Many of your insureds will be putting a lot of money into annuities this month, next month, and for many months to come. Based on national sales figures, this is a near-guarantee. Will they buy through your agency or from a competitor? If you're an agency decision maker, the answer lies in your hands.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Linda Dobson, an estate-planning attorney from Los Angeles. She had this advice for financial services professionals who want to win referrals from estate-planning attorneys: