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

Editorial

Steve Anderson

The New Sales Manager

Recently, I had a conversation with Will Richard, an education consultant for The Society of CIC. We were discussing what agents need to do in order to be effective marketers. It seems that many agencies are having a hard time understanding how to best use the Internet as a marketing tool.

During our conversation, Will made a comment that got me thinking. He said that he believes the role of the traditional sales manager is going to change. For most successful agencies, a major success factor is a focus on sales. Some agencies even go so far as to hire a sales manager. In the past, sales managers have been responsible for motivating producers to sell more.

Enter the Internet. People today commonly use it to research and purchase insurance—a fact that will influence the new roles of the sales manager and producer.

"The new sales manager will be an effective Internet marketer and marketing system," said Will. He went on to explain that the successful agency of the future will not rely simply on motivating producers to meet more people...

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