There is plenty of confusion out there about what products to buy to increase business and productivity, while saving time and money. The problem is that there are many to choose from, and most agents don’t have the time or discipline to check them all out, or to appreciate their application to the old ways of doing business.

Conventions, career days and seminars are great resources for checking out the latest products. However, if you’ve been to a national or state convention lately, you will see how many products and variations on the same type of product exist. The other issue to deal with is that the newest products meet many of the new demands for today’s marketing and communication, but not all, which puts the user in a quandary about buying more than one product or service.

Perhaps a better idea is to decide what you need, and then match the product or service to your need to move in the right direction. Often times we become so overwhelmed that inertia sets in and creates a barrier to making a decision.

If you examine the basic needs of today’s agent, it becomes easier to seek out a product that augments and supports your business service model. Here are a few suggestions:

Published: February 20, 2002

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.