Customer service begins with thinking like customers.
A good place to start is with language. Thought and language mirror each other, and when the right words are used, the organization begins to behave as if they were true. Use the wrong words and the opposite happens.

Salespeople, like athletes, need planning, practice, and coaching to compete — and win!

“Moments of truth” occurs whenever CSRs and producers talk to a customer on the phone or in person. It’s important that each member of the agency be prepared for this contact. The impression left with the client or prospect will determine their future relationship with your agency. Because the ultimate goal of any business is to obtain and retain customers, it’s essential for you to create the proper image at the moment of truth. Some of the key factors in managing the moment of truth are:

MANAGING PERSONAL LINES by Carol Hammes Continuing fierce competition in commercial lines is making the personal lines niche look much more attractive to those agencies searching for viable growth...

MANAGING SMALL ACCOUNTS by Carol Hammes Most independent insurance agencies consistently receive between 15% and 25% of their total revenues from their 10 largest accounts. If you think that your ...

Recently, I came across an interesting column in a national marketing publication. The writer indicated that marketing programs don't perform well because of 'business marketers' dogmatic belief that 'selling is the only form of marketing I need to do.''
This is an amazing statement because our experience at Graham Communications is quite different. As we see it, the problem is failing to achieve the benefits of marketing because the emphasis is always on sell, sell, sell.

MARKETING DEPARTMENT VERSUS PRODUCER MARKETING by the IIABA Virtual Faculty Although your agency has a Commercial marketing department, you have the option of marketing an account yourself ...

MARKETING MISTAKE: NOT UPSELLING, CROSS-SELLING, OR BACK-ENDING YOUR PRESENT CUSTOMERS by Stephen Anderson As every agency owner knows, identifying prospects an...

MINE THE INTERNET FOR PROSPECTS by Steve Anderson You can strike gold if you know where to look. A good place is the Internet. Insurance is all about making sales. And yo...

Motivating support staff to help generate sales expands the network of potential customers. Here are some tips for putting together and operating an effective lead-generation campaign.

Reward them for leads as quickly as possible. If the payoff is quick, non-sales employees will be more motivated to provide leads.