ACHIEVING SUCCESS BY DEFINING SERVICE Sometimes defining a problem goes halfway toward solving it. When warring factions spend months to determine the shape of the table for peace talks, for in...

You could be better off by acquiring a sales superstar than buying another agency.

Every year the numbers seem to get more outrageous. Pay levels for “impact player” athletes such as LeBron James and Tiger Woods continue to climb into the stratosphere. And it isn’t just athletes. You name the endeavor, whether it’s in the business, entertainment, or even the academic world, and there’s a near-universal phenomenon occurring: Impact player inflation. Despite the fact that it drives a lot of people crazy to hear that some people are making so much money, there’s a simple reason for the inflation: The impact players are worth it.

ADDING VALUE TO A FAMILY BUSINESS by Pegi Flahault A long time ago, agencies thrived by simply writing enough policies, attending enough meetings, making enough contacts, and re...

ADJUSTING EXPECTATATIONS --- AND THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND by Jon Persky Back in the 1960s and 1970s, it wasnt unusual to find people who worked for the same company for their entire...

Here's a letter I received recently:
Dear Dave:
I am the manager of a four-person Life/Benefits department of a P/C agency. The agency is set up with profit centers such as Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, Surety, and Life/Benefits. Each profit center shares in the common overhead of the agency office supplies, salaries, etc.
I have no problem having my department pay for what it uses.

ADVERTISING FOR HELP by Al Diamond INSURANCE Licensed P/C agent. Benefits Call Sonja at (856) 555-5555 (Cost $27.36 for Sunday insertion) How attractive is this advertisement? Would you be ...

ADVICE ON DEVELOPING A PRODUCER RECRUITMENT PROGRAM 'What advice would you offer an independent agency on a step-by-step basis, for deve...

AGENCIES AND BROKERAGES OF THE FUTURE How will the agency/brokerage of the future be managed, and what will be its profile? A preview of the future should help insurance companies determine what valu...

AGENCIES ARE GETTING HELP THESE DAYS! by Grace Bauer Every agency I talk to these days wants help. 'How can we be better?' 'How can we stay in touch with the client?' 'How can w...

AGENCY ACQUISITIONS: LET THE BUYER BE SMART Every independent agency in the country will experience a change in ownership at least once in its lifetime. Close to one-third of agencies h...