PUT CUSTOMERS FIRST Without competition, producers would eventually become complacent and ineffective. Competition is necessary for growth. If salespeople had an exclusive product or service with ex...

RISK MANAGEMENT: MAXIMIZE GOOD AND MINIMIZE BAD by Mike Manes Risk management provides a powerful tool for serving your clients and growing your bottom line. Every per...

SALES PERSONS/SAMPLES Dear (Customer Name): THESE SAMPLES AREN'T FREE! You have a lot of money tied up in the samples your salespeople display. When they take their samples on the road, ...

SCHEDULING INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS by Jack Burke It's 5 p.m. Your 'to do' list looks almost as long as it did this morning. There's a 7 a.m. meeting in the morning and your spouse jus...

SELF-INSURANCE Dear (Customer Name): IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE RIGHT ... ... you've got to do it yourself. So goes the old adage, and today many businesspeople feel this way about prote...

SELLING YOUR AGENCY: ASSET vs STOCK SALE by Gary Jacobson, JD, and Larry Morrison, CMA, CLU, ChFC Which type of sale is right for your agency? INTRODUCTION: Most ag...

Chances are, you are like the majority of individuals who have reached middle age. The primary concerns in your life are paying your monthly bills, making sure your children receive a good education, as well as the all-important goal of saving some money every month for retirement. At this point, it seems a long way off, but do not be deceived; it will be here sooner than you think. You might have heard about Long-Term Care insurance, but you probably dismissed it with questions such as “What is it?” or “Who needs it?”

SOFT MARKET - DISCUSS COST Dear (Customer Name): Thank you for the expiration date of your ( ) insurance. We can't promise your company will save money, but experience has shown that there are man...

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURES MANUALS INCREASE REVENUE by Grace Bauer Does your agency follow specific steps for training employees to execute its procedures? Has your agency reviewed its procedur...

TARGET CORPORATIONS Dear (Customer Name): What do IBM and Exxon-Mobil Corporation have in common? An organized risk management team to show them the best ways to protect their assets. Professional ...