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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 ...

... Service Professional's Life Insurance Illustration Questionnaire has made a big difference in the life of the insurance professional. It has stripped away the quaint notion that. if the marketing department says it's good, it must be good. In this first of a three-part series, Richard Weber explains why an illustration isn't the best resource on which to sell a policy. Life insurance salespeople are taking control of their business lives by understanding the difference between a Life insurance policy and a Life insurance illustration. Some of us are embarking on the difficult process of retraining our clients and ourselves to the reality that an illustration is a particularly poor resource on which to make the decision of which policy to sell or buy. Consumers can't use the best price' test in buying Life insurance as they would in purchasing a computer or refrigerator. One particularly egregious instance of illustration misuse is in the recommendation to replace an existing policy with a new one. After all, it's an easier sale to the prospect who has already purchased a policy and gone through both the psychology and the math of accepting the need to provide proceeds at death for a loved one or an owed one. Some agents either naively or maliciously tell these prospects. it's time to trade in that old policy for a new one. Let's examine the leading rationales for replacement. THE SKY IS FALLING' In the Great Ratings Reduction Era of the late `80's through the present, virtually every Life insurance company has experienced one or more downgrades. Northwestern Mutual, New York Life, Guardian Life, and State Farm are among the handful of companies who have not ...

... Banks And Agencies: A New Way Of Doing Business 3/28/2014 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Michael Manes This content has not been rated yet. The speakers on the tape I was listening to said, When you complete the process of rearing your children, you want to be certain to maintain a reasonably good relationship with them. You see, your children will make two decisions that will significantly affect your life: what nursing home to select and when to pull the plug. Sobering thought? You bet. I was listening to this tape in the middle years of parenting my two children, when I didn't feel it was working out the way I thought it should. I was trying to live up to the whitewashed concept of having children: cute babies, good night sugar, ' refrigerator pictures, dance recitals, and home runs in little league-as opposed to the reality of dirty diapers, the terrible twos, temper tantrums, homework, defiance, and so forth. The same reality check is currently being demanded of those involved in the insurance industry. Now that banks can sell insurance, many agencies and their trade associations have had to change their position from We'll never let it happen' to If you can't beat em, join em. The problem is that traditional banks and agencies will soon discover the massive chasm between concept and reality. To succeed in these new ventures, both will have to reinvent themselves. If only someone had told me about the reality of having children; I still would have had and loved mine, but I would have been much better at it ...

... The New York Times reported that 27 guests gathered to celebrate the marriage of Victoria Dunn and Terrance Jones, both 51. No big deal? Seven were in a New York City Kinko's print and copy shop videoconferencing room and the others were at Kinko's locations in Portland, OR, Seattle, and Berkeley, CA. The best woman' spoke from Seattle and the ring bearers pretended to deliver the rings from Portland. Experiences like this, chat rooms, E-mail, and wireless communications influence and shape customer expectations. Personalized service is the wave of the future and far more democratic than the service of yesterday. In the 1950s, marketers talked about the idea that the customer is king. It has taken until now for the concept to become reality. Manufacturing millions of washers, dryers, cars, refrigerators, and toasters can't compare to getting customers the one they want, when, where and the way they want it. In reality, the survival of every company depends on personalized service. John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm. He is the author of The New Magnet Marketing' and 203 Ways to Be Supremely Successful in the New World of Selling. Graham writes for a variety of publications and speaks on business, marketing, and sales topics. He can be contacted at 40 Oval Road, Quincy, MA 02170, (617) 328-0069, fax (617) 471-1504, e-mail [email protected] , or Web site www.grahamcomm.com . Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access to thousands of other great ...

... ) 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 ...

... AND FOLLOW-UP: Specifies procedures to be made available to all employees who have had an exposure incident plus any laboratory tests must be conducted by an accredited laboratory at no cost to the employee. Follow-up must include a confidential medical evaluation documenting the circumstances of exposure, identifying and testing the source individual if feasible, testing the exposed employee's blood if he/she consents, post-exposure prophylaxis, counseling and evaluation of reported illnesses. Healthcare professionals must be provided specified information to facilitate the evaluation and their written opinion on the need for hepatitis B vaccination following the exposure. Information such as the employee's ability to receive the hepatitis B vaccine must be supplied to the employer. All diagnoses must remain confidential. HAZARD COMMUNICATION: Requires warning labels including the orange or orange-red biohazard symbol affixed to containers of regulated waste, refrigerators and freezers and other containers which are used to store or transport blood or other potentially infectious materials. Red bags or containers may be used instead of labeling. When a facility uses universal precautions in its handling of all specimens, laundry is handled with universal precautions, the laundry need not be labeled. Blood which has been tested and found free of HIV or HBV and released for clinical use, and regulated waste which has been decontaminated, need not be labeled. Signs must be used to identify restricted areas in HIV and HBV research laboratories and production facilities. INFORMATION AND TRAINING: Mandates training within 90 days of effective date, initially upon assignment and annually-employees who have received appropriate training within the past year need only receive additional training in items not previously covered. Training must include making accessible ...