How did you get into the insurance industry?
I entered GEICO after college and was a member of their development programs and management. I held rotations in service, sales, training, business planning, and retention.
What are some ways carriers’ technology can support agents?
Carrier technology should enable agents in developing customer experiences. Carriers that integrate third-party data sources into a guided sales flow encourage producers to have a conversation where a relationship can be built—rather than a just a data gathering and validation exercise.
Agents are likely to have greater success at creating positive customer experiences through these relationships. Clients typically come to agents with a couple items they are concerned about (e.g., homeowners policy that protects fire). Our goal is to understand the larger picture and make sure the coverage fits appropriately.
What are ways carriers can improve their products from an agent perspective?
Overall, the simplification of products and messaging is critical to producer success. Many people often struggle to understand the insurance products they are looking to purchase. Some insurers are making significant progress in simplifying their marketing materials; however, this remains a place to differentiate. Also, carriers should look to identify products that may become of greater interest to Millennial lifestyles. This can be a chance for a young producer to differentiate themselves as a trusted advisor.
What do you see as one of the major tends impacting agent servicing?
Agencies should develop services and provide products that speak to the needs of customers in 2025. Shifting demographics allow agencies to distinguish themselves by providing bilingual support. Smaller agencies concerned with overhead could explore partnerships that fill this need.
How would you like carriers to better support your use of technology in your practice?
Insurers that equip their agents with feeds help drive transparency and insights into upcoming actions, such as potential rate increases before renewal time. This allows producers to be more proactive and reinforce their value as a trusted advisor. Carriers should look for more opportunities to leverage technology for the purpose of improving visibility between the insurer, insured, and agent.
How can carriers better support their high-performing agents?
A quicker return on revenue or aggressive incentive compensation plan based on production results across multiple product platforms. The largest attrition factor, I would assume, is the cost associated with owning and operating an agency—it would be great to help agents stay alive to have a fighting chance after year one.
Also, agencies that can demonstrate value as a trusted advisor to their clients are more likely to be successful with account selling vs. single-policy sales. This is not always evident by the carriers working with independent agents like Quantam. Carriers should consider the value of measuring and investing in agencies that are successful in account selling.
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