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    Are you teaching your kids the business?

    February 21, 2019
    Most of us didn’t grow up wanting to be insurance agents. Instead, the majority of insurance professionals found their way into the business by accident. There are a million stories, but what we’ve heard again and again from brokers across the country is that 1) they sort of stumbled into the industry, 2) now that they’re here, they really like it and don’t want to leave, and 3) they wish they had started when they were younger.
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    How much is a client worth?

    November 16, 2018
    Some larger firms that focus primarily on employee benefits will only work with clients that meet a minimum group size or annual revenue amount. Other brokers will spend hours with an individual client knowing that the commission they’ll receive will never fully compensate them for their time. Most brokers are somewhere in-between—they’ll accept most customers who want to do business with them, but they try to make a profit off every client.
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    Are you using Outlook templates?

    October 26, 2018
    A great way to serve more clients during the open enrollment period is to reduce the amount of time you have to spend with each one. Unfortunately, that can be difficult to do without a corresponding reduction in service. Difficult, but not impossible. What if you could save time AND provide better service to your group and individual clients?
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    How to Find More Time During the Fourth Quarter

    October 19, 2018
    Here we are. Another fourth quarter. The busy time of the year. The three-or-so months when we have little time for friends or family, or anything else for that matter. Most agents work long hours from October through December, trying to take care of their existing clients and hoping to grow their business at the same time. Unfortunately, while the fourth quarter can be an exciting time, it can also be exhausting. Most of us find it difficult to get everything done, and naturally some things slip through the cracks. In this article, we wanted to share a few ideas to help you find more time during the fourth quarter. We hope you find a few that work for you.
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    4 Great Reasons to Help People (even if you won’t receive commission)

    April 9, 2018
    We all work for a paycheck, and most of us can’t afford to do a lot of pro-bono work. That said, there can be some real benefits to helping people even when you won’t be paid for the sale. Below are just a few examples, and all point to the fact that when you focus on taking care of the client, the money will take care of itself.
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    Are you practicing law without a license?

    July 5, 2017
    As you know, there are a number of steps involved in running an agency and selling an insurance policy. Some of those steps, like answering incoming calls, explaining claims procedures when interpretation is not required, and tending to administrative matters can be handled effectively and legally by unlicensed personnel. Other tasks, though, require that an agent be properly licensed. Examples include providing insurance quotes, accepting an application, and receiving premium payments. The distinction is pretty clear, and most agents are careful about the duties they ask their unlicensed office staff to perform. There are some pretty stiff penalties for selling insurance without a license.
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    What advice would you give a new insurance agent?

    March 23, 2017
    This is a question you may not have given any thought to. Insurance professionals tend to operate in a vacuum—sure, you see and talk with clients and prospects every day of the week, but unless you’re involved with an agent association, you may not interact with your colleagues or competitors very often, or encounter someone new to the industry. So why are we asking you how you would advise an agent who’s just getting their feet wet? That’ll become clear in a moment, but like many of us, you’re probably scratching your head trying to figure out what you would say to a new agent who asks for your advice. Maybe you’re thinking that you would tell them to RUN; after all, with all the turmoil in the industry, it may not be the ideal time to be entering the health insurance sales force. Or maybe your advice would be to take a path different from the one you chose.
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