You've spent hours poring over r?sum?s, interpreting psychological tests, checking references and interviewing candidates. You've finally come to a decision, made the offer and the candidate has accepted. You're convinced
In the race to reach goals, every sales organization enters one or more of three types of horses: racehorses, plowhorses and "glue horses." Each horse presents its unique set of challenges and opportunities. The challenge for any sales professional
Have you ever used little tricks to help you remember important facts? It's time to use one again. Let's take a look at an old recipe for success that's being overlooked in the soft market. I call it the "Seven and Seven" rule, and I use it to remind
Over the past 12 years, I've had the opportunity to coach more than 500 new producers. Most were young men in their mid-twenties to early thirties. The youngest was a 19-year-old woman; the oldest, a 60-year-old man. This is what I've learned from
Top-selling professional insurance agents know--and employ--their recognizable advantages. If you don't know how you differ from your competitors, your prospects won't, either. How does asking a potential client for a meeting "to see if I
When asked how he was able to score so many goals, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky replied, "A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be." The same is true for great producers. The puck has
"Put him to bed and let him cry himself to sleep." Those were the ominous words my mother heard from the doctor after realizing she had created an expectation monster with yours truly. It started innocently enough. When she brought me home from the
Believe it or not, hiring a good producer can be easy--once you know what to look and listen for. As with anything else, lack of preparation usually leads to shoddy results. Here are some step-by-step tips for finding and hiring people with the
I've written on a number of subjects over the years, but little about presenting. It's time I did, because I can confidently say from dealing with the 450 agencies in my two regions that the presentation is often the weakest link in the sales chain.
Sales blitzes are commonplace in many sales organizations, although rare in the insurance industry. In football, a blitz concentrates the defending team's effort on the opposing team's quarterback. In sales, a blitz concentrates the sales and