HOW DO COMPANIES SET THEIR RATES? by Chris Burand The market determines the price of gasoline, toys, and cars. The market, not actuaries, determines the price of insurance, too. Chris B...

MAXIMIZE PROFITS WITH CONTINGENCY CONTRACTS by Chris Burand Make sure that youre getting all you can out of your contingencies. According to the Academy of Producer Insu...

OWNERSHIP OF A PRODUCER'S BOOK: A BETTER WAY by Larry Morrison and Gary Jacobson Some agencies choose to offer key producers an 'ownership' interest in the producer's b...

PERPETUATION IN FAMILY-OWNED AGENCIES: PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES By Paige Proctor Perpetuation through family members is one of the most common forms of extending an agency into...

Two major problems for insurance sales professionals are the limitations of their own mind-set and the lack of definition.

STRATEGIC VS. TACTICAL COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE by Patricia Berry Any information about a competitor is i...

The preceding article examined five common agency marketing mistakes, together with remedies for these errors. This second in a two-part series by John Graham provides a list of five more mistakes and the reality checks that can overcome them.

Mistake #6. Failure to base decisions on fact. Marketing isn't about what you want to sell; it's about what someone wants to buy.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTRACTS by Al Diamond I have just completed expert witness testimony in a trial of a specialty insurance agency against two former employees and a large firm accused o...

Motivational speakers love to put the word “secret” in the title of their presentations. I’ve sat through many sessions, and I’ve always wondered what kind of “secret” you can tell on the stage of a packed auditorium?

THE WEB: A POTENT COMPETITOR by Chris Burand Internet sales of insurance hasnt conquered our industry, but it is a competitor. How do you combat it? At what price differ...