MOST OF us are aware of the communications disconnect that can take place between agents and their clients. The problem arises innocently enough when we fail to remember that terms that are second nature to us are not commonly understood by the

I recently heard some first-hand observations of agents who were victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita last summer, and it gave me food for thought. Some agents experienced property damage and loss of data they hadn't anticipated, as 30-foot

More agency principals are considering "going paperless." When talking with them, I am reminded of my own agency's efforts to design our first disaster-action plan. We imagined a variety of scenarios and tried to plan for each; but

My experience tells me that almost every office suffers from some degree of backlog. Unfinished work can hinder an agency in a number of ways. For instance, every time a document is touched, the cost of processing that item increases. If backlog is

SPEED traps usually bring to mind a highway patrol car parked in an obscure place, waiting for unsuspecting motorists to exceed the posted limit. I drive 10 miles every day on an interstate highway. A team of patrol cars regularly stakes out one

At IIABA's national convention, which was held in September in New York City, a panelist who had developed a successful sales plan referred to a "short-read" book entitled "Acres of Diamonds." I'm fond of

You arrive at your office Monday morning and begin the day by accessing your e-mail. How long will it take before you actually get to your day's agenda? I have found that wading through the e-mail can take as long as three hours! Several

TWENTY-five years ago, moving an insurance agency was mainly a matter of planning for sufficient physical labor. Technology rarely needed to be considered. When we moved our agency in 1980, the only technology issue we faced was unplugging our