The all-inspiring Simon Sinek asks, “How do you explain when things don’t go as we expect, or how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

For example, how are some insurance agencies so innovative? How do they seem to thrive, grow and expand at a pace that is greater than the vast majority of others? Why do they appear to have something different?

If you ask someone why their product, service or company failed, people will always give the same three answers:

1.     Under capitalized

2.     The wrong people/employees

3.     Bad market conditions

Simon, in one of his famous Ted Talks asks, “Why is it that the Wright brothers were able to figure out controlled, man-powered flight?”  When there were other teams who were better qualified to achieve man-powered flight, better funded and all around better equipped, the Wright brothers beat them to it. Simon goes on to discuss that there is something bigger at play.

He codified it in his very simple, yet revolutionary idea titled the Golden Circle and the theory, “Start with Why”. This theory explains why some organizations are able to inspire where others aren’t.

Photo: Smart Insights

You see, people do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it. What is your purpose? What is your cause, your belief? Why does it exist and why should anyone care?

As an independent agent, you should strive to do business with people who believe what you believe. Insurance is vital to one’s economic security and that you are not just selling them an insurance policy, but peace of mind. Price is not a determining factor in what policy they purchase. What drives the decision is the superior coverage, the value of working with an independent agent and the ancillary benefits the insurance company offers. How all of these factors come together to support their American dream is what drives the passion within the industry.

When it comes to hiring individuals or companies to work for you, your goal should be to not just hire people who need a job, but to hire those who believe in what you believe as it relates to the products and services you sell and offer.

Simon Sinek says, if you hire people just because they can do a job, they will work for your money, but if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for your dream.

Nowhere else is there a better example of this than with the Wright brothers. In Simon’s famous talk, he goes on to tell a story of Samuel Pierpont Langley. Samuel was given $50,000 (which was a lot of money back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s) by the United States government to figure out and create a flying war machine or airplane.

He had, what everyone would assume to be, the recipe for success. He was well capitalized, had access to some of the best and brightest minds money could afford and the perfect market conditions to achieve their intended objective.

How come very few people today have ever heard of Samuel Pierpont Langley?

That’s because two brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, beat him to it. You see, the Wright brothers didn’t have any money, not a single person on the Wright Brothers’ team had a college education. The difference was that Orville and Wilbur were driven by a cause, by a purpose, by a belief. That if they could develop this flying machine it would change the course of history. Those around them believed in the same cause driven by the same belief. Samuel Pierpont Langley was driven by the pursuit of fame and fortune and so were the people around him. The people who believed in the Wright Brothers did so with blood, sweat and tears and not for the paycheck.

As a result, on December 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers took flight and very few people were there to experience it. The irony is that on December 17, 1903, Samuel Pierpont Langley quit. He wasn’t getting rich or famous as he had hoped so he quit.

Simon finishes this story be saying if you talk about what you believe in, you will attract those that believe in what you believe, whether that be your customers or employees.

Here at the Independent Insurance Agents of Wisconsin, we founded Catalyit with the belief that we were founded for you, to support you, and to work for you with blood, sweat and tears! We understand that working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress but working hard for something we love is called passion. We are enthusiastic towards seeing you succeed and to help you pursue a sustainable competitive advantage for your agency and its employees. We understand why you do what you do, why your customers respond the way that they do to what you do, and why your employees and co-workers are loyal to you.

At Catalyit we don’t just understand your why, we want you to spend more time finding your why, growing your why, and to come together with others that want to see you, your agency, and your employees/co-workers be successful.  Catalyit was founded by a group of people who believe in you and the work that you do with the understanding that your time is valuable, and resources are limited. Catalyit wants you to be able to focus more on what you do best and take the stress and pain that technology can cause you, away.

Catalyit is more than a company. It’s an enlightening experience that simplifies technology for insurance agencies because with the right tech, agencies will thrive and that is exactly what we are going to help you do. We believe that with the right experts, solutions, training and community, we can come together to help your agency increase profit, improve its customer experience, cultivate its ethos among its employees all while digitally transforming itself.  

In world dominated by a lot of Samuel Pierpont Langleys - be the Wright Brothers and let Catalyit help you take flight.

By: Donna Asta | Vice President and Claims Expert Swiss Re Corporate Solutions

It shouldn’t be news to anyone that technological advancements are shaping the world around us. But because new technology changes the way we live, work and play, independent agents need to keep up to date.

Here are a three ways technological trends are impacting personal lines coverage:

Cyber threats. From instant application approvals to auto-renewals, the use of technology is changing the insurance industry. With this changing environment come additional risks and new coverages, such as cyber or data breach coverage.

Your clients use technology to make their lives easier, but it also puts them at greater risk of a cyberattack. Victims may find that they downloaded a document that contained ransomware that disabled their computer system, while others may unknowingly find themselves sent to a phishing website. Damages from these types of attacks can cost thousands of dollars. Are your clients covered for such perils?

Also, in the event of a cyberattack, do your customers have adequate coverage and limits? Personal cyber coverage is becoming more
common. But as it grows in popularity, it is also becoming common for cyber coverage to be excluded from standard homeowners policy and only available by endorsement or a standalone policy. Do the standard homeowners policies you write provide cyber coverage? If not, did you offer it?

Teleworking: Another technological trend is telecommuting, which has become the standard operating mode for at least 50% of the U.S.
population, according to Forbes. However, traditional homeowners policies contain broad exclusions for home business pursuits.

Coverage for personal liability arising out of business pursuits is typically excluded, which prompts the question: Is your customer covered for business performed at home? Agencies should determine whether they have clients who telework or run businesses from home and offer endorsements to existing homeowners and renters policies to cover these pursuits.

The gig economy: There are more than 1 million ride-share drivers working for companies like Uber and Lyft in the U.S. Meanwhile, HomeAway offers 2 million global home listings and Airbnb offers 500,000 in the U.S. alone. Other examples of the gig economy include ad hoc food delivery, package delivery and manual laborers.

Do you know whether your clients are participating in the gig economy? If so, are they covered for property damage, personal liability, injuries requiring health care and loss of income? Agents should start asking these questions before a claim comes in.

Recognizing and reacting to these trends will prepare you to satisfy your duties as a 21st-century personal lines agent or broker. Importantly, staying ahead of the curve when it comes to technology leads to better agency achievement, and higher client satisfaction and retention.

Donna Asta is a vice president and claims expert with Swiss Re Corporate Solutions and is associated with the Chicago office.

This article is intended to be used for general informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon or used for any particular purpose. Swiss Re shall not be held responsible in any way for, and specifically disclaims any liability arising out of or in any way connected to, reliance on or use of any of the information contained or referenced in this article.

The information contained or referenced in this article is not intended to constitute and should not be considered legal, accounting or professional advice, nor shall it serve as a substitute for the recipient obtaining such advice.