Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersma's book, The Discipline of Market Leaders, presents a compelling explanation of why some companies continually outperform their competitors. Their thesis rests on this premise: If a company is going to achieve and sustain dominance, it must first decide where it will stake its claim in the marketplace and what kind of value it offers customers.

RETAINING LIFETIME CUSTOMERS by Brenda French At renewal time, customers have one question that they expect their broker to answer: 'What have you done for me lately?' If that question is...

SURVEYS: THE RUBIK'S CUBE CHALLENGE by Mike Manes This is the latest in a series of articles on organizational management and leaders...

THE NEXT CHALLENGE: CUSTOMIZED DISTRIBUTION MODELS As the demand to identify and meet customer needs intensifies, the insurance industry is being challenged to respond with customized, multiple-...