Although the New Year has passed, it's still early enough in theyear to make (and keep) a resolution.

Grow your business in 2015, adopt new technologies, or even gaina better understanding of the changing insurance industry; foragents and brokers, everything is still up in the air.

Here, seven of National Underwriter P&C'scolumnists weigh in on what independent agents can resolve to do in2015 to grow their businesses.

Chris Amrhein,
NU P&C Policy Issuescolumnist
Insurance educator and chief fun officer at InsuranceIsFun.com.

Happy 2015! You know what that means—it’s time for our annualNew Year’s Resolution.

Yes, singular. Long ago, after a great deal of experimentation,research and practical application, I stumbled upon the perfectnumber of New Year’s resolutions that actually stand a chance ofsurviving longer than a brat on a bowl-game grill—exactly one.

With full credit given to my good friend Bill Wilson, grand highwizard of the IIABA Virtual University, my resolution for 2015is—drum roll on the beverage cooler—insurance is not acommodity.

Yes, friends, it’s time to embrace a simple reality: advertisingis not truth-telling. Just because it’s simpler, quicker, cheaperor has a cool name doesn’t mean that it’s attractive. But it’s alsotime to move past the bromides and “wishing will make it so” claimsthat price doesn’t matter, less expensive always means lesscoverage, and deep down every consumer truly wants to deal with anagent.

For more on Chris' New Year's Resolution, read hiscolumn in the January issue of NU P&C.

BarryZalma
NU P&C Down to Casescolumnist
California attorney, insuranceconsultant and expert witness

I resolve to thoroughly review everyapplication for insurance to determine that everyquestion has been answered by the insured and that the answers areonly from the insured.

I resolve to thoroughly and promptly investigateevery claim assigned to me and to deal with theinsured or claimant with empathy and good faith.

I resolve to only underwrite risks thatfit within the underwriting authority provided to meby management.

I resolve to only deny a claim when,after a thorough and fair investigation, I can find no potentialityfor coverage under the facts and the policy wording.

I resolve to obtain the advice and counsel of acompetent insurance coverage lawyer if I havequestions concerning coverage that I cannot resolve without legaladvice.

I resolve to never obligate myself to a client as afiduciary who will select all the appropriatecoverages for the insured's needs.

Rick Gilman
NU P&C Agency Technologycolumnist
Executive director of the Personal Lines GrowthAlliance

Agencies are often talking about carriers that go out of theirway to be easier to do business with. Carriers often invest largesums of money to implement tools or technology to presentthemselves that way.

This year, I believe, should be the year agents do the same fortheir clients. One way to do that is to be where thecustomers are--mobile. Consumers are spending more time ontheir smart devices than on computers.

With any New Year’s resolution, the best way to achieve one isin small steps. So, begin by making sure your website is mobileoptimized. There are some very inexpensive ways to do this. Next,consider creating a completely responsive website which will adaptyour site to any size footprint. Then finally leverage the uniquefunctionality of native apps and create one of your own. Only thenwill you have a strong and formidable mobile presence that willstand you out from the competition.

Jeffrey Brewer
NU P&C Legislative Roundupcolumnist
Vice President Public Affairsat Property Casualty Insurers Assn. of America

With an increasing number of Americans living in disaster-proneareas, we should resolve in 2015 to make consumereducation and disaster mitigation high priorities forpolicyholders and public policymakers.

All of us in the insurance industry can play an important rolein educating the public on the value of being prepared forlife-changing weather events, natural disasters and otheremergencies. Additionally, through the advancement of toughstandards for building codes, property development and other lossprevention and mitigation requirements, we can help implementlong-term natural catastrophe strategies that will save lives,reduce losses and shorten the time it takes to recover from majorevents.

SteveAnderson
NU P&C Strictly Salescolumnist
Authority on insuranceagency technology, productivity, and profitability

Fix Follow-up Failure

Prospects are seldom ready to buy when a producer is ready tosell. A key to organic growth is to follow up with prospects on aconsistent and regular basis. Just like it takes time to growvegetables in a garden, every producer should take time to“nurture” the prospects they want to do business with. A campaignmanagement process allows the producer to stay in front of theprospect consistently over time. Polite persistence works.

Kenneth L. Fields
NUP&C Strictly Salescolumnist
Assistant vicepresident/director sales development, State Auto InsuranceCos.

A top commercial producer I know has a mantra that he repeatsregularly. I think it makes for a good new year’s resolution. Itis, “Stay out of the office during businesshours.” His goal is to reserve business hours forprospecting and selling, and maximize time with clients, prospects,and centers of influence. Administrative work is relegated to thosehours before the office opens, and after it closes. Almosteverything he does is by appointment. Meetings with agencypersonnel, and phone conversations with underwriters are scheduledjust like appointments with clients.

This minimizes phone tag, and time wasted waiting on associatesto be available. He frequently starts his day with breakfast with aprospect or client. He is a master of his virtual office, utilizinghis cell phone and lap top to the fullest extent possible, andspends minimal time in his physical office. Committing to stay outof the office during business hours allows a producer to invest histime where the return is greatest – prospecting and sellinginsurance.

Tom Barrett
NU P&C Strictly Salescolumnist
President, SIAA MidAmerica Inc.

Every year, we choose a focal point for concentrating ourefforts. With significant revenue growth over the past decade andan individual focus for the organization to concentrate on, theresults become very predictable. For this new year our concentratedfocus is on a strategyof Concept/Strategy/Implementation.

This includes reviewing new concepts of the buying experience, astrategy for making our value a tangible product that puts eachbuyer in a better place, and a strategy for implementing thatexperience by delivering a customized solution to each client basedon their issues and value systems. We need to redefine what a“qualified prospect” looks like for personal and commercial lines.We focus on managing risk (of which insurance is one element) and aholistic approach to each client rather than being a vendor sellingpolicies.