the leading authority on insurance agency productivity, technology & profits
My wife, Karen, and I have a mixed marriage. She's a Mac. I'm a PC. Some might argue that I even fit the PC character in the now famous Apple commercials comparing Apple products to Microsoft products. I've always respected Apple products, but have not been an Apple fan myself. My first purchase of an Apple product was the iPhone 3G, and I have enjoyed using it very much. With the passing of Steve Jobs on October 5, there has been a lot … [Read more...]
For any business, but especially a service-based business like insurance agencies, the ultimate (and most important) question to ask customers is, "How likely is it that you would recommend this company (agency) to a friend or colleague?" According to Fred Reichheld, by asking this question you identify detractors, who tarnish your firm's reputation and readily switch to competitors, and promoters, who strengthen your company with positive … [Read more...]
Over the last year, I have been transitioning all of my websites from traditional static HTML-based sites to the WordPress platform. I now use WordPress as my website content management system. I am very pleased to announce that we have now transitioned TAAReport.com to WordPress. The new site has a cleaner look and feel, easier navigation, quicker and more accurate searching, as well as a better infrastructure for updating information. A … [Read more...]
Managing the insurance workflow process in an agency is complicated and very detail oriented. Agencies have invested heavily in technology tools to help them streamline the process. Most agency management systems have tremendous capability. However, these systems can be so complicated that very few agencies use anywhere close to their full capacity. This is a shame. Investing in training is one thing that will help. Yet, it seems like training … [Read more...]
One of the main concepts Duke Williams and I teach at the Agency Internet Boot Camp is “Internet presence.” An agency website is a key part of maximizing your Internet presence. Based on the number of in-person comments and emails I receive from agency personnel, many are realizing that their current agency websites need to be updated. This is a good trend. Most of the agency websites I have had an opportunity to review are really no … [Read more...]
There's never been a better time to start a new insurance agency than today. This may seem like a strange comment, given the current state of the economy and the continuing soft insurance marketplace. Yet, if your organization is sales focused and your entire team has access to the right tools, external factors such as the economy and the soft marketplace have less impact on success than at any time since I've been involved in the insurance … [Read more...]
Just like you, each week I receive e-mails and read articles from many different business and marketing experts. A common theme I've noticed is experts (either in their own e-mails or in articles from respected trade journals) proclaiming one marketing method as the only way that insurance agents should market. It goes something like this: "Video marketing clobbers all other types of marketing; ignore it at your own peril." "Facebook is the … [Read more...]
Mobile devices and the apps people use with them are changing how consumers interact with information. The programming and development trend of creating small apps that accomplish a specific function will also change how business programs are developed. Why aren't our agency systems more like Facebook? Facebook is easy to use, and it's a robust tool. Grandparents can browse pictures of their grandchildren in a matter of minutes, while … [Read more...]
