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... .) PERFECT IMPLEMENTATION The three keys to perfect implementation are: Set reasonable and realistic expectations (see below) . Realize that each deal is different. Cookie-cutter approaches don't work. No matter how many agencies the buyer has acquired, each seller is different. Create a detailed assimilation plan with provisions to change it at least every six months. If the buyer does adequate due diligence and follows these three steps, they'll likely merge the two corporations successfully. I strongly believe that good due diligence will lead to reasonable expectations and uncover the unique aspects of the specific deal. This in turn will lead to a detailed and comprehensive assimilation plan. To suggest that any specific assimilation plan or strategy will succeed without completing Steps 1 & 2, as so many financial experts believe, is like putting the cart before the horse. Not only will the cart not move much, it'll get run over. REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS VS. PURCHASE PRICE The desire to acquire is often fueled by grand expectations. Cross-selling, high profit margins, and investment opportunities are a few common areas in which expectations often exceed reality. Cross-Selling Grand illusions of life made easy by great cross-selling opportunities are hard to resist. Consider these true stories: Story #1 . A bank planned to buy an agency in a rural area. They based the success of the acquisition on the assumption they'd succeed in cross-selling insurance to a percentage of their banking clients and a percentage of bank services to their insurance clients. They carefully analyzed the number of non-mutual clients they expected to cross-sell and the new clients the combined entity would gain. The ...

... a coin or stamp collection? 7. Do you own any guns? 8. Would you prefer to cover your personal belongings for their full replacement value (i.e., no deduction for depreciation?) 9. Would you be interested in adding Earthquake or Flood insurance to your Homeowners protection? 10.Do you presently have either a burglar, fire or smoke alarm in your home? 11.Would you like an estimate of your home's replacement cost at today's prices? 12.Do you own a second home or any other real property, such as a mountain cabin or farm property? 13.Are you presently engaged in any form of farming or ranching? 14.Do you conduct any business or give private lessons in your home? 15.Do you own any boats, motorbikes, or other recreational vehicles, such as snowmobiles or golf carts? 16.Would you be interested in any Umbrella or Excess Liability policy that extends your Auto and Homeowners liability coverage to $1 million or more? NOTE: COVERAGE FOR QUESTIONS 1-7 MAY BE LIMITED OR EXCLUDED UNDER YOUR PRESENT POLICY. Yes No 1. Do you have Disability income insurance in case you become sick or disabled? 2. Are you concerned about estate taxes? 3. Do you have a Mortgage Redemption insurance policy (which pays off your house in the event of your death)? 4. Are all members of your family protected by Life insurance? 5. Would you like a review of beneficiaries, ownership, and cash values (if any) of your Life insurance policies? 6. Do you have a retirement or pension plan? 7. Are you self-employed? ...

... mud and smiling from ear to ear. Holding an urn in each hand, he talked a mile a minute. Sorry I'm late; my chariot got stuck in the mud. The good news is that it gave me a great idea! ' As he held up the two urns he asked, Does anyone know what this is? ' Cassius Comeaux whispered to Brutus Belanger, I hope this isn't a Grecian urn joke. In one urn I have a gray powder called cement. It's a mixture of limestone and clay that's been heated to form glass cinders that are ground down into cement. In this second urn, I have water. If we mix the cement with water, it forms concrete. The mixture hardens into a stone-like substance as it dries. We can spread it over our cart paths so that our chariots will never get stuck again. There'll be many other applications, but I just haven't had time to think them through. The audience smirked and rolled their eyes since concrete was such a radical departure from traditional thought. In a broader sense, the term concrete' means something familiar and comfortable that doesn't require explanation or thought. It's also the focus of the majority of our time. If we act like Bordeaux's colleagues, dismissing all new ideas as kooky, we're destined to stay stuck in the mud of the status quo. In today's fast-moving world, that's tantamount to failure. Business leaders must encourage everyone to innovate, and they must listen to those who think differently. Our growth and prosperity will come from developing new concepts, evaluating and prioritizing them, and ...

... a coin or stamp collection? 7. Do you own any guns? 8. Would you prefer to cover your personal belongings for their full replacement value (i.e., no deduction for depreciation?) 9. Would you be interested in adding Earthquake or Flood insurance to your Homeowners protection? 10.Do you presently have either a burglar, fire or smoke alarm in your home? 11.Would you like an estimate of your home's replacement cost at today's prices? 12.Do you own a second home or any other real property, such as a mountain cabin or farm property? 13.Are you presently engaged in any form of farming or ranching? 14.Do you conduct any business or give private lessons in your home? 15.Do you own any boats, motorbikes, or other recreational vehicles, such as snowmobiles or golf carts? 16.Would you be interested in any Umbrella or Excess Liability policy that extends your Auto and Homeowners liability coverage to $1 million or more? NOTE: COVERAGE FOR QUESTIONS 1-7 MAY BE LIMITED OR EXCLUDED UNDER YOUR PRESENT POLICY. Yes No 1. Do you have Disability income insurance in case you become sick or disabled? 2. Are you concerned about estate taxes? 3. Do you have a Mortgage Redemption insurance policy (which pays off your house in the event of your death)? 4. Are all members of your family protected by Life insurance? 5. Would you like a review of beneficiaries, ownership, and cash values (if any) of your Life insurance policies? 6. Do you have a retirement or pension plan? 7. Are you self-employed? ...

... #160 Home YES Do you own your own home? Do you rent? Do you own any rental or investment property? Would your current amount of coverage be enough to replace your home? Would you like your coverage increased? If so, how much? ____ Have you remodeled your home recently? Do you plan to do it in the future? Do you own any of the following: Fine arts, antiques, or paintings? Gems, watches, jewelry, furs in excess of $1 ,000? Silver in excess of $2 ,500? Guns in excess of $2 ,000? Personal property used in your profession which you keep on your premises? Valuable cameras and/or sporting equipment? Watercraft? Recreational vehicles, including electric or gasoline driven golf carts? Do you keep over $200 at home or have a coin collection in excess of $200? Do you or any members of your family own a business? Is there any type of business or office on your premises? [Private lessons, music lessons, day care?] Do you think your current liability limits and medical payments are adequate? &# 160 Auto YES Does our agency insure all the auto needs in your family? Do you have a vehicle, not your own, furnished for your use? Would you like to review the current limits and coverages on your vehicle to see if they still suit your needs? &# 160 Financial Planning YES Do you now have all of the Life Insurance you are ever going to buy? If married, do your ...

... made it in previous mailing. Say it again and again - in different words. Don't ever throw out a successful old' mailing to start using a new' one, unless the new letter has out-pulled the old one in a split run test. Granted, you and your coworkers are sick-to-death of the old one. But your prospects aren't. And new and different don't necessarily mean better. Frequently, they mean worse. Use a P.S. a strong one. Use it to restate your most important point, or for a testimonial, or to give a reason to act now. Do everything you can to get action! Can you offer a free look? A time limit? Money-back guarantee? An easy payment plan? Billing to a bankcard, American Express, Diner's Club, or Carte Blanche? End your letter by telling the reader exactly what he should do, when he should do it, how he should do it, what he stands to lose if he doesn't do it. 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 contracts with carriers and wholesalers. Net result. More revenue for your agency! Clients & Prospects will research you, your co-workers and your agency here. The most comprehensive online insurance industry reference library for - Personal Lines Professionals Commercial Lines Professionals Life/Health & ...

... a pickup or a van, does it contain any customized equipment? &# 160 &# 160 6. Do you own a pickup camper unit or camper shell? &# 160 &# 160 7. Do you own minibikes, mopeds, or motorcycles? If so, how many? ___ &# 160 &# 160 8. Do you have vehicles furnished for your regular use that you do not own, such as a company car? If so, how many? _____ &# 160 &# 160 9. Do you want Rental Reimbursement coverage in the event that your car is damaged in an accident? &# 160 &# 160 10. Do you own any boats, motorbikes, motor homes, or other recreational vehicles, such as snowmobiles or golf carts? HOMEOWNERS/RENTERS/CONDOS YES NO &# 160 &# 160 *1.Do you own any antiques, fine arts, silverware, or collections such as unique dishes, figurines, and so on? &# 160 &# 160 2.Do you own any jewelry? &# 160 &# 160 3.Furs? &# 160 &# 160 4.Valuable camera equipment? &# 160 &# 160 5.Do you frequently carry, or keep in your home, more than $100 in cash? &# 160 &# 160 6.Do you have a coin or stamp collection? &# 160 &# 160 7.Do you own any guns? &# 160 &# 160 8.Would you prefer to cover your personal belongings for their full replacement value (i.e., no deduction for depreciation)? ...

... #160 The following are not limited in amount of recovery, but it is sometimes a good idea to list them: &# 160 1. Musical instruments 3. Cameras 2. Silverware 4. Fine arts Do you have any of the above to specifically list or add to your policy in order to ensure their full value? Please answer even if we have them insured currently, and give their present value. Use a separate sheet if necessary and show their dollar values. ____ ____ Do you use your residence for any business or office purposes? ____ Do you own a summer home or cottage? _____ Do you own any farm property? ____ Do you own any dwellings rented to others? ____ Do you own any recreational vehicle such as a golf cart, snowmobile, or go-cart? ____ Do you own a boat? ____ If so, please give length ___, motor horsepower___, inboard or outboard ___, value of boat $ ____, motor $ ____, and boat trailer $ ____. There are a great many optional coverages available. Please indicate if you are interested: 1. Credit Card and Forgery Interested? __ Not Interested? __ 2. Earthquake: Interested? __ Not Interested? __ 3. Umbrella Liability Interested? __ Not Interested? __ [includes excess major medical] 4. Mortgage Protection Life Insurance: Interested? __ Not Interested? __ 5. Other Life Insurance or Financial Planning Service: Interested? __ Not Interested? __ Replacement costs have increased 25% in the last 3 years. Do ...

... potty training!" However, it's never too early to start grooming your child into a money-managing pro. Although your children will probably learn the basics about money in school, it's up to you to teach them how to manage their finances. Here are a few tips to help you raise a money-managing genius. Start early. From the time children start walking and talking, you can start teaching them some important lessons that will put them on the financial fast track. Of course, the complexity of these financial lessons will depend on your children's ages. Teach preschoolers about money by showing them how you use those mysterious green bills to make every day purchases. When you're paying the cashier at the grocery store, explain that you are giving the store money in exchange for the items in your cart. Once your little urchins learn how to count, you can really get down to business. Help them tally up the coins in their money bank and discuss how much more they need to buy that fancy toy. When they're preteens, show them how you balance the checkbook, pay the bills, and deposit checks at the bank. By the time they're in high school, you should be talking to them about your family budget and investments. You could even check your IRA or 401(k ) statement together. Your teens might not fully understand all the specifics right now, but these exercises could plant those first financial seeds. Make them work for it. If you want your little ones to blossom into true financial planning masterminds, make them work for their weekly allowance. ...

... 45,000 in annual profit. If it has to spend $100,000 on the system – not to mention potential E&O claims – how much new revenue must the system generate pay for itself? No matter how much someone is willing to pay, there's no magic sales pill. Success comes to those agencies that work the hardest and smartest rather than with those who simply spend the most. The Solution This solution is basic. The first step is to complete a SWOT analysis to determine what's feasible and what strategies align the agency's strengths and opportunities. This includes an honest analysis of the producers' abilities and management's discipline in holding themselves and their producers accountable for results. It also includes analyzing the relevant markets and carriers. This analysis will put the cart after the horse so that any subsequent sales strategy will be going in the right direction. This might mean paying $50,000 for a marketing system or a sales consultant – or, then again, it might not. Many agencies can make basic, low-cost improvements that will produce a bigger increase. One solution is to provide the quality service that the agency's Web site advertises. rather than just paying for the advertising. This usually means doing an annual coverage analysis of every client. If you think that you can't afford to do this, then make sure you do not advertise it! Sure, your advertising might be then boring, but at least it will only advertise actual services. Another option is to use a coverage checklist, which offers a variety of benefits ...