SELECTING AND HITTING YOUR TARGET MARKETS by Thomas R. Chapman, CIC, CPCU Target marketing is a great technique for writing new business. But to implement it effectively, an agency must choo...

SUCCESS STORY MARKETING by E. Al Diamond Last week, I got a notice from my real estate broker announcing that she had just sold another house in my neighborhood. Then I realized that...

TARGETING THE ETHNIC CONSUMER by Jack Burke In the marketing field, the debate continues as to which is better, a well-aimed shot with a 22-caliber rifle or a broad spray of buckshot fr...

THE 'MOTHER-CHILD' COMMERCIAL LINES SALE by Alan L. Shulman, CPCU When you attempt to sell Commercial Lines, you can project yourself as either a generalist or a specialist. In virtually a...

THE CUSTOMERS OF AN INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENCY by Gary Holgate As a consultant, the first questions I ask agency owners concern their customers. This provides me with a feel for the agency and...

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.

WHAT IS TARGET MARKETING? by Thomas M. Maher The beat goes on. Yes, target marketing is still up there near the top of the corporate charts. But, according to an ...