BETTER CONTINGENCIES EQUAL MORE PROFITS by Chris Burand Many insurance companies try to boost profits by reducing contingency payments - not a smart move. A go...

BREAKING THE SUCCESS BARRIER by Kenneth Davis An invisible barrier is holding you back. It's the reason why many of us aren't achieving the goals we set for ourselves. It has been constructed bric...

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...

Many readers have been asking me for scripts that cover the first phone call to a new referral prospect. Obviously, this first call will vary greatly for a number of reasons: The nature of your business, the circumstances of the referral, and whether or not your client introduced you in some way — just to name a few.

CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? by Al Diamond Conflict Resolution in Insurance Agencies You tell your clients and your carriers that your agency staff is not just professional and expert in the...

CEMENT RELATIONSHIPS TO BUILD RETENTION Service today should center on building lasting relationships-with the customer and with the companies the agency represents. Two fundamental types of CSR con...

CHANGE IS A CERTAINTY by Al Diamond Attempting to maintain the same old business practices in a changing environment is as futile as trying to sit stationary in a rising tide. As ind...

Ten years ago it took $5 million in total agency revenues and about $30 million in Property/Casualty premiums to land on the top 100 agency list. Now an agency needs to have in excess of $10 million in revenues and $60 million in premiums to make the cut. Ten years ago the average independent agency in the country had $250,000 in total revenues with six to seven people. Today the average is close to $600,000 in revenues, also with six to seven people. To use a phrase from Bob Dylan, "the times, they are a changing."

There may come a time when your agency's communications needs exceed the capabilities of in-house personnel. You want to concentrate on producing new business, developing products, and servicing clients. Who has the time and expertise to create newspaper or radio advertising-or perform the myriad public relations functions necessary to keep your agency in the public eye?

CLAIMS MANAGEMENT: AN IMPORTANT PART OF A SUCCESSFUL INSURANCE PROGRAM by Elizabeth Shaw, CPCU This writing is based on one simple premise: The integration of claims management into a commercia...