.  Give customers reasons TO ADD more coverage.  

.  Give quality prospects reasons TO REFER you to friends.

Creating a Positioning Line that differentiates your agency from all other “me-too” competitors is a critical success factor.  “Why is a simple theme-line that appears in all our marketing support materials so important?  Isn’t just cosmetic?  How can it possibly help build our business?”  Natural skepticism! 

Here’s why.

A well-conceived Positioning Line is a RALLYING point for your agency: 

It tells customers why they should buy from you. 

It tells your producers what they are selling. 

It tells your support staff what they are servicing.  

For examples of Positioning Lines MullaneyCookson has developed for clients, and background on their development, e-mail Don Cookson at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

Ask customers who have bumper-thumpers 

Customers who have an unfortunate accident but experience a great claim experience are your best prospects for testimonials and referrals.  But you need to strike while the memory is hot---as soon as the claim is settled. 

Mining tools 

.  Go for more than one referral. Make sure you get an address, and phone number, if possible.  Always try for a “power lead”, i.e. ask customers for permission to use their names when you make the contact with the person they have referred.   

.  Make notes on customer comments about the claim experience.  Let them know that you promise to get back to them with the actual statement you would like to use based on their comments, and how you plan to use it (in a flyer, in your newsletter, on your Web site, wherever. Ask them if you can use their name (some will give you an okay to use their testimonial but unattributed, no name. Either way, you should get their permission!    

WANT TO SET UP A FORMAL REFERRAL MARKETING  PROGRAM THAT WILL PRODUCE HUNDREDS OF NEW REFERRALS  FOR YOU THIS YEAR?  CONTACT DON COOKSON AT This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   OR CALL 508-245-2876.  ASK FOR OUR NEW MARKETING ADVISORY, HOW TO MINE THE GOLD IN YOUR BACKYARD.   

Even if your name is Smith, sell it in unique ways 

I recently received a newspaper column (Milt’s Musings). It points out that there are 50,000 people in the United States who bear the name, John Smith. In his column, Milt Huntington, a high school friend and college fraternity brother, recalled this Smith story: 

A motorist tells the traffic cop his name is John Smith.  The cop responds:  “Don’t give me that!  What’s your real name?”  The motorist shrugs and says: OK. My name is Winston Churchill.”  The cop gives him a cold stare and says: “That’s more like it. You can’t fool me with those Smith names.” 

This story not only brought a smile but reminded me of business implications. Your agency name is your most valuable product.  How you promote it is a critical success factor.   

You never get a second chance to make a first impression

Do you have a memorable logo to go with your name?  Do you have an agency Positioning Line (read slogan)?  Review your letterhead, business card, and sales literature; do they reflect the quality of your agency’s products and customer service?  What about the appearance of your agency office?  In short, are you creating a quality first impression for your name? 

Contact us if you would like a no-obligation FIRST IMPRESSION review of your sales materials.  We’ll submit appropriate make-over recommendations…free.  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Milt Huntington is a free-lance columnist who lives in Augusta, Maine. E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .In case you wondered, he says there are only three people in the United States named Milton Huntington, according to the US Census Bureau! 

Do you want action or information? 

Just read a column in BusinessWest magazine, called Ten Points for Smarter E-Mail by Ann Latham, president of Uncommon Clarity, in BusinessWest.  Every point that she makes is a good one.  But this one stood out:  

#4  Distinguish between requests for action and information (FYI).  If you are simply keeping people informed, include an FYI at the top. You might want to let them know why you think they might be interested.  Simply put, help people process your mail quickly.   

Ann Latham is a performance improvement expert, consultant, facilitator, speaker, and author of Clear Thoughts---Pragmatic Gems of Better Business Thinking; www.uncommonclarity.com.  BusinessWest online address: www.BusinessWest.com. 

Sturbridge (MA) agent authors inspirational book   

Frank Herberg, our agency development business partner and coach extraordinaire, passed along a copy of 52 Ways to Find A Way by Dennis McCurdy.  We just finished it and recommend it. Dennis presents fifty-two short, insightful essays, one for each week. As the summary of the book points out, there are pearls of wisdom, inspiration, motivation, and yes, an occasional kick in the BUTT. To contact Dennis about purchasing the book, contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 508-347-8107.