EVALUATIONS AND COMPENSATION by Al Diamond When you mention employee evaluations in most insurance agencies, the owners begin to fidget, admitting that they do them spora...

EXTERNAL GROWTH WITH SUCCESSFUL ACQUISITIONS by Carol Hammes Be prepared to do an acquisition before the opportunity presents itself. INTRODUCTION Most agencies will have the opportu...

Dear Dave:

Our agency has hired a full-time Life producer to handle Personal Lines only. We believe we have enough accounts to justify that move. She tested well for personality and potential, but she is fairly new in the Life business. She is closing about one out of four presentations, which sounds fine for a relative beginner, since the closing average for all agents is about one out of three. But since she deals with many Mortgage policies and writes reducing Term policies at fairly low premiums, the bottom-line dollars are low. We need to create more cash flow. What can you suggest?

Last week I was at a regional meeting where I met up with several producers from Texas. Having been a producer (a long time ago) and knowing how to swing a golf club, I fit right in. Being as committed to growth as I am, I ask the killer question that quickly exposes a problem. “John, what’s your growth goal for this year?”
He pauses and says “Um...around 65%.”
“Uh-huh. Where’s that from?” I asked.
“Well, I doubt I can do 80% and I didn’t want to sound like a loser and say 50 %, so I came up with 65%.”

STAFFING SMART by Roy Phillips Agency profitability can start with well-trained, well-compensated customer service reps who know their jobs. Reasonable expense ratios can be the difference b...

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

Many marketing managers and representatives may ask: "Why is a sales center important to me? Isn't it designed for niche- or target-marketing? How would this fit into my company, that wants Main Street business?"

Having a marketing-representative background provides me with a unique perspective on sales centers. I know that the marketing representative is much more than a "go-for" problem-solver, running down endorsements, acting as portable shrink between underwriters and agents, or being "the official news agency TAS," spouting party line. I know that marketing is the precursor to selling.

THE SALES FUNNEL: AVOID FEAST OR FAMINE by Al Diamond Use this proven system to maintain consistent sales results month after month. The Sales Funnel provides an invaluable res...

WHEN BIG REALLY IS BETTER THAN HUGE by Chris Burand Companies today are pushing, requesting, cajoling, and demanding that their agents produce bigger and bigge...