To embrace — and benefit from — change, follow these guidelines.
Unrelenting and increasingly rapid change demands that the insurance industry rapidly uncover new ways to evaluate and respond to its marketplace.
I’ve worked with many highly successful insurance companies and agencies, helping them achieve higher levels of profitability through more sales, customer and employee loyalty, and retention. However, in many of these organizations, management remained blind to the dire need to change, despite its apparent desire to achieve higher profits. Managers can’t see the compelling need to change from the ways that allowed the organization to be successful in the first place.

FOCUSING ON CLIENT OR PROSPECT NEEDS by Mary Beth Bolen There's a lot of talk about niche marketing or target marketing today. Many speakers feel that it's imperative to find a certain niche i...

FOLLOW SMART HIRING PRACTICES by Marcus Covas These hiring guidelines can help protect your business against the growth industry of employment-related litigation. Today,...

Through the years I have seen Life policy applications and agents' reports with erroneous information. You probably have, too. I don't mean judgment calls with room for honest disagreement; I mean downright wrong information. One of the most common untruths may be the statement that a new policy will not replace an existing policy, when in fact it will. The agent may save the trouble of bothering with replacement forms, but he or she also may be buying a big problem.

Today, an insurance professional must be an information specialist. Access to information can be vital in all specialized areas of insurance. Every agency has numerous books, both those published professionally and those published as company manuals and promotional materials, which are reference tools enabling more effective decisions. But where are the materials when you need them? Ideally, in a library using a database program and an efficient cataloging system.

FOUR DYNAMIC MARKETING TIPS by Patricia Berry Basic marketing tactics often produce the most profitable results. Patricia Berry offers four examples that have proven highly effective for any ...

FRAMEWORK FOR AGENCY SUCCESS by Patty Vaughn Planning agency success is a learning experience. Sharing ideas, taking advantage of opportunities, and tapping untapped resources, with the help of ...

In early September, the credit reporting agency Equifax announced a significant data breach. Hackers were able to access the names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses of 143 million consumers, which put their identity and credit at risk. A credit report freeze is one protective measure Equifax recommended. Every consumer, including you, should understand this protective measure as you protect your data, identity and credit.

FUEL AND OIL DISTRIBUTORS - 'YOU ARE IMPORTANT' Dear (Customer Name): DO YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE? Millions of people rely on your services as a vital link in the nation's fuel d...

FURNITURE DEALERS - PRODUCT LIABILITY Dear (Customer Name): PRODUCT LIABILITY . . . These two words strike fear into the hearts of many. Unfortunately, furniture dealers are particularly ...