Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Did 2012 Suck?
What are you doing to make sure 2013 doesn’t?
I am offering FREE webinars starting next week that are going to help give you specific tools to combat that “best laid plans and all that” problem. We are going to talk about selling and about lead generation. Two topics close to my heart! I know you are VERY busy right now, but you won’t want to miss these two webinars.
Selling to the Personalities
Tue, Dec 18, 2012 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM CST
This webinar will discuss how to evaluate your client’s personality type, how to ask the right questions, determine their needs, and how to focus your conversations to meet thoses needs.
10 Ways to Generate Leads in 2013
Wed, Dec 19, 2012 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST
Tired of relying on purchased leads to drive your business? Do you feel like you are working 1000 times too hard to achieve very little? This webinar is exactly what you need. We will discuss how to generate leads in 2013 that will be pre-qualified and exclusive leads for your agency. This will be your saving grace for less work overall and less chasing of your tail!
In 2012, We worked with agents all across the country to develop the techniques that you will learn in these webiars and I can guarantee that they will completely change your philosophy about what you thought worked. If you are not serious about the growth of your agency, then please do not attend. These webinars are full of assertive tips and strategies. We want to keep space open for agents that are serious about their agency’s growth. Sign Up Today!
January’s webinars will be posted shortly.
Holiday Cards Are HERE!!!
Still looking for that holiday card that will tell your clients that they are valuable to you?
Swamped with too much to do and does the thought of all that work make you panic?
AgencyIQ is here to help!
We are offering to get all your holiday cards taken care of FOR YOU! Don’t sign on for a pre-fabricated card printed on a machine. Nothing says impersonal like preprinted stock cards without a personal touch.
Not with AgencyIQ! Just provide us with a spreadsheet of your clients and we will do the rest! We’ll address and personally stamp the envelopes making sure your clients know that you care. You will save time and money!
Personal Holiday Cards From Your Office!
Call our offices or email us for more information! (877) 985-7400
Prices:
100 Cards 2.05 Each*
250 Cards 1.50 Each*
500 Cards 1.10 Each *
1000 Cards .70 Each *
1500 Cards .50 Each *
*Plus the price of a stamp
Look for more amazing marketing opportunities throughout 2013!
The Value of Business Systems
“The Value of Business Systems and How They Can Make You More Money.”
The Myth of Multi-Tasking
Assessing, prioritizing, assigning mental functions, tracking multiple activities, reflecting, HR issues, customer service, strategic planning, crisis management, all of these activities are vying for your time every day!
In our fast-paced workday we are likely to multitasking throughout the day, which causes us to run on adrenaline. Our bodies were never designed to constantly pump adrenaline. It is the product resulting from that “fight or flight” syndrome and is helpful in protecting us from danger. Prolonged production of adrenaline leads to physical damage. In fact when we are running on adrenaline for long periods of time we are actually less efficient than when we slow down and work on one thing at a time!
We need to find ways to lessen daily stress that can result from multitasking. Even though we think we are very capable of handling multiple tasks simultaneously, the truth is that we cannot do it. It may feel that we are performing activities together, but reality is that we do one, closely followed by another, rather than simultaneously. Like a computer.
It is important that we counter this need for multitasking so let’s ask ourselves these questions:
- What system can we create to capture everything that needs to get done without trying to remember it? This will allow us to use our brain for higher level creative thinking, not for storage of things to do!
- How can we group similar activities together, such as making all of our phone calls in one block, then shifting to email, then filing papers, instead of bouncing back and forth among the different types of work?
- Could we set up a system where we block time each day (one or more hours) where we limit phone and email interruptions and focus on just the work that will move our business forward?
- What technology could we use to help remind ourselves, sort different tasks into groups and organize our day into productive chunks so that we will trust our systems and not try and remember everything?
Lastly, and most importantly, we must understand the difference between working in our business: handling calls, replying to emails, reacting to crisis, HR issues etc. versus working on our business: strategic planning, reviewing our numbers, tracking results of marketing campaigns etc.
Article shared by Your Empowered Solutions, LLC
Jamie Chavez | Katherine Clausen
www.YourEmpoweredSolutions.com | info@YourEmpoweredSolutions.com
New Year – NEW FEATURES in 2012!
New AgencyIQ Features
Happy New Year 2012! A new year brings new OPPORTUNITIES…. and AgencyIQ has rolled out New Features that will have a positive impact on your marketing in 2012. The best news is….. they’re FREE!
*Upgraded Email Certificate – promotes improved deliverablity and open ratios for emails to your prospects and clients….FREE!
*Newsletters - send a monthly Newsletter to up to 2,000 recepients per month….FREE!
*Mirrored Emails - receive emails to any email address outside of AgencyIQ… great for mobile applications or remote use and keeps a record of all of your correspondence…FREE!
ALL of these New Features are fully integrated into the AgencyIQ workflow platform and create a fully robust Marketing System for your agency!
Check out these new features in our “Lunch-n-Learn” webinars on Wednesdays from 12:00-1:00pm CST. You can also learn more about Newsletters by clicking on the following link Webinar Schedule
AgencyIQ is excited to bring these Powerful, New Tools to you for 2012….
Let us help you Grow with our AgencyIQ Marketing System!
AgencyIQ Newsletters are AVAILABLE!
AgencyIQ Newsletters
AgencyIQ has rolled out another powerful tool to engage your prospects and clients while building your brand. Newsletters are the perfect compliment to an on-going drip email campaign. With AgencyIQ, you now have the ability to coordinate your drip email efforts with the “POP” of a well timed Newsletter.
Newsletters are a great way to:
*Cross-sell
*Send reminders to review coverages
*Provide emergency contact info in case of a disaster
*Seasonal and Holiday greetings
*Build your Brand and Relationships
As an AgencyIQ subscriber, you have the ability to send a Newsletter to 2,000 receipents per month….. FREE! Additional mailings are available, contact us for rates.
We want to help you with implementing your Newsletter campaigns, so visit our webinar schedule and register online! Our Webinar Schedule will feature a series of Sessions devoted to Newsletters!
Mirrored Emails….What’s That?
View Training Video
When the Tech Team came out with this feature, I was like…Uh-Oh… What is it and how do I explain it? Turns out it’s Very Simple and VERY COOL! This new feature allows you to store all of your email correspondence inside AgencyIQ AND in another email address. So, for example, you receive an email into AgencyIQ, it will also show up in your Outlook or other email address. Many of you have requested this feature and now its functioning inside your AgencyIQ account. Follow these steps to activate this feature in AgencyIQ:
*Go to “My Settings” in the top right hand corner
*Click on the “Email Configuration” Tab
*Type in your “Mirrored Email Address” in the 2nd Box
*Click “Save”
That’s it! Now, anything you do inside AgencyIQ or your other email address server will be “mirrored” in both accounts. If you’re on the move or don’t have time to sign into AgencyIQ, you can still see all of your correspondence inside your other email address. This also provides accurate tracking of ALL of your email correspondence with clients, no matter if it orignates from AgencyIQ or your other email address!’
If you have any questions about this NEW feature or any of our other NEW features that have rolled out in the last few weeks, visit our website www.agencyiq.net and contact us for assistance or an overview of all of our new features!
Improved Email Deliverability in 2012
Increase Your Exposure
AgencyIQ has recently UPGRADED our email delivery performance by partnering with SendGrid. This new partnership will dramaticaly increase email deliverability and open ratios for emails sent through AgencyIQ. Without boring you with a lot of technical details, simply put, this higher certification rating will result in more emails getting through filters and security because of our “good email citizenship” rating with this certificiation platform.
So what does this mean for you and your agency?
(MORE DELIVERIES + MORE OPENS)+MORE CLIENTS = $$
The best news is that all of this happens behind the scenes, so you don’t have to do anything different…AND… IT’S FREE! By being a subscriber to the AgencyIQ system, you are the beneficiary of our constant, on-going efforts to bring you the most up-to-date, innovative technology and workflow tools to help you grow your business!
Contact us today at AgencyIQ
Time Management Tips
February is National Time Management Month. Let’s review some helpful tips to keep you on time and less stressed!
- Plan & Organize – without a plan, you will experience an 80% failure rate. Time spent organizing is time well spent. It doesn’t matter how you organize, just organize in a way that works for you.
- Set Goals & Prioritize – the first step is to decide what you want to achieve. Keep the goals achievable, with a little bit of stretch. Next, prioritize! Use the 80-20 rule from our old friend Mr. Pareto… 80% of the reward or achievement comes from 20% of the effort. Spend time in the areas that offer the greatest return on effort.
- To Do or Not to Do – that is the question! Combine a list of action items with your calendar. You can see your progress and make adjustments as needed. Knowing where you are is half the battle most days.
- Delegate – No is not a four letter word! Some tasks are just not worth your time, but others on your staff could be a perfect fit for activities that are a drain on your schedule, but still need to be handled.
- Don’t schedule 100% of Your Day – Interruptions are going to happen… so build time into your schedule to accommodate them! Not only will this lessen your stress level when emergencies happen, but it will lessen the number of “fires” you have to deal with on a daily basis.
- Know Your Prime Time – we all have biological a “prime time” when we are running on all cylinders. Knowing if you’re a morning person, afternoon guru or night owl, you can try to schedule your priority tasks for those times.
- Reward Yourself – break your day into small blocks and give yourself a small reward for achieving a goal. Building small successes as you move through the day will give you both emotional and physical boosts. All work and no play makes for a long day!!!!
Disaster Prevention on a Budget
We’ve discussed risk management in previous blogs, and the importance of identifying, quantifying and understanding business risks. But, what are some simple, inexpensive ways a small business can prevent disaster from upending their business? Review some of the tips below and see if they fit your budget and apply to your business!
- Develop multiple revenue sources – Never rely on one customer, industry or client to be your only revenue stream. Diversity will help insulate you if you lose a high value customer. You should plan on losing at least 10% of your customer base annually, not necessarily through your fault, it’s just the natural flow of business.
- Document It! – The first rule of business is ‘get it in writing”. What may have been understood in a verbal conversation can easily lead to major misunderstandings at a later date….that’s why the court house is full of lawyers. A well defined and thorough written document can save hurt feelings, money and clients!
- Rainy Day Money – You never know when your revenue stream will be interrupted or for how long. Fire, flood, natural disasters or even economic uncertainty can bring business to a sudden stop. Having a reserve fund to see you through slow months or more trying situations can save your business until your cash flow returns to normal.
- Back Up, Back Up, Back Up…. In case you are one of those folks who has never experienced their computer hard drive crashing….YOU WILL BE, it’s just a matter of time. There are so many easy, automatic ways to back up your business data, especially from PC’s and laptops available today. I suggest you consider an online backup system that is cloud based. They are numerous and inexpensive, and are accessible 24/7, allowing you to recover vital data to keep your business moving if those geek gremlins attack.
- Have a Plan – sounds easy, and it really is. Take a few minutes and think about some of the vital activities you, your staff and your business perform routinely. Write them down, make copies, distribute and familiarize key employees with those processes. Then, when someone is out for a day or week or month, a co-worker will know how to turn on the copier, write an invoice or turn on the coffee maker!
Staying Relevant in Today’s E-Commerce World
Survey results from an online insurance comparison site CoverHound.com indicate that consumers of auto insurance still prefer to deal with local agents versus online or telephone purchases from direct carriers. While direct carriers continue to gain market share, shoppers still prefer that personal connection. That’s great news for agents!
The survey shows that 39% prefer to deal with a local agent, 32% prefer direct contact with carriers and 29% are indifferent. Not surprisingly, 50% of 18-25 year olds preferred a direct carrier association, while only 27% of 41-50 year olds held a similar preference. As an agent, this provides some valuable insights into market demographics and should assist you in defining your marketing strategy. Utilizing online technology should be an important part of you marketing plan. Having a presence online is crucial to reaching a significant percentage of the market, regardless of age, but is essential to reach the younger age demographic. By making contact in an environment clients are comfortable in, you make yourself available to begin the process of developing a lifelong relationship. Reality is, the younger age demographic will probably have less extensive insurance needs early in the relationship, but as they mature, their insurance needs will increase to keep pace with larger homes, more expensive cars, life insurance policies, and health care needs. Branding yourself as a valuable resource that will assist a client with wealth retention and protecting them from loss from young adulthood will create a steady, reliable income stream potential.
The use of online technology by consumers will only continue to grow in the next ten years and beyond. Position yourself NOW to be an active participant with your potential clients online. If you haven’t already done so, take a look at what AgencyIQ can do to assist you with our online program. Our customizable software and drip email marketing campaigns will assist you in growing you business!!
