USING A SMALL, HANDY GIFT Have you ever gotten a little promotional gadget in the mail that turned out to be so handy, you wondered how you ever functioned without it? Bottle openers, ov...

In an increasingly complex and fluid business environment the need for proper planning is greater than ever. Where do you begin? David Stambaugh provides an outline to move your agency in the right direction.

In a complex and fluid business environment, this planning outline can help move your agency in the right direction.

“I’m farming as hard as I can but I know I’m not farming as smart as I can.”

USING SOCIAL MEDIA: PROPER PLANNING AND EXECUTION MAKES IT WORK by Curtis Pearsall Youve probably heard the numbers: the overwhelming majority of Americans use some form of social...

John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm. Mr. Graham is the author of The New Magnet Marketing and of 203 Ways to Be Supremely Successful in the New World of Selling. He can be contacted at 40 Oval Rd., Quincy, MA 02170, (617) 328-0069, fax (617) 471-1504, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.grahamcomm.com.

WEBSITE MARKETING: A BALANCING ACT by Richard Barry Although this article gets down to basics, it's not an introduction to website development or a 101 approach to interactive Internet c...

WHAT ABOUT THE YEARLY ACCOUNT REVIEW? by Grace Bauer Have you ever thought about completing a yearly account review of your insureds in Commercial and Personal lines? You might be thinking,...

WHAT DO CLIENTS NEED? THAT DEPENDS ON THE CLIENT by Mary Beth Bolen Your job title is customer service representative (or customer service agent) -- but just what does that mean? What is the ex...

Far from just another sales technique or gimmick, Productive Selling Attitude (PSA) is a fundamental approach to making sales.

PSA is emerging from a clear understanding of how customers think, as well as from the expectations of suppliers and vendors.

Only those who are brutally honest with themselves really make it in sales - this means admitting that it is getting more difficult to "make the sale."

The obstacles to success are everywhere. Automated telephone systems serve as an impenetrable wall. The fear of making a wrong decision creates endless delays and false starts.

WHAT'S A CUSTOMER WORTH? by Al Diamond You work hard to sell insurance to new customers, we all know that, and that is why we pay for marketing and advertising to prospects, the general public...