Short Takes
They're the ones who earn the highest commissions. They know how to effectively close a sale and find qualified prospects. While they face many of the same challenges as any other producer, they may have habits and goals that can help you...
There are three main benefits to having a mentor. One, it really makes you focus on your business, and newer agents especially can waste a lot of time doing service and pretending they’re being busy. But having a mentor keeps you focused on...
The success we have in 2007 has more to do with our selling skills than the insurance companies we’re appointed with and the insurance products in our portfolio. Sixty percent of our time in 2007 should be spent with existing clients and with...
You likely receive scores of invitations to seminars and teleconferences purporting to boost your success. But how do you know which are worthwhile and which will waste your time? Seminars put on by product-oriented companies are obviously held...
In choosing a professional designation and provider, the first thing you should do is look at the organization that is providing the training. Specifically, is it a bona fide not-for-profit offering? Some programs are sponsored more by sales-type...
In order to really benefit from sales training courses, agents need to take the time to do a self-assessment that identifies the areas where they need help. When I ran an in-house sales operation, 75 percent of my agents did not do well because they...
There are so many conferences in the industry — MDRT, NAILBA, NAIFA, LIMRA — how can agents decide which ones are right for them? And how can they make the most of them? As for choosing a conference, you should do your homework and...
When most agents pursue training, they usually focus on product knowledge or sales training, thinking that type of education is the key to their success. But there’s more than just that. The constant quest for knowledge is an important trait...
In 2006, Agent Media, publisher of the Agent’s Sales Journal, conducted a study among producers regarding their industry experiences and outlook. Among the questions we asked, we probed into how their commissions had fared over the past 12...
It takes more than good service to impress consumers these days, reveals an Ipsos survey of insurance company reputations. Other than service, what distinguishes the most highly regarded and most trusted insurance companies in America from the...
To eliminate redundant information requests, the ACORD-User Groups Information Exchange (AUGIE) is promoting a new questionnaire form, available online, that allows independent agencies to organize data commonly requested by carriers. The form,...
According to a recent study by Guardian Life Insurance Company, Americans may think disability insurance costs more than it really does. In fact, close to one-third of consumers are willing to pay more than is really necessary to protect their...
The heads of LIMRA International and LOMA recently announced that they have agreed to begin discussions that could lead to a merger of the two insurance and financial industry research and service organizations. Thomas P. Donaldson, FLMI, CLU,...
Coventry First, a Fort Washington, PA, life settlement company, is being sued by New York Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer alleges that the company made secret payments to brokers in order to suppress competitive bids from other life settlement...