How did you get into insurance?
I got my first taste of the industry while at college. I interned at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. My job was to suggest additional coverages to clients who were picking up their vehicles. My background in collegiate athletics at the time set me up as a naturally competitive person who wanted to be challenged. Here I leaned basic coverages and how to satisfy customers of all walks of life.
After finishing my internship, Markel Insurance Company approached me for an inside sales role. I thought the position would provide me an opportunity to learn the industry, so I immersed myself in learning commercial insurance. After two years at Markel, I moved up to Wisconsin to work with Spectrum Insurance Group and focus on commercial lines. Spectrum Insurance has a tremendous reputation in the state as a larger agency that has the ability to access both large national carriers and local options, giving us flexibility and options for our customers.
Being an agent is great. I love learning as much as possible, and my day is busy from the moment I enter the office. I feel like I am adding value to my clients’ lives each day by providing them with the coverage and protection that allows them to run their businesses effectively.
What areas of commercial lines business are you currently focused on serving?
I spend a lot of time serving the construction and commercial property industries. I also pride myself on being very knowledgeable about workers’ comp. Many commercial products (like BOP) are highly commoditized; in workers’ comp, there are still opportunities to provide value to clients, particularly around experience mods. This is an area where carriers could provide additional educational resources to young agents.
Another service we offer our clients is loss control. Spectrum has full-time employees that specialize in DOT and OSHA risks. Some days we will visit our commercial clients to ensure they are in accordance with regulation and best practice. Our clients find tremendous benefit in this service.
How do you use technology to improve the customer experience?
We have a customer portal called Full Spectrum. This provides quick access to bill pay and ID cards for personal lines policy and certificates of insurance on the commercial side. Clients also have access to loss runs through the portal. Overall, there is strong adoption of the customer portal, and our clients find it useful to have access to the information they need on their schedule.
What advice would you offer to other young agents?
I recognize that when people see a younger agent, they may not necessarily think we know as much as a more seasoned agent. As a result, it is our duty to develop our expertise and stand on our own. There are a lot of young agents that are working hard at becoming better. I would encourage other young agents to remain curious, focus on your clients’ needs, and live your values—the rest will take care of itself.
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