Thanks for the interesting comments. My work for this client has not gotten to the point of a bid. We were trying to figure out which agents we would be working with. Nobody has quoted anything yet. What I left out of the description of events was the questionnaire each agent was provided. It invite...

Agent selection is the toughest part of the insurance renewal bid process. However, nobody seems to talk about the actual dynamics of the process. I thought a snapshot of my thoughts and considerations from a current bid project would be instructive. This is typical of the issues and thinking behind...

A first meeting with a prospect is incredibly important. You set the tone and the expectations for the rest of the relationship. Will you be seen as a vendor or as a peer? My own mentor, Alan Weiss, shared an opening statement that I thought could work very well in situations where your prospect is ...

Your employment lawyer needs to help you with this. State law varies and the federal law will kick you in the head if you listen to the wrong advice.

My List of Required Actions (Plus) for Agents Serving My Commercial Clients: -Annual review meeting to review coverage (at insured's office, at agent's office, or on the phone). -Presentation of renewal proposals 30 days prior to expiration - 60 days prior if the account is being renewed with the cu...

Im hijacking my own thread... tcook, your approach is certainly correct for any insular marketplace. However, realize that it is the same approach used by almost every other agent. Ask any group of ten agents what makes them different from other agents and at least 9 will say some version of," ...

I never suggest that an agent gives up commission (either when Im mentoring agents or when Im buying insurance for a client). The issue is the insurer's ability to hit a stationary target. Another point. Agents often say that price should not be the only issue. In ten years of helping insurance buye...

Insurance Renewal Process White Paper Draft Review Copy Available As I have mentioned here before, I have been doing a great deal of thinking on the subject of the business insurance renewal process - from the insurance buyer's perspective. I have put some of my ideas in a white paper, including id...

Here are broad ideas I have been looking in the renewal process from the insurance buyer's perspective: - The most important part of the insurance transaction is the relationship the insurance buyer has with the insurance agent. That being said, few agents have unique skills and resources. Almost an...

I posted here over the past few weeks looking for comments on the renewal and bid process. I'm not sure that the current process works very well for the insurance buyer. I'm considering building some different formats. I have put together an analysis of the 4 different options we have available now:...

Here are the replies to date - from all sources. Ten pages of comments. More comments welcome. I am particularly interested in your thoughts on giving the incumbent insurer the last look at other insurer's quotes. What do you do? https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AVX3dFrdSkh-ZGZqMzV6cDhfMTUwM2c1ajh...

Congratulations on the successful marketing gravity efforts. Some of my mentor clients have had success with contractors by meeting with the contractor's accountants. That relationship then leads to referrals to other contractors and small business people. Do you have a newsletter or some other vehi...

I have also posted this on a few Linkedin insurance groups. Interesting responses.

In a multi agent bid process should the incumbent get the last look?

When you are bidding a renewal within your fleet of insurers do you give the incumbent insurer the last look?

This for commercial lines producers... A longtime client of yours - good client, right in your sweet spot - asks you how often she should bid her insurance using multiple agents. What do you tell her and why? In a conversation with a great prospect the same question comes up. What do you say and why?

sandykid,

Do you track sales results of your high ranking?

What have you seen as to the quality of the business that comes to you through SEO?

Are you targeting geographically or based on a product?