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... 39:13 PM by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. DIVORCE AND SEPARATION: A TRICKY TIME FOR AGENTS Has any of your agency's Personal Lines customers ever gotten a divorce? If so, you realize that divorce can bring up some unique and difficult insurance issues. If you haven't yet had to deal with this, it's only a matter of time before you do. Coverage under the various Personal Lines policies (Auto, Homeowners, Umbrella, and so on) is based on the named insured and the ... spouse who's no longer living in the residence. If an Umbrella policy is in effect, review it to determine whether coverage is wanted. As you can imagine, separations and divorces can cause E&O claims. Here's a story to illustrate: The agency had placed Homeowners coverage in the name of the client husband, as requested. The couple divorced, and the husband moved from the residence. On learning of the divorce, the agency asked the client about changing the policy but the man refused, saying that he and ... ex-wife would get together again. The dwelling was then destroyed by fire, and the carrier denied coverage for the building because the named insured was not living in the dwelling on the date of the fire. The separating partners brought a claim against the agency for failing to advise them properly or cover their interests. The case went to trial and the jury decided in favor of the claimants, holding that the agent, acting as an agent of the insured, was responsible for not rewriting the policy upon notice of the divorce. ...

...rce can bring up some unique and difficult insurance issues. If you haven't ye...oper insurance guidance can be offered to each party.

...on several months ago that it is difficult to make a profit in personal lines ...re generally in a much better position to provide the type of products, pricing, and services that agencies need to handle personal lines profitably.

...lephone technique. Some are more difficult to master than others. All of these...fficiency Tact Courtesy Tolerance

... . The questionnaire is the most common market research approach. In developing a questionnaire, a professional market researcher will carefully select the questions, scrutinizing their form, wording, and sequence. Poorly designed questionnaires contain queries that are unnecessary, overly personal, loaded, or difficult to answer. Avoid questions with relative terms (Do you like our service?) or complex language (What were the salient attributes that led to your purchasing insurance from us?) . Secondary market research approaches use information that has been gathered by others ( ... focus groups and questionnaires. A focus group is a gathering of six to 10 individuals who spend a few hours with an interviewer to discuss a project, service, product, or organization. Generally, the participants are paid a small fee, and the meeting takes place in pleasant surroundings. (There are facilities in every major city that can be rented for focus group meetings.) Notes are taken or the group's observations are recorded on audio- or videotape. The Formula Group consultants insist that all key staff members attend meetings ... customer base can give you a direction for your marketing effort, new products to be offered, and new territories to penetrate with your product line. It can also tell you if your carrier mix is in synch with your customer base. If you are marketing upscale Homeowners products and your past success and marketing territory is predominantly in blue-collar neighborhoods, you face a challenge. Market research is critical to the growth and profitability of your business. Marketing campaigns, business plans, new product development, and introductions that are undertaken without any ...

...ary, overly personal, loaded, or difficult to answer. Avoid questions with relative t...challenge. Market research is critical to the growth and profitability of your...

...economic times make funding more difficult and increase the chance that the Buy/Sell will fall apart due to lack of funds. WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU Miller summarizes that the days ... or 20 years. Agents can tailor a plan to suit a client's needs and situations, knowing exactly what the total cost of the plan will be througho...

... It's often difficult to understand that marketing is an ...ng rid of these myths can open the way to benefiting from marketing, ...

... . Charlotte is 200 miles inland and hurricanes generally don't maintain their fury that far from the sea. But Hurricane Hugo did when it hit Charlotte last September. And it was responsible for the almost 2,000 homeowners claims for Allied Assurance Agencies of America. It's difficult to comprehend how devastating such a major disaster can be. When my husband and I drove toward Charlotte on the second night after the hurricane, there wasn't a single light to be seen-and Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina. Horrible Hugo' was responsible ... and other items you've purchased since you first bought insurance. And buy Flood and Earthquake insurance, if you're eligible and vulnerable. 4. Review your insurance policy. Are you sure everything important is covered or did your memory play tricks? Keep it in a safe place where it can be retrieved easily after a disaster. Keep a quick-reference list containing your agent's telephone number, all your policy numbers, and the respective insurance company names. 5. Know how to shut off your gas, electricity, and water, and how ... can't eliminate them, do your best to be aware of and avoid them should an earthquake occur. Coverage for Shakes, Rattles, And Rolls After a quake, many people find themselves with no resources to rebuild or replace property because they weren't insured. Most standard Homeowners policies specifically exclude losses from earth movement. Coverage must be added by an endorsement or a separate policy. Earthquake coverage provides for earthquake damage up to the limit on your Homeowners policy or up to a specific dollar amount. The endorsement does not increase the limits on ...

... , or book promoting "marketing on a shoestring." Why doesn't someone write about "accounting on shoestring," "selling on a shoestring," or "manufacturing on a shoestring"? Why is it just marketing that gets the shoestring treatment? It's often difficult to understand that marketing is an investment in the future of a company, a product, or a service. In other words, marketing costs money. Depending on what needs to be accomplished, the price tag on marketing can be high — and it will ... because they're designed to appeal to the lifestyle "pictures" that homeowners have in their heads of kitchens, baths, floors, custom appliances, lighting, and outdoor living. It isn't all the appliances and lighting fixtures and floor tiles that make the difference — it's placing them in appealing and compelling settings that connect with the customer. In creating what's nothing less than a Disney World of the Home, the Expo stores achieved a marketing triumph. The objective of marketing is to seal the deal, while the goal of sales is ... facilitate the order. Separate and distinct as the two functions might be, they are also two sides of the same coin. If the marketing is on target, making the purchase makes sense to the customer. The role of sales in this process is to stay close to the customer, interact appropriately, and serve as a guide and counselor. In this way, marketing and sales complement each other in a way that results in creating willing and at times eager customers. The failure of companies to harness the full power of ...