MAXIMIZE PROFITS WITH CONTINGENCY CONTRACTS by Chris Burand Make sure that youre getting all you can out of your contingencies. According to the Academy of Producer Insu...

Motivation is tied closely to compensation, but the two are very different. Compensation is simply one form of motivation. There are many forms, all of which should accomplish one thing: encourage producers to sell and make them feel good about what they're doing and where they're doing it. A good motivational environment will help both Life and P/C producers. You should have a motivational atmosphere for your CSRs, as well. You should maintain a high recognition level in which all agency members can participate.

MOVING A BOOK OF BUSINESS by Paige Proctor As insurance companies restructure, reposition, and reevaluate their effectiveness in the marketplace, change is inevit...

MOVING A BOOK OF BUSINESS by Paige Proctor As insurance companies restructure, reposition, and reevaluate their effectiveness in the marketplace, change is inevitable. Your agency will ...

PERSONAL LINES RECORDS INCREASE REVENUE! by Grace Bauer People don't pay much attention to Personal Lines when it comes to account rounding, the yearly renewal review, and new busin...

Here's a letter I received recently:
Dear Dave:
I work for a $3.5 million P/C agency with about 60% Commercial and 40% Personal in premium volume. One in-house Life producer handles Commercial and Personal lines, sometimes with outside help. But she doesn't write any Disability policies at all; she considers Disability insurance a specialty that she doesn't want to sell. Should I try to talk her into it, pressure her into it, or just let it go? I don't want to add another full-time Life agent unless he/she would become profitable early on; it took two years for my present Life agent to reach profitability. What are my alternatives?

SERVICE EXCELLENCE: ANTICIPATING NEEDS by Mary Beth Bolen Making a movie requires several types of people-directors, producers, actors, and crew members-who have specific roles to play in expedi...

TELEMARKETING: ONE STEP TOWARD SALES EFFICIENCY by Phil Zinkewicz As the agency system strides to be competitive, some agencies find telemarketing pays off. The efficiency of the...

Although the reasons to plan are as endless as the individual needs of each agency, there are a number of common factors. Jack Fries reviews the importance of planning to your agency's success.

This four-part article offers a step-by-step, comprehensive plan for growing your agency’s business.