ARE YOUR PRODUCERS SUBSIDIZED? by Chris Burand If you dont think youre subsidizing your producers, you might need to think again. The average agency spends b...

ASK AN EXPERT: PRODUCER lsquo;NON-COMPETE AGREEMENTS by the IIABA Virtual University Faculty The terms 'Non-Compete,' 'Non-Solicitation,' and 'Non-Piracy' are often used in...

ASK EMPLOYEES FOR SUGGESTIONS ON IMPROVING PERFORMANCE Paul Serwinek, Ph.D. A...

If you’re in sales, you know the feeling. It’s the middle of the night about two weeks after starting a new job. You were enthusiastic and could hardly wait to get going. Now, your head is full of doubts. You try to shove them aside, but they don’t go away. “Everything is new,” you tell yourself. “I just need to give it a little more time.” However, the doubts keep coming back.
The gap between what you were told about the job and what’s actually happening grows wider by the day. After about three weeks, you finally ask yourself, “Have I made a mistake?”

If you're in sales, you can identify with this situation - about two weeks after starting a new job, you begin to doubt your decision. You detect a widening gap between what you were told to expect and what actually occurs. After only a month on the job, you conclude, 'I think I made a mistake.' You're probably right, because salespersons seem to be more prone to selecting the wrong job. Too often, their profession's tendency to stress the positive and minimize negative factors extend into their approach in choosing a job.

ASPECTS OF PERPETUATION MANAGEMENT by Catherine Oak and Bill Schoeffler Most agency owners do not have a structured plan to perpetuate their lifetime's work-the firm. It wo...

ASSESSING YOUR FIRM'S RESOURCES by Bill Schoeffler and Catherine Oak Today, it is critical for insurance agents and brokers to plan their own destiny. One can never be quite c...

Those who own a business hold their peers in high regard. You might dislike someone personally, but give them a thumbs-up when it comes to running a company. Those who survived the recession deserve a special commendation. Only the native outsider thinks otherwise.

AUDIT EXPLANATION - PREPARE, PREPARE Dear (Customer Name), THERE'S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AUDITS . . . As you know, Workers Compensation and General Liability policies are su...

Did you know that ...THE MAJORITY OF YOUR FELLOW DRIVERS HAVE HAD FEW OR NO ACCIDENTS WHILE DRIVING THEIR CARS?! In fact, The Insurance Institute...