AGENCY BROCHURES: GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS No marketing tool can tell an agency's story better or more effectively convince potential clients to put their trust in you than a b...

DESIGNING EFFECTIVE SURVEYS by Mike Manes This is the latest in a series of articles on organizational management and leadership by Mike Manes. The first article created a Management ...

EXCELLENT SERVICE IS MORE THAN A STATE OF MIND by E. Al Diamond When asked, 'What is your greatest strength?' most insurance agents will answer 'Excellent service.' Yet if all the age...

'We were all raised by mothers who told us we had one chance to make a first impression,' Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut once said. He added, 'And a first impression can last you awhile.' It’s all about first impressions making them and responding to them.

Why all the concern with first impressions? Why do we believe that the first contact makes such a difference? 'No one gets a second chance at making a first impression' — true, or just popular business lore? John Graham looks for the answers in this document.

Public relations is all about credibility, without which you have little chance of getting your message across. In this document, Michael Maynard asks you to ask yourself, 'Would I buy it?'

MARKET RESEARCH 101 -- DEFINING YOUR BUSINESS by Stephen Flowers Plenty of noise blurts about the value of service to an independent agency. Industry pundits keep repeating that su...

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