Insuring a Property: Site Pollution Liability

As the United States recovers from the economic crisis over the last few years, we are once again seeing growth in the acquisition and transfer of properties. The issues that arise from the sale or purchase of these properties at times can be a Pandora's Box. The options to either borrow money to finance the purchase of a property, or to use your own money to do so, does not change the driving need in today's marketplace to have environmental liability insurance in place to protect the investment.

There are many issues that must be addressed when thinking about Site Pollution coverage for these types of risks:

· What has the property previously been used for?
· What will the property be used for in the future?
· What policy limit of insurance will cover your contractual needs or make you feel safe in the event of a loss?
· Are you concerned with first party triggers or will third party be enough?
· Will you want pre-existing coverage, new conditions only, or both?

Key Points To Consider When Selecting Drivers For A Non Emergency Transportation Company

A common point of frustration I hear from owners of Non Emergency Transportation companies is that they put the safety and wellness of their clients in the hands of drivers for whom they have virtually no direct oversight when they are on the road. Oftentimes, owners have no idea that they have a bad driver working for them until something terrible happens, by which time it's too late.

Even good drivers can get into trouble if they don't have any industry experience. Consider the fact that drivers are required to move swiftly through congested areas, oftentimes with deadlines that, if missed, can result in fines.

Their passengers are medically fragile, and just one small fender-bender can be enough to cause significant trauma, or even death. Wheelchairs, are notoriously unstable, especially if they are not properly weighted, and significant injury can occur if they fall over.

For these reasons, many insurance carriers have established minimum eligibility criteria for drivers. These guidelines, although by no means fool proof, do help to eliminate some potentially costly drivers from your hiring pool. Here they are.

Solar Contractors and Their Flood of Risks That Are Recently Coming to Light

With the advent of Renewable Energy Credits being offered to those that use renewable energy systems there has been an increase in the amount of solar systems that are being installed for both commercial and private use around the United States. Everyone feels great about going green and having a tax incentive does not hurt either. There of course has to be contractors that need to fill this need with installations of solar arrays. These contractors have traditionally come from other backgrounds as there typically was never a standard trade for Solar Installation in the construction realm. Artisan Contractors such as Electricians, Plumbers and even Roofers have begun making the move to solar contracting in order to cash in on the free flow of green that is coming down the pipeline. The problem is in the combination of risks that these mixing of traditional trades have created and it is throwing the insurance companies and insurance agencies a curve ball. If the contractors are not careful, the solar contractor can be misclassified by an insurance agent that does not have the necessary experience to understand the large range of risks that solar contractors are now facing. Solar contractors luckily have not been lumped in the highest order of risk by most insurance companies. Roofers by comparison are thought of as being a riskier group. Solar contractors however, do create claims and here we will dive into some of the types of claims along with the insurance types that are created for them.

Keep Yourself Secured With Professional Indemnity Insurance

Professional Indemnity Insurance is not an item that firms must carry by but it is however cover that a business in the professional services field should absolutely have. It will be something that will provide protection to the individual holding it and their business. It will also offer protection to that person's clients and lend a general feeling of security to any and all associated with the particular business involved.

The fact of the matter is that any business that is providing a service to its clients is a candidate for this particular insurance. There is however an even greater need for this coverage when the services involved deal with accounting, financial planning and advising, surveying and certainly legal advice. As things have changed over the course of time, this insurance has become even more important to have than ever before. People currently involved in business enterprises on the internet are finding how important having this type of coverage is and will be moving forward.

The fact of the matter is that when it comes to the area of faults in business, business injury has truly come to be a claim that is a highly popular one. Basically what business injury involves is negligence on the part of an individual or business causing an omission or error in their promised service resulting in a loss to an individual related to their service.

Salary Protection Insurance

In modern day's world no one can ever predict what tomorrow brings to us. It is very vital that each and every individual be well prepared and takes all the necessary measures to protect themselves from the hardships that the future might bring. I am gone write about one such precaution which might actually save you in the direst of needs. Salary protection insurance is certainly a boon and perhaps the easiest way to protect one's future. Here are lists of benefits that you might enjoy by purchasing good Salary protection insurance.

• Safeguard you current lifestyle
Most Salary protection insurance offered in today's market covers almost 50-80% of your current income. Most of you might be wondering what this means to you? Well if you were to be unemployed due to various reasons then your insurance will kick in and start paying you predetermined amount of money. This way you will be able to maintain your lifestyle without having to undergo changes, this is the very reason why you need to think of purchasing Salary protection insurance when you are earning maximum.

How Internet Insurance Leads Have Changed My Agency For the Better

The days of waiting for referrals to spring up or for walk-ins to appear in my office are over. Best of all, cold calling has gone the way of the dinosaur. When I started in financial services, I would cold call 5-8 hours per day and get my butt kicked all day long by people.

Since I started in 1996, the lead world has changed dramatically for the better. With the advent of the internet, lead aggregation sites can generate a continuous flow of leads for my property and casually insurance agency.

I can tell the lead provider the hours I want leads, the zip codes I want to target, and the type of client I want to speak with. I can download the leads into my contact management software and effectively drip on my unclosed leads. Often, the lead providers will follow up immediately with an email introducing my agency to the prospective client.

The beauty of internet insurance leads is that there is an immediate need and a commitment from the prospect to accept a call from the agent. In the old days, I would get 45 rejections for every 5 warm leads, and maybe 1 appointment, if I was lucky.

Selling Insurance: Are You Getting Your Prospects Attention?

Information Overload Has Reached A Critical Level.

Sociologists tell us that over the past twenty years, our lives have become much more complicated, more hectic and more harried than ever before.

We have more than 20 times the duties and responsibilities than we had 100 years ago. And we have 20 times more intrusions and distractions than we had even 20 years ago.

But cognitive scientists and behavioral psychologists have concluded that the human brain has not yet evolved enough to handle the onslaught of information vying for our attention.

Which has a Direct Impact on Selling Insurance.

Television, Radio, Internet, Email, Smart Phones, Instant Messaging, and Social Media have all accelerated both the quantity and the speed at which information comes at us. So our brains are overwhelmed with thoughts and information - all day long.

And it's difficult to shut it off, even when we are ready to sleep - which is why insomnia is now epidemic.

Consequently, we feel stressed, rushed, never "finished". And we find it difficult to slow down and relax, or to focus on one thing at a time.

So we are constantly "multi tasking" in order to get it all done.

But "Multi Tasking" is NOT as Productive as You Might Think.

Contrary to popular "wisdom"... a recent study at Stanford Research Institute has discovered that we really don't have the ability to "multi task" - because our brains don't actually hold more than one thought or focus of attention simultaneously.

What our brains are really doing is juggling multiple tasks, thoughts and attentions - quickly alternating among several, with the perception that we are doing them all at once.

But the result of all this juggling, is that we are not really paying enough attention to any one of them very well.

Each Task is Only Getting Partial or Temporary Attention.

So we jump to conclusions and assumptions, based on partial or incomplete information, or without careful thought regarding the ramifications of our decisions.

Consequently, we often make "bad" or wrong decisions - mistakes and errors in judgment or assessment - just like our clients, prospects, leads and referrals.

They Say "No" Before They "Know".

Which is why people often object to their need for the insurance or annuity you propose. Because they simply are not focused enough on what you say or ask them to read.

So they do not listen or read carefully enough to understand the need or the problem they have.

You think they process every word or thought you express - but they don't. It's simply a failure to communicate effectively - based on their mental inattention and distraction.

That's why it is absolutely imperative that you slow your communication down, and help people to focus on what they need to know. We all need to become more deliberate in both the way we listen to, and speak with, our clients and prospects. Which often requires repeating the same message or information several times - before we can be sure that they "get it".

Get Your Own Auto Insurance Leads

Stop paying for expensive and terrible auto insurance leads. Get your own everyday with social media.

Selling auto insurance is one of the most competitive industries out there today. Your only in this crazy Insurance business to make money and be successful. To be a successful agent selling auto insurance, you need to be a marketing specialists. The days are long gone, when you had a nice street corner agency and people would walk into you office all day long asking to buy insurance. The Internet has changed everything. People buy on line, and on-line leads companies are making a killing.

How to Make Money With Online Auto Insurance Leads.

To make money with online auto insurance leads, you need to be special. You need to stand out and be able to reach your contacts everyday, until they buy or shut you off. Your need to contact leads with unique emails within specific time frames. Learn how autoresponders can make life easy for you. There are a lot of online Insurance lead companies out there. All these companies will tell you that they have the very special and best leads. Well, to tell you the truth, all those companies get the same quality of leads. It's really up to you on how to filter the leads. The more you filter, the more you pay. And truthfully, the prospect usually enters data that makes his quote request look good. I recommend just buying the basic leads to get the least expensive leads. You can make money with these cheaper leads by cross-selling multiple products and contacting the people on a consistent basis. A lot of times, these prospects don't buy right away, but if you contact them with email autoresponders you will have a much better chance of making money on these online leads, more than any other agent.

Life Insurance Sales: Section 162 Executive Bonus Plans

Are You Selling To Small Business Corporations?

There's a big market for life insurance sales to small business owners with "C" corporation status - or LLCs filing as "C" corporations.

It's showing them how to use tax-deductible corporate dollars to fund tax-free retirement income for only the business owner himself - and if they choose, a few of their key people as well.

Because many small companies have set up 401k plans for all their employees.

But the "top-heavy" rules, strictly limit the "highly compensated" employees to how much they can contribute - based on what the "non-highly compensated" employees contribute.

So most of these companies can afford and want to contribute more than these plans allow for the benefit of their highly compensated executives - even if it's only the owner.

And since 401k plans have become the predominant qualified retirement plan for companies of all sizes - the market is relatively vast AND untapped.

But these sales are not complicated, or dependent on legal documentation, or subject to ERISA.

In fact, they're quite simple, and can be installed very easily.

They're known as a "162" Bonus plans - referencing section 162 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Which essentially stipulates that bonus compensation is tax-deductible as a business expense - and that any such bonus compensation can be selective and discriminatory.

Which means that it can be paid only to otherwise highly compensated employees (i.e. executives).

That's why they are often referred to as "Executive Bonus" plans.

Here's How It Works:

The owner or executive owns the policy, but the corporation funds it with a tax-deductible bonus - paid directly into the contract annually or quarterly.

And that bonus money is taxable to the executive for the year in which it goes into the contract.

However, 100% of the growth on that money (every year thereafter), and 100% of all the money withdrawn during retirement can all be tax-free.

Which means that the owner or executive only pays tax on the money going in - but NOT on any of the money coming out - which can be two or even three times as much.

That's Why It Makes Sense.

Because taxation on the bonus is a relatively small concession to accept - in exchange for not needing to include ALL the other employees, and for the ability to withdraw all the growth tax-free.

Life Insurance Sales with Equity Index UL

Executive Bonus plans perform best using Equity Index UL policies (with favorable loan provisions) for obvious reasons:

1) an index like the S&P 500 can simulate a 401k portfolio - but without any market losses

2) cash value loan provisions under code section 7702 enable tax-free retirement income

3) the insurance contract itself is all that is needed to provide the benefits

4) these contracts are inherently adjustable and can be easily modified from year to year

5) plan design can be customized for each executive with various riders

Where Can I Get Direct Mail Final Expense Leads

Direct mail final expense leads will deliver a simple message directly related to funeral cost and/or the shortfalls of the current government death benefit of $255. These burial insurance leads can also focus on the fact that seniors who have life insurance coverage will be able to pass on tax-free income to their loved ones in the event of their death. The current cost of a funeral is much more than the $255 government benefit, so you will find that many seniors will respond inquiring about extra insurance to cover the difference in cost.

In most cases, you will send out 1000 mailers a week and receive between 15-20 leads back. This will make it so you can get out on the field and sell funeral insurance to these interested seniors. However, if you don't know how to sell final expense, you will definitely struggle to make sales so it's strongly advised that you get some sales training.

For those who don't already know this business, it's simple:

Change Your Life Insurance Selling Strategies in Today's Economy

Life insurance selling is becoming a tricky industry, especially with the increased unemployment rate and monetary recession. Most agents keep thinking that they will get through these tough times by just doing what they have been doing the last 10 years. Unfortunately, the economy is actually affecting who the actual buyers are and where these buyers are buying insurance.

Direct mail and cold calling just doesn't work today. People have been flooded with telemarketers and mailings. Now they have just stopped dealing with it all. When they need to get life insurance, they are getting online to see what's out there and get free quotes.

The main issue with life insurance today, is that people are having to cut costs. The majority of people feel that eliminating their life insurance is the best way to go, because they don't see the immediate benefit. I hate hearing about agents giving advice to people on how they need to cut other things like 401k's or deductibles or full coverage on their vehicles, just to get people to buy a product from them.

The best way to sell life insurance, if you sell p&c, is to market and cross sell to all your current customers. Typically adding a life policy to their household will reduce their home and auto coverages enough to justify at least a 10 year term policy. Contacting your customers with special email autoresponders is the best way to contact and cross sell life insurance to them. Set up an email chain that goes out to your customers twice a month, that tells stories of accidents and issues. Then follow up with a few resolutions on how you can make it work for them.

What is another option you could use for selling in the tight economy? The best thing I found was putting an ad on Facebook. If you can determine what demographics your life products sell well in, placing an ad in Facebook, and leading them to your website or Facebook page is a quick way to get a lot of leads. You basically set up a Facebook account and make an ad that show on other Facebook pages of people in certain demographics. If you target people in San Diego in the age group of 21-29, married, children, etc., then that's exactly where you ads hit. You just need to determine who can afford life insurance in today's economy.

Be inventive and see what all the new ideas are out there on how you can utilize the internet for your life insurance selling strategies.

How to Find an Insurance Agent Using Independent Reviews

Finding an insurance agent can be challenging. Understanding the insurance market is the first step to picking the right agent. The insurance industry is divided into companies that sell property and casualty policies such as auto insurance, homeowners insurance, renters insurance, and flood insurance and life insurers who sell disability, long term care, annuities, in addition to life insurance. Large life insurers include New York Life, MetLife, and Lincoln Financial and large property and casualty insurers include Allstate, Travellers, and Progressive.

Insurance brokers either sell policies exclusively for one company or work as independent agents who sell policies from many insurers. Almost all agents work on commission and commissions vary significantly insurer to insurer and policy to policy. When searching for insurance brokers read reviews to get a feel for whether an independent agent is truly objective or tends to push policies from one company over another.

Insurance agents in the life and annuity field often work with sensitive and confidential information. Getting a number of objective and independent recommendations for an insurance agent is critical to finding someone who you will get along well with. Take your time to read ratings for agents and learn as much as you can before you make this important decision.

Top 4 Advantages of Getting Auto Insurance Leads Through Your Website

Insurance agency business owners these days are looking to find ways to get auto insurance leads, given today's stiff competition. Indeed, the business atmosphere has changed dramatically over the last few years. There are new ways of doing things that are proving to be better at generating insurance sales. One of these is the creation of a lead generating and prospect generating website. I'm not talking about just a website that you probably have right now. I'm talking about a website that is optimized to generate leads on a daily basis, so you can quote and market long term. Getting internet leads through your website offers a number of advantages.

Advantage#1
The most important aspect in my opinion is to be able to put Opt-In Forms and Quote Request Forms. Most insurance agents only have their captive company sites or individual sites that just give basic information. I know for a fact that these sites bring in very little business if any at all. Insurance agents trying to get auto insurance, home insurance, life insurance leads, etc, need to have a site that has "get quote" buttons, and opt-in forms in several places on your site. Agents need to market their websites as lead generators and not just an electronic business card.

Insurance Marketing Strategies - Social Media Marketing In Your Insurance Agency

Social Media is at the top for leading insurance marketing strategies. What can this new viral type of marketing give you and your business?

Social media marketing is relatively a new tool that business owners use to market their products and services via the web. If used properly, this tool can help you enjoy long-term success. The benefits of this type of marketing are too many to ignore, and that's why this article aims to tell you just exactly what these are.

Popularity

Without a doubt, this type of marketing can easily make a business popular, given the fact that more and more people these days go online to shop. When you have an online presence, thanks to the employment of marketing strategies that are created primarily for the cyber-audience, you can expect your business to become viral and well-known in just a short amount of time.

Insurance Marketing Strategies With Low Competition

6 Important Steps For Insurance Agency eMarketing Success

Insurance Agency eMarketing remains a viable and effective method to increase insurance agency leads and improve an agency pipeline. eMarketing has been around for quite some time, well over a decade, though the tools have improved and infrastructure costs have declined since the advent of Cloud Computing.

1. Create a Plan: Who is your target market? What size companies? What target titles? What is the value proposition your agency ultimately wishes to convey?
2. Determine Topics of Interest: What types of topics will be of interest to your target contacts? What content is appropriate and compelling? If using webinars, video or vlogs, what speaker credentials will help convey your content in a succinct and professional manner?

How Are Loss Assessors More Beneficial Than Independent Agents?

Apart from the insurance companies, there are many independent insurance firms that provide assistance to the insured at the time of filing a claim for their damage. When a person experiences a loss or damage, he/she has a lot of questions, worries and confusions running in his/her mind. For an independent agent it is necessary to read the entire policy and then answer all the queries of the insured. At times, the agent gives his own suggestions or interpretations to the insurer about changes in the policy which can sometimes lead to an embarrassing situation for the agent. This is where loss assessors comes into play. They work in co-ordination with the insured and insurer to cover all the issues.

A loss brings along with it a lot of worries and stress. Person suffering it is under lot of anxiety and mental pressure. At this time he will call the independent agents to report his claim and get him out of this situation. Filing claim followed by all the documentation and paperwork is a very cumbersome job. This is actually the most important part of a claim and a loss assessor can very well handle it without any sort of pressure.

How Insurance Agents Can Guide Clients to Produce the Best Referrals

In our prior article, we told you about a Producer who got 10 referrals & quoted only 3 of them, selling 1. What went wrong? Bottom-line, he could have done some things a lot better at the time he asked for the referrals. Things, I call "guiding" to get the best referral, so you throw as few away as possible! Ideally, what we want are referrals that are:

1) in the right class,
2) of the right size, and
3) of the best quality.

So, how do you ask to accomplish all that?

I encourage Producers to use what I call the "Ideal Prospect Definition" sandwich.

* The Top Slice of Bread describes the quality we want
* The Meat of the Sandwich is the Class we are seeking
* The Bottom Slice of Bread describes the size parameters

Let me give you an example using the "Ideal Prospect Definition". Asking for the right class is the easiest part, and often, size is manageable too, but the example given in the story from last month explained the fact that 5 of the 10 referrals that Producer got had to be thrown away because he obtained referrals of poor quality. How do we deal with the quality of the referral? By really guiding, that's how!

Final Expense Agent Jobs Are Lucrative and It's An Easy Profession to Learn

Final expense agent jobs are flourishing currently, which means that those looking for employment should seriously consider this field. These jobs are a great way to make a good income - as are most insurance jobs - whilst also providing an environment where you can meet various people all through the day. There are various places online where you can learn about the ins and outs of the role and how to sell final expense insurance.

The basic requirements to start up in a final expense sales job are minimal - yet another reason why this career is so enticing to many. All that is needed is a license to operate in the state you live in, some knowledge on the industry and some companies on the books who offer great rates. Finally, a little presentation that you can make to clients always goes a long way to securing their signature.

When it comes to a final expense sales job, the visiting of the potential customer is key, as this is the time you get to sell your product. Some small talk plus a bit of sales banter is essential, and should it be done correctly there is every chance of making up to $500 on every deal. Just imagine the amount of money if you did this three times daily.

Insurance Selling Through The Internet And A Website

Can you really get internet leads through your website and succeed at insurance selling? These days, having a website is an essential for every profession. A website has the power to create a strong impact on your target market. It is invaluable in making your product or service known, not just in your local community but worldwide. It is simply a must-have for people who are looking to promote and inevitably expand their business.

If you are the owner of an insurance company, big or small, and you don't have a website yet, then you can be sure you're missing a lot. A website can help you generate a number of internet leads that you can use to solidify your business' hold on your target market. Now this website just can't be any regular website. To get leads through your site, you need to have opt-in forms, quote forms and something that people can get for accessing your site. Read on to know the reasons why it's almost a sure thing to get internet leads through your website.

First of all, the internet is today's hottest technology. In fact, as of now an estimated 15% of the planet's population or 970 million people are internet users. Can you imagine what a website would do to your business when it gets exposure via the internet? The number of potential customers you can make by selling your insurance online is just incredible.
Second of all, internet and website marketing is great because it's convenient, fast and cheap. People these days don't want to spend their energy on things that eat up a lot of their time and bleed their wallet dry. The internet is accessible and free. You can use tools to put up and design a website without shelling out anything, and offers information at a fast speed, allowing prospects to reach you and get responses right away.

Finally, the internet is the best way to build communities in this day and age. People of all ages turn to the internet to satisfy their need for interaction. Email lists, social networks, and info-sharing sites are a hit because they offer the opportunity to make friends and foster relationships, whether they are of the personal or professional kind. By tapping and connecting with your niche, you're sure to convert random visitors to loyal customers. Indeed, it's very possible to be successful at insurance selling by getting internet leads through your website.

Internet Insurance Marketing Strategies

The internet has changed Agents' Insurance Marketing Strategies.

Whether you like it or not, the internet is changing the way insurance agents are running their business and getting new business. Well, not only getting new business, but running their business with a customer base.

Here Are My Top Internet Insurance Marketing Strategies:

1. Special Website: If you get on Google and enter your keyword, you will notice the main Google Local listings (the ones with the red exclamation marks), and open those sites, you will notice a few things. Those sites have nothing to capture the interested lead. they may have information on the company or show the products and even have a place to get a quote. This is alright if you want to just have your agency name in lights. Now what if you could have a site that had an Opt-in form that would give the prospect something for free in return for their name and email. Make a special website that is not only useful for information, but use it as a tool to do quotes, and most importantly get searchers names and emails, through Opt-In Forms.

The Best Final Expense Sales Jobs

A final expense sales opportunity is an amazing way to get started in this highly profitable market, which initially can be very confusing to the person that is uninitiated in the ways of the industry. With all of the different companies to choose from, as well as the decision regarding whether to be independent or captive, the decisions can often be too much to work out alone. Another major concern for those looking to move in to the industry is whether they are getting appropriate pay for their efforts, coupled with the questions over how good the training package is they receive. In fact, with all of the jobs in the final expense insurance market, many simply pick a job and hope that it works out well.

There are sites online however that can teach the aspiring final expense professionals everything they need to know before entering the business. In fact, if everything said on these sites is taken in, most will find no need to join a business at all - instead they will often choose to start their own company and decide what benefits they get themselves. These benefits can include at least 40% extra income annually, plus the choice to work when desired and the opportunity to earn huge levels of commission on completed deals.

Insurance Sales: "Does This Make Sense?"

Proven Phrase Can Influence Insurance Sales

One of the best ways to psychologically engage a prospect, and help them to "sell" themselves, is to appeal to his or her "good" sense. It's a relatively simple technique, using any variation of "Does that make sense?" or "Does this make good sense?"

"Primer" Word Resonates Subconsciously With Prospects

The word "sense" is the operative or critical element here.

It's what rhetorical psychologists and "neuro linguistic" experts refer to as a "primer" word. And it works because the word "sense" automatically resonates with a reasonable person's decision paradigm - triggering a spontaneous and subconscious emotional response, based on pragmatic or rational information.

Which means that it forces the prospect to express an opinion or reach a conclusion based on obvious and reasonable information.

"Key" Words Influence "Key" Thoughts

How To Sell Insurance: Top Daily Tip

Most agents have not adjusted their marketing strategies to learn the new ways on how to sell insurance.

So many agents focus every day of the month on how they are going to get their 10-25 leads for that day. They will do their telemarketing, cold calling, door to door, 1000′s of mailings, buy leads, etc. They are spending so much time in their day, going after individual leads, that they don't realize that they are actually digging a long term hole. If you have to start every month doing the same routine and trying to get you 10-25 leads/day, and manually doing everything, the cycle will never end, and soon you will burn out. That happened to me. But then I met an agent a few blocks down. I saw that he had a nice small office and it seemed like a new car every month. I had to figure out what this little agency was doing. At this time, I had no idea, what I was getting into.

How To Be The Best at Life Insurance Selling

#1 Life Insurance Selling Strategies to be the best.

Learn the top strategies to be the best at life insurance selling.

You need to be a special Agent to become successful. The great thing is, is that this is the perfect time. Why? Technology is changing everything, and the majority of Insurance agents just aren't keeping up and changing their marketing strategies. The majority of insurance agents are spending 10-20 (or even more) hours a week networking, cold calling at night for several hours, going door to door, advertising in the phone book, and buying expensive internet leads.

So How Do YOU Do It?

How To Easily Get Free Auto Insurance Leads

Tired of paying for Auto Insurance Leads? See How you can Get Free Auto Insurance Internet Leads.

If your like most agents trying to sell auto insurance, you have or still are buying internet leads for all those online lead companies. I have seen only a few agents be successful with this lead source, because most people really don't understand what these leads are and how to close on those leads. It's no secret but it is a strategy. It is actually a long term strategy. I recommend that you keep doing it if it works for you, but there is another option for all of us auto insurance agents trying to make it.

My suggestion is to implement (not develop) a system within your agency, that will bring in free auto insurance leads into your agency 24/7 every day. For the agents that are successful with buying internet leads, keep doing it, but why not cut some cost and get free leads. For those of the other agents that have given up on buying leads online, check out these tips and strategies on how to get free leads and prospects coming into your agency every day.

Does Your Agent Measure Up?

There is little difference between products and pricing when it comes to insurance. All insurance professionals have great products and prices to offer you. The difference is truly in the agent. Having an agent you know and trust is a key step toward developing peace of mind.

1. Communication - Does your agent communicate with you other than the monthly bill? Do they conduct an annual review to make sure your needs have not changed over the past year? A good insurance agent schedules an appointment to meet with clients at least every two years to review your existing insurance coverage's and will offer you new products that are right for your situation and within your budget.

2. New information - Does your agent keep you informed of new products even if it is offered at a lower price? Your insurance agent should let you know about new products that would be of benefit to you and your family. Your agent should also let you know about products that are available at lower prices.

Are You Ready for a Catastrophe?

Life happens fast and when it does you need to make sure you and your family are protected. The problem is you don't know when or where your next catastrophe is going to happen. Everyday we hear about some disaster that happened some where in the world. So far you have been lucky and it has not directly effected you or your family. Don't play against the odds that it will never happen to you or your family.

To make certain you are properly protected it is important to develop a personal relationship with your insurance agent. Ask yourself; does your insurance agent know your face and name or do they know you by policy number? If you struggled to answer this question it might be time to look for a new insurance agent.

Great Local Insurance Agents take time to develop a personal relationship with you. This is very important because they offer and make recommendations with your benefits in mind. Having an agent you know and trust is a key step toward developing peace of mind. For your agent to be informed and able to make good recommendations that will help you develop peace of mind, you must be transparent with your agent. This way they can offer you the best options and products to meet the needs for you and your family.

Medicare Supplement Insurance Agents - Ways to Find A Credible Broker

Figuring out Medicare is a frustrating task. The amount of mail that a consumer receives upon turning 65 is astronomical. Everywhere you turn, someone is claiming to offer you "the best plan." Since you have only one open enrollment window, selecting a plan without fully understanding it can be devastating in the long run. It's important to find a trustworthy Medicare supplement insurance agent who understands how various plans work.

How do you choose a credible person to work with who will care about your best interests? Here are a few tips for scouting out an ethical, experienced agent.

1) Beware mail that you receive directly from an insurance carrier. These are solicitations, and if you call the phone number listed, you will reach a representative who offers only that one company's products. Does this person have your best interest in mind? Probably not, since he only earns his living if he can convince you that his product is better than the rest. Instead, you want a broker who represents numerous carriers so that he or she is not biased when explaining your options, and won't try to steer you to any product that doesn't fit your needs.

Five Tips for Successful Selling on the Golf Course

Golfing with potential clients can turn into one of the most effective ways of making sales if you know how to do it correctly. There is a fine line between letting your client have a fun and relaxing day on the greens and making them feel like they are being pressured to buy your products or services. Here are five tips to help you walk that fine line and turn your potential clients into actual clients while working on your short game.

Be assertive, but not aggressive. There is a time for aggressive sales techniques and there is a time to hold back and stop at being assertive. The golf course is one of the times when assertiveness, not aggressiveness, is a key component for making that big sale. An aggressive nature on the golf course can turn a relaxing and fun afternoon into a disaster that could cause your potential client to walk away frustrated and angry.

Feel the vibe. As an insurance salesperson, you have probably felt "vibes" from potential clients that let you know if that person is likely going to purchase your product or if they are not interested at all. If you have made it to the golf course with your potential client, there is a good chance that they are in the market to purchase some insurance or they are at least willing to hear about the products that you have to offer. If they keep trying to avoid the subject, however, it may be time to just concentrate on improving your swing.

Three Ways to Increase Your Web Presence and Your Sales

Did you know that the overwhelming majority (84 percent) of consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 search for insurance companies online rather than searching the Yellow Pages? When they are looking for products or services, their first stop is the Internet and one of the popular search engines that are available. Another recent survey has shown that about 50 percent of all consumers in the United States use online search engines rather than a phone directory to find local businesses for their needs. How can you compete and get noticed? Here are three ways you can increase your web presence and better your chances for generating leads and making sales.

Get Registered with Google Maps

Your Medicare Supplement Broker - Are You Getting Good Service on Your Policy?

Since Medicare can be hard to interpret for any person new to the program, most beneficiaries seek the help of a medicare supplement broker when shopping for their supplemental health insurance needs. The sheer variety of plans available seem daunting to an individual who is new to Medicare, but agents who specialize in these insurance products can provide a welcome service for consumers seeking someone to put the plans in laymen's terms. However, if you use the services of a broker to help you with your medigap decisions, you should occasionally be analyzing whether your agent is doing a thorough job.

Over the last 2 decades, the federal government has added new Medicare program options and changed some of the existing medigap plans. Each time this happens, there is new information to be learned, and it's important you keep up with the changes. At least once per year, you should assess whether you are still in the right plan for you. Tackling this on your own is possible, but if you are using the services of an experienced broker, that individual should be making the process easier for you, year in and year out.

Auto Insurance Leads Options

Do you know the best options for getting auto insurance leads?

I bet your agency is still doing cold calling, telemarketing, 1000's of direct mail, and even door-door sales every month. It is amazing how insurance agents spend so much time trying to get NEW LEADS every month. The focus is on getting as many leads as possible, to close as many as possible, because everyone says it's a numbers game. Well, just to let you know, getting your auto insurance leads doesn't have to be this way.

Imagine if you could develop a system over the next couple months that ran on autopilot. Just think if you could reach several hundred people a day, instead of only a handful. You may notice that the bigger insurance agents have a lot of time to manage their bigger accounts and reap the rewards of their sales. This is because they have built up a staff that goes out everyday to get more and more leads. The staff is doing all the hard work, and the big agent is collecting on the hard work. If you are an agent with a small agency, you are probably doing all the hard work and still waiting to benefit financially.

Using Agency Quote Volumes for Success

There are many things insurance agencies need to do to make sure their business is growing each year, and not shrinking. Many of these same activities can help an agency figure out if there is something wrong that needs to be tweaked within their process. One of the most valuable steps you can take to monitor your business growth and identify areas that need a little push is to monitor your quote volume.

When you monitor your quote volume, you look at the quotes your producers were asked to give over a set period. You can also break the quotes down into lines of insurance, producer, and company to get some insight into trends, hot spots and weak points.

Monitoring Quote Volume

When you begin monitoring quote volume, you may notice some cyclical trends. This happens because insurance can be a seasonal product. For example, during tax return season, you may notice an upswing in auto insurance quotes as more people use their tax refund checks to buy vehicles. Home insurance quotes may go up during the summer, which is the time many people choose to move so they don't need to deal with Mother Nature's impediments while they transfer their possessions.

My Favorite Insurance Marketing Strategies

Let me share my favorite insurance marketing strategies.

Insurance marketing strategies don't need to be boring and tiring. For so many years, i did the same old cold calling, telemarketing and direct mail month after month. If your anything like me, those marketing activities get old pretty quick. So what can you do?

Here are my favorite Insurance Marketing Strategies

To begin with, you need to understand that the best marketing strategies bring in business for you. As long as you can set up the easy systems and add to them every month, these systems will bring in leads to your agency every month. It is so much easier to have the leads find you, than you trying to find the leads every month. To begin with, my favorite insurance marketing strategy is developing and maintaining an SEO website. Now this is not just a regular insurance agency website. This is a website with a purpose. It is to build a list of names and emails of people on a daily basis. Next it is to provide people with quotes. People are searching the internet everyday for a specific type of insurance. They want to find a site that gives them simple information and the ability to get a quote right away.

MSP Software Can Streamline Your Network Management Tasks

MSP software is a must for all managed service providers. Managers who've this type of software program, can instantly access pertinent details about the networks they're monitoring. Whether or not you are monitoring a LAN network for a small company, or you are attempting to monitor the routers within a big enterprise, MSP software can make the process of monitoring networks seamless and extremely simple to handle overall.

Considering that the task of managing multiple networks is pretty much impossible to deal with for most network managers, this device is an absolute have to for most network managers currently. Network managers who utilize MSP software program can make their services much more efficient and successful by assessing the complications a network is facing in a quite simple manner.

Cloud or Garage?

So is it a cloud or is it a garage?

Could it be both?

The current trend in the IT industry is "The Cloud" or more specifically Cloud Computing. There are now a number of start-up companies plying the "Cloud" concept to sell to corporations and to SMEs. The point here is does "The Cloud" actually exist?

Okay so you choose Microsoft Azure or Amazon EC2 and you know that you're getting some top class infrastructure but at a pay per use cost. But many applications in businesses just won't go into the cloud as an ethereal application as they are typically idiosyncratic and just won't fit into the cloud based model. But there are people out there who want to sell you the buzz word "The Cloud".

So what are you going to get? Well you may not know and it may not be a cloud it may just be "The Garage" because they need to sell an ethereal solution that doesn't have any particular location or more correctly there are many locations then they aren't going to tell. So it could be in their garage or maybe in their bedroom!

Using Mozilla Skywriter For Coding Needs

There are all sorts of different tools and plugins that have been created in order for site developers to take on better projects and get more creative. Mozilla is well-known for the internet browsing portals that it has created, but there are other tools and resources that users should be able to tap into and explore as they wish. The Mozilla Skywriter is a great tool that has been created for those who have a knack for coding. Take some time to learn some more about this plugin right now and find out what it has to offer.

Cloud Coding can take up a significant amount of time, but can be worth it in the long run when the finished product shows itself. This is a skill that can be easy for some people to catch onto, as long as they are driven and can learn all of the necessary tools and information required. Beginners should get familiar with the Cloud so that they too can start coding and catching onto the Skywriter option.

7 Important Things to Do When Training ERP Staff

Training staff for Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) is necessary to put successful systems in place for your business. If your staff does not have proper training, then your business will suffer through efficiency, which leads to losing money. To train a group of employees you have to successfully carry out ERP to get results.

1. Require commitment from key personnel. Managers cannot be lacking in knowing what's going on in their department. If your business has several key departments, choose one key person in each and teach them how to analyze their department to figure out how it is working. To change something, you must first understand it. In business, having a clear outline of the current methods and procedures will infuse change through training.

2. Define requirements clearly. When choosing an ERP package to work with, make sure you choose one that explains the definitions as clearly as possible. Make sure the information fits the needs of the company for best results.

WEEE Recycling at Home

Every year, a lot of household and commercial electronic and electrical equipment are improperly disposed of in landfills. Improper disposal of electronic wastes are detrimental to the environment and also impact the health condition of the community. Some electronic wastes have components or parts that contain mercury, lead, cadmium, and other hazardous elements. Over a period of time, these equipments, that have been accumulating in the landfill, break down and release these dangerous substances in the soil and water.

Electronic and electrical equipment are necessities in the home and workplace. Although these items are valued for their specific purpose, they are easily ditched for new and upgraded models once obsolete. To ensure that these items are properly disposed of, supportive environmental legislation had been enacted to provide regulations and rules for compliance.

Making Your Technology an Investment

Many Dental offices consider themselves to be "digital" offices. They have incorporated computers at the front desk and in the treatment rooms and have software that manages their practice and electronic images - both camera and radiographic. The dentists with such offices have invested time and money;and, often times, have endured a good amount of frustration to get there. Unfortunately, many high-tech offices are under utilizing their systems and only deriving a fraction of the benefit that could be garnered with the correct vision of utilization and proper training to achieve it.

If over a period of time an office spends roughly five dollars per patient to be high tech ,the return on investment should yield more than five dollars per patient to be considered a sound investment. What is the difference between practices that generate $5 per patient and barely cover their cost and those that see $25 revenue gains per patient and consider technology a "game changer" for their practice? The difference can be summed up in two words Vision and Execution.

What Is Cloud Computing and Why Should You Consider It?

Cloud computing is changing the way that individuals and entire businesses accomplish tasks every day. With only an internet connection and a web browser, a person can log on from any computer or web-enabled device in any location and access stored data, check e-mail, store and manage passwords, and collaborate on documents with co-workers in other locations. These are just a few examples of how cloud computing has given people the freedom to work from virtually anywhere. If you consider your own internet usage, chances are that you'll realize you already use cloud computing on a regular basis.

What Equipment Does Cloud Computing Require?

Is There a Silver Lining to Cloud Services?

So, 'cloud' is the answer to all our business dreams or at least that's what the technology press, integrators, small business journals, the world, his wife and their dog are telling us, but is that really the case? Well I think the answer to that question is 'yes' and 'no'...

So what is the true benefit of cloud? In short, low capital expenditure, quick time to implementation, flexible terms and no tie in to long contracts, all of which makes 'cloud' a great option for small to medium (and larger) sized businesses. Pre-cloud, technology had to be a tangible asset, a box or boxes that sat in a room and hummed and created heat. Not only was it something that you could touch and feel, you had to feed it on a regular basis with patches, updates and general prodding along and unless you had a technology minded employee, you could only achieve this by outsourcing this responsibility to an integrator that understood 'the beast'. Due to all of the love and attention you had to heap on your technology, the on-going cost could be large or unpredictable or both.

Five Key Tips on How to Build 'Service' Specific Service Level Agreements

Over Recent years most businesses have progressed somewhat significantly when it comes to their expectations from IT, which is a good thing. Perception is normally King and there are really only a couple of ways the business can monitor performance of IT, and certainly one of those is through Reporting and establishing effective Service Level Agreements (SLA's).

When it comes to standard SLA Reporting, most Service Management toolsets are more than capable of providing what I refer to a 'standard' Service Level Reporting eg: Number of incidents/changes raised, resolved, closed etc. Out of the box features can normally cater to your specific requirements using the operational data loaded within the tool with a minimal amount of effort. It's when the business starts to ask for end to end performance reporting on a service that a totally new level of thinking and solution is required.

ITIL® describes a Service as 'A means of delivering value to Customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific Costs and Risks'.

Computing in the Cloud - Understanding the Key Terms

When looking at cloud computing there are many industry terms being used which can be difficult to understand. Within this article the key industry terms are explored in relation to cloud computing and the terms are defined both in the respect of what the terms mean in general but also by what they mean to businesses.

Cloud Computing and the Cloud

The term 'cloud computing' is very broad and this term is often heard along with the phrase 'the Cloud'. In simple terms 'the Cloud' means the Internet and 'cloud computing' is about accessing a business's data, applications and software over the Internet. Therefore, all the IT services that a business requires can be accessible from a hosted service and businesses will no longer have to worry about having to invest in expensive infrastructure and IT systems etc. as they can access the Cloud environment for all these services. The Cloud environment is available 24/7 and can be accessed on-demand and when required through a business's chosen cloud computing provider. It is also the responsibility of the provider to fully maintain and manage the Cloud environment.

How Secure Are Paper Shredding Services?

Issues regarding fraud and identity theft are on the rise. For this reason more businesses are ensuring that their documents are permanently destroyed by using a paper shredding service. It is not just businesses using paper shredding services but also individuals with sensitive documents, governments, research companies, and more. A quality paper shredding service will ensure that documents are permanently destroyed.

The shredding machines that companies use effectively grind and tears up the documents into tiny confetti pieces so that is impossible to put it back together. By using the service, it means you are in compliance with government regulations regarding the proper disposal of confidential and sensitive documents. The company operates with the strictest security procedures that include adhering to strict guidelines regarding the handling of the documents. They follow a secure chain of custody from the moment they pick up the documents to the shredding, and finally to taking the shredded pieces for recycling.

iPhone Development - A Beginners How To

Developing an iPhone app seems pretty easy when it's a brilliant idea in your head, but reality hits when you find yourself sitting in front of your computer, unsure of where to begin. So to help you out, here's a quick beginner's guide to iPhone app development.
Web versus Native
First and foremost, you need to figure out what kind of app you want to create. Is it going to be something fast paced, with a lot of cool graphics or are you aiming for something informative or with simple visuals? Once you figure this out, you can decide between using a web app or a native app. A web app is one that runs on the browser and is better for simple applications, while a native app runs on the iPhone itself and is tailored for something a little more fancy. That said, regardless of which type of app you choose to produce, it's always a good idea to make one of both.
Follow the natives
Even if you're only making a web app, it is still better to mimic a native app as much as possible. The reason for this is because from the perspective of a user, native apps are easier to use simply because that is what they already know. When you first use your iPhone, you learn the ways of apps already installed in your iPhone before downloading more.