It seems like forever that financial professionals have talked about "marketing and sales" in the same breath, but in reality most professionals practice 99% sales and 1% marketing. That mix makes it harder to succeed because it lacks the synergies that marketing and sales can produce when they work together.

Because you need reliable current market data to pursue effective marketing strategies, this problem isn't necessarily your fault. For the most part, the financial industry hasn't put useful market data at the fingertips of sales managers and producers. However, if you work in the group insurance or executive fringe benefit markets, those days are over.

An extensive new online product developed by Judy Diamond Associates, the Brokers and Carriers Market Share database (BCMS), offers you a valuable window into your market, along with the information you need to identify and contact key prospects efficiently. Judy Diamond Associates is also developing a similar product that covers the insured pension market, which should be launched later this month. In this article, I'll offer a quick tour along with my best ideas on how to use the BCMS.