We asked some of the nation's top brokers what it takes to excel in the Canadian insurance market. Editor's note: Since the video was shot, Andrew Clark has since left Marsh to start his own company, ALIGNED Insurance.
Video transcript below:
Reporter: What makes a top broker? Is it service? Is it technology? Can success even be defined? Today's Big Picture looks at success and shares some good advice from Canada's top 30 insurance brokers.Some of Canada's top brokers gathered for the insurance business roundtable discussion - know your customer, know your competition. It seemed the perfect opportunity to pick their brains and learn a few secrets on what it takes to be a top broker.
J. Nolan, Munn, Insurance J. Nolan:
I think for me it’s been staying true to our, what we are as Munn Insurance, has helped me, and then with modernising our products, our product line and with our technology, it’s only helped me move forward. And I would say they were probably a few biggest things going from you know a small Mom and Pop shop to more a mid sized broker, you know and establishing more bigger commercial book has been basically key to us moving into the next generation.
Norm McIntyre, Jardine Lloyd Thomson, Canada Norm McIntyre:
I really do believe, it’s value, it’s bringing the added value to the table, just for the clients so that he can make his strategic business decisions with your input not only as a broker but also in the big picture and the other thing I think is important is the empathy of when your client is going through rough times being able to go through those times with them, whether it be show up after claims happened, which I have done many times, just give him the card, just to say is there anything I can do, knowing fully well there probably isn't, but he wants to see somebody over, he wants to know that the product he paid for brings something to the table. It’s great to have an adjuster, an examiner and appraiser show up, but if your broker doesn’t show up and it's a, it's a pretty decent life, then he's got to start thinking, now why didn’t my broker come. So those kind of things I think are important once again, it just adds more value to the equation.
Danny Sgro, Jons DesLauriers Insurance Danny Sgro:
The willingness to change as things change around you. You know I see so many people, whether it’s in our business and other businesses simply don't like change and you know if your, if don’t like change and unwilling to change, you are going to become a fossil and so you got to be willing to move as things change.
Andrew Clark, Marsh CanadaAndrew Clark:
For me probably the biggest factor for success has been just everyone’s passion for helping others, not the core, core of this business, it’s about helping people when they, you know during their toughest times and when they're in need and you know, not losing focus of that along way is, you know has really helped guide my career.
