ANNUAL STRATEGIC PLANNING by Al Diamond Implementing plans within an agency is certainly not unheard of and often works as well as the planning and organizational skills of the agency...

ARE YOU RUNNING IN PLACE OR RUNNING THE RACE? by Al Diamond In this document, Al Diamond identifies the four phases of agent activity that define the effectiveness of...

I recently read four news items that relate to how consumers perceive Life insurance:
Insurance companies are “horrible” at getting people to understand what they’re talking about.
Surveys show that insurers are at, or near, the bottom of simplicity ratings.
More than 60% of people who own Life insurance have no idea what they own or how it works; and 29% said that although they need more insurance, no one has asked them about it.
More than one in four (26%) of Americans prefer to buy Life insurance through the internet, mail, or over the phone.

ASKS FOR REFERRALS Dear (Customer Name): You've been a valued customer for years at (Your Agency Name). As a discerning client, you recognize quality service. (Your Agency Name) is concerned w...

ASSESSING YOUR FIRM'S RESOURCES by Bill Schoeffler and Catherine Oak Today, it is critical for insurance agents and brokers to plan their own destiny. One can never be quite c...

AVOID THESE COMMON ACCOUNTING MISTAKES by Chris Burand Some agents make a conscious decision to pay more in taxes in order to bu...

The speakers on the tape I was listening to said, 'When you complete the process of rearing your children, you want to be...

BANKS, INVESTMENT FIRMS, AND INSURANCE AGENCIES: IT'S THE CULTURE! by Michael Manes James Carville, the 'Ragin' Cajun' of political consultants, achieved fame by observing,'It's the...

BEST PRACTICES FOR AGENCY MANAGERS: LOOK BEYOND THE NUMBERS by Robert C. Smith Taking the financial and operational performance results of the Best Practices Study and building manag...

BETTER CONTINGENCIES EQUAL MORE PROFITS by Chris Burand Many insurance companies try to boost profits by reducing contingency payments - not a smart move. A go...