Sales and marketing

It’s not often a company finds itself in a market position where it has the flexibility and agility of a newcomer, along with a storied history that provides name recognition and a solid base of existing expertise. Global financial services giant AXA is in this sweet spot as it enters the U.S. employee benefit business for the first time.

Consumer expectations demand advisers establish an online presence, LIMRA research shows. Financial advisory firms are stepping up to meet the demand, and following 3 critical steps to achieve social media success.

Commentary: If you can’t articulate your marketing position clearly in two or three sentences, value-conscious prospects and clients certainly are not going to take the time to figure it out, says columnist Jack Kwicien.

Commentary: Additional benefits or coverages that adapt to an employer’s needs can create a niche offering that often can help employers think holistically about their employees’ financial future, says The Standard’s Breanna Scott.

Commentary: The quality of writing that appears on a brokerage’s website, newsletters and even social media needs to improve to represent the industry in a more client-centric, modern and sophisticated way, says Wendy Keneipp.

Commentary: Our minds tell us we’re on the right track, that we’ve got a winner. Unfortunately, we don’t even know we’ve been tricked and it all results in costly and embarrassing missed opportunities, says sales expert John Graham.

The decrease in compensation is negligible since the medical loss ratio took effect, study finds, but other industry organizations disagree.

There’s room to grow in the investment-only variable annuity space, and educated advisers are the key.

After two enrollment seasons under the Affordable Care Act's exchanges, the easily accessible and amenable are signed up for health care. With year three starting this fall, the task will be tougher to target the remaining uninsured, who are harder to reach. Who better to drive the message home, Washington state thinks, than brokers?

Commentary: The loyalty and bonds of the fire department can translate well into a successful insurance culture, says retired fire fighter, Colonial's Brian Summers.

Commentary: A new series from industry veteran Kyle Hodges highlights products designed to improve your bottom line.

Commentary: There’s much to learn from rapidly growing firms. Columnist Jack Kwicien shares the business philosophies that make market leaders successful.

Commentary: True employee engagement comes from understanding the decision-making process and the broker’s critical, proactive role, says columnist Nelson Griswold.

Commentary: Getting started on better engagement can be a daunting task. Columnist Wendy Keneipp shares three areas to focus on in order to begin creating stronger connections with your employees.

Commentary: Agency growth is completely dependent on producer pipelines. Yet, we typically see producers struggling with one of two situations: either they have empty pipelines or ones filled with the wrong opportunities.

The broker-carrier relationship, especially one as long-lasting as Bob and William Taylor’s with Florida Blue and Darnell Smith, is dynamic and continuously evolving. EBA examines what makes this necessary partnership tick and introduces the top large-group insurance carriers in the country.

Commentary: Six ways to engage customers that are most helpful, according to sales expert John Graham.

Commentary: These C-suite level positions are needed for a brokerage to run right, says MarshBerry’s Rob Lieblein.

Commentary: Sometimes the market changes in a way where these size businesses may be better positioned for success. Now may be that time, says tech adviser Joe Markland.

Commentary: Brokers who can step in and learn the business of voluntary benefits and some of the newer products hitting the market will be well-suited to bring in new clients and keep them protected against financial loss with a combination of relevant and cost-efficient solutions, says AmWINS' Sam Fleet.