Is Your Team Is a Winner?

Being an insurance agent reminds me of coaching basketball. Yesterday I wrote auto and homeowners insurance for one of my former basketball players. I coached her 20 years ago at Roane State Community College; what a player she was! She scored 40 points in the state championship game in 1989 (yes, a long time ago) which seeded the team #1 in the regional tournament. Her performance on the basketball court was one of the best I have ever seen (and I’ve seen a LOT of basketball). On that special night, her teammates realized she was on fire. I think she could have shot the ball with her eyes closed, and she would have made the basket. Every teammate wanted to pass the ball to her to get an assist. They were in it with her and excited for her success. Her individual success made it easier for the team to win that night. On a side note, we qualified for the National Tournament and finished 8th in the nation that year.

I wish insurance was more like coaching. As a basketball coach, you are a trusted leader, and you help people do more than they ever thought they could. You push people to prepare for performances that count the most. You help them achieve individual performances, but the greatest satisfaction comes when the team wins. On a team you do whatever is needed to help the team and your teammates win. The trust among teammates is hard to explain. If you have ever had the pleasure of being on a truly great team with good team chemistry, you know what I am talking about. It’s a special feeling.

Joining the Team

At Beacon Insurance Advisers, we take the team approach. We know that everyone wins when we work together to protect families. We help families understand the importance of participating in their insurance program. To achieve this, we ask for two hours annually to review your coverages with you, but sometimes that two hours is hard to get. We want your trust. We see protecting you as a team effort, and we need your participation to help you make powerful informed decisions and recommendations. We can mitigate your risks with insurance policies, but risk identification and risk prevention are equally important. Your participation is critical for us to do the best job of identifying and preventing risk.

When new clients call, many only want a “proposal” as quickly as possible. These clients don’t know that they can trust us to protect them, but the only way we can do that effectively is if we have ALL of the information. I know you don’t understand why we are “asking all of these questions.” As a good teammate, I want to make certain should something bad happen, I have done all I can do for my teammate. We’ve covered every offense and every defense, every play and every consequence.

Coaching

As a coach, I could demand my players run certain plays and do things exactly my way. Boy, do I wish I could do this in insurance. I would sleep much better at night if I knew my clients picked the best coverage. If I could demand it, I would. As insurance agents, we let our clientele choose for themselves. Many times, clients don’t choose as I would choose for them. I always give my best advice, but if you don’t trust me as a coach and a teammate, you may make a decision that is not best for you.

One of my best-loved coaching stories comes from Larry Bird—my all-time favorite basketball player. Bird said he realized the value of a coach after the first day of preseason practice. Even though Bird worked out all summer and trained really hard, he was so sore he could not walk after the first practice with his coach. Bird thought he was in great physical condition, but the coach pushed him farther than he could push himself. As insurance advisers, we can identify extra risks and push you farther than you can for yourself. We have seen the devastation of improper coverage. We certainly don’t want our teammate to suffer these consequences.

It is difficult as a former coach to know that I can do such a complete, proven job for a client, and they will not give me the opportunity because they don’t understand the team concept or trust me as a teammate. As an insurance teammate, I am dedicated to your protection and want to help you as much as possible. I also understand we are playing the entire season and not just one game. Worrying too much about your premium now and not what you may have to pay if a claim occurs is like learning how to dribble, but not how to shoot. Yes, I know price is important, but cheap can sometimes be the worst price. It can cost you everything.

Playing the Game

Life is the most important game we play. It certainly has more unknowns than a season of basketball. As an Insurance Professional, I have witnessed the cruelties of the game of life for people who are not properly protected. I don’t have to create stories because life has been stranger than fiction in my 20 years in insurance. Relying on the team concept and actively participating with your insurance coach reduces the risks in life and helps protect the people and valuables that are most important to you. Knowing you have a proven insurance coach dedicated to your protection is a win.

Another thing about a great teammate is they will run through a wall for you in difficult times. If you’ve been around a team, you know they are like family. Everyone has the other’s back. This is how we are at claim time. If there is difficulty, you want Beacon Insurance Advisers on your team at claim time. We will fight for you whether that be with the insurance company or another party. We will go the distance with you because that is what a team is about—being there for each other. When you are choosing your team, ask potential agents if they get involved in claims. Don’t be surprised to learn that not all agents get involved.

Who’s on Your Team?

We had an auto insurance claim this month, and the adjustor simply dropped the ball. After following up with our client for four days without a call from the adjustor, I made a phone call to the Regional Vice President to discuss the claim. Not only was my client’s claim expedited, she got a personal phone call with an apology from the V.P. Do you want to an advocate at claim time or a company employee with no loyalty to you?

We recently wrote a new business client. His girlfriend was staying with her old company until they were married. Two weeks after we wrote the new policy, the girlfriend was involved in an accident. She wasn’t at fault, but it totaled her car. The responsible party’s first settlement offer was very low. She called me even though I was not her agent. I gave her advice on how to respond. She called me again, and I actually talked with the adjustor for her. Ultimately, she received $800 more for the damages to her car than she was initially offered. This is a powerful example of how the Beacon Insurance Advisers team can assist you at claim time.

I see a lot of parallels between basketball and insurance. Knowing you have a coach you can count on to provide a winning strategy and a team to protect your interests leads to success for insurance clients.