What's your agency's standard for quality? It seems unrealistic to expect quality standards of 100% . . . after all, nobody's perfect. Wouldn't life be a lot easier and less stressful if everyone accepted a certain amount of predictable human frailty and built in a margin for error? It could even be called something impressive and positive sounding-'acceptable quality level,' for example.

BUDGETING FOR NEW PRODUCERS by Chris Burand Few agencies consider the cost of new producers. Chris Burand explains why agencies wishing to grow or perpetuate need to focus on th...

CUSTOMERS: COMPLEXITY, INTANGIBLES, AND INSURANCE by Chris Burand During the past few months, regulations have been proposed that would require agents and brokers to provide clients co...

MANUFACTURING COMPANY EMBRACES EAP WORKING PARTNERS General Alum & Chemical Corporation in Holland, Ohio, manufactures liquid aluminum sulfate, a substance used primarily in paper manufacturing ...

THE ONE-MINUTE MARKETER by Mike Manes 'I expect to pay more to get less.' You wouldnt expect to hear this from your customers that often. Yet Mike Manes manages to derive ...

We all know the value that cross-selling brings to agencies. According to industry statistics, profit margins on the second sale are two to three times higher than the first and retention is 60% higher. Yet the average independent agency’s number of policies per customer hasn’t changed in 20 years. How can such a vital, well-publicized goal remain so elusive for so long? It’s as if we all know how to become millionaires but ignore the facts. The truth is that cross-selling is a complex process that can fail for a number of reasons.