TELEPHONE PROSPECTING TECHNIQUES THAT GET RESULTS One of the best articles IMMS has seen about getting through to prospective clients was written by a pro, Ed Drake of SAFECO. SAFECO is,...

TELEPHONE TIPS FOR THE FAINT OF HEART by Mitchell Axelrod The telephone is one of the most powerful business tools ever created. But too many people underuse it. Are you making...

TEN REASONS WHY AGENTS NEED A STRATEGIC ADVISORY BOARD by Andrew Barile Privately owned retail agents, wholesalers, and MGAs can benefit by creating a Strategic Advisory Board of executi...

TEN STRATEGIES TO AVOID THE BRUSHOFF FROM NEW REFERRAL PROSPECTS by Bill Cates Even referral prospects can give you the brush of if you dont approach them properly. Here are a ...

TEN TIPS THAT FIRE UP LEADS Networking is fundamental to lead generation, but many prospects do not know how to network properly. Ten networking tips, offered by Bob Burg, president...

In this document, Jack Fries excerpts questions from the Sales Success Profile, a sales skill test developed by Lousig-Nont and Associates (Las Vegas). The Sales Success Profile is the only sales test on the market based on assessing actual selling skills, not personality.

THAT PERSONAL TOUCH by Grace Bauer Are you still sending those personal thank-you notes to your insureds throughout the year? How about the initial claim letter expressing your concern an...

THE 'CHICKEN LITTLE' SYNDROME by Brian Burke 'Brokers to Decline as Direct Sales Gain,' read the headline of the lead story in the Agent/Broker section of a r...

The preceding article examined five common agency marketing mistakes, together with remedies for these errors. This second in a two-part series by John Graham provides a list of five more mistakes and the reality checks that can overcome them.

Mistake #6. Failure to base decisions on fact. Marketing isn't about what you want to sell; it's about what someone wants to buy.

We've all heard that the essence of marketing is to find a need and fill it. Well, unless you have deep pockets or know exactly what the world needs, your marketing efforts will yield a better response if you follow this formula instead: Find a want and fill it.
Most of us have enough food, shelter, clothing, and transportation-we don't need much more. But we want more. We need food, but we want fast foods, diet foods, or gourmet foods. Most of us don't need a 2 1/2-bath home or expensive designer clothes, but we want them. We may need a car, but we want a Lexus or a BMW.