AGENCY SURVIVOR: OUT-SELL, OUT-MARKET, OUT-COMPETE! by Robert C. Smith Make sure that your agency doesnt get voted off the island. Mor...

Stephen Covey wrote a seminal book on how to run your life and your business, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It’s a must read to fully understand the concepts of this article. Once you've read the book read it again at least once every quarter until you've absorbed these ideas into your psyche and are living those seven habits. One of the seminal habits is “Begin with the end in Mind”. However, an even more important principle of life and business is always do what’s right for the end user.

CHANGING AGENCY-COMPANY RELATIONS by Bobby Reagan On January 26-27, 1998, Reagan & Associates and the Independent Insurance Agents of America (IIAA) sponsore...

Do you regularly negotiate such contractual issues as commission rates, growth goals, etc. with your companies?

Congratulations to the 57% who responded, “Yes!” Based on those positive responses, it appears that agencies of all sizes are negotiating. Negotiations aren't limited to larger agencies. If these agents weren't succeeding in their negotiations, even in a hard market, they'd be giving up. Although 57% is a good percentage, I'd love to see this number keep growing. If you aren't negotiating contractual issues with your companies, isn't it time to begin?

One of the most common questions we hear during consultation involves compensation for owner/producers, existing producers, and new producers. The principal question is how much and how to pay for production that compensates salespeople fairly and gives them incentives for continued growth.

The answer is complex because the same compensation models don't fit all producers.

CREATING A LEGENDARY AGENCY by Al Diamond A 'legendary' agency is one that loses customers only when the customer dies, moves, or sells the business. It has a regular, measurable flow o...

GROWTH VS. PROFITABLE GROWTH by Chris Burand Revenue growth for its own sake doesnt make sense. In an industry that prizes sales, its no wonder that so many sales p...

How you value your L/H book of will impact perpetuation, profits, and cross-selling opportunities.

PRODUCER RELATIONS by Carol Hammes Despite tough market conditions and economic recessions, some insurance agencies are thriving. While the average agency has grown at an annual r...

YOUR AGENCY IN 2020 by Al Diamond Youll face a variety of challenges in planning for today - and the next decade. THE PAST ...