Even with the holiday season several weeks away, it is not too early to start getting your insurance agency ready for it. Now is the best time to start preparing for the holiday season if you haven’t already started doing so. If you aren’t sure what actions to take to...
Your primary goal as an insurance agent is to make sales, and of course, you want to avoid cancellations whenever possible. Remember that even if a client wants to cancel their insurance policy, it is not set in stone. You still have the chance to win them back and...
It’s no secret that the insurance industry is a highly competitive space to be in. Perhaps the most popular way that insurance agencies secure business is by trying to keeping prices low. Especially when it comes to mandated automobile and homeowner’s policies, people...
As you know, Google changes its algorithms often. Some of them work in the background, which means not only do most businesses have no idea they exist, but also the new algorithms have barely any impact. However, Google also adds or changes algorithms that can...
Running a successful insurance agency doesn’t just happen by chance. It takes multiple factors to create a thriving business. That starts with an owner who has a clear vision and outstanding leadership qualities. Then, the insurance agency needs skilled agents who use...
When you run an insurance agency, you have tremendous responsibilities. That includes hiring the right people who can help the company grow. Also, you want to provide your staff with training so they can consistently hone their skills and give them the tools and...
Considering that laws exist to mandate insurance coverage for homes, automobiles, and other possessions, you wouldn’t think agency owners have a hard time growing their business. However, this particular industry is highly competitive. That’s why insurance agencies...
JenesisNow Added the ability to use a half percent in the commissions. Business Description on a commercial policy will now transfer to the Acord 25, Description of Operations. We added the ability to rewrite a policy with ease. Just click "Rewrite Policy" in the...
If you asked 100 insurance agency owners or agents what goal they consider a priority, probably all of them would say to sell more policies. After all, that’s what the insurance industry is all about. Yes, they want to build lasting relationships with the clients they...
Most people know that insurance agents work off commission. That means they get a specific percentage of the sales they make, which comes from the premiums the clients pay. However, there are different insurance agent compensation models, some good and others not so...
Poor morale can occur for several reasons. It also manifests in ways that cause problems for the insurance agency. While every agency faces challenges, low morale within an office is near the top of the list. Without a doubt, this applies to any business, including...
When it comes to insurance agency management systems, independent insurance agencies can choose from several different options. However, just as with other available products, not all offer the same features, service, and affordable pricing. There’s no question that...
In July, Jenesis Software acquired the assets of Georgia-based Advantage Information Systems, Inc., more popular as The Agency Advantage. For insurance agencies around the country, this announcement is huge. Both Jenesis and The Agency Advantage are highly respected...
A CSRs, or “customer service representatives,” is an individual who plays a key role in the success or failure of an insurance agency. Especially for agencies in competitive markets, there’s no way to measure the unprecedented value of a CSR. Every day, people...
For insurance agency owners and managers, few things are more frustrating than having talented employees who underperform. If this is something you deal with, you have several viable options to manage underachieving employees more effectively. Ultimately, you aim to...
While it’s hard to imagine, even the best insurance agencies follow predetermined scripts. Usually, agents use them as part of selling or marketing the different available products. However, you’ll find these same scripts on insurance agency websites and throughout...
The same parenting quote, “It takes a village to raise a child” applies to the business world. Regardless of the type of insurance your agency sells, you can’t achieve success without having a supportive team of agents. That’s especially true when it comes to...
JenesisNow New Releases Keeping your data secure: We have added the ability for any user to turn on Two-Factor Authentication via email or text! This adds an extra layer of security to your JenesisNow account. Additional Updates When filling out an Acord 24 or 25,...
Before COVID-19, telecommuting was already a popular option for corporations throughout the country. This allowed employees to work remotely, usually from home. However, once the pandemic hit, telecommuting became more of a necessity. When managed correctly, a remote...
More than ever, you need a professional website. However, that goes beyond how it looks. More importantly, you want to focus on performance and navigation. With the pandemic, online business is booming. Whether doing research, shopping, reviewing statistics, or...
People born during different periods fall into unique categories. For instance, baby boomers consist of individuals born between 1946 and 1964. So, there are a lot of baby boomers, most now reaching retirement age. Then, there’s Gen X, which came after baby boomers...
There’s an old saying that applies to many things in life, including the insurance industry. “Garbage in—garbage out” simply means that that effort people put into doing something determines the outcome. If someone doesn’t give 100 percent, they shouldn’t expect to...
Following a rough 2020, primarily because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of businesses have suffered. Although not quite the same as a recession, for many it felt very similar. Fortunately, the economy is bouncing back as people return to work and again start buying...
Many people work in industries that require them to sell a product or service. Insurance is a prime example. Although potential clients sometimes go to agencies due to a referral from a family member or friend, typically, the agents work hard to find clients. Although...
When an individual or business wants to buy a policy, they could turn to any number of insurance agencies. If you run an insurance agency, it’s important to stand out. That way, prospects will immediately focus on your agency and what it has to offer rather than go...
Whether you work as part of a management leadership team for an insurance agency or you own an insurance agency, you carry tremendous responsibility on your shoulders. Even when hiring highly qualified agents, you still need to stay on top of things. That’s just one...
You know that saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” Well, that’s 100 percent false. Not only can seasoned insurance agents learn new things, but they should. For one thing, that allows them to continue playing a key role in an insurance agency’s success....
When handling business the right way, your insurance agency can achieve a high level of success. As a highly competitive industry, there’s not a lot of room for error. Unfortunately, some insurance agencies possess toxic traits that do significant damage to the...
Within the insurance industry are several different types of businesses. Apart from companies specializing in specific coverage such as commercial space, life insurance, and farm insurance, some operate as captive agencies and independent agencies. Captive Versus...
When it comes to building a successful business, insurance agencies aren’t much different than other types of businesses. They face stiff competition and need to do everything they can to stand out. Especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of...
When it comes to insurance, everything seems pretty straightforward. Agencies like yours sell policies of various types to both individuals and businesses. So, that makes it appear as though the premiums paid by policyholders are your only revenue stream. Right? Well,...
For the past 10 years, teleconferencing has gained in popularity. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. That’s when insurance agents started to use teleconferencing even more than they did before. With so many businesses unable to have in-person meetings, this was the next...
As an insurance agent, the best way you can love and support your community is by providing quality coverage and well-rounded accounts. The more people you insure, the more people you will protect. Community engagement can help you reach your goal of protecting more...
Is your independent insurance agency known as a jack of all trades - selling a variety of insurance policies without having any real specialty? Instead of continuing to spread yourself thin, grow your book of business and improve your service by focusing on a niche....
It’s no secret that the insurance industry is highly competitive. Agencies operate in physical and virtual spaces, fighting to land the same clients. Identifying your unique selling proposition (USP) can help your agency stand out in the saturated marketplace. Your...
We've made a number of changes to both our JenesisNow and JenesisClassic Agency Management System. You can read all about them, below. JenesisNow There is now a marketing campaign for "No Life Insurance." This campaign will run for any customer at that location that...
Does it seem like your bills get higher and higher each year that you run your insurance agency? You can’t make much of a profit if your overhead costs are too high, so it’s time to make a change. Updating your insurance agency’s methods and practices can help you...
If your insurance agency isn’t running as it should, it likely comes down to one of three things. You have a problem with people, processes, or policies. Diagnosing and addressing the problem can help you turn things around for your insurance agency. Let’s take a...
Nothing affects insurance agencies quite like the summer slowdown. The fun of summer can cause insurance agents to get off track, leading to lower earnings across the board. Fortunately, you can avoid the slowdown this summer by following some tips. These tips will...
You might not be able to add more time to the day, but you can make better use out of the time you have. With the right time management strategies, you can get more done during the workday and feel less stressed in the process. Read over our top time management tips...
Your insurance agents devote lots of time to recruiting and warming leads. Then, once they sign someone to a new policy, they likely go back to the drawing board, looking for new leads. While lead generation is a critical component of running a successful insurance...
Your insurance agency handles lots of important data. From the financials to client information, you need to have access to the data at all times. A computer virus, formatting errors, and other problems can cause data loss, harming your insurance agency. Fortunately,...
Starting a new insurance agency is exciting. You can’t help but think of all the money you can earn as the head of the agency. Before you bring in revenue, though, you need to make sure you get everything in order. Find out what you need to start your new insurance...
With projected job growth of 5 percent through 2029, insurance agents are in high demand. Agencies around the country compete to recruit and hire the best talent, so they can get a leg up in the industry. You can gain a competitive edge by incorporating some insurance...
At one time, successful insurance agency marketing strategies consisted of print ads, TV spots, and colorful mailers. Today, relationship building is the foundation of a successful marketing strategy. Digital advertising allows insurance agencies to reach their target...
One of the most important tools for a local insurance agency is their Google My Business listing. Use this guide to make sure your listing is set up correctly and you’re taking advantage of all it has to offer.
#1 Optimize Your Chamber of Commerce Listing
Does your chamber of commerce have a business directory? Have you checked to make sure your contact information is correct and there’s a link to your website? Is there additional information you can add? These type listings can really help your local SEO. Make sure they’re correct and have as much information as possible.
Retention and referrals are the two best indicators of the kind of service you are providing your customers. If you do not track your retention, you’ll have no clue where you stand on keeping customers
Research – It is important to be continually learning. You can do this in a number of ways including Books, Podcasts, Audible, YouTube, etc.
“What we dwell on is who we become.”
—Oprah Winfrey
Many insurance agency owners started out as insurance agents working for an agency. That’s exactly how I started. When they decided to open their own agency and become an entrepreneur, they think …
“The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing.” —Seth Godin What is marketing? Marketing and Sales are often considered the same thing. However, marketing is the process of promoting your product or service and generating leads. Sales take over after...
Everyone is a leader. Regardless of your role in a company or in a family, you have leadership responsibilities. Good leaders are always coaching, cultivating and building leaders out of everyone on the team. It is very important to communicate your mission and...
Can you pass the “one-month-off” test? One thing we're going to try to accomplish as we think about your future is the “one-month-off” test. If you can take one month off of work, and your business continues to run well, then you have successfully created a...
What is Call Tracking? Call tracking helps track the ROI of your marketing dollars by letting you know which of your marketing efforts are generating leads from phone calls. A good example is calls coming from a website. It’s easy to track form submissions from a...
How to get the most out of this, or any book Read each chapter twice before going on to the next chapter. As you read, stop frequently to ask yourself how you can apply each suggestion. Underscore each important idea. Why am I writing this blog To teach is to learn...
Determining a marketing budget can be frustrating and confusing. Are your marketing dollars being spent in the right areas? How do you know if what you’re doing is working? Are you spending enough? The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends spending 7 to 8...
Sharpening your Saw - A Habit of Highly Successful People Recently myself and each of my teammates were asked to read a chapter in the the renowned book, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. My chapter was Sharpening the Saw. It was about how our mental, physical,...
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey, can apply to the work we do in the insurance business and also here at Jenesis. As you read this summary, you may not learn a single new concept. However, please don't be too quick to dismiss a concept just...
This is a book review of How to Become A Rainmaker for Insurance Agents. I hope you enjoy! Always do these things ... Cherish customers at all times. Treat customers as you would your best friend. Listen to customers and decipher their needs. Give customers what they...
There is a lot that goes into optimizing your website for search engines. If you would like an SEO Checklist for Insurance Agencies, I hope this is helpful. Here are a few easy to understand and verify tips that improve SEO and help your website rank well. The tips...
This Post was Updated September 10, 2019 with new information. While there are a lot of sites where you can get reviewed, the fact is the majority of search traffic comes from Google. For this reason, it makes more sense for an insurance agency to focus their efforts...
I was given an assignment for work to read a chapter from the book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and reflect on my chosen chapter via writing a blog. I chose habit 1, Be Proactive. So, here I am writing this blog the day before it's due. How is that for...
Being in a sales role for an insurance software company, some days are very draining. People can be rude and let's face it, I am tenderhearted. We all know that most of the time you can't choose your circumstances, but you always have the power of choosing the way you...
If you are an independent insurance agent, you are probably familiar with the term Agency Management System or CRM. Today, most agencies are using a management system to help manage their day to day activity within the office, but there are some of you who have yet to...
As a sales and marketing representative for a software company that markets to independent insurance agencies, it's easy for me to know who I should be visiting (insurance agents) and why that's so important (build rapport with current customers and introduce my...
As an Independent Insurance Agent, I am almost positive you have heard the term "Trade Show" or "Convention". This is referring to a large gathering of Insurance Companies, Agency Management Systems, Brokers, and Independent Insurance Agents all looking to gain more...
When I was first assigned the task to write one blog by next Friday, my first reaction was “Why?!”. I’ve never even considered blogging and was really unsure how to approach it at all. After days of brainstorming for a topic, it hit me. I’m going to write about the...
Your Best Insurance Customers may deserve the red carpet treatment so it may be time to come up with a plan. This is important because good customers are the ones you want to stay with you and they know other good potential customers. How do you identify who...
I went to Amazon and searched customer service books and got 15,141 results. I googled “great customer service” and got 743,000,000 results in .26 seconds. We should all have this practice down people. We all know what it feels like to experience great customer...
Insurance Agency Management Systems and Independent Insurance Agencies can learn from Fish! Imagine a workplace where everyone chooses to bring energy, passion and a positive attitude to the job every day. In this engrossing parable, a fictional manager has the...
Hiring the best people is the goal in any business. We cannot always prevent a bad hire, but we can take steps to minimize it. I am not perfect at hiring and have had my share of success stories and lessons learned. I want to share with you what we do at Jenesis...
Added a button on the Quote Control screen called Company Suggestions. Also added this button on the Quote Grid screen. When you click this button, it will open a form that will list the companies you represent that will write the type of risk you have entered into...
In User Setup, if you click the More Settings button, you can indicate if you want to receive a suspense automatically about any upcoming commercial renewals or you can indicate you only want to get a suspense for renewals where you are the producer. You can also...
The Importance of Upgrading From Windows XP by Adam Tessener If you’re still using Windows XP in your agency you are placing both your security and functionality at risk. Windows XP was a good operating system. In fact it was a GREAT operating system. It is, however,...
In Jenesis Software’s efforts to offer the highest quality support for customers, I embarked on a research mission. When most business publications talk about customer service skills, things like "being a people person" tended to take the spotlight. I am a people...
Last week in our meeting with Harvey Smith - www.carolinabusinesscoach.com, he reminded us of the five ways that people can change. Lisa Price and I thought they were helpful for us, and I wanted to share them with everyone. 1. What you pay attention to grows. If you...
Without change, there can be no progress right? And in order to keep up with all those go-getters and overachievers out there, you must “seek out new worlds and new civilizations and boldly go where no man has gone.” Right? All these things require knowledge. That...
I have been working with computers for a long time. When I started, programs were printed on punch cards and then fed into the computer. And the computer was the size of my living room. We've come a long way since then. Now, we can hold a computer in the palm of our...
er·go·nom·ics noun plural but singular or plural in construction \er-go-na-miks\ : a science that deals with designing and arranging things so that people can use them easily and safely. In the year 2000 I took my first office job. For 13 years I sat at a desk in a...
So, things sure have changed over the last few years. When I started creating Jenesis around 1995, I didn’t even have the internet yet and no cell phone. Those two things have changed everything. I love technology and always have. I love and am amazed by what "people"...
Training different insurance agencies and different people is always a new adventure. I have learned a few things over the years. First human beings are creatures of habit. We spend our whole lives creating routines and schedules. Why do we do this? Because it makes...
Agencies store important information most commonly on a hard drive, rather than in a file cabinet these days. Offsite backup could be exactly what your agency needs, if you’ve had concerns about how secure your data really is. I recently ran across an article that...
As the economy continues to struggle, we have seen many independent agencies forced to close their doors. But, we have also seen many not only continue to thrive, but to grow. So what is their secret? There are of course many factors, which can play a part in an...
So, if I can stay focused long enough to write this blog and you can stay focused long enough to read it, there may be hope for both of us. We all want success. The definition of success is different for everyone. To some, it's money or fame, to others, its freedom to...
You could make a case for either. To figure it out, you must first look at the need in an agency. · In the independent agency, most have multiple companies and products to offer · Many companies have websites that assist the agent with status, changes, and payment...
Paper Files vs Imaging - any agency who has made this transition will never ever go back. There are never ever any second thoughts once it’s done. Are you still storing paper files? 5 things to consider (we can think of more, but thought 5 might be a good number)....