CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCE: BEST PRACTICES by Curtis Pearsall Certificates of insurance have been around for a long time. So why, after all these years, are they causing such an uproar? At...

CONSIDER A TWO-TIERED PRODUCER COMPENSATION SYSTEM by Chris Burand Is your producer compensation method outdated? Is it possible that theres a bettter way? This document by Chris ...

START NEW EMPLOYEES OUT ON A SAFE FOOT by Don Phin If your idea of orienting a new employee is to quickly introduce them around and show them the bathroom and the coffee room, you ...

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.

The No. 1 complaint from customers almost invariably involves communication . . . or lack of it. According to industry statistics,...