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...anged in organizational structure, technology utilization, compensation strate...entations: Your agency should provide technology tools, access to information, technical instruction (manuals, CDs, Int...

...ed for large organizations or high tech start-ups, today they're prevalent in ... and implement consultative brokerage techniques. 4. Master the Five Pathways ...

... a poor country boy lost in a high-tech world that carbon paper still impresse... tell me how wonderful this new “high tech” world is and is going to be. I us...

...ork in business (or for you “techies” — as long as humans wr...) 939-5944 (Cell), e-mail squareoneconsulting@cox.net, or visit www.squareoneconsulting.com.

...added services and products. These techniques can help you do the job: TIP #1:...

... business. They can do this because the agency hired someone for its new-business department who had a background as both an account manager and underwriter. When producers bring in prospects, this person can determine what more was needed to make a successful presentation to carriers. This made it far easier for producers to work on winning new clients, rather than spending time on the details of submissions. AUTOMATION: TECH YOUR TIME In successful agencies, the service staff can operate more efficiently and handle more business because they're using up-to-date technology. Agencies that refuse to change or that don't fully capitalize on the technology they already have don't do as well. I recently talked with an agency that generated $5 million in revenues and had just one accounting person. She told me that the agency had fully implemented a ... , 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 How To Remain Competitive In A Changing Industry 4/30/2013 12:00:00 AM by CompleteMarkets Editor , Sharon Cunningham This content has not been rated yet. Sharon Cunningham's consulting visits with agencies have allowed her to see how the successful ones remain competitive in this changing environment. In this article, Cunningham shares some of what she has seen: What the trends are, what works, what doesn't, and what concerns agencies have as they strive for success on an ever-changing playing field.Since I started consulting with insurance agencies more than 20 years ago, change has ...

...ved have done so by using technology to become more efficient and by ...pport this demand with their technology and service staff. If you mak...

... agency's lifeblood, the people who handle their accounts should have the pretty, comfortable work areas, complete with windows. Agencies that have reorganized to use account managers (who can concentrate on the client-contact functions of service, placement, certificates, rounding, and so on) and account technicians (who specialize in policy-checking, correction-seeking, and follow-ups) realize that good physical placement increases their effectiveness. Account techs need quiet space to concentrate on technical detail. They must be out of any waiting client's sightline so that there's no pressure of courtesy-that is, so they won't have to interrupt their flow by getting up to help the client. The account techs must be situated close to each other so that they can back each other up comfortably during heavy work times (such as big renewal months) and ... to principals-to sketch office arrangements, write down ideas, recommend colors, design a desk arrangement, or express wish-list items. Create a master plan. Disregard the way you've always done things, and have some fun. You can make the place you work help achieve what you want in your work. Virginia M. Bates, LIA, is an educator on management and coverage topics and an independent consultant who advises insurance agencies and companies on E&O protection, successful technology usage, profitability, marketing, operations, and perpetuation. She can be reached at VMB Associates, Inc., 115 Ashland St., Melrose, MA 02176, (781) 665-0623, fax (781) 662-1288, E-mail [email protected] . Login or Register (for FREE) to gain ...

... seminars) but, like beauty, "lies in the eye of the beholder (customer) ." Customer service is a "bottom up" activity. Part of your challenge is that customers differ, not only as a niche of one, but in their demands for individualized service. Some customers want "high touch": a relationship that they can trust, while others need "high tech": a seamless and fast transaction. Your problem is that you don't sell either; you sell products, commodities, and/or services. What do customers expect you to do — alter your delivery system to their idiosyncrasies? The bad news is that the answer is "yes." The good news is that if you narrow the market, it's doable! Customers want what they ... ) is that most people's expectations of us are low. I'm given latitude by the Politically Correct Police because I'm, you know, a "hick." This latitude lets me write in unvarnished terms, based on personal experiences and observations of the marketplace. What follows is my best effort to provide insight as a customer into the problems with service today, as well as my suggestions as a consultant on ways to return to the good old days when the "customer was king." You'll find the first lesson of this article in this disclaimer. Please note the words "forgive me" a few lines above. If you offend someone or if you think you might have, apologize. Acknowledge your mistakes. Don't argue with customers. If what you did or said, or what ...

...call system to a manager or system tech to handle system trouble (such as cras... CONSISTENCE As we all accommodate to technology in our personal and professio...