What you want will only get done if you make it an A+ priority. Jack Fries tells you how a business plan can reward you with survival, planned growth, and profit.

'Nothing happens until somebody sells something.' Traditionally, in the independent insurance agency that 'somebody'...

CUSTOMER SERVICE: THE FIRST IMPRESSION by Skip Hyken It takes eight to 12 good experiences to make up for a single bad impression. To renew the confidence in a customer, yo...

CUSTOMER SERVICE: THE WOW! FACTOR by Shep Hyken The Wow! factor boils down to one thing: Exceeding the expectations of the customer. It goes beyond great customer service. In ...

FROM GOOD TO GREAT: ONE AGENCY'S ODYSSEY TO IMPROVED CUSTOMER RELATIONS by Edgar J. Higgins Jr., CPCU For nearly 10 years, our agency has focused on improving efficiency and changing int...

It's a world in which insurance is converging with financial services, virtual companies are challenging traditional suppliers for market space, and agencies and brokerages are feeling the competition from new distribution channels.

It's easy to lose sight of the fact that agencies are in the service business. But consider that all agents sell the same product-insurance. Why do some agencies blossom while others wilt? Service and marketing are keys. Too often, getting new customers (through marketing) is emphasized at the expense of keeping customers (through service). You have to do a first-rate job at both to have first-rate growth and to control expenses

John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm. Mr. Graham is the author of The New Magnet Marketing and of 203 Ways to Be Supremely Successful in the New World of Selling. He can be contacted at 40 Oval Rd., Quincy, MA 02170, (617) 328-0069, fax (617) 471-1504, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.grahamcomm.com.