As I travel across the country talking to agents, the question I hear most often is, "Can you just give us a couple quick tips on the top things we can do right now to make our agency more profitable and effective?" The answer is, YES! As an insurance technology consultant and editor, I've been able to discover the cool new tools, websites, gizmos and gadgets that can make your life easier, more productive, and more competitive. I have … [Read more...]
The New Sales Manager
Recently I had a conversation with Will Richard, an education consultant for The Society of CIC. We were discussing what agents need to do in order to be effective marketers. It seems that many agencies are having a hard time understanding how to best use the Internet as a marketing tool. During our conversation, Will made a comment that got me thinking. He said that he believes the role of the traditional sales manager is going to change. For … [Read more...]
Easily Send Video Emails
Getting your message through to clients and prospects takes creativity. Anything you can do to make your message stand out in overloaded Outlook inboxes is a good thing. Eyejot is a Web-based service that allows you to quickly and easily send video e-mail (v-mail) to anyone. All you need is a Webcam and an Eyejot account. The best part is that the basic service is free (at least for now). Once you have a Webcam and an Eyejot account, creating … [Read more...]
Find Your Blue Oceans
One of my passions is helping insurance agencies be successful and profitable. As I mentioned in my editorial last month, the current economic conditions have some agency owners questioning their ability, at least over the short term, to be both profitable and successful. In today’s economy, it’s extremely important for you to distinguish yourself by selling your value. Sometimes value is how an agency utilizes technology to improve internal … [Read more...]
Thriving in Difficult Times
It’s hard to read the headlines without thinking about the future of your agency. Many agencies wonder what business will be like over the next 12 to 24 months. Due to the soft marketplace over the last couple of years, insurance agencies have already had to create plans to address lower premiums—and thus, lower revenues. Premium reductions continue to average about 12%. As sales volumes are reduced and as businesses cut back on payroll, you … [Read more...]
FTC Issues Updated CAN-SPAM Rules
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has issued updated provisions to the 2003 CAN-SPAM Act. These new provisions became effective in mid-July. In the updated rule on consumer opt-out requests, e-mailers are prohibited from complicating the opt-out process by charging fees to consumers wishing to be added to opt-out lists. It also prevents e-mail marketers from requiring consumers to provide information other than an e-mail address and opt-out … [Read more...]
