Agency principals and other agency staff tend to approach written communication the same way as everyone else, specifically:

Business Building Letters offers a tremendous variety of memos that can be used to handle many routine situations. Their use includes being more imaginative in order to use this collection of letters to meet needs that aren’t specifically referenced.

You and your organization could break out past the boundary represented by this collection of letter samples. If you have been in business for any significant amount of time, it is very likely that there have been a plethora of experiences that would make great topics for additional letter samples. The new "limit" may be expanded from what's contained in Building Business Letters to whatever source you recognize as meriting conversion to an effective piece of communication.

Consider the various situations that frequently have been experienced when dealing with clients (new, old, happy and dissatisfied), claimants, insurance company personnel, lawyers, vendors, etc. These experiences should be studied to see if they can be captured as a communication sample. Think of the possible benefits such as creating training materials or a set of "frequently asked questions" for either new agency personnel or new clients. Communications taken from actual experience may also aid in differentiating your operations from competitors.

Regardless whether you are comfortable with the situation, the Internet has turned many aspects of doing business into a 24/7 situation. Many insurance organizations have websites, but only a small portion of those sites have the variety and quality content that is necessary to serve clients and prospects. By either expanding or condensing many of the Business Building Letters, a large number of useful topics can be created for use on a website. What's more, electronic communication is an aggressive, interactive method. It allows a reader to take more control of what they learn and to have a better sense of what to do about a concern or need. Articles you create may be linked to related items and can also be imbedded with links that could generate client contact, such as a quote request or an inquiry to set an appointment.

This is a natural and, soon, likely an inevitable progression from having a Website. The tide has turned and agents, if they haven’t yet, should give strong consideration to involvement with this medium which includes Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and blogging. Some of the topics contained in Business Letters can form the basis of items that can be discussed via Social Media.

Newsletters are certainly an old idea, but it would be a mistake to dismiss their usefulness. In one respect, they can be considered to be a hard copy version of a website (though newsletters today are most likely distributed electronically). The topics that you create from either BBL or on your own can be published in newsletters. Newsletters have some advantages over electronic communications. They may be more attractive to persons who prefer traditional reading over poring through a website. A newsletter can be read leisurely. Also, a newsletter may be more appropriate for discussing longer, more complicated issues.

News in any form can often be a viable source of topics you may want to include in your communications with clients or prospects. You and the other members of your organization should be vigilant about issues discussed in newspapers, magazines, and electronic broadcasts (T.V. radio, and websites). Even entertainment shows and newsletters received from other sources could be useful sources.

The value of using such sources is that they usually involve topics that appeal to large audiences. Also, the topics are usually timely, capable of spurring clients and prospects to take action. The possible topics are staggering. Consider the following:

There is no end to the items that present themselves as an opening to discuss insurance with clients and prospects. It is more an issue of being willing to do two things: one, be open and imaginative about issues revealed by various sources, and two, be willing to create the communications.

We made earlier mention that most people avoid creating letters or other materials. Often, even willing persons choose not to do so because they feel unqualified. However, the task is simpler than imagined, especially since you already are starting out with a couple of huge advantages. One, you have a strong idea about your target audience. Two, you already know what you want to accomplish … build rapport and build business. When a possible topic reveals itself, just consider the following:

Generally, it is best to keep the message simple, sticking to no more than a couple of points. Make sure the topic is connected to the person or persons you share the information with. Be clear about how the issue does or may affect the targeted audience. Use the information in a way that places you in a positive light for bringing it to the person’s or audience's attention, such as clarifying or explaining a concept.