Blog
Apr
7
Beyond the hype: Why is the growth in Cyber Risk important for my agency?
Posted on April 7th, 2014 by Serge Solski
Cyber risk for all companies in America is now front, center and very clear:
The President issued Executive Order EO13636 in February, 2013, directing the Commerce Department's National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) to establish a new Cybersecurity Framework for the critical infrastructure of the nation. In February, 2014 NIST responded with Version 1 of the new framework;
In January, 2014 James Clapper issued the annual World Wide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence...
Apr
5
Shifting From Science to Art in Selling
Posted on April 5th, 2014 by Larry G. Linne
Selling Complex Products is not a Science… It’s a science and an art!
A painter can’t create an incredible high dollar masterpiece painting by a step by step Process. YES, you can get the painting done from either filling in the numbers or following a technical guideline. However, the high priced paintings will come from something much deeper than following the steps. The artist’s ability to connect much deeper with the future viewers of the paintings is the art. When an artist can...
Mar
31
My Favorite Season of the Year
Posted on March 31st, 2014 by Mary Fran Mullan
My favorite season of the year has come to a close. No, not winter (and that seems to be never-ending this year). I’m talking about Girl Scout Cookie season, or more specifically, Thin Mint season. As I sit staring at my last remaining box of Thin Mints, I think about my own days of selling these delightful round wafers of joy. But I also think about what the annual ritual of selling Girl Scout Cookies can teach all of us about sales.
My neighbor, Abby, is my current supplier. She is...
Mar
12
Mar
10
The Best Day to Lose a Sale
Posted on March 10th, 2014 by Roger Sitkins
Time is your only diminishing asset as a producer. So why is it that so many producers waste so much time on accounts that have no intention of moving? You know, the account that's "Just trying to keep our current agent honest". How about the one that says; " We put out our insurance for bid every three years" It happens far too frequently.
Due to empty pipelines, that is they don't have a better prospect to work on, the producer works on the account, hoping to get lucky. Their gut may be...
Mar
3
Give the Gift of Confidence
Posted on March 3rd, 2014 by Larry G. Linne
This past week has been an overwhelming week of seeing confidence play out in the workplace.
A young Producer wins a deal he probably didn’t have any business winning. He was lacking confidence and it didn’t look good. He gained confidence through interaction with a group of people that gave him great ideas and energy… and he won.
A senior Producer who has never had a broker of record in his career wins a BOR. He trusted the system and trusted the client would be willing to do...
Feb
25
What To Do When Life Throws You a Challenge
Posted on February 25th, 2014 by Gregg Goodmanson
We all have times in our lives when we face major challenges. During those times, it is important for us to keep on the right path. The next time life throws you a curve ball and the world doesn't seem fair, here are some thoughts to consider:
1. Revisit your values - When we are faced with a challenge it can put pressure on our values. It also reveals what we value. It is important to keep your values top of mind because when you are in the weeds emotionally, reacting outside of your core...
Feb
19
The Seven Key Words to Improving Communication and Leadership
Posted on February 19th, 2014 by Don Polczynski
We are living in an era with unprecedented means of communication. The explosion in computing technology has spawned countless new ways to communicate. Social media was born and has proliferated at a pace perhaps never seen before. Facebook has signed up over one billion users in its ten years of existence. We have LinkedIn, Twitter, instant messaging, email, and more advanced communication platforms are being launched on a regular basis. We have more communication being conducted than...
Dec
23
How You Can Make 2014 The Most Successful Year In Your Career
Posted on December 23rd, 2013 by Don Polczynski
It seems at the beginning of the year, I always spend some time thinking about relationships and their value. After all, many of us rang in the New Year singing, ”Should old acquaintance be forgot, and old lang syne?...”. The song is a good reminder of relationships in my life and the importance of them in the New Year.
The quality of my relationships will have a major impact on what I will accomplish in 2014. In particular, I’m referring to the relationships between me and my teammates. ...
Dec
16
It’s time to be Stratactical!
Posted on December 16th, 2013 by Larry G. Linne
One of the most talented business leaders I know is Dave King from The Horst Group. He is an incredibly disciplined leader that gets things done. The level of implementation in all areas of the business is one of the best I have seen in any organization.
About a year ago I was challenging Dave on refining and improving his strategic and tactical planning to incorporate more elements into his execution. He told me that his problem was that he is very “Stratactical”.
I know, not a word. ...
