TRUST: ITS THE BOTTOM LINE by Chris Burand Do your customers trust you - and, if so, what for? Wal-Mart is known for low prices. A very young boy was heard ...

USING THE PHONE by Mary Beth Bolen When your phone rings, you may or may not know who is at the other end of the line; you'll only know for sure if you have a receptionist skilled in the art of...

John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm. Mr. Graham is the author of The New Magnet Marketing and of 203 Ways to Be Supremely Successful in the New World of Selling. He can be contacted at 40 Oval Rd., Quincy, MA 02170, (617) 328-0069, fax (617) 471-1504, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.grahamcomm.com.

Is selling the same as prospecting? Is selling the same as quoting?

No to both questions. In the insurance business, selling is comprised of two components, but neither of them involves prospecting or quoting.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT OWNER? by Catherine Oak If the role of an owner was treated like any other position in an agency, what would the job description look like and what are the key characteri...

Far from just another sales technique or gimmick, Productive Selling Attitude (PSA) is a fundamental approach to making sales.

PSA is emerging from a clear understanding of how customers think, as well as from the expectations of suppliers and vendors.

Only those who are brutally honest with themselves really make it in sales - this means admitting that it is getting more difficult to "make the sale."

The obstacles to success are everywhere. Automated telephone systems serve as an impenetrable wall. The fear of making a wrong decision creates endless delays and false starts.

WHY SHOULD I PAY A CONSULTANT WHEN BUYING OR SELLING AN AGENCY? by Roger Thomas I often hear it said by agents that a consultant 'costs too much,' particularly when someone is anti...