CSRs WHO SELL: SHOULD THEY BE TREATED LIKE PRODUCERS? by Virginia Bates Put your money where your mouth is. Whether principals and managers assume that employees unders...

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION by Mary Beth Bolen Common wisdom has it that nearly 70% of customers who leave to do business elsewhere do so because the personnel they deal with are indifferent to thei...

DON'T LET CHANGE CRIPPLE YOUR COMPANY by Emily Huling 'That's not our policy.' 'We tried that before and it didn't work.' 'It's not my job.' ...

GROWTH VS. PROFITABLE GROWTH by Chris Burand Revenue growth for its own sake doesnt make sense. In an industry that prizes sales, its no wonder that so many sales p...

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%.”

Imagine a forest ranger complaining of a forest having too many trees. Absurd, isn't it? And yet how often in your own job have you thought about how great work would be if you only didn't have to deal with customers? This business - and our jobs - depend on customers. They are not an annoyance; they are our employers!