GOOD TELEPHONE SKILLS MEAN SUCCESS by Jack Burke Nearly 20 years ago, as manager of a growing automotive leasing company, I was researching specialty bus manufacturers to represent. It ha...

HOW TO EVALUATE AND PAY CSRs By Bill Schoeffler and Catherine Oak The value of a great customer service representative (CSR) can't be underestimated-just ask any agency owner ...

Dear Dave:

Our agency has hired a full-time Life producer to handle Personal Lines only. We believe we have enough accounts to justify that move. She tested well for personality and potential, but she is fairly new in the Life business. She is closing about one out of four presentations, which sounds fine for a relative beginner, since the closing average for all agents is about one out of three. But since she deals with many Mortgage policies and writes reducing Term policies at fairly low premiums, the bottom-line dollars are low. We need to create more cash flow. What can you suggest?

LIVE THE CARE IN CUSTOMER CARE! by Grace Bauer You probably have a clear idea of what you expect from your producers. What about your support staff? Do you have procedures for your rece...

PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS FOR CSRs by Mary Beth Bolen Education is often termed a 'ticket to success'-and with good reason! More and more career-conscious agents and their office-support perso...

The following section is a varied and important one to a profitable independent agency. In it, you will learn the basis of the Sales Center concept and how Sales Centers have brought increased profitability, retention, and total-account sales into many agencies.

Many agencies establish a Sales Center with their existing personnel, or hire an additional administrative or customer service person to take over additional duties. Others find that the increased efficiency of a Sales Center allows them to expand their marketing efforts, and they hire an in-house or outside telemarketing staff to keep leads coming in to producers.

Here's a letter I received recently:
Dear Dave:
I work for a $3.5 million P/C agency with about 60% Commercial and 40% Personal in premium volume. One in-house Life producer handles Commercial and Personal lines, sometimes with outside help. But she doesn't write any Disability policies at all; she considers Disability insurance a specialty that she doesn't want to sell. Should I try to talk her into it, pressure her into it, or just let it go? I don't want to add another full-time Life agent unless he/she would become profitable early on; it took two years for my present Life agent to reach profitability. What are my alternatives?

SERVICE EXCELLENCE: ANTICIPATING NEEDS by Mary Beth Bolen Making a movie requires several types of people-directors, producers, actors, and crew members-who have specific roles to play in expedi...

SEVEN MANAGEMENT KEYS GO BEYOND SURVIVAL by John Jaques For independent agencies to thrive in today's tough economic environment, agency management must actively and strongly implement sev...

SHARK-PROOF YOUR ACCOUNTS! by David Connolly Use this strategy to insulate newly written accounts against the comeback attack of the incumbent agent. Youve sold y...