There's nothing better for business than a booming economy. Unfortunately, it often encourages faulty thinking and spawns erroneous ideas. When sales are strong and profits meet projections, we're quick to take the credit. When things go sour, external forces get the blame.
A good economy tends to mask distorted thinking and inappropriate ideas. For example, personal computer sales have been drifting downward, even while prices have been dropping. Manufacturers are petrified. Out of near desperation, they jack up power to a sizzling 500 MHz to try to capture customer attention. Just as this happens, free PCs appear. In the midst of all this, one company rediscovers itself. To IBM's credit, it figured out what business it's in: solutions.

24-7 SERVICE PAYS by Pegi Flahault A recent survey indicated that the vast majority of agents surveyed believed their customer base did not want 24/7 service, voice mail, e-mail or anyth...

A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SMALL AGENCIES by Chris Burand Independent agencies, even small ones, definitely have a bright future. Offer better service related to a specific product or offe...

AGENCY GUARANTEES THAT WORK According to a Roper Report survey, a money-back guarantee is a much more effective advertising approach than a celebrity endorsement. Here's the breakdown of the survey ...

ALL-RISK DO YOU TAKE RISKS WITH YOUR BUSINESS? Dear (Customer Name): Most business owners have to take a few small risks if they're going to be successful. However, if you don't have All-Risk ins...

ANALYZING CUSTOMER PROBLEMS by Mary Beth Bolen The best customers are your existing customers. Some agree with that statement and some don't. There are some customers you'd probably rather b...

Career coaches and psychiatrists tell us that their clients suffer from a familiar set of traps when it comes to progressing in their careers. In this document, Don Phin explores some of the most common work-based traps.

I have always been a believer that the best salespeople we have working for us are our clerical staff. The biggest problem seems to be our lack of proper motivational tools to excite them into selling. I have attempted to change their method of thinking, and although our program is in its infancy, it appears to be a step in the right direction.

Nancy Newbee is the newest trainee for LOCO (Large Old Co.), Inc. She was hired because she's bright, articulate, well-educated, and motivated. She's in her second week of training.

DO's AND DONT's FOR DEALING WITH THE PRESS DOs 1. Appoint one person in your organization to be the media contact to answer media inquiries. All such calls should be referred to that p...