IS THIS WHAT YOU CALL SERVICE? by Pegi Flahault Insurance agents are always talking about service. Service to the customer-what does that mean? There's a huge gap between available technology...

When I ask agency owners this question I get mixed responses that fall mainly into three categories:

“No, but we have not changed our website in years and need to ASAP and get more traffic

“No. We spent a lot of money and time on a recent redesign, but we are not getting the results we expected.”

“Well, we recently redesigned and we like the look of it, it’s cool, but it doesn’t seem to be working for us in terms of traffic.”

The common theme among all of them is this ROI – “We are not getting great results.”

Many producers, whether they're involved in agency management or not, depend on CSRs to help maintain their current book and deal with...

Marketing may be second-nature in large companies, but smaller firms often have a tough time implementing, managing, and monitoring an effective marketing strategy. The 'marketing director' title is often conferred on the person designated to answer requests for sales literature, or given as an afterthought to the sales manager (who thinks that marketing is just another way of spelling s-a-l-e-s).

Selling isn’t about making sales — it’s about engaging customers, entering into a conversation with them, and letting them respond when they’re ready to buy. That’s called marketing, and marketing makes sales. In this article, John Graham uses Krispy Kreme Donuts as an example of how a company finds ways to create excitement and build customer loyalty.

As the corporate misdeeds of executives continue to dominate the news, we hear about the curses of greed and immorality. But John Graham calls these executives disloyal. This article focuses on the importance of loyalty in a company and the need to hire loyal employees.
It’s time to get our heads on straight. That 60s phrase is a perfect fit for today’s confused and disturbing business climate, as each newscast brings darker revelations of corporate abuse.

ITS TIME TO HIRE PRODUCERS! by Preston Diamond With so many people unemployed and others hanging on to jobs with which theyre dissatisfied, it should be easy to find new su...

The international insurance market offers a variety of benefits to independent agents and brokers. It provides a perfect tool for solidifying your Commercial Lines accounts and insulating them from inroads being made by alphabet house brokers. International insurance operations also offer an entree to new product lines and markets that will expand your facilities abroad. For example, U.S. agents can introduce their expertise in such lines as Auto, Medical, Surety, and Workers' Compensation to third-world countries that are privatizing these coverages. Canadian brokers can expand their expertise in out-of-country private Medical insurance and, potentially, Workers' Compensation.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BRAND: USING PUBLIC RELATIONS TO BRAND by Michael Maynard How do you brand your business? A catchy name and logo certainly help, and if you have an advertising budget t...

ITS HUNKER- DOWN TIME! by Edward Curry How well is your agency prepared to deal with todays economic and market woes? Now might be a good time to...