If more salespeople were as good at making sales as they are at losing them, they could write their own ticket just about anywhere. Unfortunately, just the opposite holds true.
It happens so frequently that it almost seems as if someone out there is training salespeople to fail. For example, the woman calling launches into her sales spiel. “Our station is a perfect fit for your client. When can we set up a time to get together so I can show you what we can do?”

EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION: WHAT WORKS by Chris Burand How do you motivate employees? Chris Burand has made several basic observations over the years about what works in this area a...

EVERYONE WANTS A WINNER by Tom Barrett As sales and marketing professionals continue conversations about increasing productivity, decreasing expenses, and boosting sales, the same c...

Despite concerns about life insurance company solvency and uncertainty over health-care reform, now is...

FINDING NEW TALENT STARTS WITH SMART HIRING PRACTICES by Mark Shlien Although the recession has resulted in layoffs, many insurance agencies are still hiring. However, changing job requir...

How to determine if your agency or brokerage has a true sales culture

Even though you might be able to show extensive evidence that your agency is highly productive, profitable, or well capitalized, how do you measure your “sales culture?”

FOR THE FUTURE-PRODUCER RECRUITING Producer recruitment should be a continuous process that provides the lifeblood for your agency. In th...

GETTING lsquo;BACK TO BUSINESS by Jack Burke The tragic events of September 11 will have long-lasting effects on the many aspects of our business, not the least of wh...

GETTING CLIENTS OR PROSPECTS BACK In a suburb of Philadelphia-Langhorne, to be precise-is an unusual retail operation. It's a car dealership, but the difference is the firm's philosophy that no one...

Ever since independent agencies were invented, their owners have wondered how to find, motivate, and keep good producers. But according to one consultant, most principals still aren't getting a good deal.

'Across the United States, more employee producers are overpaid yet underproduce,' says Jeffrey Wodicka. Wodicka is president of a consulting firm called Directions Agency Management Resources Limited of Rockville, New York, as well as principal of The Greystone Agency, also of Rockville.