lsquo;TAKE THE KID OFF MY POLICIEShellip; WHAT SHOULD YOUR INSURANCE AGENCY DO? by Curtis Pearsall, CPCU Recently, a long-time agency associate contacted me; during our c...

Selling insurance isn't easy. Agency principals, producers, and staff can still reap rewards, but their ranks are thinning under pressure from lower premiums, reduced commissions, and greater demands from carriers and clients. Add to this the ever-increasing expense of technology.
The formula for a great insurance career used to be simple: 'Work hard for 20 years building the book of business, and the book will take care of you for the 20 years after that.' Not anymore.

10 RULES FOR FAMILY-RUN BUSINESSES by Catherine Oak Family businesses can be a blessing or a disaster. The root of a well-run family business depends on treating it like a business, not a...

10-STEP REFERRAL PROSPECTING SYSTEM: SELLING/PROSPECTING/LEADS by Bill Cates You can create a steady flow of high-qual...

There's nothing better for business than a booming economy. Unfortunately, it often encourages faulty thinking and spawns erroneous ideas. When sales are strong and profits meet projections, we're quick to take the credit. When things go sour, external forces get the blame.
A good economy tends to mask distorted thinking and inappropriate ideas. For example, personal computer sales have been drifting downward, even while prices have been dropping. Manufacturers are petrified. Out of near desperation, they jack up power to a sizzling 500 MHz to try to capture customer attention. Just as this happens, free PCs appear. In the midst of all this, one company rediscovers itself. To IBM's credit, it figured out what business it's in: solutions.

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 QUICK AND EASY WEB MARKETING PLAN by Jack Fries Whether youre planning or upgrading your Web site, these proven principles can help. Web surfing is a fast-paced sport. ...

ADVERTISING FOR HELP by Al Diamond INSURANCE Licensed P/C agent. Benefits Call Sonja at (856) 555-5555 (Cost $27.36 for Sunday insertion) How attractive is this advertisement? Would you be ...

AGENCY AUTOMATION: FRIEND OR FOE PART 6 by Curt Pearsall In this last of this six-part series focusing on automation, Curt Pearsall examines the issues involved in protecting yourself...

AGENCY PRODUCTIVITY LEVELS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE by Carol Hammes Despite the ongoing soft market in Commercial lines, the average insurance agency continues to show improvement in productivity lev...