E-commerce is influencing the insurance industry in subtle ways. Instead of being a dramatic paradigm shift, it seems to...

EVERYONE WANTS A WINNER by Tom Barrett As sales and marketing professionals continue conversations about increasing productivity, decreasing expenses, and boosting sales, the same c...

The bar has been raised in order to qualify 'expert witnesses.' Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence** addresses the qualification of expert witnesses, as do procedural rules at the state level. This document by Roy Phillips and Thomas Veitch gives you the details.

EXPLAINS HARD MARKET Dear (Customer Name): You've probably noticed that your insurance rates have increased. It's nothing personal. The insurance industry is in what is ...

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN AN UNCERTAIN MARKETPLACE by Carol Hammes It takes a lot of planning to attain higher growth rates and lower expense levels. The first step in the process is to evalua...

FINANCIAL RATINGS DON'T TELL ALL by Chris Burand In the past year, it hasn't been unusual to see reports of companies that have had their debt ratings lowered, although their ...

FINDING AGENCY PERSONNEL by John Caswell 'Good help is hard to find.' That old adage has never seemed more true, given the increasing difficulty employers are experiencing when looking to fill an ...

To embrace — and benefit from — change, follow these guidelines.
Unrelenting and increasingly rapid change demands that the insurance industry rapidly uncover new ways to evaluate and respond to its marketplace.
I’ve worked with many highly successful insurance companies and agencies, helping them achieve higher levels of profitability through more sales, customer and employee loyalty, and retention. However, in many of these organizations, management remained blind to the dire need to change, despite its apparent desire to achieve higher profits. Managers can’t see the compelling need to change from the ways that allowed the organization to be successful in the first place.

GIRAFFES, EGGS, FROGS, AND OTHER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES by Emily Huling Bringing out the best in employees takes creativity. A successful boss treats customers and employees ...

GOOD TELEPHONE SKILLS MEAN SUCCESS by Jack Burke Nearly 20 years ago, as manager of a growing automotive leasing company, I was researching specialty bus manufacturers to represent. It ha...