Complacency or self-deceit can undo much good, and it can kill potential.
Too often I speak to P/C agency principals who say that they're doing just fine, thank you, in Life production. They have no complaints, there's production, so why look any further or make changes?

Through the years I have seen Life policy applications and agents' reports with erroneous information. You probably have, too. I don't mean judgment calls with room for honest disagreement; I mean downright wrong information. One of the most common untruths may be the statement that a new policy will not replace an existing policy, when in fact it will. The agent may save the trouble of bothering with replacement forms, but he or she also may be buying a big problem.

Here's a letter I received recently:
Dear Dave:
I am the manager of a four-person Life/Benefits department of a P/C agency. The agency is set up with profit centers such as Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, Surety, and Life/Benefits. Each profit center shares in the common overhead of the agency office supplies, salaries, etc.
I have no problem having my department pay for what it uses.

How you value your L/H book of will impact perpetuation, profits, and cross-selling opportunities.

How is an unorganized pool of data in your files transformed into a systematic stream of active leads for Life production?
You want to avoid the pitfalls that many P/C agents have encountered -- pitfalls that have killed Life-sales operations. To build a successful, positive lead program, it's prudent to identify potential negatives.

Many of your insureds will be putting a lot of money into annuities this month, next month, and for many months to come. Based on national sales figures, this is a near-guarantee. Will they buy through your agency or from a competitor? If you're an agency decision maker, the answer lies in your hands.

Annuities are presently the source of nearly half of Life companies' premium income. A couple of decades or so ago, the figure was just 11%, according to a recent Life Insurance Management Research Association (LIMRA) study.

Can a P/C agent lose a lawsuit for failure to have addressed the Life needs of a P/C insured who died? Dave Goodwin thinks this is possible, but there are many agents who disagree.

Just as the Personal Lines lead form opens the door of opportunity for the Life producer, the Commercial Lines lead form generates potential business.

In decades past, specialty insurance programs were often fraught with folly. Today, underwriters know that a combination of inexperienced underwriting with an ineffective national sales organization can kill almost any program. How do you create or participate in one with a significant life span? Thomas Gillingham’s document should answer all of your questions.