| ign="center"> | | | | transmitted in advance. This single request is very |
| You can save a lot of money on business insurance if | | | | powerful, and goes a long way towards protecting |
| you insist on brokers forwarding quotations in | | | | you from manipulative broker sales tactics. It does so |
| advance of sales interviews. I've been helping buyers | | | | because it helps to separate the commodity of |
| negotiate with insurance brokers for years, and I can | | | | insurance policies (the quotes, and their associated |
| report this one action is very powerful for negotiating | | | | quality and pricing factors) from the professional |
| lower rates. | | | | relationship you have with your broker (the meeting, |
| These interview can waste a lot of time. Try my | | | | your broker relationship, the servicing of your |
| suggestion below, and see how much better use of | | | | account, etc.). |
| your efforts results. When you follow these | | | | Insisting on getting proposals sent to you in advance, |
| procedures, the need for traditional sales interview is | | | | and even asking the broker to include an agenda for |
| largely negated. Furthermore, the farther ahead of | | | | the meeting, will do you a great deal of good. You |
| policy renewal time these procedures are executed, | | | | will have time to understand your options and |
| the easier your renewals will become. By following | | | | prepare your questions. The meetings will be more |
| sound renewal control practices, meetings your | | | | professional and productive. Sometimes a quote is |
| broker can be focused on making sure service | | | | very disappointing. If you get it in advance, you can |
| time-lines are established and followed. | | | | cancel the meeting and save yourself a lot of time |
| When a broker calls to announce a quotation is ready | | | | and aggravation. |
| for delivery and asks to schedule a meeting, consider | | | | I like the idea of thinking of insurance as a |
| the following response in lieu of what you might | | | | commodity, while recognizing the need to separately |
| normally say: | | | | purchase professional advice from qualified |
| "Great. Thank you. We need you to email the | | | | commercial insurance brokers. If your broker is |
| proposal ahead of time, please, so we can prepare | | | | getting paid by commissions, be aware of the conflict |
| for your meeting." | | | | of interest this creates. |
| If you make that your standard response, brokers | | | | But that, as they say, is a topic for another day... |
| will come to expect you want information | | | | |