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 ...

AGENCY/BROKER PROFILING The agency profile tells the agency's story and presents the agency's expertise to prospects, clients, and companies. It's like a resume. If you're loo...

APPROACHING FRIENDS FOR REFERRALS: I by Bill Cates How do you approach friends, and others, about the work you do to get referrals? One of the challenges is that they haven...

Are two salespeople better than one? Sometimes yes and sometimes no.

Well-planned, well-executed joint sales calls can impress customers, add additional value to the product or service you sell, close sales, and retain business. But when a joint call goes bad, the results can be disastrous.

ARE YOU A GOOD BOSS? by Maribeth Kusmeski Are you a good boss? Really? I know when I ask myself that question, I come to the conclusion that I could be better. So what makes a good...

ARE YOU MEMORABLE? by Emily Huling There's nothing more flattering than being remembered - for the right reasons, of course. Why do some individuals always leave a favorable, unforgettab...

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.

ASKING QUESTIONS: IT'S AN ART by Mary Beth Bolen Different types of questions require different types of responses. In your daily dealings with customers, it's important for you to know the ...

AUTO CLAIMS OPTIONS Dear (Customer Name): You're driving to a friend's house when a car roars out of a side street, smashing into your vehicle. There's no question of who's at fault - the other ...