Let's face it, the more lines you have cross sold with your clientele the higher the retention you will have. So you are really talking about increasing retention through cross selling. Options are: 1) if enough business exists to do this with an additional team member 2) if enough business exists t...

First let me commend you on your desire to establish a 'critical path' or methodology around this process that will serve: 1) communication of your value proposition 2) a process around which you can agree mutually with your clients on how their accounts will be managed 3) generate operational effic...

"Is it possible and should I negotiate a percentage of ownership of the company as a whole?" Yes "What percentage commission should I receive on my own book if I go there and transfer it to them?" 22%-34% depending upon their EBITDA model and allocated support staff to your book ...

Run, don't walk, to a good SOX attorney.

Okay I know your question is JD considering CPCU - and I think you've received some pretty darn good feedback so far on this string. One more thing to consider: JD considering CLU! Every JD that I have witnessed getting into the estate planning/advanced life insurance side of the business has done e...

Well this appears to be an AL Williams discussion! I would agree with Bigdog in that 'buy term and invest the difference' was a sound concept on paper at a time in our economy where T-Bills were paying 20.5% interest! I would add that an important criteria of this model was that people would actuall...

Okie dokie! Back to 101 Sales and Marketing Ideas: A good technique for developing more ideal clients combined with adding more center of influence/referral mechanisms is the following: Ask three of your ideal clients who they use for their CPA, banking, and legal vendors. Statistically, those firms...

We have the following inventory which might help you: 1) several producer agreement templates - small market, mid-market and large market - all disciplines. We also have templates for straight incentive, draw, salary + bonus, equity and buy out provisions. I think the most helpful though will be our...

I have seen many successful mid-market and large market AM's move successfully into producer roles because of their understanding of how an account must be managed properly after it is converted from a prospect to a client. So for producers engaged in either consultative selling or institutional sel...

Congratulations on having your eye on a specialty you seem eager to pursue. I am sure google can help you find brokers that specialize in this area, and would encourage you to reach out to them and let them know your plans and ask for guidance. I believe AON has a large practice group in this area. ...

We have a number of solution providers in our affiliate network that might be a fit. We spent a lot of time last year seeking out and vetting vendors for our agency clients. There are several in the category you are interested in - each has a different approach, price points, etc., so one or more mi...

I say 'go for it' as well. If you were a top producer at Liberty you have enough horsepower to drive a topline. Operations, and all the back end stuff will work themselves out - trust me. Although, I see nothing wrong in approaching a few agency owners in your area, sharing your credentials with the...

First let me offer condolences for your recent loss. You need an intermediary. Like Hales Group or Marsh-Berry. Third party valuation of the book, earn out or cash up front, how is lost business during the earn out handled, will cross sold or account rounding business be added to the earn out. Lot's...

Great question and great posts. I especially like StCaptiveGuy's because it encourages you to examine the metrics of your organization and build from there. I also like the comments about uniformity, keeping it simple, etc. or you'll have either mutiny on your hands or will not be able to scale your...

Scott, you're doing all the right things! I would add that LinkedIn has a resource center with techniques, whitepapers, etc., on how to network effectively through their engine. For example, there is a great whitepaper written by Guy Kawasaki (the Apple guru) on how to use LinkedIn for business netw...