How do you differentiate yourself as an agent?
For me, continuing education and one-on-one service are critical. The field of insurance gets a bad rap, but I believe this is mainly due to the old-school “salesy” approach. Today, agents use a more consultative approach to win business and insure their clients effectively.
Ultimately, insurance is designed to help society, but the contracts are understandably complicated. By navigating our clients through the specifics of insurance contracts, we can leave them feeling more confident about their purchase.
How have you seen this change in your career?
Insurance is an ever-changing field that must constantly update its contracts to respond to litigation and advancements in society. This process takes time. After years of updating policies, you end up with quite a lengthy contract filled with very specific terms designed for specific things.
A good example of this is ridesharing. A few years ago, this was totally new to the insurance industry— despite having been around for quite some time before. It took some strategic underwriting, but now ridesharing coverage is an easy endorsement to add onto a personal auto policy.
How does technology impact your business?
The insurance industry is finally waking up to the power of technology. The amount of data that the insurance industry collects has it well-positioned to be on top of the “big data” movement in the future. More and more carriers are utilizing AI, advanced algorithms, and nontraditional underwriting to promote a better, more seamless buying experience.
These advances also help on the agency side of things by streamlining the quoting and underwriting processes. In time, we should see far more efficient claims handling by carriers as well. These advances will be pivotal in providing better policies that are more tailored to the client’s needs than ever before.
Can you speak to your role as Director of Marketing for your agency?
This role means I manage external sales marketing for our agency’s footprint across five locations. The focus these days is on online marketing through various platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is our main focus behind the scenes. Overall, my goal is for the people of Tennessee, Kentucky, and eventually the entire southeast to recognize the T&P brand. This can only be achieved through effective marketing and providing an above-average insurance experience.
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