In a highly-competitive industry that believes in the survival of the fittest, following the herd can mean death. Subramanian knows how competitive the insurance industry can be. It demands innovation -- innovation that can create the circumstances your organization needs.

But Subramanian knows he can't get there alone. Not when the business depends on a multitude of people -- people who don't cater exclusively to you. And, in insurance, those people form the very spine of the organization: the sales force.

These agents are the pivotal link between the company and its customers. In the insurance business, agents are not on company rolls. They work freelance, often for multiple insurance agencies. They are guerillas who work for the highest price. Insurance companies have learnt the hard way that keeping them satisfied is critical; give them a reason to sell your product over others. It all boils down to incentive schemes.

Incentives and loyalty are definitely two intimately associated issues.

"We need to keep the sales force energized by coming up with frequent incentive schemes, which need to be different. We can't have the same scheme running for a very long time otherwise they will lose interest. So, we need to come up with new schemes based on the company's objectives," says Subramanian.