LEADERSHIP AH-GEE-LAY Can the software development strategy Agile translate to a teamwork approach in insurance? By Christopher W. Cook At least once a year I hear the “Old Man” mispronounce “fragile” in the classic holiday movie A Christmas Story during either TNT or TBS’s 24-hour marathon. Yes, sometimes I watch the movie multiple times. Now you know where this article’s title comes from. And knowing’s half the battle. At last
Young Professionals
Young Professionals THE BENEFITS OF CREATING A NICHE Because time spent working should be doing something you enjoy By Christopher W. Cook Someone who puts in a traditional 40-hour workweek will accumulate 2,080 hours on the job each year. Put in a good 40 years behind the desk and that’s 83,200 hours in the office. Some estimates are higher: It’s not uncommon to see sources say you’ll spend one-third or
Young Professionals PROSPECTING: PART TWO Tips for cold calling and leaving voicemails By Christopher W. Cook It probably seems like it was “just the other day” that you read the first installment of our prospecting twofer. In this second piece we’re going to discuss cold calling and other phone-related tips. “Prospecting is a key fundamental for a producer’s job for growth, but most producers hate cold calling,” said Joan Sansing,
Young Professionals PROSPECTING: PART ONE Tips for searching for potential customers By Christopher W. Cook The other day—a phrase I loosely use to refer to any date between yesterday and sometime within the past three or so years—I sent members of my young professional networks a survey regarding potential topic ideas for this feature. A handful responded with “prospecting.” Unfortunately—although the definition of prospecting also refers to it—we won’t be
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS WORKING THE ROOM Mingling tips for your next networking event By Christopher W. Cook I am not a networker. The “cocktail hour” is easily the most challenging segment of any conference I attend. John Green, a fellow Hoosier and author of the young adult novels The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, once said on Vlogbrothers—a YouTube video blog he works on with his brother Hank—“Writing is
