The following section is a varied and important one to a profitable independent agency. In it, you will learn the basis of the Sales Center concept and how Sales Centers have brought increased profitability, retention, and total-account sales into many agencies.

Many agencies establish a Sales Center with their existing personnel, or hire an additional administrative or customer service person to take over additional duties. Others find that the increased efficiency of a Sales Center allows them to expand their marketing efforts, and they hire an in-house or outside telemarketing staff to keep leads coming in to producers.

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.

TIME MANAGEMENT FOR PRODUCERS by Ken Buehler Avoid these common traps that can waste producers time - and your money. Time management is an essential ingredient to ...

In Canada, they call them "expiry dates." In the U.S., they are called "expiration dates."

No matter what name they are given-"renewal dates," "anniversary dates," or any other name-one point is abundantly clear: People are more willing to change their agent or broker at renewal time than at any other time of year.

That is the way it has been in the past, particularly in Personal Lines, and surely that is the way it is going to be in the future.