May 15, 2017
“When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson Agents pride themselves on their sales skills — to meet a prospect face-to-face, take their measure, …
March 20, 2017
For independent agents, optimum use of technology delivers a multitude of benefits, including streamlined back-office operations and more effective marketing outreach. Yet one benefit, arguably the most powerful, is often overlooked — that of producing tangible and immediate value to …
January 23, 2017
2017 will mark the tipping point in agents’ efforts to adapt to the digital marketplace. Agents are no longer talking about why they should become “digitally- savvy” but how best to do it. Agents are also concentrating most on two …
December 5, 2016
Bill Pieroni, CEO of ACORD, is on a mission — not to “push” the industry toward digital transformation but rather to marshal its inherent strengths and enable carriers, agents and brokers to implement standards and digital best practices to their …
November 21, 2016
Having just returned from the combined meetings of the Agents Council for Technology (ACT) and the ACORD conference earlier this month, I am struck with two lasting impressions. First, those in the industry who dismissed the rise of the so-called …
September 19, 2016
The just released Insurance Digital Transformation Study (available at www.insurancedigitalrevolution.org) sheds light on why agents struggle with adapting to digital technology. As we have discussed extensively, agents must master digital tools to stay competitive, so we asked the study’s three …
July 11, 2016
I have had agents tell me they have lost clients because of their “digital deficiencies,” which can include outdated websites and email systems and the lack of mobile capabilities. The exact mix of factors vary, however they all boil down …
May 2, 2016
We have talked about the many reasons why agents need to add up-to-date digital tools to stay competitive. One possible reason is the financial penalty an agency could pay in diminished value without a truly up-to-date, distinctive website and effective …
March 21, 2016
When the Internet was still in its infancy, independent agents needed little more than an online address in order to have a website and what’s more, it was more novelty than necessity. Times have changed, however, and while most agents …
January 25, 2016
There is no shortage of predictions and New Year’s resolutions about the challenges facing independent agents this year. There’s one trend, however, that needs no prediction because it’s already a reality that every agent must address or face growing irrelevance …