CREDIT SCORES: CATCH 22 by Fred Dent Its important to build and maintain good credit reports. In addition, its now essential to monitor credit reports faithfully ...

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...

DONT MAKE PROMISES TO CLIENTS THAT YOU CANT KEEP! by Maribeth Kusmeski Did you ever make a big promise you cant keep? Often, theres a disconnect separating wha...

GOOD UNDERWRITING SUBMISSIONS GUARANTEE MORE SALES by Thomas Carpenter, CPCU Nothing is more discouraging to an experienced, professional large account underwrite...

Remember, as salespeople we want to hear objections. When buyers send out these signals, they're giving you clues about their interest. Give the buyer a chance to make the decision based on the information you've provided. If you've done a good job throughout the sales process, the objections you hear should enable you to reconfirm your value to the buyer and close the sale.

OFFICE SAFETY AND SECURITY: WHAT WORKERS NEED TO KNOW AND DO Although most people think of business places as safe and serene, in fact theyre rife with risks, both inside and outside the...

PRODUCER COMPENSATION AND THE IMPACT OF VESTING AND OWNERSHIP by Carol Hammes There are probably no two hotter topics for insurance agency principals than producer compensation and ag...

QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEWING AGENCY ACCOUNTING OR CFO CANDIDATES 1. How do you recommend we book direct-bill commissions-on an as-received basis or by accrual? This question has three parts: ...

STAY FOCUSED ON SALES AND THE CLIENT The Dartnell Corporation, Chicago, IL, points out that the day-to-day activities of sales can easily distract producers from selling. Phone calls, meetings, paper...

TEN TIPS THAT FIRE UP LEADS Networking is fundamental to lead generation, but many prospects do not know how to network properly. Ten networking tips, offered by Bob Burg, president...