Our newest eLearning offering, Fireside Chat, is a Masterclass-style course that bottles the experiential knowledge of six expert brokers. Each broker shares key lessons and insights they’ve learned over the years — what helped them overcome challenges and seize opportunities. Learn how to leverage specialization, lean in when it matters and make the right decisions for your clients from this group of mentors who’ve created successful career paths and can help you do the same.
“I realized the key to specialization is understanding your customer deeply. I specialized in aquaculture. So I went and worked on a fish farm for a couple weeks. I came away with two things: an understanding of how the business actually worked and what the risks were, and a far increased confidence in my ability to speak to the subject.”
– Brooke Hunter ICD.D, Hunters International Insurance, on Specialization
“Not every sector requires a personal visitation from a broker, but I do believe Hospitality requires that face-to-face discussion. It allows the broker to look at the physical hazards within the establishment to have an open and honest conversation with the prospect and their staff when it comes to serving alcohol or food preparation.”
– Chris Coniglio, BA, CAIB, CIP, Highcourt Breckles Group, on Hospitality
“For a construction client, I wouldn’t go into their offices in a suit, for example. I’d go in jeans—you need to learn to talk their language. It’s about being relatable and making them know you know what you’re talking about, that you’re knowledgeable and they learn to trust you.”
– Tammy Grassa CPIB, CIP, FRM, Jones DesLauriers on Construction & Manufacturing
“If you’re going to insure a client’s commercial auto, you have to understand what their business is. What do they do? What’s unique about that business? I’ve always preached that specialization is your ticket to value to yourself and to your employer.”
– Wayne Briggs, FCIP, CRM, IBAO Educator on Commercial Auto
“Sometimes you do have to have conversations that are uncomfortable, and I find those conversations easier if you’ve developed the groundwork and the trust. Now, if you have to have a hard conversation, it’s much easier to start from that position.”
– Dario Battista, isure insurance, on Account Management
“The Insurance business is, at its core, a people business. Outside of the paper contract or PDF of the promise to pay or indemnify, are relationships. And they’re very important to foster and develop throughout your career.”
– Emilio McIntyre, Highcourt Breckles Group, on Underwriter Relationships