Planning

This checklist outlines the major factors an insurance agency and a producer should consider in negotiating an employment agreement. It should not be construed as a specimen contract or agreement but merely a guide for reaching a meeting of the minds over subjects important to both parties. If you are engaged in this kind of negotiation now, use this form to check off these considerations in the blocks provided, as they are agreed upon. Be sure to consult an attorney for assistance in drafting the legal language necessary to implement a formal contract.

CHOOSING AN ACCOUNTANT by Chris Burand The agency external accountant plays an integral part in every agency's operations. After reviewing many agencies financials, I've seen the unfortunate ...

CLAIM PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES by Mary Beth Bolen Of all the things a customer service representative (CSR) does for clients, you and the agency are most directly affected by the clients' receptio...

CLUSTER TIPS by Chris Burand Cluster contracts among individual agencies or groups of agencies (not necessarily the major cluster-type agency organizations) are almost alw...

CLUSTERING REVISITED by Roy Phillips Learn from this clustering success story. In the 1980s, some enterprising insurance agency owners introduced the...

The cluster concept has been a popular one for doctors, dentists, realtors, and others for many years. Insurance agency clusters have been around for a few decades, but interest in them intensified during the hard market of the early 1980s. At that time, smaller agencies banded together to protect themselves against increasing carrier demands brought on by tighter market conditions.

CLUSTERS - ARE THEY RIGHT FOR YOU? by Val Jordan As an independent agent, you know that it's becoming increasingly difficult to find products and services. Carriers have incr...

COACHING SALESPEOPLE by Bob Ayrer All of the selling expertise and rah-rah sales rallies in the world dont mean a thing unless you can convert this knowledge into skill ...

COACHING WINNERS by Brenda French 'Remember, the purpose of effective coaching is to catch your employees doing something right!' Two of the most-common reasons for small-busines...

COMBINING INCENTIVE COMPENSATION WITH EMPLOYEE EVALUATIONS by Al Diamond An effective Incentive Compensation Program will benefit your staff - and your agency. An Inc...