Let’s face it… No one likes to be “sold” something. To me, being “sold” is when somebody convinces me to buy something – whether or not I really needed or wanted it. Have you ever been convinced by someone to buy something, maybe even against your better judgment, and then regretted having made the purchase? [...]
Marketing Strategies in a Tough Economy
June 3, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Wow! Talk about a marketing challenge… A weak economy. People in a wait-and-see mode. Bad news on the financial scene every day. The consequence? Prospects are reluctant to make a decision. They’re hesitant to spend much money or make any kind of long-term (or short-term, for that matter) commitment. So as sales professionals, we become [...]
Effective Phone Techniques
March 5, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Anyone who conducts marketing and sales has to deal with using the phone as an important communication tool. The problem is that most people don’t maximize its effectiveness. Using the phone poorly can inadvertently act as a detriment to our success. Understand that the phone conveys our personality, our sincerity, our belief, our energy, our [...]
The 3 Keys to Referral Success
February 3, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Don’t you get tired of hearing about how great referrals are? Especially if you’re not getting enough of them? I am always speaking to managers, agents and advisors who say they’re so tired of chasing “suspects” and would love real prospects – specifically prospects that come from referrals. I have one acquaintance (a P&C agent) [...]
Motivating Agents: Why it doesn’t work
January 20, 2008 By 2 Comments
A topic that I’m often asked about is how to motivate agents. Executives are always looking for ways to improve the attitude and performance of their agents. Clients will tell me about how they’ve met and worked with each of their agents to get them to improve their performance but can’t seem to make a [...]
It’s Time to Reinvent Yourself
December 9, 2007 By Leave a Comment
It happens every year about this time. I reinvent my business (and myself in the process). Most often I do it because of my desire to grow my business and make a greater difference in the world, rather than because I’m unhappy with the way the past year went. The process is rejuvenating and inspiring. [...]
How to Attract Clients
November 23, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Ah, those magic words – “Attract Clients”. Virtually every agent and advisor I know loves the idea of attracting clients, and would be even happier if there was a “magic formula” for accomplishing it. Well, actually there is a formula that works like magic for attracting clients to you. And I’m going to reveal it [...]
It’s Time to Re-Evaluate
September 26, 2007 By Leave a Comment
I know an insurance agent in my area who, every time we run into one another, asks me if I have any good ideas as to how to find new clients without actually having to talk to people. This guy is in the wrong business. He needs to re-evaluate his life and decide to either [...]
Insurance Agents Are Like Toasters
May 16, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Insurance agents are like toasters. Let me explain… Everyone owns and uses at least one small appliance at home. It might be a toaster, a garage door opener or a microwave oven. No doubt it’s something we use every day. And yet, we can’t recall the brand name of the appliance. We all know what [...]
Effective Time Management – Dealing with Priorities
March 12, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Often it feels that if we prioritize our tasks properly, we’ll get more accomplished, or at least get the most meaningful tasks out of the way. On the other hand, how often do we make a list in the morning, or even the night before, knowing that we’ll be “laser-focused” – only to find that [...]
