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... ) use a grid review to obtain power from another direction. Have a reciprocal arrangement to share towers with another station. 9. LEASING TOO MUCH TOWER SPACE. With increasing regularity, towers are being used to generate additional income. Tower space is being rented for microwaves dishes and cellular telephones, police, utility company, signal relay, local business antennas, as well as even to competitors looking for an antenna location. Each addition to a tower affects the ability of the structure to withstand the adverse weather conditions for which it was designed. A structural engineer should be engaged to inspect the tower every three years or when adding additional equipment. 10. INADEQUATE SECURITY. Security is becoming more of an issue, particularly in certain areas where towers and studios are located. The property should be fenced in, or at the least the road or walkways should have locked gates. Depending where the facilities are located, floodlighting roads, walks, and gates is essential, as well as the building, parking areas, and entrances. Lighting is a major factor in deterring vandalism and other types of crime and reducing the possibility of injury. The transmission building, the tower base, and guy anchors should all be fenced-if not the entire property. Along with minimizing the possibility of vandalism, fencing provides protection for these key areas from being struck by trash removers or farm equipment. Barbed wire should be added to the fencing around these facilities. AM towers can cause electrical injury to animals or people, so it is prudent to erect fencing. Also, the effects of RF radiation emphasize the ...

... day because straight rows and a large supply of trees would facilitate their invention. This supervisor understood the future. I'd bet all I own that this guy had very little "schoolin'" (brain tissue), but I'm equally certain that he had great experience (scar tissue) . &# 160 Lynn then took us back to the future. He told another story — and he's a master storyteller — about a timber contractor riding through south Louisiana during the sugar cane harvest. He watched as giant tractors equipped with diagonal cutting blades plowed through the field harvesting the cane (at harvest the rows of sugar cane stand more than six to eight feet tall and must be cut at ground level) . &# 160 The guy was mesmerized. He pulled off the road, crossed the fence, and asked how the machine worked and what it could do. He even had the driver show him how the blade could be rotated to cut higher above the ground. To demonstrate the possibilities, the driver snapped off the top of a fence post. &# 160 The contractor went home and began the process that would result in the tree-harvesting machine visualized by the supervisor in the first story long before the technology existed. &# 160 In my opinion, these simple stories provide textbook examples about what CE should include and who should teach it! CE should involve less time looking down at a textbook and more time looking up at the horizon: The future, the people that will live there, and the needs that they'll have. The instructors should not just be the ones ...

... The answers were in the basic simple ideas we discussed over coffee on the back porch. The same leadership and management that had resulted in his acquiring, building, and remodeling a house and finally converting it to a home could be used to renovate and if needed or create an addition to his company. HERE GOES — MY BEST ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE THE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES I OBSERVED ON THE BACK PORCH. Thanks, Mollie Deux-olly! Leadership is about a capturing a dream. It's about Vision, Values, a Mission, and Standards. To get to my friend's house you cross a railroad track. There are probably 50 to 60 houses on the single road that is this subdivision. The land was once a sugar cane field so there are no trees except for those that formed the fence row. The one exception is my friend's lot. It has literally dozens of trees. The original builder had the vision to plant these trees and my friend and his spouse had the vision and discipline to maintain them when they really were out of place in the subdivision. His yard is different in a subdivision built on sameness. As you drive down this road you see houses that vary in price from $100,000 to to-$500,000. Before the addition my friend's home would probably would've been appraised in at the bottom third of those in the area. When the addition is complete, his will be the benchmark. What he bought originally was an average house with great potential (a dream) . What he now has is a dream realized - priceless ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. The Value Of A Satisfied Customer 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Chris Burand This content has not been rated yet. Every agency has three types of customers. First are those who will leave for a lower price. Second are those on the fence; they're not true price shoppers, but they don't have strong ties to an agency, either. Third are those willing to pay more just to maintain a relationship. If you treat the customers in this third group well, they'll stay with your agency even if they have to pay a little more. Your time and energy are limited. Do you want to spend time on customers who'll stay or the ones who'll leave? Many agents spend precious time on those who'll go. For example, the same clients create late payment problems month after month, year after year. The agency derives no benefit from rewriting, reinstating, collecting, and following up on these policies. Yet every time I've suggested that an agency not rewrite such customers more than once, the agency always protests that it doesn't want to lose the accounts. But these clients cost the agency money. On the other hand, your agency can significantly increase its profits by concentrating on profitable accounts. The average agency has a 7% profit margin. If 50% of your customers are already satisfied and your agency increases its percentage of satisfied customers by 25%, you could ostensibly have prices 10% higher than the market on 75% of your book with no extra cost. On a book of $100, ...

... :00 AM by CompleteMarkets Editor , Chris Burand This content has not been rated yet. Do bank stockholders benefit from acquisitions of P/C agencies? The answer? Yes, if there's appropriate due diligence, perfect implementation, and the price meets realistic expectations. When these three conditions come together, as so many players seem to expect, banks can make fantastic returns by acquiring P/C agencies. However, the results to date strongly suggest that these conditions rarely — if ever — occur simultaneously. This last in a four-article series will focus on the attractions of bank-agency purchases. (Part III, here.) With all these problems and such poor results, why are so many banks buying so many insurance agencies? Sometimes the grass is simply greener on the other side of the fence. Or the herd mentality might be too hard to resist: because everyone sees everyone else buying agencies they think they must buy one (or many) too. What's more, the buzz' about easy success can be misleading. Beware of any banker who boasts about how well they've done in owning an agency. These people usually stress the operation's soaring sales, healthy growth, and wealth of assets. Bear in mind that high sales are meaningless unless they generate earnings. Rapid growth is useless if it's not profitable. Assets need to be measured against liabilities: in 2001, Enron had the fifth highest assets among the Fortune 500. Another reason for the buying frenzy is that many consultants and investment bankers paint rosy pictures of these acquisitions. For significant fees, these experts are more ...

... 30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Chris Burand This content has not been rated yet. Do bank stockholders benefit from acquisitions of P/C agencies? The answer? Yes, if there's appropriate due diligence, perfect implementation, and the price meets realistic expectations. When these three conditions come together, as so many players seem to expect, banks can make fantastic returns by acquiring P/C agencies. However, the results to date strongly suggest that these conditions rarely — if ever — occur simultaneously. This last in a four-article series will focus on the attractions of bank-agency purchases. (Part III, here.) With all these problems and such poor results, why are so many banks buying so many insurance agencies? Sometimes the grass is simply greener on the other side of the fence. Or the herd mentality might be too hard to resist: because everyone sees everyone else buying agencies they think they must buy one (or many) too. What's more, the buzz' about easy success can be misleading. Beware of any banker who boasts about how well they've done in owning an agency. These people usually stress the operation's soaring sales, healthy growth, and wealth of assets. Bear in mind that high sales are meaningless unless they generate earnings. Rapid growth is useless if it's not profitable. Assets need to be measured against liabilities: in 2001, Enron had the fifth highest assets among the Fortune 500. Another reason for the buying frenzy is that many consultants and investment bankers paint rosy pictures of these acquisitions. For significant fees, these experts are more ...

... farm equipment, golf clubs, wire fences, etc. Stay away from beaches an...

... Open Porch Additional Cars per Garage (over two) Note: For Finished & Partially Finished Basements: 1. Finished basements: count only the finished rooms. 2. Partially finished basements: if the total unit count of the finished area in the basement exceeds Additional Information: Year House Built Square Footage: Year of last updating on: Roof Wiring Plumbing Heating Heat Type: Woodstove (if yes, is it used often?) Large Detached Building Smoke Alarm Deadbolt Locks Non-Smoker Central Station Reporting Burglar Alarm Police Station Reporting Burglar Alarm Central Station Reporting Fire Alarm Fire Department Reporting Fire Alarm Automatic Sprinkler System Central Vacuum System Domestic Solar Hot Water Heater Hot Tub Sauna Balconies (if yes, approximate size) Decks (if yes, approximate size) Swimming Pool (if yes, is it fenced in?) Electronic Garage Door Opener (how many) Wet Bar Air Conditioning (Central or through the wall unit(s ) - how many) Skylights (if yes, how many) Trash Compactor Whole House Fan Countertop Range Intercom System Garbage Disposal&l 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 ...

... gain opportunity) Call for action Offer description and benefit(s ) Call to action (Note: repeat steps D and E until you're out of compelling benefits or space) Mention product, brief benefits Add a "sweetener" (a reason to respond now, such as a giveaway or limited-time discount) Summarize benefits of responding (keep it punchy) Restate call to action 7. MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT- BUT DON'T COUNT WORDS In direct marketing we can't afford to waste words, but we shouldn't unnecessarily withhold them, either. Stop writing when you've exhausted all the most compelling reasons to respond without being repetitive- and no earlier. If you hold back a few key benefits just to satisfy someone's idea of ideal copy length, you risk losing the reader who might have been on the fence and needed just a little more convincing. 8. TAKE THE SKIMMER TEST Finally, go back to the top and read only the headlines, subheads, and underlined or bolded phrases. These words alone should tell your story. If they don't, adjust as necessary. CONCLUSION We already admitted that the audience, lists, media, and offer make the greatest impact on response. So why bother with all of this? The best reason: money. You'll spend a sizeable chunk on media, design, and production. Why wouldn't you want to maximize the return on your investment? Patricia A.Czech can be reached at Ultimate Insurance Resource Inc., 8353 Sagebrush Road, North Platte, NE 69101, Phone (308) 532-5577, e-mail [email protected] , Web site http: ...

... . Strong relationships based on genuine interest, empathy, and compassion create fierce, almost fanatical, loyalty. If you treat your customers like family and go beyond the call of duty when needed, no coverage perks or pricing discounts can approach the effectiveness of such relationships. Sales Tip #9 : Use testimonials Include testimonials of long-term clients in your marketing materials. Every time you're involved in a claim "victory" for an insured, ask for a testimonial. Every time you exceed the service expectations of a customer, seek a testimonial. If possible, target these statements so that recipients of your materials know the claimants. Flaunt the fact that so-and-so chose your agency or company rather than a competitor. If needed, ask a respected client to make a personal visit to a customer on the fence. Prospects will appreciate your personal interest and value the opinions of a peer. Sales Tip #10: Utilize multiple closes An effective sales training program can teach dozens of proven techniques that you can use to close the account. For example: Direct close. Simply ask for the check. Time-driven close. "Because rates are going up next week, buy now" Relationship close. If applicable, this is a foolproof method. Deal/concession close. If the prospect balks, up the ante by adding such benefits as discounted seminars or loss control services. Sales Tip #11: Provide world class service Offer consistent, personalized, responsive, reliable, accurate, and professional customer service. Do the unexpected to dazzle customers with your commitment to service excellence. Sales Tip #12 ...