Inside this month's issue:

How did your agency stack up against others that completed TAAR’s 2009 survey?

The role of the traditional sales manager needs to change.

Are you checking the financials of potential prospects before you dedicate your time to them?

Learn why Gmail is so popular and why it’s growing so rapidly.

SalesForce offers many benefits—and it is dramatically less expensive than traditional CRM systems.

Tips and tricks for using the Flip Video Camcorder.

Meet Ning—an online social media service that allows users to create their very own social networking sites.

Several useful—and free—translation services are available to decipher Internet content not written in English.

A new, intriguing iPhone application; sending crime tips via text messages; Secret Session at AMS Users Group Convention.

The Insurance Information Institute makes it easy for you to use their videos on your site to inform and educate.

April 2009

Industry Watch

Steve Anderson

2009 Survey Results: How did you rate?

Note: The 2009 technology survey first appeared in the January issue. This article will provide you with an overview of the results.

First, a disclaimer: This survey is by no means scientific. The results are not statistically validated. Such is the nature of a survey in which the participants are self-selected. The value of the survey is that it can provide a picture of your level of technology implementation against other survey takers—and against your idea of what a "model" agency might look like. You can also use your results to stimulate discussion about how your agency might better leverage its investment in technology and what you may need to include in your strategic plan for the next couple of years.

Each year we update the questions to reflect advancements in technology. For example, the first survey didn't include questions about color printers or Web-based customer service because these things weren't available. Also, past surveys questioned if agencies had moved from DOS to Windows—which is not much of an issue in today's environment! <...

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