HARD MARKET STRATEGIES by G. Edward Kalbaugh During this hard market, some agencies have been forced to sell, merge, or reduce operations considerably. Other agencies are making the most ...

PHONE COURTESY REVISITED by Preston Diamond Good service over the phone means putting common courtesy into common practic...

E&O AND POLICY CHANGES by Mike Edwards In this document, Mike Edwards examines the E&O implications of mid-term policy changes. Edwards presents two E&O ...

FINANCIAL SERVICES - 401(K) Dear (Customer Name): Does your company have a retirement plan for its employees? Do the employees feel it's an adequate plan? If you answered 'no' to either question...

HOW TO CREATE ADVOCATES FOR YOUR BUSINESS by Brandie Hinen A comprehensive, ongoing client advocacy program will keep your agency growing and growing. Brandie Hinen gives you a step-by...

PRODUCTIVITY UP, PROFITS DOWN by Carol Hammes It's common wisdom that profitability should track directly with productivity. Often this is true: If the employees are more productiv...

'PLEASE DON'T HANG UP' Have you ever heard of a business sales letter beginning with the words, 'Please don't hang up'? Use anything to get the customer into the letter and keep him or her rea...

PRODUCER COMPENSATION: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR by Pamela Millard In spite of the continuing soft market (the permanent soft market?) and the troubling economy, there are opportunities fo...

WHEN YOUR CUSTOMERS COME CALLING: TELEPHONE RULES FOR EVERYONE IN THE AGENCY by Judi Newman ...

Focus on attracting customers not making sales.
With effusive CEO testimonials and countless articles and books describing how companies have transformed themselves into tightly focused, totally energized commerce machines, it would seem that change should be easy. But let’s face it: If it were simple, there’d be more of it. Even when the evidence for change is compelling, most companies continue to cling to the known and the familiar.