Vertafore Insurance Podcast

InsuRant: Ready or not, here tech comes

There are three types of insurance agencies out there:

• ”Tech-forward” agencies that fully embrace and leverage technology to improve all aspects of their business.
• “Tech-friendly” agencies that use technology at a baseline level.
• ”Tech-opposed” agencies that are averse to implementing any new technology.

During this week’s episode, Rick breaks down why technology is so essential for enhancing the customer experience and why it will be impossible to grow without it—because, ready or not, tech has already changed everything.

No matter which of the three camps you fall into above, we think you’ll learn something valuable in this episode. Enjoy!

Building a more powerful agency brand, with Peter van Aartrijk

We’ve heard time and time again that insurance is strictly a “referrals business,” but that’s no longer the case in a digital, post-pandemic world. More than ever, insurance agencies need to invest in their brand to keep up with customer expectations and make their presence known in the market. But where to begin? 

Today on the episode, Rick talks to insurance marketing expert Peter van Aartrijk about the essential toolkit agencies need to build their brand the right way. Learn how agencies can harness the power of their brand to form emotional connections with clients and employees, and make sure you have a pen ready when Peter shares his top three tips for brand-building!  

InsuRant: Real-deal sales training

Listen in to this week’s podcast for a dive into all things sales training. As Rick says, “Sales is a sport, and we need to compete to win.” Rick shares everything you need to be a sales champion, including his top sales techniques that range from how to stay connected with customers on a deeper level to how to be ready to adapt your strategy at any time. 

Ready to get your head in the sales game?  

Being the “Beyoncé of Insurance”, with Ashley Fitzsimmons

Remember those memes from years ago that compare what people in your life think you do and what you actually do? We’re getting into that today—the expectation versus reality of being an insurance agent. And, what exactly does Ashley mean when she calls herself the “Beyoncé of insurance”?  

In this episode, Rick and Ashley discuss the perception of an independent agent versus the reality, and how agents can transform from a frustrated paper-pusher to a trusted risk advisor.  

Don’t be like Joan Jett

Joan Jett may not care about her reputation, but that was back in the 80s and the world has changed. Do you care about yours? You should, because no matter the size of your company or what part of the industry you represent, a good reputation is vital—and how reputations are formed and maintained is not like it used to be. This week we are talking about how to create a positive reputation online, how to maintain it, and why it’s so important. Rick talks reviews, including how to generate more from your clients and how to respond, plus how reviews can impact other areas of business like hiring.  

This is a topic that doesn’t get a lot of attention in our industry, but your “digital storefront” deserves a close look, and Rick has tips and tricks to help listeners avoid common mistakes in reputation management.   

Becoming future-ready with Dimitrios Argitis

This week on the podcast we welcome Dimitrios Argitis, VP & GM of Vertafore Canada. He and Rick discuss how to create a robust and tech-driven company and how corporate strategy and tech strategy are essentially indistinguishable at any future-ready company.  

Dimitrios has broken down four separate strategies for becoming future-ready: digital-first, cloud at the core, investment in the right relationships, and data-driven decision-making.  

Listen in as he expands on these four strategies and shares what he’s learned when it comes to the insurance industry and technology.

InsuRant: Insurance from a Millennial perspective

You’ve heard Rick talk about him, you’ve probably heard about his mullet, and today you get to hear from him: Dylan Braun, producer of the show, joins Rick this week to rant about hiring, company culture, and keeping employees happy post-pandemic.  

Dylan's been at Vertafore for three years, and he shares what he’s learned about the industry from a Millennial’s perspective and how he hopes it evolves and changes.  

Do work with Millennials? Are you a Millennial yourself? This episode is for you. 

Becoming an expert social seller, with Brett Allen

This week we have social extraordinaire Brett Allen, owner and creator of BOSS Social. He has intensely focused on how to utilize social media in insurance without compromising relationships, expectations, or agency identity. Brett sees social selling as an opportunity to create better trust and relationships with customers.  

Brett lays out five social hacks he’s found to be most effective, including content creation, how to drive LinkedIn traffic, and gathering more leads.  

Brett is full of information on this topic, and he is sharing three bonus items with VIP listeners here. We hope you enjoy this episode and are inspired to implement these social sales hacks into your sales strategy.  

100th Episode Reflections

We’ve made it to 100 episodes! Today Rick takes a look back on the last couple of years and all we’ve learned together. Namely: this industry still is, and always will be, about relationships. Since the beginning, we’ve all been proud to be in this industry and amazed at all the wonderful people we’ve connected with.  

Listen in as we share some of our greatest hits from the last 100 episodes, including what we’ve validated, what we’ve learned, and what we’re thankful for. And, most importantly, thank you to our listeners for tuning in each week, contributing, and allowing this podcast to happen.  

We’ll see you for the next 100! 

Creating a job you love, with Tim Wilson-Humphries

Today on the show we have Tim Wilson-Humphries, an independent agent who specializes in health, life, and Medicare.  

We’ve heard a lot of “how I got here” stories on the podcast, but Tim chose the insurance industry for a reason we haven’t heard yet: PTO. Tim and Rick discuss the challenges of starting out as an independent agent as well as the positives that eventually come, how to find an ideal demographic, and the importance of adaptability.  

Tim taught us all something about finding a niche and creating a job you love, and we hope it will teach you something as well.