DIVORCE AND AGENCY VALUE: SEPARATING GOODWILL by Roy Phillips In my agency valuation work with agents and their spouses in divorce cases over the past 15 years, the issue of profe...

DOES EVERY CUSTOMER'S OPINION COUNT? NO! by Chris Burand A customer at a luxury car dealership complained to the salesperson, 'These additional features are unnecessary and certainly n...

EIGHT STEPS TO HIRING A PRODUCER by John Jaques Use this proven system to recruit, screen, and monitor star producers. Adding a new producer often results in failure for both the ag...

EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE REWARDS by Carol Hammes More than 14% of all full-time workers in the United States switched jobs this past year. Turnover hits the bottom line of a business very...

Distinguish between the terms “non-compete” and “non-piracy.”

In its basic terms, a Non-Compete clause protects the agency against a former employee taking accounts that they produced or for which they were responsible while an agency employee. A Non-Piracy clause protects the agency from a former employee taking any agency accounts, whether or not they were responsible for producing or servicing them.

ENJOY INSTANT GRATIFICATION - BE A GREAT PROSPECTOR by Preston Diamond Stamp the p word on your brain like a tatto...

ESTABLISHING A MARKETING DEPARTMENT - AND WHO SHOULD RUN IT by Catherine Oak and Bill Schoeffler Agencies that establish an effective centralized marketing department as...

EVALUATING BANK OPPORTUNITIES by Carol Hammes Faced with shrinking profit margins from their traditional products and services, financial institutions have been searching for ways...

EVALUATING PRODUCERS by Catherine Oak The more effectively your agency evaluates and manages producers, the better for them and you. Whos responsible for sales managem...

EXTERNAL GROWTH WITH SUCCESSFUL ACQUISITIONS by Carol Hammes Be prepared to do an acquisition before the opportunity presents itself. INTRODUCTION Most agencies will have the opportu...