I have played a very small part in an interesting marketing experiment that might be a good lesson for how agencies could leverage some of these new marketing tools. A little background -- I ran into my neighbor and friend, Randy Elrod, and his wife, Chris, at a local Mexican restaurant last week. They asked us (my daughter Stephanie) to join them and during the conversation I found out they were strategizing on how Randy could win a contest … [Read more...]
Attracting New Talent
It is becoming increasingly important for everyone in the insurance industry to take a hard look at our ability to attract new talent. Of the approximately 78 million Baby Boomers, about 8,000 turn 60 every day. The industry has a long way to go in order to attract and retain enough people to replace retiring Boomers. An edited excerpt from a recent e-mail I received highlights at least part of the problem: Dear Sir, I found your article in the … [Read more...]
Plan Now for Changing Demographics
The biggest expense in any agency is the staff. Of course, a quality staff is also the most valuable asset. Unfortunately, most agents I meet report that they are having a hard time identifying, recruiting, training, and retaining qualified staff. This problem is not going to go away. In fact, it is going to get worse. Changing demographics are going to have a profound effect on the ability of your agency to remain successful. Here are some … [Read more...]
Strategic Outsourcing
Outsourcing. Just saying the word out loud raises questions and emotions. During several recent presentations, I have started talking about outsourcing as an option that agencies should consider. In fact, a few agencies have already started hiring staff from another country to work for them. That said, many agency owners and staff react negatively to the thought of outsourcing. They ask: "Why would we take a job and move it overseas? What would … [Read more...]
