ESTABLISHING A TELEMARKETING DEPARTMENT You need to make two more decisions once you have definitely decided to set up a telemarketing unit within your agency. The first is whether your ...

FACEBOOK EXPANDS ADVERTISING OPTION by Steve Anderson As a follow-up to a recent TAAR article, 'Facebook Advertising' (October 2009), the company has expanded its demographic options t...

FIDUCIARY CLAIMS BECOME PECUNIARY PAIN Some chief executive officers (CEOs) think that fiduciary liability is solely the responsibility of the financial managers who manage and invest the money...

FINANCIAL RATINGS DON'T TELL ALL by Chris Burand In the past year, it hasn't been unusual to see reports of companies that have had their debt ratings lowered, although their ...

Why all the concern with first impressions? Why do we believe that the first contact makes such a difference? 'No one gets a second chance at making a first impression' — true, or just popular business lore? John Graham looks for the answers in this document.

How to determine if your agency or brokerage has a true sales culture

Even though you might be able to show extensive evidence that your agency is highly productive, profitable, or well capitalized, how do you measure your “sales culture?”

Today, an insurance professional must be an information specialist. Access to information can be vital in all specialized areas of insurance. Every agency has numerous books, both those published professionally and those published as company manuals and promotional materials, which are reference tools enabling more effective decisions. But where are the materials when you need them? Ideally, in a library using a database program and an efficient cataloging system.

Headlines in trade magazines and major newspapers announce thrift charters being approved for insurance companies, agreements being reached between federal bank regulators and state insurance departments, and financial services reform. In many ways, banks continue to increased their involvement in the Property/Casualty insurance market.

FOUR DYNAMIC MARKETING TIPS by Patricia Berry Basic marketing tactics often produce the most profitable results. Patricia Berry offers four examples that have proven highly effective for any ...

FRIENDLY COMPETITION by Don Phin In his book No Contest: The Case Against Competition, Alfie Kohn stresses that competition in an organization can become destructive unless it results in ...