Change Insurance

It all starts with understanding the expectation you set for yourself and your agency.  Then it becomes a matter of accepting the fact people need you now in ways they never did before. Because sometimes it's just fine to let someone do something for themselves. Other times the only thing that matters is being able to talk to someone they trust.  Mike Crowley, Vice President at Crowley Insurance,...

Most of the time there's a good reason something works.  This is probably why plenty of smart people said, "if it's not broke, don't fix it."  But how do you know when it's time to build or buy the next thing you hope is indestructible? It all might come down to having a little extra patience and avoiding shiny objects that float by.  Angela Trimble, Owner of TrustPoint Insurance, talks about how...

It all starts with understanding the full scope of exposure your clients face. Because a lot more businesses than you think could really use and need this coverage.  It's not simply for big public companies and fancy high-profile board of directors.  There are a lot of small and midsize businesses that find themselves in trouble from a claim they didn't expect.  Eric Kaufer, Attorney at Wilson Els...

If you are, it's the one place the owner(s) isn't protected from a decent amount of risk. It wouldn't seem unfair to leave that risk unprotected after they had to take a decent amount of it to get here in the first place. The solution to this problem is side a D&O coverage. It's that simple, yet it's rarely discussed as an essential piece of the insurance pie.  Greg Seligman, Management Liability...

It's easy to be afraid to lose a sale if you add too much coverage. It's another thing entirely to dedicate yourself (and agency) to a standard level of coverage.  The secret is there's no magical amount of experience that is required to do business this way.  Instead, it's just a little extra conviction wanting to do what's best for your clients regardless of their response.  Kimi Donahue, CEO of...

It all starts with communication and solidly set expectations.  From there it just becomes a matter of finalizing legal formalities.  It might sound overly simple, but it's certainly an area plenty of agencies get wrong.  The bigger question is, what should you do after the ink is dry and your first order of business is needed? That's a question Jen Curran, Owner of Johnson Stevens Curran, answers...

For so long it seems most of us ended up here by accident.  What if all of a sudden people started joining the industry with more intention than ever before? Would that finally push the industry past the tipping point of being a fallback career people didn't know they wanted? It's certainly an exciting possibility to contemplate as new risk management programs start the introduction process much s...

It always helps when a prospect understands the difficulty of a situation.  When they are more concerned about finding solutions instead of the best price, that's usually a good sign.   But before that can happen you have to do your job and make them feel comfortable enough to freely share that information. Once you break down that barrier you give yourself a much better chance for success. Jim Sc...

It's always nice when you leave something better than the way you found it. That's something that could be said for a lot of your worker's compensation business that's found its way to the specialty side of insurance.  The faster and easier you're able to identify where that business needs to go, the better experience your clients will have.  On top of that, there's a good chance over time you'll...

A lot of change can start simply by investing more in the people you already have. Just knowing the possibility of available opportunities can dramatically change the outlook of a career. The challenge is finding ways to make it bright enough so everyone can see them. The sooner your company culture can illuminate that path the more likely people will want to follow it.  RPS Broker Kyle Pass guest...

Most processes aren't going to be as flashy as you want and involve less technology than you think. But at the end of the day, the most important thing about them is that they get done every time, all the time.  Because the simplest answer can be the right one a majority of the time. The truly remarkable aspect is having your agency take the time to commit to that answer.  Erik Garcia, Owner of Ga...

It all starts with your ability to effectively handle redundant questions  Once you've efficiently done that, you can focus on pursuing profitable business for your agency.  If not, you'll end up falling short of providing a service experience those clients need and expect.  There's something to be said about punching above your weight to find neglected good-sized accounts.  Matt Snowden, Founder...

Sometimes you already have the talent, it's just stuck in the wrong place. Other times it requires to think outside the box and to look beyond the walls of our industry. Either way, if you're dedicated to the process you'll be able to create a culture that can overcome almost anything.  That allows your agency to become ingrained into your community for decades to come.  Marit Peters, President an...

It's a necessary coverage that isn't as obvious as it should be.  Oftentimes, it takes a contractual obligation before technology companies get serious about a policy. However, the reality is they are open to just as much risk as any other "traditional" field that regularly buys professional insurance.  A lot of times there's a lack of information or unfamiliarity with claims to see real value. Ma...

It's very possible this fairly obvious notation is long overdue for a serious solution.  A simple answer could be to start outsourcing more low-impact work. However, that still doesn't solve the problem of finding quality talent that understands the fragmented systems powering our industry.  If only there was a magical insurance school turning out such highly polished professionals. Eli Gillespie,...

It won't happen overnight but it might be a lot easier than you think.  If you take your time with the right relationships, you could find more business falling in line than you expect. That's what happens when you go after the biggest fish you can find and actually reel them in.  Now you've instantly created confidence and credibility for other movers and shakers in your targeted niche.  Mohamad...

If history has taught us anything, it's that big decisions are hard to make for an entire industry.  That's why the great data decision will likely be made for us because technology will get there first.  We won't need to agree on the best standard language for applications.  In half a decade machine learning algorithms will more than likely be able to handle anything we throw at them. Ron Glozman...

You certainly can if your first and only priority is giving value. Of course, that value can be hard to create yourself and might require some extra help. That's when you can look to different industries that want to do business with the same ideal client. Now all of sudden you're armed with multiplied resources and your possibilities expand exponentially.  Stephanie Beninati, Owner of Strategic I...

It's all about what you're willing to do that someone else isn't. It doesn't need to be huge, it just needs to add another piece to the puzzle and happen consistently.  Because the more data you have on a risk the more likely things will go the way you and your clients want.  That's how you tell a better insurance story and how you can stand out over everyone looking for a shortcut. Lisa Duncan, R...

Because one of the many things this industry offers is flexibility.  That freedom to choose your own adventure gets even more exciting when you find the right community to collaborate with.  The acceleration of progress that you unlock could be described as breathtaking.  The key to it all however comes down to your decisions making ability and your dedication to them. Rob Bowen, Founder of Patrio...

There's a good chance the answer to that question will change with each generation of your agency. It's certainly a tricky balance to survive that transition and still hold onto the core values the foundation was built on. The secret is finding a way to reinforce that structure while remolding your flow of business. If you do, you'll be able to build your agency to heights you never imagined.  Nan...

There are plenty of effective tactics that go ignored because of their simplicity. You've heard them repeated over and over again, yet for some reason, seem can't bring yourself to take action. Then, magically, you find time to finally give one a try and the craziest thing happens... It actually works.  How can you consistently cut through the noise and responsibly implement effective change? Chri...

If you don't, it could be a lot harder to take it where it needs to go.  Because most agencies aren't successful by accident and previous generations had a pretty good idea of what they were doing. It's important not to lose sight of that as you look to modernize and improve the day-to-day operations.  The more you're able to translate and adapt that original success the more fun everyone will hav...

The most important thing you can do is to give people a chance.  Because old habits die hard and changing the direction of your agency doesn't happen overnight. However, there will come a time when tough decisions have to be made.  The truth is, some of your longest-tenured employees might not buy into where you want to go.  Bogus Handzel, Chief Operating Officer at Handzel & Associates, talks abo...

If you think about it, there's already a ton of ways to monitor the way you drive. Most cars on the road today come standard with safety features to help prevent accidents and keep you safe behind the wheel.  The challenge is figuring out a way to get those fancy tools into the big expensive trucks on the road.  Because most small trucking companies are buying their rigs second hand, which is slow...