Management

To grow your referral business, follow these 10 steps by Bill Cates.

On my desk is a calendar from a wire service that distributes press releases and articles to media outlets...

Proper records management is one of the most crucial elements of disaster planning. The ability of an organization...

A few days ago, I received a call from one of our Referral Boot Camp graduates, Greg, who was experimenting with Referral Events and not having the success he’d hoped for. Although many clients attended his events, they didn’t always bring a guest for him to meet — even though it was requested on the invitation. Greg didn’t feel that he could turn down his clients’ desire to attend his events, even though they didn’t have a guest to bring.

When someone is reluctant to give you referrals, it's likely that they're concerned about their friends' or colleagues' reactions to their names coming up in conversation and to your calling them. They could be afraid that their friends or colleagues wouldn't appreciate having a salesperson unleashed on them.

The following section is a varied and important one to a profitable independent agency. In it, you will learn the basis of the Sales Center concept and how Sales Centers have brought increased profitability, retention, and total-account sales into many agencies.

Many agencies establish a Sales Center with their existing personnel, or hire an additional administrative or customer service person to take over additional duties. Others find that the increased efficiency of a Sales Center allows them to expand their marketing efforts, and they hire an in-house or outside telemarketing staff to keep leads coming in to producers.

SAMPLE AGENCY BUSINESS PLAN

Although the technology is in place to sell insurance via the Net, consumers aren’t giving up the one night a year when they sit in their living rooms and listen to their agent pontificate about the advantages of "Plan A" versus "Plan B."

This dynamic might be changing. Insurers have cleared a huge hurdle for online sales — the need for a customer signature — either by using credit cards to bind coverage until the policy can be issued or by legalizing electronic signatures. Despite this advance, a very low percentage of insurance transactions are being handled online.

Few steps of forming a business relationship have more importance than qualifying the prospect's interest and commitment. It's a high-payoff and high-value use of your time, and leads to a constructive outcome for both parties in the relationship.

Insurance companies that embrace compliance automation position themselves for long-term success. While regulatory requirements will continue to evolve, businesses equipped with modern compliance tools can adapt quickly and efficiently. The investment in insurance compliance management software delivers returns through reduced operational risks, improved audit readiness, and enhanced regulatory relationships.