDS TRUST by Bill Cates Why we all need honest communication in our business and personal lives. In his book Just Be Honest, Steven Gaffney believes that withhold...

When communicating your message, don't let familiarity breed indifference...

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: BOARD LESSONS by Jack Burke Are you getting involved in your community? Community involvement is essential for any successful business. Whether you champion ...

Very few employees will leave your agency simply for more money. They will usually have other valid (to them) reasons that, when also combined with a higher salary, push them to seek employment elsewhere. If a review of the compensation survey results (from another Middleton letter) confirmed that your agency is paying people within a reasonable range of 'average,' the level of compensation should not be of major concern. What you do have to worry about is how you are paying those dollars and how your management philosophy and style complement the overall compensation administration plan.

The determination of adequate compensation levels for the staff is one of the most difficult issues...

COMPUTER COMFORT FOR CSRs by Mary Beth Bolen As we all know by now, ergonomics is essential for people who work at a computer all day. CSRs can maintain sanity and prevent injury by guarding aga...