COMMUNICATING THE GRAND VISION by Jack Burke Today, a good friend gave me a phone call that reinforced the importance of communication within an organization. To understand this s...

COMMUNICATING WITH THE MEDIA by Sally Praskey 'Reporters are like alligators; you don't have to love them, but you DO have to feed them.' Steven Poole, director of corporate communications, ...

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...

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 ...

CONSUMER ONLINE ACCESS: HELP YOUR CUSTOMERS HELP YOU by Rick Morgan Technology has had a profound impact on our everyday activities from fueling our vehicles to preparing our food ...

CSRs WHO SELL: SHOULD THEY BE TREATED LIKE PRODUCERS? by Virginia Bates Put your money where your mouth is. Whether principals and managers assume that employees unders...

CUSTOMERS: COMPLEXITY, INTANGIBLES, AND INSURANCE by Chris Burand During the past few months, regulations have been proposed that would require agents and brokers to provide clients co...

DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC Here's a real-life scenario from a CSR (KM) who felt she couldn't work with people effectively. After having worked in a large brokerage house in the same geographic a...

DEALING WITH THE THREAT OF VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE by Stephen Linzer If one of your employees calls you an obscene name and threatens to kill you, firing him or her might seem to be the appr...