“Moments of truth” occurs whenever CSRs and producers talk to a customer on the phone or in person. It’s important that each member of the agency be prepared for this contact. The impression left with the client or prospect will determine their future relationship with your agency. Because the ultimate goal of any business is to obtain and retain customers, it’s essential for you to create the proper image at the moment of truth. Some of the key factors in managing the moment of truth are:

MANAGING AGENCY WORKFLOW: GETTING THINGS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME by Grace Bauer Getting things right the first time depends largely on developing a program to review and audit procedures on a...

PARTNERING WITH CARRIERS by Al Diamond Trust between you and your carriers must be a two-way street. Agencies have given carriers as many reasons to distrust their commitments ...

SCHEDULING INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS by Jack Burke It's 5 p.m. Your 'to do' list looks almost as long as it did this morning. There's a 7 a.m. meeting in the morning and your spouse jus...

SELECTING THE RIGHT LIFE PRODUCER Dear Dave, As president and sole stock- holder of a $3 million P/C agency, I have decided to set up a Life/Benefits department, probably as a sep...

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.

One of the biggest frustrations in the world of business is meeting someone, shaking hands, exchanging thoughts and ideas, and promptly forgetting their name. Most articles about this subject are aimed at improving name retention.

WHEN A CAREER TURNS INTO A LIFE SENTENCE by Al Diamond If you're thinking about transferring your agency to younger family members, make sure that you're helping them into...

We aren't born to withhold; we had to learn this behavior. And if we learned it, we can unlearn it. Mitch Axelrod teaches you how to become more aware, more conscious of how, what, and from whom you withhold.

COMMERCIAL INSURANCE AUDIT PROCEDURE In most agencies, audits are processed much like all other types of mail. Because of the adverse financial impact that an audit can have upon an agency, it i...