A TAX BONANZA: S CORPORATIONS AND ESOPs by Robert Nein The 1997 Tax Relief Act has made possible the best of all worlds for insurance agencies. One could not hope for a better opportunity. There ha...

ARE YOUR CSRsSELLING MORE YET? by Grace Bauer Are you maximizing your agencys ability to touch your clients? In this article Grace Bauer offers guidelines t...

Very few employees will leave your agency simply for more money. They will usually have other valid (to them) reasons that, when also combined with a higher salary, push them to seek employment elsewhere. If a review of the compensation survey results (from another Middleton letter) confirmed that your agency is paying people within a reasonable range of 'average,' the level of compensation should not be of major concern. What you do have to worry about is how you are paying those dollars and how your management philosophy and style complement the overall compensation administration plan.

One of the most common questions we hear during consultation involves compensation for owner/producers, existing producers, and new producers. The principal question is how much and how to pay for production that compensates salespeople fairly and gives them incentives for continued growth.

The answer is complex because the same compensation models don't fit all producers.

CSR COMPENSATION MANUAL INTRODUCTION You've hired a new Customer Service Representative (CSR). He/she may not have technical insurance knowledge, but it doesn't...

Most workplace accidents occur in 'safe' workplaces. Why? Employee error.

What can you do? Employee motivation.

This article tells you to develop and implement an employee motivation program.

FRIENDLY COMPETITION by Don Phin In his book No Contest: The Case Against Competition, Alfie Kohn stresses that competition in an organization can become destructive unless it results in ...

GOOD COMPENSATION PLANS ATTRACT GOOD PEOPLE by Mark Shlien Many agencies have had to change their approach to compensation during the recession. Faced with declining revenues and profits,...

HELP WORKERS KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE Most on-the-job accidents occur in safe workplaces. Why? Employee error. What can your Commercial Lines clients do about it? Invest in a c...

HIRING, COMPENSATING, AND TRAINING TELEMARKETERS Hiring Telemarketers What do you look for when setting out to hire a telemarketer? Your first thought might be to go out and hire an experi...