Search CompleteMarkets

... LA) — in addition to being "home boys" — are all highly talented. At the top of their game, they're as good as it gets. They're winners! If you were responsible for creating a dynasty, you'd jump at the chance to draft folks like these. Obviously, the games they play are as different as their expertise, but no one can doubt that they're great athletes. In the right role, with the right team, they'll pay dividends on any investment needed to acquire them. Talent is the want and the need. The secret to success lies in proper recruiting, placement /positioning (matching the talent to the organization's needs), development, motivation, and perpetuation of talent. To apply this sports analogy to the business world, let's talk about ... inspirational leader on the court, he's not the boss. He depends on his teammates for assists in order to maximize his potential to score. On defense, he's an awesome presence in the key; but to win, his teammates must cover most of the court. Jake Delhomme is the organizational man. His organization includes three distinct units — offense, defense, and special teams. On the field, he calls the shots; off the field, his presence, performance, and influence have a significant impact on how the other units perform and the outcome of the game. Before we get too enthusiastic about our talent pool, let's address one obvious assumption: Proper placement. We visualize David on a tee box, Eddie in the saddle, Shaq in the key, and Jake behind ...

... , and the best ones recognize it. Over the years, we've encountered many agencies that have simply not had the determination or the guts to deal with their Keyshawn Johnsons. In the long run, these individuals take a toll on an agency far greater than the value they bring to it. CONCLUSION In light of these similarities, it's not surprising that many Best Practices agencies are staffed with former athletes who thrive on competition. They hate to lose, and despise the notion that "just being in the game" is enough. They love competing against those who aren't as committed to winning as they are. As age has caught up with them, they've been forced to trade in their cleats for a briefcase. But although their "playing field" has changed, the thrill of winning ... gets old. Kevin Stipe is a senior vice president and principal of Reagan Consulting, Inc., an Atlanta-based management consulting firm that developed and produces the "Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America Best Practices Study." You can access The Best Practices Study free of charge at Reagan Consulting's Web site www.reaganconsulting.com . Kevin may be reached at (404) 233-5545 or e-mail [email protected] . This article originally appeared in National Underwriter and is reproduced by permission. Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access to thousands of other great articles. Need more reasons to join? Need insurance for you, your business or your family? Get quality appointments - Save yourself a whole lot of time & money when you use our directory of carriers, wholesalers and service providers. Negotiate lucrative ...

...have been blessed with a natural athletic talent, and motivated by a need to p...

... , Group Leader Carrier, Delivery Person Business Executive Baker, Pastry Chef Leader, Opinion Maker Representative, Member of Congress Just eliminating man' whenever it's a suffix is most often the simplest thing to do when searching for the proper word. What's more difficult is to make judgements about situations and how people are portrayed in typical instances. Traditionally, men are portrayed as strong, decisive, risk-taking and athletic, and women as sensitive, demure, prone to tears, shy, delicate, and non-assertive. The trick comes in making the sexes equal no matter what their traditional roles or stereotypes. Unfortunately, English is without a pronoun that straddles the sexes-one which can be used as a neuter, ' if you will, in he/she situations. The result is that we generally opt to ... can also help identify new prospects. If one person is promoted, you can work to convince both that person and his or her replacement in your next sales letter. ONE THING AT A TIME The more ideas you put in a single letter, the less you can emphasize any one of them. This applies to all kinds of letters. The proof, however, is most obvious in the field of selling. In all the years we've been selling by mail, we have rarely succeeded in selling two different items in the same letter. Every time we introduce a second item, even briefly, total sales or leads produced by the letter declines. Sales of the second item or service, or sales response cards, rarely make up for the loss of sales caused by distracting attention from ...

... new person up to speed on insurance matters. If the agency has a good support staff and is willing to commit to the basic training, it can often be better to hire someone simply for a sales-oriented personalit,y rather than to worry about prior insurance experience. The desire to be part of a winning team and the ability to accept defeat are invaluable traits that can often be found in athletes and coaches. Depending on the agency's definition of the ideal' producer, other people to consider might include former high school teachers, early' retirees from a downsized company who have good business contacts in the community, people who have had successful sales careers in other industries, bank managers, and former stock brokers. Obtain and review resumes and employment applications. In addition to the content of ... This might also be a good opportunity to find out how supportive the family might be for the long hours of work that will be necessary for a new producer to succeed. Before making the final job offer, check references. It's amazing how many people think nothing of fabricating college degrees and embellishing past experience on resumes. If the person has been working in the insurance industry, company underwriters and field reps might be a good source of information on personality traits and technical knowledge. Pay attention to what they don't say as much as what they do volunteer about the candidate. DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR SUCCESS The decision to hire someone as a producer should not be the end of the process, but the beginning. What happens in the first six months of employment will determine whether the venture will ...

...trong, decisive, risk-taking and athletic, and women as sensitive, demure, pro...