Practice management

One of the key strategies I teach in my Referral Advantage Program™ is to present yourself as a resource to people – to give referrals to prospects and clients as early and as often as you can. You want to position yourself as someone who is well-connected and willing to help others with your network of contacts. When you’re a …

For centuries there has been a great debate over the right amount of life insurance. In fact, if you do a little bit of research on this topic, what you will find is a wide variety of professional opinions, books, studies, classes, and theories—all of which claim they have the answer to the million-dollar question: “How do you explain the ‘right …

Historically, agents have generated policyholders for insurance carriers but not enjoyed the full value of these customers. There are many programs marketed by insurance companies and agents which aim to develop more business from an agent’s client base, but they usually fail to create meaningful value, particularly for agents but also for the carriers as well as policyholders. In the …

As an insurance professional, you know that the internet is an ideal way to prospect for new business.  The local and global reach of online marketing campaigns provides opportunities unheard of just a few short years ago. However, direct mail is still an option, and some agents may be steadfastly holding on to this form of prospecting, perhaps due to …

What’s your goal? That’s the question you have to ask yourself. If your goal is just to make a ton of money, regardless of how, walk away. That’s right, this business probably isn’t for you. Because potential clients will see the dollar signs in your eyes and they’ll run in the other direction. If, on the other hand, you are …

You may have heard it said that it is the little things in life that are worth living for.  Similarly, the little things in life are what change our lives for the better or worse.  The choices we make in life define who we are and what we will eventually become.  Certainly, making some rash decisions when we are young …

One significant strategy of my Referral Advantage Program® is working to gain referrals through Centers of Influence (CPAs and other trusted advisors).  One way to tap into this gold mine of referrals is through a formal networking group, a group that becomes your own personal sales force or board of directors. A Referral Master While delivering my referral seminars and boot …

Healthcare reform continues to offer a few sobering facts for brokers. The 80 percent minimum medical loss ratio– for individual and small group insurers–will continue to squeeze commissions, and advances now are a thing of the past, while the workload is as high as it’s ever been. New sales distribution channels, including private exchanges and federally-mandated state exchanges, provide consumers …

As insurance professionals we have for some time had to adapt to the rapid changes that face our industry. Agents are forced to deal with the major cuts in health commissions in both the underage and overage markets, major structural changes to core plans, and the fear created by health care reform. As a large health insurance brokerage operation, never …

In the last issue of Agent eNews, we learned that concerns about online privacy and security significantly impact consumer behavior on the internet. We discussed the fundamentals of turning those concerns into a competitive advantage, by stressing transparency in the design and content of your website. This month, we’ll focus on another strategy that can dramatically improve consumer perception of …