Growing Your Property Casualty Agency

The primary purpose of an independent agent is to sell insurance. Nowhere in agency contracts does it mention that marketing and sales must be performed exclusively via social media. That’s a good thing, because if you go this route, you’ll …

Shark proof In part one of this series, we defined a shark as the kind of producer you don’t want anywhere near your clients. Sharks are experienced professionals who know the business, and are experts at breaking relationships. The 3 …

Independent agents have a nearly endless supply of suspects to solicit. They encompass almost every consumer and business in the state(s) in which you’re licensed. Of course, some make better prospects than others, and the more you know about them, …

In 2010,  I wrote an article on shark proofing new clients for the Insurance Journal. Because of it’s popularity, this topic expanded into webinars, and 1/2 day seminars. I thought I should revisit and update the original article, so I …

As the calendar flips to 2013, growth-minded independents must decide how to build their agencies over the upcoming year. The options are endless, and they straddle both the physical and digital worlds. Here are 25 ideas for growth. There are …

Finding Superior Production Talent By David Connolly President iQ Consulting An excerpt from an interview with a successful agency owner DC: Historically, what has consistently been the biggest challenge you face as an agency owner? Owner: “In our infancy we were …

The 2012 presidential election is coming up quickly and the media is outputting endless stories, videos, Tweets and more about it. Pay attention to the ads and the action to pickup some lessons you can apply to your agency. Here …

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Insurance Journal’s Satire Issue, August 20, 2012. The content in this issue is not real and is not to be taken seriously. It’s supposed to be humorous. Seriously. Referrals are the ultimate sales …

There is never a slow time in insurance sales, at least in theory. Yet in practice, no producer is productive 100 percent of the time. Who is? But when the number drops below 75 percent, agents must use slow time …

Opening a Basic Social Media Account Is Free — The Rest Isn’t Most social media accounts are free of charge. You can open up Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Blogger accounts all without spending a dime. That’s what makes them …