The goal in business is to outdistance the competition and make profitable sales by producing more customer-friendly products or services. To reach this goal, you need an advantage to improve your batting average-but it's getting more difficult and complicated to obtain this advantage, let alone keep it.

'So dawn goes down today, nothing gold can stay.'
Robert Frost
'There are no more power elites.'
Manuel Castels in The Information Age
The painfully obvious implication of these quotes can be seen in the business world: IBM pulls its PCs out of retail venues because it no longer considers them profitable. The Wall Street Journal reported that in 1998, there were $301 billion in sales via the Internet, while the manufacturing sector did $350 billion in overall business. It took the Internet roughly 36 months to reach this figure; manufacturing needed 150 years.

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 NEW LOOK AT THE SALE OF LIFE INSURANCE TO CHILDREN More children die from injuries than from disease, reports a Wall Street Journal item which quotes specialists at the Johns Hopkins Children's Ce...

Confusion over agency bill vs. direct bill options has caused an E&O claim or two. Curtis Pearsall illustrates the consequences of this confusion with an example.

AGENCY TELEPHONE PROCEDURES: TIME MANAGEMENT by Karen Flaherty Transferring Telephone Calls There are calls you will not handle personally but will transfer to supervisors or co-wo...

AN ATTENTION-GETTER PAVING THE WAY COVERAGE: Total Service PROSPECTS: Prospective Clients COMMENTS: An Attention-Getter Paving the Way for Future Follow-Up. Dear (Customer Name), 3 THINGS...

CAN YOU DO BUSINESS AT A FAMILY EVENT? by Bill Cates You can - but be very careful! If your friends perceive you as trying to do business at a wedding, it could hurt your chanc...

COMPANY UNDERWRITING COMMUNICATION One advantage of computerization is the ability to mass-produce customized information - letters, application forms, or submissions for quotes....

COMPANY UNDERWRITING COMMUNICATION One advantage of computerization is the ability to mass-produce customized information - letters, application forms, or submissions for quotes. How often have you p...