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... x No Thanks Loading.. Happy Employees Increase Efficiency 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Grace Bauer This content has not been rated yet. Some employees are actually happy in their jobs these days, and for good reason. The wave is starting to swell as more and more agencies are truly taking care of their employees. From a half-day off per week to allowing them to pick up their kids from school to telecommuting, agencies are thinking about how their employees feel and taking care of their personal needs. Surprise! Employees really are happy. After all, what other agencies or companies these days would even think of such things? Enlightened agencies are identifying their employees' needs and satisfying them. Needless to say, revenue is increasing, morale is up, employees are sticking around, and overall efficiency is increasing. TAKE A HALF-DAY OFF Yes, some agencies are giving employees a half-day off with pay. Agencies pay their employees for a full 40-hour week and give them the half-day off of their choice. Employees can schedule doctor appointments, be at home while a special service is performed, or run errands during that time. Remember those instances when an employee had to run home to open the door for the rug cleaners or take one of their children to the doctor? Think about how much more efficiently the agency could run with a consistently full staff most of the time. It could eliminate disruptions throughout the day and result in a higher quality of work. After all, employees know they have their half-day off to take care of personal needs that might otherwise ...

... be like a piñata. Over the years, you've accumulated a lot of goodies, like jewelry, electronic gadgets, and clothes, and maybe you've bought more insurance to cover these acquisitions, like adding a layer of papier-mâché to a piñata (then again, maybe you didn't) . But what happens when you get a really hard whack, like a tornado or flood? Wouldn't you feel better if we put all your goodies into a sturdier container, like a safe? Why Stories? This story illustrates the point you're trying to make to clients - that many people's Homeowner's coverage isn't sufficient. By telling a story, you create visual images in the client's mind. Images are very powerful. No one wants to see all their goodies cascading to the floor with hoards of people scrambling to pick them up. This kind of image evokes powerful emotional responses that lead to pain. A good story can illustrate your point better than all the statistics in the world. Present a client with all the statistics on losses due to inadequate Homeowner's coverage, and you've made a logical case for making a change. You've appealed to their head - but you may have missed their heart. So we use stories and metaphors to teach and to get clients to change their behavior. People Buy on Emotion In one of Zig Ziglar's books is a wonderful diagram showing the concept of emotional buying. A man has a large heart on his jacket. Two lines measure distances in the diagram, one going 24 inches from the man's back pocket to the heart on his jacket and the other going 36 inches ...

... _ Premium/mode ____ ____ ____ Next premium due date ____ ____ ____ Issue date (approx.) ____ ____ ____ Type of policy (O.L., U.L., Term, etc.) ____ Carrier ____ ( ) Smoker ( ) Nonsmoker ( ) Male ( ) Female Overall health: ( ) Excellent ( ) Good ( ) Fair ( ) Poor Agent-of-record letter: ( ) Discussed ( ) OK ( ) Not discussed Appointment set for: Date: ____/ ____/ _____ Time: ____ Address: _____ City ____ State ____ ZIP ____ Phone: ( ) Home ____ ( ) Work ____ Employer: ____ Prospect's title: ____ ( ) Discussed employee benefits ( ) Pick up employee-benefits booklet ( ) Pick up last premium notice(s ) ( ) Pick up recent: ( ) dividend ( ) policy loan ( ) cash-value information ( ) Policies to be picked up / receipted 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 ...

... , and so forth) . A primary care physician (PCP) will act as a "gatekeeper" who will evaluate your health and recommend referrals to specialists, as needed. As a rule, premiums and co-pays are relatively low, saving you money. On the downside, HMOs offer limited, if any, flexibility for services outside the plan. If your current physician isn't in the HMO, you'll have to pay for his or her services, or select another PCP who does participate in the plan. Also, if you use a provider outside the network, you'll have to pay out of pocket. Preferred Provider Organizations. Like HMOs, PPOs operate through a network of health care providers and institutions, and set relatively low co-payments for medical treatment. However, unlike HMOs, they'll pick up the tab for many (although not all) medical services outside the network. What's more, you can see specialists who participate in the network without going through your primary care physician. Of course, you'll pay a relatively high premium for enjoying this added flexibility. Also, if you get treatment outside the PPO, you'll have to pick up a deductible or the difference between the charges of the plan provider and those of the out-of -network specialist. Point of Service Plans. This option combines elements of HMOs and PPOs. A POS plan focuses on a primary care physician participating in the plan who monitors your health care at the "point of service" and recommend referrals either inside or outside the network. In the former case, the PPO will file a claim with your Health ...

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... , you've flattered your centers of influence and given them the impression that your agency is a professional operation. You can also employ the center of influence method with your policyholders. Once a year (or more often) ask each of your 10 Leading Commercial Lines accounts to name the insurance salesperson (besides your own) who has impressed them the most-and why. By definition, these people are effective producers. Even though they may be satisfied in their present position for the moment, they may be ripe for prospecting in the future. This method is also a valuable way to find out who your best competitors are and how they're operating. Choose your centers of influence carefully to develop qualified leads from this source. In general, the quality of the referrer will determine the quality of recruits. Pick only the best sources: those who respect you and will be respected by those they refer. Students can be recruited from high schools as well as colleges. Every spring ask each agency employee to list five graduating high school seniors who they believe might make good producers. Select the top 10 from this group, with help from the school's guidance counselor. Invite these students to a dinner where you and your leading producers describe sales career opportunities with your agency. Let them know that you're looking for one or two producers to join the firm and that you have an internship program available if they are planning on college. This approach may provide some high-quality candidates and will help build your agency's image in the schools and the community. Let the placement offices of colleges in your area know that ...

...e summer to grow and be ready for picking in October or November. I had a b...ht the natural cycle of planting and picking - we learn to understand it and w...

... Email: Are you sure you want to deactivate your CompleteMarkets Company Profile Deactivate Cancel Loading.. About Us Services Jobs PR Newsletters Employees Articles Blog Photos Group Connections Reviews IMMS Library Immerse yourself in our stacks. Take some time and browse through our library. We have thousands of articles, checklists, tip sheets, sales letters, and more! Communications Marketing Customer Service Planning Finance/Accounting Risk Management Human Resources Selling Legal and E&O Technology Life/Financial Services Glossaries Management Resources & Links Categories Popular Recent All Back The Electronic Lobby 4/30/2013 12:00:00 AM by Jack Burke This content has not been rated yet. How the telephone can convey a positive first impression of your business. Salespeople who call upon businesses have a saying: The owner is the one outside picking up the cigarette butts. Why? Because the owner knows that a clean, attractive entrance is crucial to getting the prospect inside the store. Today, for most businesses, the first contact comes over the telephone. The telephone is your "electronic lobby" -the vital first impression that many prospects receive (and, in some cases, the only impression) . Yet, ironically, the same business owner who is out "picking up the butts" may not even interview applicants for the position of telephone receptionist. FIRST-LINE OFFENSE The telephone receptionist — not the producer — is your front-line offense. Restaurants pay particular attention to hiring their hosts/hostesses. A host's smile, personality, friendliness, and ability to function under stress are important assets that predispose the customer toward a satisfactory ...

... same skills you use in a face-to-face meeting are the basic ones you use on the phone. If the contact person isn't there when you call, call back, but don't leave a message until the third call. Then try to talk to someone else. You might ask, Perhaps you could help me, I'm looking for the person who handles the Property and Liability insurance. Do you know who that would be? ' Or Perhaps you could help me, are you the person who handles your firm's insurance? ' You might be talking to the right person after all. If you can't connect, leave a message, but don't necessarily expect a return call. GAMING SKILLS Remember, be disciplined. If you're going to use the phone, make a plan and stick to it. Pick a time of day to call, decide how many calls you'll make per day, then do it. It's a numbers game. How many people do you have to call before you get an appointment? Start to keep track, so you'll know what to expect. If you know that every 10-13 calls results in an appointment, it makes your job easier because you have some goals and you're not shooting in the dark anymore. You also need to plan when to call certain types of businesses. For example, contractors are generally early-morning calls, restaurants between and/or after the breakfast and lunch rush. Break up your day with other duties so you don't get burned out, but do pick certain times to call and then do it! RECORD YOUR INFORMATION You'll rarely get an ...

... her patience was wearing thin. I called the 800 number and spoke with a young lady that I won't name since (I believe) she gave me her real name and was polite, professional, and helpful. I'm afraid this type of behavior might get her fired, in trouble with her boss, or ostracized by her peers. Obviously she's setting standards the industry can't live with. She was certainly the only positive exception to a highly negative experience. This lady explained that "Internet Vacation Packages can be tricky." She told me that, based on our confirmation number, our surcharge would be $277.39. She indicated that the "best buy" directly from her company on the car rental plan we had in this package would be $215.99 (before surcharge) if we picked the car up at the airport. If we picked the car up at a hotel, the cost would be $177.99 before surcharges ($ 204.30 including surcharges — please note that this is about a 15% tax/surcharge) . Although this lady couldn't tell me the allocation of charges in our package, she said the surcharges are based on: 10% Airport contract fee 6% Government Services fee 3.5% Reimbursement fee 7.5% Sales Tax (As a sideline — add the aforementioned airport "best buy" on the rental car to these fees and taxes and you get surprisingly close to the $277.39 surcharge my wife must pay. Could it be that EX Company is misrepresenting their package and pocketing the rental car fee that's supposed to be included?) After more than an ...