Search CompleteMarkets

... x No Thanks Loading.. Horseback Riding Or Riding On The Back Of A Horse 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Michael Manes This content has not been rated yet. HORSEBACK RIDING OR RIDING ON THE BACK OF A HORSE by Mike Manes Are you running your agency, or is it running you? This document by Mike Manes examines the elements that make the difference. Understand them and you'll be well on your way to taking control and steering your business forward. &# 160 As a boy, more than anything else I wanted a horse. In my fantasy world, I'd be Roy Rogers on Trigger, a jockey aboard Man of War, or a pioneer driving a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail. I got my wish (watch what you pray for!) . Suddenly my fantasy world collided with reality. My horse, Sham, was a beautiful animal. He was young, spirited, and impossible to ride. His first evening at the farm foreshadowed his style and our relationship. He went through a corral to visit with an old blind mare that roamed free. We attempted to curb his spirit by limiting his manhood. Watching this procedure hurt me, but it didn't calm Sham. I thought that a horseback ride was the ideal way to spend an hour, an afternoon, or even a day pursuing adventures. This animal would take me places that I wanted to go — physically or imaginatively. The horse and my command of it would make me special. The reality was far different. I never took Sham for a ride; he ...

... . When using their own personal vehicles for company business, employees must show proof that they have Auto insurance as required by law in their state. A copy of the employee's current policy must be given to his or her supervisor and kept in the personnel files. When an insurance policy expires, a copy of the renewal must be supplied. Transporting Employees When several employees are transported in a van, bus, or truck, the operator must have a license appropriate for the class of vehicle being driven, and the vehicle must be equipped with adequate seats. Lamps, brakes, horns, windshields, mirrors, and turn signals should be in good repair. The vehicles must also be provided with handrails, steps, stirrups, or similar devices for mounting or dismounting. Employees are prohibited from riding on top of any load that can shift, topple, or otherwise become unstable. When tools with sharp edges are carried in passenger compartments, they must be placed in closed boxes or containers that cannot shift or topple. Employee-transport vehicles must carry at least two reflective-type flares. A fully charged fire extinguisher in good condition should also be kept. Vehicle Safety Rules 1. Only authorized individuals are allowed to operate company vehicles. Operators are required to have a proper drivers license for the class of vehicle they are operating. 2. Do not operate any vehicle that you do not feel comfortable handling in both routine and emergency situations. Get training if needed. 3. Do not operate any vehicle if your ability is impaired by medication, alcohol, or drugs. 4. Before using a ...

... , they are required to provide proof that they have auto insurance as required by law in their state. A copy of the employees current policy must be given to the employee's supervisor and will be kept in the personnel files. A new copy must be provided at the time the current policy expires to show that the insurance has been renewed. Transporting Employees When several employees are transported in a van, bus, or truck, the operator must have a license appropriate to the class of vehicle being driven. The transporting vehicles must be equipped with adequate seats. Vehicles must be equipped with lamps, brakes, horns, windshields, mirrors, and turn signals in good repair. Vehicles must be provided with handrails, steps, stirrups or similar devices for mounting or dismounting. Employees are prohibited from riding on top of any load which can shift, topple, or otherwise become unstable. When tools with sharp edges are carried in passenger compartments they must be placed in closed boxes or containers which cannot shift, topple or become unstable. Employee transport vehicles must carry at least two reflective type flares. A fully charged fire extinguisher in good condition must be kept in each transport vehicle. General Safety Rules for Trucks, Tractors, and Forklifts General Rules All operators must be trained and certified at least annually. Plant conditions and operator duties should be reviewed at least annually and when any changes occur. All rules must be enforced. Safety and training records will be maintained. Operating Rules 1. Only authorized, trained, licensed drivers are permitted to operate equipment. 2. No stunt driving or ...

... must be supplied to the employee's supervisor and will be kept on file. Employees using personal vehicles for work must also provide proof of Auto insurance as required by law in their state. A copy of the employee's current policy must be kept on file with the employee's supervisor. After a policy expires, a copy of the renewed policy must be provided to prove continuation of coverage. Transporting Employees When several employees are transported in a van, bus or truck, the operator must have a license to drive the class of vehicle driven by the employee. All vehicles must be equipped with adequate seats and working lamps, brakes, horns, windshields, mirrors, and turn signals. Vehicles must be provided with handrails, steps, stirrups or similar devices for mounting or dismounting. Employees are prohibited from riding on top of any load which can shift, topple, or otherwise become unstable. When tools with sharp edges are placed in the passenger space, they must be enclosed in closed boxes or containers which cannot shift, topple, or become unstable. Vehicles must carry at least two reflective type flares and a fully charged fire extinguisher maintained in working condition. Vehicle Safety Rules Do not drive the vehicle without authorization. You are required to present the proper driver's license and/or operator's permit. If you have concerns about a vehicle's handling ability in routine or emergency situations, do not drive it until the required repairs are made. If you are uneasy about operating a certain a vehicle, ask your employer for proper training before attempting to drive it. If your judgment and ability are impaired ...

... who is a "tire kicker" and who is a "buyer." You can learn who is there to gather information – the Reactive personality – and those who want an opportunity to take action – the Proactive. In many cases, "Reactives" are passive personality types – followers. They also tend to experts in specific bodies of knowledge. In uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations, many people can't initiate activity, but need to gather information in to understand the situation before they can begin to make a decision. For example, if you've ever gone to an amusement park and found yourself at roller coaster you face only two choices: 1) get in line; or 2) have an anxiety attack at the thought of getting on that insane ride which will surely throw you to your death. In the context of roller coasters, are you Proactive or Reactive? People who initiate action are "Proactive." They're often the impulse buyers, leaders, pioneers, early adopters. Their unconscious motto is, "Fire, Ready, Aim." In battle, Proactives would waste all of their ammunition by the time they saw the whites of the enemy's eyes. Back to the sales scenario: If Bill is leaning forward in his chair, the chances are that he's a Proactive who hates inactivity, tends to get involved in a situation early on, and wants to take action. He's not a researcher or planner – give him the opportunity to buy as soon as possible. On the other hand, if Bill is ...

... crises. In the presence of such a calm and effective management style, enough new business is produced to more than offset attrition. The agency is on a steady growth curve and morale is good. Then, seemingly overnight, things start to unravel. The system that had been running so smoothly becomes a roller coaster of minor disasters. The team spirit grinds to a shaky halt, and what was once frequent laughter becomes almost constant bickering. Revenues level off or even begin to decrease, and the profit margin erodes. When this happens, a lot of agency owners and managers blame the market conditions, temporarily forgetting that they had been doing just fine in the same competitive market until only recently. Seizing on this convenient excuse for all of their ills, they are tempted to try to ride out the storm until the market turns. With so much capacity available, the hardening of the commercial market still lies in the distant future-if it will happen at all. An agency that was generating a 12% profit can withstand 10% revenue decreases for only two years before serious adjustments have to be made to keep from going under. Waiting is not a viable option. At the first sign that the well-oiled machine is rusting, you must actively search for the cause and get things turned around quickly. With premiums and commission rates going down at a steady pace, there's not a lot of room for procrastination. In most cases, the organizational difficulties are rooted in the very success that the agency had been enjoying. It may simply have grown past the point where the existing organizational structure ...

... here are twenty-two marketing ideas that can help you out market the competition. 1. Put your marketing under the microscope. Review everything. That means all of marketing activities, whether it's advertising, letters, memos, e-Bulletins, newsletters, press releases, and so forth. Ask yourself, "Is this about our company or is it about our customers?" Focus squarely on "them," rather than "us." 2. Get a grip on the customer. This means thinking like a customer. Seems obvious, doesn't it? If you're selling something, why wouldn't you try to get inside the customer's head? After looking at recent GM ads, you might wonder what they're thinking. Chevy ads focus on interior space, mileage and Onstar, while Buick highlights a smooth ride. Is all that on target? If the "Cash for Clunkers" program is any indication, it isn't. Consumers want value for their dollar. By the way, GM isn't alone. There's just too much stuff that keeps us from seeing the world though the customer's eyes. 3. Watch out for no-appeal perks. Just giving things to customers, including most so-called value-added "stuff," can backfire. It might send the message that you don't really understand what they want. If something doesn't have value for the customer, don't offer it. 4. Get the emotions going. Facts can be helpful, but they don't translate into action. Reebok got the message with its cable ads for its women's EasyTone shoes that provides a compelling message: "Better legs and a ...

... Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, Mitchell and Everly write, Critical-incident stress debriefing accelerates the rate of normal recovery in normal people who are having normal reactions to abnormal events. If the event has happened to you or a co-worker, realize that it may have a ripple effect that will touch all your employees. Many companies have brought in a stress counselor to speak to their employees about the incident and some of the residual effects to expect. This counseling brings a great deal of comfort to the company and facilitates an internal support system that will see people through the crisis. You can't force counseling on anyone, of course. It's the prerogative of a witness to take advantage of the offer of counseling-but it's the company's responsibility to make the offer. A witness who refuses counseling should at least be offered a ride home, since operating a vehicle in a highly charged emotional state is dangerous. The purpose of critical-incidence stress counseling is to return the witness to a normal personal life and a productive professional life as quickly as possible. The rewards of this type of counseling are felt by both the employee and the company. What's more, a client who has received your advice to see a good counselor-or a referral to one-will always remember your agency's caring and helpfulness. Far from being an extra, counseling is the right thing at a bad time. Janine Reid is president of the Janine Reid Group, Inc. and the author of What to Do When the Sky Starts Falling and Crisis Management Planning and Media Relations for the Construction Industry. She can be reached at Janine Reid Group, 1950 Jasmine Street ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Change Is A Certainty 4/30/2013 by Al Diamond , CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. Attempting to maintain the same old business practices in a changing environment is as futile as trying to sit stationary in a rising tide. As independent agents confront the evolving economic and industry conditions of the 21st century, the wise ones learn to ride the waves rather than drown in them. Change isn't bad or good-it's simply inevitable. And it can be hard to weather. Businesses experiencing failure and performance-related losses may have an easier time with it-change to correct weakness is easier to accept, even though it can be difficult to implement. Changing from a position of strength is harder. High-performance agencies have different strengths, yet all are similar in that they are growth- and profit-oriented and proud of their position and results. This pride can become a weakness in an otherwise strong organization. A history of success makes it easy to cling to the systems and procedures that were once so innovative and that enabled the company to surpass the competition. But innovations soon become ordinary practice, and adhering to ordinary practice prevents the agency from benefiting from the systems, procedures, workflows, marketing, and service that come with the next wave of change. The most successful agencies in the United States share two common traits-a philosophy of continuous change and a feeling of celebrated discontent. Continuous change is easy to define and difficult to implement. An agency can never stay in place. It's like a vehicle on an incline with no brakes: If it doesn't get ...

...m convinced that almost everything rides on making a correct first impression:...