Dear (Customer Name), ARE YOU FED UP? By insurance, that is. If so, I understand. Quite frankly, so is the rest of the world. That's why... NOW,...

COMMUNICATE WITH EMPLOYEES! by Al Diamond Treat your employees like customers - not children! Most agency principals have owned one or two agencies and have been ...

COMMUNITY BANK INSURANCE SALES: THE OUTLOOK by James Campbell Are community banks being left behind as the bank insurance business lurches forward? While nine of every 10 U.S. banks with gr...

Do you regularly negotiate such contractual issues as commission rates, growth goals, etc. with your companies?

Congratulations to the 57% who responded, “Yes!” Based on those positive responses, it appears that agencies of all sizes are negotiating. Negotiations aren't limited to larger agencies. If these agents weren't succeeding in their negotiations, even in a hard market, they'd be giving up. Although 57% is a good percentage, I'd love to see this number keep growing. If you aren't negotiating contractual issues with your companies, isn't it time to begin?

COMPENSATING THE CROSS-SELL by John Jaques A simple method for cross-selling employee benefit coverages to Property/Casualty clients is to establish a disciplined program for the ...

Very few employees will leave your agency simply for more money. They will usually have other valid (to them) reasons that, when also combined with a higher salary, push them to seek employment elsewhere. If a review of the compensation survey results (from another Middleton letter) confirmed that your agency is paying people within a reasonable range of 'average,' the level of compensation should not be of major concern. What you do have to worry about is how you are paying those dollars and how your management philosophy and style complement the overall compensation administration plan.

The determination of adequate compensation levels for the staff is one of the most difficult issues...

COMPENSATION PROGRAMS THAT ATTRACT, RETAIN, AND MOTIVATE TOP PERFORMERS by Suzy Hammet Dont jump to the conclusion that you have to offer top-dollar salaries to attract the most ta...

CONGRATULATIONS LETTER Dear (Customer Name), I would like to congratulate you on becoming a new member of The Greater Boston Chamber Of Commerce. I am sure you will find your mem...

CONSULTANTS: ARE THEY USEFUL? by Chris Burand Consultants, when properly used, can be a great benefit to your agency. As a resource with varied agency experiences, as ...