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... New York City, they got all their fine things appraised by Leo McCarthy, the ... for a man who died in 1943 to sign a fine-art appraisal in 1991. The lawyer did not file suit and a fraud was thwarted. The insurance company put some e...

... time. So how do you position yourself to do consultative selling? Simple. Ask more questions. The more questions you ask, the better you understand the client's problems and the higher your level of rapport. The better you understand the client's problems, the more trust you're likely to engender. What Do You Want? What do you really want from your broker? ' What's important to you about..? ' What would be missing if you lacked..? ' These are the most powerful questions you can ask ... Me Where It Hurts Sometimes a problem is too complicated for a generalist to solve. In that case, it's the responsibility of the salesperson to call in an expert to help define a solution. For example, if one of your clients has an extensive collection of fine art to insure, chances are that you won't be able to accurately recommend the best level of coverage. That's no problem if your agency has engaged the services of an expert in the fine arts market who's in a better position to advise your client in this ... . Calling an expert in to help you is an example of relationship selling. Relationship selling is defining the problem and providing an expert to recommend a solution. Even though you may lack some of the needed expert knowledge, you know where to get it. This is done all the time in the computer business: an account exec establishes an account, then turns it over to technical support. I Can Relate Most larger sales require either relationship selling strategies or consultative selling strategies. Presenting features and benefits to busy executives without really ...

...son to call in an expert to help define a solution. For example, if one of ...aged the services of an expert in the fine arts market who's in a better position ...

...ules. No, the title salesperson is fine, so long as we know that our real job ...level of conversation right from the start-which brings added value. Your rep...

... lost business. These steps are the preliminaries to creating a professional agency as compared to the Mom-and-Pop shops that still dot the landscape. The professional agency knows how to move in the right direction to grow. The Mom-and-Pop shop believes that the fates control its destiny and trust in luck. Which would you prefer? This article is taken from the ACG Pipeline newsletter and is reproduced with permission. E. Al Diamond is president of Agency Consulting Group, Inc., 507 North Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034, ( ... . The key to moving into the next generation of growth is to develop a deeper understanding of the power of management. Management is a productive profession, not a frill that can be trimmed in favor of sales or service. How do you explain the appreciation of fine painting to a blind man? He knows he can live without it and can't understand the fuss about applying some textured paint to a canvas. If he were able to see, he might find out that art adds a dimension to his life that he never ... existed. Most owners of small agencies facing the $2 million ceiling without knowledge of management are like the blind man. The only way they know to grow is to repeat they've done in the past, but since the old familiar methods no longer work, they're at a loss. New ways seem risky. But they don't have to re-invent the wheel. All they need do is review similar companies that have grown through the $2 million mark and into double-digit growth. They'll find that these companies hire enough of the right ...

.... Well-written correspondence is a fine way to display your style and abilitie...

...do you explain the appreciation of fine painting to a blind man? He knows he c...fuse to invest in people and learn the arts of delegation and management. They...

... cleaning the silver for about an hour using very strong ammonia when the fumes began to bother me and I became faint. I really don't know what happened, but the next thing I remember I was waking up on the kitchen floor. Juanita was gone. I trusted that woman. I fed her. She broke bread with me and then robbed me when I was incapacitated by the fumes. Imagine that! ' The adjuster believed her-she seemed so honest. She looked him straight in the eye and answered every question. Indignant ... But things bored her. Living alone bored her. Simply passing the days exhausted her. Her life needed something to keep her interest. She recalled that shortly before World War II, when she and her husband lived in New York City, they got all their fine things appraised by Leo McCarthy, the foremost pre-war art appraiser. The appraisal was written on sheets of 11 1/2 - by 14-inch artist's vellum, and a pen-and-ink drawing illustrated each line of fine descriptive script. She took one sheet to the local stationery ... and had them order 50 sheets of similar paper. When the paper arrived, she sat at the kitchen table for weeks, meticulously copying with a fountain pen each sheet of McCarthy's work. She lightly traced the line drawings with a very soft pencil and then drew over the pencil lines in ink. The only thing she changed were the values-to reflect what she believed to be modern prices. She cautiously erased all the pencil lines with a soft gum eraser. Each page was a masterful copy, as ably illustrated as any Bible ...

... message from a referral, it usually gets returned! These elements of commonality and endorsement don't just make the first conversation easier. They also significantly increase the chance of the final sale. You'll get fewer obstacles and objections, you'll immediately operate from a higher level of trust, and your new prospect-turned-customer will have a stronger sense of loyalty right from the start. Barry Graham Munro, in his book Smart Salespeople Sometimes Wear Plaid, says, "To some, a referral is merely a name. However, a referral is actually ... process. For most of us, we're spending time prospecting. He suggests, "maybe we should call ourselves prospectors instead of salespeople! Of course, then we'd have to grow beards and everyone would want to see our mules. No, the title salesperson is fine, so long as we know that our real job is prospecting." Without question, prospecting for referrals is the best prospecting system you can use. To achieve sustained success in the insurance business, you must become a master prospector. Why prospect with cold ... when you can prospect for referrals? You'll spend more time in front of more qualified buyers, you'll make more sales, and you'll experience much less stress. 4. Target Niche Markets Creating a reputation for you and your company within one or more niches can substantially increase your referral business. When you target an industry or affinity segment, requesting referrals is more effective. You gain a high level of expertise which will help you serve your prospects and clients better right from the start. When you target a specific industry or affinity ...

... , binding arbitration. Skeletons in the closet: Do your "due diligence." Even though negotiations are cordial, you still need to check for skeletons in the other guy's closet. Don't limit your review to the financial records (accounts payable, accounts receivable, trust accounts, etc.) . Within the bounds of confidentiality, check with the other party's carriers, clients, and employees. Run a credit check on both the company and the principal personally. Ownership equality: In almost all mergers, one agency is worth ... help the buyer. This point is almost always overlooked or misunderstood, but a little reflection should help make it clear: In a typical agency sale, the agency sold is expected to generate enough cash to pay for itself, "plus a little." That's fine in a typical sale because the seller is leaving. But in a merger, the seller is staying and earning that "plus a little" himself. Taking this extra amount away from the seller means that the seller loses and the buyer wins. Surplus assets ... Many agencies have surplus assets of various kinds, such as surplus cash or real estate. Regardless of the asset, it raises the value of the agency. If the new, merged agency does not need this asset, it might make sense not to include it in the merger. Closing adjustments: Because both agencies continue to operate during the merger negotiations there will be a normal variation in the accounts of each agency. This variation must be adjusted at closing to reflect actual balances as of that date. The closing adjustments serve ...