Two weeks before Thanksgiving, I drove to Glenmont PIA headquarters for our committee and board days. On the way up, I crossed the Tappan Zee Bridge. For anyone who hasn’t driven over the bridge recently, it’s amazing to see the cranes, the pilings going in and the amount of progress being made on this construction […]
I have been a professional independent agent for nearly five decades. The job is challenging. But, I can say without hesitation that the compensation of running my own agency has extended far beyond the financial benefits, and I encourage anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit, the desire to truly help people, and the willingness to work […]
Agents and CSRs Must Remind People of the Value We Offer Them The relationship between the independent agent and the insured is one of, if not the most, important things we offer our clients. We work or live right down the road; we have a familiar face; and we work with our clients always on […]
April Was Volunteer Month: What are you doing for your industry? I have been asked more than a few times where I get my ideas for writing this column. In fact, when I was first approached to contribute to the Insurance Advocate in 2005, a colleague of mine advised against it. He said interesting issues […]
Twelve Commandments of Selling As professional independent agents, we each have our own unique selling style. What works for me may not work for the agent down the street, and neither approach may work for the next person. In fact, a singular sales approach often is what sets us apart from our competition. But, over […]
New Threats in the 21st Century It was dramatic to watch the chief executives of Target and Neiman Marcus testify this month in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee about recent data hackings at their stores during the holiday season. But as I caught parts of the hearings, I wondered if the size of these […]
Resolutions We all make resolutions this time of year … some of us with more success than others. In fact, by the time this article reaches your desk, many resolutions will have been broken already. I, personally, have resolved to lose five pounds and I’ve already broken my resolution to exercise more. In the big […]
When Will Agents Be Represented Fairly as “Good Guys?” Perhaps it’s the time of year, but over the last month or so, I’ve been particularly sensitive to the constant image challenge agents face as scapegoats and fall guys. Agents take false and undeserved hits from all directions all the time: primarily from ubiquitous direct-writer ads, […]
Reflections During a Difficult Time Iam writing this article at the end of a difficult week for me. I attended the wake and services for my long-time friend and assistant, Roberta. It’s difficult to describe the depth and importance of the relationship Roberta and I shared. I was lucky enough to hire my Roberta 45 […]
Technology is a wonderful thing. It makes our lives easier and our businesses more efficient; it continuously provides us with the ability to do things we never would have been able to do before; and it solves problems. It builds businesses and provides jobs. But, we have to keep up with it. Often, it seems […]
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