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... No matter your age, just go in and starting playing with an iPad, an iPod or an accessory. Even so, it's not uncommon for some customers to ask permission before they try out an iMac or an iPad. They remember going into stores with mom, who reminded them to keep their hands to themselves. Clearly, Apple understands that today's customers want to enjoy the buying experience and getting involved. 3. Crank up the communication, not the sales pitches. Top salespeople have long prided themselves on being effective persuaders. However, if the truth were known, most of those in sales probably are best at talking their way out of getting orders. For example, you walk into a major home appliance or department store. It's like going through a cemetery. The ranges and refrigerators, the washers, dryers and dishwashers are all lined up neatly in one row after another. It's all so dull. After awhile a salesperson comes along and asks if you have questions. You may get the facts, but chances are you'll completely miss the experience of the refrigerator. You can see it, but that's all. It's what the fridge does to add convenience and enjoyment to life that counts. How would it be if a refrigerator manufacturer gave iPads to the salespeople, with brief videos of consumers using their refrigerators in their homes and talking about it? They could see it come alive. How much more compelling that would be than listening to a salesperson, even a good one, talking about the refrigerator in the cemetery-like setting of the showroom. Would the right technology ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Give Your Employees The Ability To Motivate Themselves 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Jack Fries This content has not been rated yet. We've all heard of the wondrous salesperson who can sell sand in Arabia or refrigerators in Antarctica. But actually finding one for your business can be as hard to do as-well, selling sand in Arabia or refrigerators in Antarctica! If you truly want to improve sales, you'll have to change your whole attitude toward your sales force, your customers, and your agency. Many agents believe that selling insurance is the task of the sales force, with little marketing necessary. At office meetings, the CEO often turns to the sales manager with words such as, Why aren't your people selling more new business? With as much as we pay them, they ought to be out there in the field contacting new customers, and all I hear are excuses. Then comes the threat, veiled or outright: If things don't pick up pretty soon... All this kind of talk will get you is turnover, inconsistent sales, anger, and inaction. Here are tips that can dramatically change the selling atmosphere at your agency, improve the bottom line, and foster the development of your own group of wondrous salespeople: Change focus. The focus of your company must change from selling insurance to active competition. Your mystical mission statement sounds great in print, but probably means nothing to your customer or your sales force. You must replace this antique with a reality statement such as, Our goal is to replace XYZ Agency as ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Homeowners Client Relationship Building And Referral Letter 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. NOTE: THIS LETTER IS MEANT TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH REFRIGERATOR MAGNETS LISTING INSURANCE AGENCY CONTACTS AND PHONE NUMBERS, AS WELL AS EMERGENCY FIRST AID TIPS AND HOSPITAL/POLICE NUMBERS. THE SECOND PORTION OF THE LETTER, FOUND BELOW THE SIGNATURE, IS MEANT TO BE PRINTED ON SPECIAL STATIONERY AND SENT TO CLIENTS, TOGETHER WITH BUSINESS CARDS, BEFORE THE SUMMER VACATION SEASON. HOMEOWNERS CLIENT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND REFERRAL LETTER Dear (Customer Name), Do us a big favor .. Take one of these magnets and put it on your refrigerator door; take the other two and give one to each of your next door neighbors. Why? We think it's important for everybody in our community to have easy access to emergency telephone numbers. We also want your neighbors to have our number handy. This way, if something suspicious happens while you're away from home or out of town (if, heaven forbid, there's a burglary, a fire, a leak, or some other unforeseen mishap), they will have someone to whom to report the problem. We believe it makes sense to take extra precautions when it comes to protecting your home, and we consider it part of our job to help prevent a serious loss to your property before it occurs. Sincerely, (Your Name) Summer's the season To bask in the sun, Enjoy the outdoors, Relax and have fun. Stop working so hard Take time off and play ...

... be protected and secured. Therefore, protection and security are among basic human needs. WHY THEY ARE IN THE BUSINESS Insurance protects basic human needs, and it provides a comfortable living for those who sell it. Agents help fellow human beings while helping themselves. HOW TO BUILD IT There are four stages to building business. They are: 1. Sell more present coverage to present customers. 2. Sell new coverage to present customers. 3. Sell present coverage to new customers. 4. Sell new coverage to new customers. As a marketing manager dealing with heavy competition from all directions, there is only one option: Find ways to implement logical account-development procedures. PRIMARY JOBS VS. SECONDARY JOBS The concept of primary versus secondary is best illustrated with an example: William Perry (The Refrigerator), of Chicago Bears fame. Perry's primary task was defense, but in 1986, during the Bears-Packers game, The Refrigerator carried the ball for a touchdown. Scoring touchdowns was not Perry's primary function; carrying the ball was secondary and was used only as a surprise tactic. Perry did not move into an offensive position, nor did he become a regular football carrier. This can be related to agencies' support personnel; those employees who assist producers, for instance. While their primary function is defense (preventing problems from happening), their secondary function is offense (making good things happen for the business) . The responsibility for account development is similarly addressed. Support staff must be able to cross-sell (carry the ball), but it isn't necessarily their primary job. The ...

... Pamela Millard If youre failing to plan, youre planning to fail. What if we told you that companies with written busines.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) E&O : Maintaining Suspense Systems This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor , Patricia Alexander 5/31/2013 12:00:00 AM E&O : MAINTAINING SUSPENSE SYSTEMS by Patricia Alexander Although suspense/follow-up is a big issue when it comes to E&O , there's very little in print about the importance of effectiv.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) Homeowners Client Relationship Building And Referral Letter This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor 4/30/2013 10:38:40 PM NOTE: THIS LETTER IS MEANT TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH REFRIGERATOR MAGNETS LISTING INSURANCE AGENCY CONTACTS AND PHONE NUMBERS, AS WELL AS EMERGENCY FIRST AID TIPS AND HOSPITAL/POLICE NUMBER.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) Sales & Marketing: Module Iv This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor 4/30/2013 10:40:32 PM SALES & MARKETING: MODULE IV INTRODUCTION The material in this module gives you suggested step-by-step approaches to selling Life insurance, explaining in depth e.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) x No Thanks Loading.. Loading.. x No Thanks Loading.. ...

... employee involvement or the program will not be effective. Safety and accident prevention have to be an integral part of what I call the magic triangle' of any enterprise: production, quality, and safety. I believe that they're interrelated. Without a strong safety component, productivity, quality, and certainly profitability will suffer. Therefore, we must integrate safety into the hiring, orientation, and training processes. In today's environment, safety can no longer be considered a staff function with only safety professionals responsible for results. In smaller enterprises, the agent can become a major influence in molding these elements together. The effort should be made not just for the sake of safety, but to improve morale. For instance, a sanitary district had special trucks to pick up heavy items, such as refrigerators and washing machines, but did not supply its workers with hand trucks. The workers had to move heavy items manually from the curb to the truck-not a safe environment. The employees thought I was a miracle man' when the district's commissioners followed the recommendation of the safety committee and purchased hand trucks. When safety is employee-driven and the results are evident, all employees see the improved conditions and realize that management is committed to providing a safe workplace for them. How can we spread the word that safety affects a business' bottom line? I'd like to try an experimental seminar program, geared toward the smaller employer. It could be an after-work program, in which many agents would bring their clients to a central location. We could have presentations by safety experts, the state labor department ...

... Finance/Accounting Risk Management Human Resources Selling Legal and E&O Technology Life/Financial Services Glossaries Management Resources & Links Categories Popular Recent All heaven Articles tagged with heaven Back Agency Claims Procedures: A Time To Shine This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor , Lois Van Horn 5/21/2013 12:00:00 AM AGENCY CLAIMS PROCEDURES: A TIME TO SHINE by Lois Van Horn Insurance agents sell clients a promise-an intangible product. It is nothing they can hold or enjoy and probably what someone told.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) Homeowners Client Relationship Building And Referral Letter This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor 4/30/2013 10:38:40 PM NOTE: THIS LETTER IS MEANT TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH REFRIGERATOR MAGNETS LISTING INSURANCE AGENCY CONTACTS AND PHONE NUMBERS, AS WELL AS EMERGENCY FIRST AID TIPS AND HOSPITAL/POLICE NUMBER.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) x No Thanks Loading.. Loading.. x No Thanks Loading.. ...

... ) Silver Coins Stamps Guns Boats Computers ___ Photo Equipment COMMENTS Are your autos insured with the same company? ____ Expiration Date: ____ RECOMMENDED Dwelling ____ Company ____ ­ LIMITS Liability ____ Deductible ____ Premium ____ Guaranteed Replacement Home __ Contents All Risk' Contents Sewer Backup __ Other REPLACEMENT Number of families Year Built ____ Sq. Ft ____ COMPUTATION Brick Frame Garage Cars Brick Frame Attached Balcony Porch Deck Sq. Ft. # of Fireplaces __ # of Chimneys Inside Outside # of Baths Full 1/2 Basement? Finished? Central Air? __ Wiring:- Year Update: ____ Heating Construction Type I, II, III, IV Plumbing:- Year Update: ____ Roof:- Year Update: ____ Built-ins: Stove Refrigerator Dishwasher Washer Dryer Sauna Hot Tub Replacement value ____ Market Value ____ 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 & Benefits Professionals Online newsletters and content that you can use for your clients and social media efforts. Ability to attach leads and clients ...

... . Some are used in offices, others are taken to someone's vacation cabin, while a majority wind up on a shelf somewhere. But not the 400 mugs presented to the employees of a manufacturing company in Massachusetts. As part of a major safety program, the employees received coffee mugs individually personalized with their names. Instantly, the mugs became personal property, as if a this is mine; do not touch' sign went on each one. More than anything else, personalized gifts are perceived to be more valuable. They go beyond just giving something. Those receiving the gifts know that someone thought specifically of them. This is what gives the personalized gift its unusual power. 6. Enhance the impact of a promotional product by giving it special value. Magnets are particularly popular today. Refrigerators and filing cabinets are covered with them. But does anyone really read what they say? Or is their value inherent in what they do-hold papers, notes, orders, and whatever? In other words, magnets may be seen and used, but that's where it ends. Not necessarily, however, as a regional accounting firm has discovered. Instead of choosing some cute little magnet, the firm decided on one that measures 3 3/4 ' by 8' Designed specifically for the fronts of filing cabinets, the magnet lists which financial records should be kept for what periods of time in order to meet tax requirements. Are these magnets useful? Absolutely. Will the accounting firm's name be on display in dozens and dozens of offices? Of course. But it's not only the firm's current ...

... of 15% and the probability of failure is 85% . Is that a tolerable risk? If these probabilities of success are unacceptable, what would be an acceptable probability of success for you? In my experience, most suitable clients will respond with an acceptable probability in the range of 75% to 85% . To produce such a result, the funding level of the policy needs to be increased by 40% — to $7 ,700 from $5 ,520 — for the 60/40 allocation, as shown on Chart 3. That's right: the lowest level annual premium to endow such a policy needs to be at least 40% higher to offset the drag' of volatility. Ideally, this approach debunks the notion that you can buy Life insurance the way you buy refrigerators: best price doesn't necessarily mean best value. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. CAN WE TALK? If you've only sold Whole Life policies during the past 20 years, skip to the next section. If you only sold Variable Universal Life policies with target premiums or better — or used only an 8% gross investment assumption to project values, skip to the next section. If you don't fall into these two categories, can we talk? The funding of every variable Universal Life policy you've ever sold needs to be reassessed. Here's what you need to do: Obtain from the carrier the current account value of each policy and determine from your files (or discuss now with the client) their funding plans for the future. With this data in ...