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Community Bank Insurance Sales: The Outlook
Are community banks being left behind as the bank...ns, and opportunities of each bank. Community banks are growing restless and i...

...ing qualified employees from the community. Focus on persuading and motivating...e, first call several people in the community and ask what they know about you...

...orces, they seek to divide their community interest between them. All assets a... agent have important contacts with community members (participation in clubs,...

... and their insurers, the claims community must also shoulder its responsibili...uire of both you and the adjusting community. Last, but far from least, foll...

... such checks exist, create them. If you have checks, scrutinize each item and modify it to obtain the desired results. It's essential to do a total review of all components, not just some of them. The next step is to implement needed changes; this task isn't always feasible without outside help — either consultants or company people. Another good source for input is an associate in the community who's active in sales or sales management. Self-education through reading and community involvement can also provide valuable sources of input. In measuring and comparing achievements, don't forget the perception of the sales profession by the general public. I recently wrote an article for a local school paper extolling the virtues of selling as a profession. I followed the thematic method, which starts with a definition of the topic ... agency giving value beyond its contractual obligation? Do producers see their job as getting in, getting the business, and getting out? If so, you're missing an opportunity for value-added service. The general public wasn't concerned with value-added service until advertisers started promoting it. "Value-added," a concept created to allow a supplier to differentiate," states, "We do more than what's simply and correctly expected." 8. Is your agency re-evaluating its insurance-buying environment? Are you questioning what people want and why they buy insurance? What about examining the public's perception? Does the agency ask customers to explain how they think the business works? The answer to these eight questions can make, or break, your sales management. Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access to thousands ...

...of emergency response teams COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS (CERT) ...rty damage. I recently completed a Community Emergency Response Team training...

...for input is an associate in the community who’s active in sales or sale...merce or otherwise involved in the community? Are you talking to leading comm...

...ques A community bank committed its entire marketing...

... /Casualty products. If you've decided to join forces with a financial institution in this growing and challenging marketplace, you'll need to do your due diligence homework' to garner vital information that's readily available in the public domain. Here's how: Home in on likely prospects. Create a list of folks that you think you'd like to get to know better; and maybe do business with. Focus on community banks with several branches that have a presence within a half-day's drive of your agency office. The big national banks will be too difficult to deal with. These committee-driven behemoths are notorious for their agonizingly slow decision-making processes. Your ideal candidate would be a community bank with assets between $50 million and $500 million. Go to the Internet and visit the Institution Directory page of the Federal Deposit ... Review the bank's capitalization. For each $100,000,000 million of assets, the bank should have at least $7.5 million of capital. Some will have more. If the bank is capitalized at less than 7.5%, beware. Capital provides the financial support that banks need to take the risk of lending their money. When capital is thin, regulators come pouring in to oversee corrective measures that you don't want to touch. Know your regulators. The FDIC, as the insurance provider, regulates all financial institutions. If a bank has National' or Federal' in its name, the Comptroller of the Currency in Washington, D. C. oversees it. If the bank's name includes State, ' but not National' or Federal, ' it comes under the bailiwick ...

... to quality on the part of Zingerman's owners extends well beyond the basics of business to the environment and social action. Recycling and using renewable materials wherever possible is integral to Zingerman's philosophy. Through the Food Gatherers program, established by the company in May 1989, more than 50,000 pounds of perishable food from 120 donors is delivered monthly to 70 agencies that feed homeless and hungry people in the community. The customer always comes first-and Zingerman's 160 employees hold the key to customer satisfaction. Consequently, the owners place great emphasis on the health, well-being, and training of all employees. During the past nine years, Zingerman's has provided a variety of helping services as part of an employee assistance program (EAP) it offers workers. The EAP has been a significant part of Zingerman's care for ... being through a regular patron who is an EAP services provider. Conversations with the owners about how to improve quality eventually led to a discussion of difficulties being experienced by some employees. The owners expressed the desire to be receptive to their people in times of need rather than to fire them or tell them, Get out of here and take care of it. Recognizing that almost any human problem can be corrected when there is early identification, Zingerman's contracted for EAP services through its patron. Although most of the employees are between the ages of 18 and 30¾ the population at greatest risk for drug use¾ there are surprisingly few drug problems. Management is very clear about the rationale for prohibiting use of any kind of substance during work hours: You might hurt yourself or others. ...