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... the same progress as large businesses in developing drug abuse programs due to a lack of information and prohibitive costs. Some small businesses have also had difficulty providing the resources necessary to meet federal requirements for contractors to maintain drug-free workplaces. Three federal agencies jointly sponsored a national conference to communicate the effects of substance abuse in the workplace, discuss the specific problems of small businesses, and consider the incentives needed to assist small businesses in responding to these problems and implementing effective programs. Representatives from trade associations, chambers of commerce, unions, public/private partnerships, state and local governments, and employee assistance programs attended the conference. Presentations were made by the sponsoring agencies and members of the small business community in the areas of small business experiences, legislation, treatment/insurance, and drug testing. Workshops were conducted for each type of organization attending the conference. The group workshops focused on ways in which partnerships could be formed between the various organizations and how information, resources, and incentives could best be provided to small businesses. The problems and recommendations discussed in the presentations and workshops are described below. Small Business Needs To help design the conference, data on small business problems with substance abuse were obtained in six regional workshops held with small business representatives. Summaries from the regional workshops are contained in appendices to this report. The first step in assisting small businesses is disseminating information that demonstrates how substance abuse impacts all workplaces. As more and more large businesses initiate drug testing programs, small businesses that do not have programs will become likely places of employment for substance abusers. The best method ...

... ) Please consider the following: 1. Would you recommend this company? 2. What about this company do you like/dislike? 3. Why did you choose this rating? Submit This Anonymously Submit Cancel Contact Us contact_phone Click to call Unfollow First name: Last name: Email: Are you sure you want to deactivate your CompleteMarkets Company Profile Deactivate Cancel Loading.. About Us Services Jobs PR Newsletters Employees Articles Blog Photos Group Connections Reviews IMMS Library Immerse yourself in our stacks. Take some time and browse through our library. We have thousands of articles, checklists, tip sheets, 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 group workshops Articles tagged with group workshops Back Confronting Substance Abuse In Small Business This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor 6/21/2014 12:00:00 AM Small businesses have not made the same progress as large businesses in developing drug abuse programs due to a lack of.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) x No Thanks Loading.. Loading.. x No Thanks Loading.. ...

... ) Please consider the following: 1. Would you recommend this company? 2. What about this company do you like/dislike? 3. Why did you choose this rating? Submit This Anonymously Submit Cancel Contact Us contact_phone Click to call Unfollow First name: Last name: Email: Are you sure you want to deactivate your CompleteMarkets Company Profile Deactivate Cancel Loading.. About Us Services Jobs PR Newsletters Employees Articles Blog Photos Group Connections Reviews IMMS Library Immerse yourself in our stacks. Take some time and browse through our library. We have thousands of articles, checklists, tip sheets, 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 regional workshops Articles tagged with regional workshops Back Confronting Substance Abuse In Small Business This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor 6/21/2014 12:00:00 AM Small businesses have not made the same progress as large businesses in developing drug abuse programs due to a lack of.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor Comments (0 ) x No Thanks Loading.. Loading.. x No Thanks Loading.. ...

... thought. Question #13 Untrained listener: You're not aware of the talking/listening "speed limits" mismatch. If someone is speaking at a different speed than you are, you're more likely not to stay connected with that person's line of thinking, lose their main point, and focus on a tangent. Trained listener: You maintain the customer's talking speed to maximize rapport. How did you rate — and what can you do to make yourself a more effective trained listener? Lynn Thomas, JD, is president of 21st Century Management Consulting, 56 A Charlesbank Way, Waltham, MA 02453-2519. She can be reached by phone at (781) 899-4210, fax (781) 899-0707, or e-mail [email protected] . This quiz is based on information taken from Thomas' one-day workshop "Communication: The Essential Ingredient to Success." The workshop covers other important aspects of communication, such as how to handle the upset, talkative, and argumentative caller; and powerful words and phrases to be an effective communicator. Thomas offers this workshop to agencies and for conventions on a customized basis only. 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 ...

... thought. Question #13 Untrained listener: You're not aware of the talking/listening "speed limits" mismatch. If someone is speaking at a different speed than you are, you're more likely not to stay connected with that person's line of thinking, lose their main point, and focus on a tangent. Trained listener: You maintain the customer's talking speed to maximize rapport. How did you rate — and what can you do to make yourself a more effective trained listener? Lynn Thomas, JD, is president of 21st Century Management Consulting, 56 A Charlesbank Way, Waltham, MA 02453-2519. She can be reached by phone at (781) 899-4210, fax (781) 899-0707, or e-mail [email protected] . This quiz is based on information taken from Thomas' one-day workshop "Communication: The Essential Ingredient to Success." The workshop covers other important aspects of communication, such as how to handle the upset, talkative, and argumentative caller; and powerful words and phrases to be an effective communicator. Thomas offers this workshop to agencies and for conventions on a customized basis only. 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 ...

...minars, and continuing education workshops on ethics in most states. Find them...

... are free. Order a supply from a carrier and distribute them to your clients in person or by mail. At the same time, discuss any exposures they might have or schedule an engineering audit by the carrier, to save the client some anxious moments regarding compliance. Who knows, you might even write some new coverage as a result of the visit! 7. Let clients know about new developments that may affect their operations. Many current events affect the insurance industry. To name just one, the prospect of universal government health care has a huge impact on the financial well-being of a business. Insurance trade papers and magazines, carrier communications, and various journals are writing about it. Send copies of some of this material to your clients. You might even consider doing a seminar or workshop on the subject for selected clients or groups of clients. Some call this "seminar selling"; whatever it is called, it's a form of communication that tells the client that you are a professional and a leader in your field-and that your agency reflects this leadership. 8. Hire and develop "people people." People skills include nurturing, bonding, empathy, and advocacy. Any relationship you have with a client should be pleasant and display professionalism, service, and concern. You as an agency principal should expect no less than this from your staff. This means talking to-not down to-clients, and projecting a friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable image. This takes time-but it costs very little, and the benefit to the agency is phenomenal ...

... always publishing newsletters, handbooks, pamphlets about legislation, risk management, and safety, and other informational materials. Most of these are free. Order a supply from a carrier and distribute them to your clients in person or by mail. At the same time, discuss any exposures they might have or schedule an engineering audit by the carrier, to save the client some anxious moments regarding compliance. Who knows, you might even write some new coverage as a result of the visit! Of course, the same principle applies to e-communications: promotions, informational newsletters, etc. 7. Let clients know about new developments that might affect their operations. Many current events affect the insurance industry. Send copies of some of this material to your clients. You might even consider doing a seminar or workshop on the subject for selected clients or groups of clients. Some call this “seminar selling;” whatever it's called, this is a form of communication that tells the client that you're a professional and a leader in your field — and that your agency reflects this leadership. 8. Hire and develop “people people.” People skills include nurturing, bonding, empathy, and advocacy. Any relationship you have with a client should be pleasant and display professionalism, service, and concern. You as an agency principal should expect no less than this from your staff. This means talking to — not down to — clients, and projecting a friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable image. Although this takes time, it costs very little, and ...

... are free. Order a supply from a carrier and distribute them to your clients in person or by mail. At the same time, discuss any exposures they might have or schedule an engineering audit by the carrier, to save the client some anxious moments regarding compliance. Who knows, you might even write some new coverage as a result of the visit! 7. Let clients know about new developments that may affect their operations. Many current events affect the insurance industry. To name just one, the prospect of universal government health care has a huge impact on the financial well-being of a business. Insurance trade papers and magazines, carrier communications, and various journals are writing about it. Send copies of some of this material to your clients. You might even consider doing a seminar or workshop on the subject for selected clients or groups of clients. Some call this "seminar selling"; whatever it is called, it's a form of communication that tells the client that you are a professional and a leader in your field-and that your agency reflects this leadership. 8. Hire and develop "people people." People skills include nurturing, bonding, empathy, and advocacy. Any relationship you have with a client should be pleasant and display professionalism, service, and concern. You as an agency principal should expect no less than this from your staff. This means talking to-not down to-clients, and projecting a friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable image. This takes time-but it costs very little, and the benefit to the agency is phenomenal ...

... throw the baby out with the bath water. The agency distribution system has a lot more that's right about it than wrong. Belief in the system, though, should not suggest that we can ignore the problems, any more than recognition of the problems should lead us to abandon the system. We need honest and open dialogue. We need to recognize that the relationship between agents and companies is not based on competition. Individual success will come through collective success. &# 160 Clearly, what's needed is leadership-from the leading insurance companies and agencies-on issues such as how to improve operating efficiency and the effectiveness of the distribution system, and how to serve the consumer better. &# 160 The Best Practices Study, the Annual Best Practices Symposium, and the broad range of Best Practices initiatives, workshops, and programs can all provide a positive stimulus to find ways to develop and enhance the quality of relationships between agents and their companies. We greatly appreciate the commitment of the companies supporting Best Practices and the commitment of the Best Practices agencies who are demonstrating their leadership by helping to redefine the levels of performance and success by which our industry will be known. &# 160 This article is reproduced with permission from The National Underwriter, P/C Edition. Bobby Reagan, CPCU, is president of Reagan & Associates, Inc., a management consulting firm working in the distribution end of the insurance business. &# 160 &# 160 Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access to thousands of other great articles. Need more reasons to join? Need insurance for you ...