IS 70% OF YOUR MARKETING MISSING THE MARK? by Mitch Axelrod Answer this question: Why do you buy what you buy? Its commonly thought that people buy for one of two reasons: desire ...

IS CUSTOMER LOYALTY DEAD? by JoAnna Brandi When an agency meets some or all of our expectations we usually say that we're satisfied. When an agency goes a few steps further ...

IS THIS STILL YOUR FATHER'S AGENCY? by Pegi Flahault To paraphrase an automobile advertising slogan: Is this still your father's agency? Are you trying to run the agency the same way it was ru...

IS THIS WHAT YOU CALL SERVICE? by Pegi Flahault Insurance agents are always talking about service. Service to the customer-what does that mean? There's a huge gap between available technology...

Marketing may be second-nature in large companies, but smaller firms often have a tough time implementing, managing, and monitoring an effective marketing strategy. The 'marketing director' title is often conferred on the person designated to answer requests for sales literature, or given as an afterthought to the sales manager (who thinks that marketing is just another way of spelling s-a-l-e-s).

Improved communication has turned us into less adroit communicators. With e-mail, voice-mail, and cell phones, getting the message to another party is so easy that we no longer worry about the content of the message. Poor communications skills translate into lost business. This article by John Graham discusses these consequences and offers guidelines for improving communications.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BRAND: USING PUBLIC RELATIONS TO BRAND by Michael Maynard How do you brand your business? A catchy name and logo certainly help, and if you have an advertising budget t...

The major goal of any agency or brokerage can be expressed in just one word: survival.
The mounting failures involving seemingly strong, well-established businesses that have been around for 15 to 75 years are of great concern.
The time has come for agencies and brokerages to take immediate action in order to survive a protracted economic downturn that may extend for several more years in some sectors of business or regions of North America.

LAPTOPTRAVEL TIPS by Jack Fries ('...

What does it take to be an effective leader? How have the principles of leadership evolved? Mike Manes, with a little help from his friends, provides multiple perspectives on the roles that leaders must play in order to win.