AGENCY TELEPHONE PROCEDURES: HOW TO TAKE CALLS by Karen Flaherty Verbal Courtesy Courtesy pays off. It's hard to be mad at someone who's being nice, so be nice! Be generous with ...

If you’re in sales, you know the feeling. It’s the middle of the night about two weeks after starting a new job. You were enthusiastic and could hardly wait to get going. Now, your head is full of doubts. You try to shove them aside, but they don’t go away. “Everything is new,” you tell yourself. “I just need to give it a little more time.” However, the doubts keep coming back.
The gap between what you were told about the job and what’s actually happening grows wider by the day. After about three weeks, you finally ask yourself, “Have I made a mistake?”

If you're in sales, you can identify with this situation - about two weeks after starting a new job, you begin to doubt your decision. You detect a widening gap between what you were told to expect and what actually occurs. After only a month on the job, you conclude, 'I think I made a mistake.' You're probably right, because salespersons seem to be more prone to selecting the wrong job. Too often, their profession's tendency to stress the positive and minimize negative factors extend into their approach in choosing a job.

BINDER BILLING - NEW ACCOUNT Dear (Customer Name): RE: While your policy is in the process of being issued, please accept this (Binder Number) as evidence of coverage. As soon as the policy is ...

BUSINESS EVALUATION - BUSINESS ESTATE PLANNING HOW DO YOU PROTECT THE REAL VALUE OF YOUR BUSINESS? Dear (Customer Name): When a business owner dies, there are big expenses involved...

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.

DOES YOUR PREPARATION EXCEED YOUR PRESENTATION? by Preston Diamond Do you compare your presentations to a startup funding request for venture capital? How much money did you ask fo...

FLESHING OUT PRESENT ACCOUNTS THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSURANCE BUSINESS! Dear (Customer Name): Perhaps we don't say it often enough, but we sincerely appreciate serving you. As independent insurance ...

OBTAINING X-DATES AND QUALIFYING PROSPECTS TELEMARKETING SCRIPT Producer: Maybe you can help me. Who is the person responsible for your Business insurance? IF THEY ...

PHONE COURTESY REVISITED by Preston Diamond Good service over the phone means putting common courtesy into common practic...