In my first column for National Underwriter Life & Health, which ran in the July 2013 issue, I wrote about taking risks, seizing opportunities and how "that's just the way we've always done things" is not an acceptable mantra for any company or individual looking to evolve and succeed. Whether it's changing jobs, moving to a new town or realigning a business model, change — though often feared — can be good.
In the business world, mergers are one way to change. By expanding a business through bringing in another company (usually a competitor) under one name, companies can grow and prosper. History is littered with successful examples of mergers, from Exxon and Mobil to NationsBank and Bank of America to Procter & Gamble and Gillette to Disney and Pixar, just to name a few. These historical unions created powerful companies with massive market share.
At some point, company boards or CEOs must ask themselves, "Why compete for the same audience? Why not join forces to create the biggest brand in our industry?"
That's exactly what NU Life & Health and Life Insurance Selling are doing. As you may have seen via an announcement in October, effective Jan. 1, the highly-respected Life Insurance Selling will cease publication as a separate product and incorporate its best elements into this publication. For our readers, that means a stronger industry magazine with a bigger size, which will allow us to add editorial elements focusing on proven sales strategies and peer-to-peer content, in addition to what NU Life & Health has traditionally published. As always, we will continue to share ideas and best practices through two-way engagement with our readers with the use of our popular Web portal and the publication's various social media options.
