I recently listened to an interview with Vic Conant of Nightingale-Conant talking about the shift in their program sales. During the 80s and 90s, such corporate names Tom Peters and Warren Bennis dominated program sales. However, since the early 2000s, there’s been a significant shift to programs for those want to become in charge of their own destiny. This “Brand You” trend has been going on for more than a decade, posing a significant exposure to today’s companies. As the workforce ages and changes, we’re going to have less available talent than ever. Given future economic uncertainty, more and more of the available talent will opt out to work for themselves.

BUILDING TEAMS: A NINE-STEP APPROACH by Don Phin Follow these nine steps from Don Phin and youll build powerful teams. Im often asked to facilitate what we will refer...

CUSTOMER SERVICE TESTS by Bill Wilson Customer service is critical to agency profitability and growth. Outstanding customer service leads to customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction lead...

CUSTOMER SERVICE: THE WOW! FACTOR by Shep Hyken The Wow! factor boils down to one thing: Exceeding the expectations of the customer. It goes beyond great customer service. In ...

It's easy to lose sight of the fact that agencies are in the service business. But consider that all agents sell the same product-insurance. Why do some agencies blossom while others wilt? Service and marketing are keys. Too often, getting new customers (through marketing) is emphasized at the expense of keeping customers (through service). You have to do a first-rate job at both to have first-rate growth and to control expenses

THE PHONE: CURSE OR COMMISSION INCREASE? by Preston Diamond You conduct 60% of your business over the phone-but how many of you actively practice phone courtesy and technique? Having worked...

In a complex and fluid business environment, this planning outline can help move your agency in the right direction.

“I’m farming as hard as I can but I know I’m not farming as smart as I can.”

WOWING EMPLOYEES: THE FOUNDATION TO HIGH PROFITS by Lynn Thomas Recently, I participated in a 10-day road show for an insurance company. During a dry run of my presentation on customer re...