Vertafore Insurance Podcast

IndieTech: The UnConference & an Air Force Vet’s Sales Process

Jason Cass has many accomplishments under his belt already: successful agency owner, host of one of the most popular insurance podcasts, founder of BrainShare, a cutting-edge author and thought-leader in the insurtech space. But he’s not done. In 2023, he’s launching a new conference called “IndieTech.” In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• What is indietech? It’s not a conference. It’s not an event. It’s not a mastermind. It’s a live guided experience to help you vet the right and best tech for your agency. 

• How he automated his entire sales process – thanks to a US AirForce Veteran (Jason’s COO) 
• Insurtech predictions for 2023....and maybe 2024/2025. 
• A bold, new...and maybe, crazy....idea for starting a scratch agency. 

The 2023 Vertafore Vision

James Thom, Vertafore’s Chief Product Officer, candidly shares the challenges and opportunities for one of the largest tech providers in insurance. You’ll walk away from this episode with a better grasp on the insurtech conversation and how Vertafore plans to dominate it in 2023: 

• What are the biggest challenges facing any insurtech in 2023? 
• Which of those challenges is Vertafore facing head-on?
• Why data islands are killing efficiency
• Why our Amazon bet was the right move
• Why API development is a priority
• How we plan to win the commercial rating game
• What the best Canadian candy bar is 

Learn from Clark Griswold’s mistake, with Chris Cline

You know the scene from the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation movie. Clark Griswold has spent hours affixing a superfluous amount of flashy Christmas lights to his house only to have none of it illuminate when he plugs it in.

VIP guest Chris Cline, executive director of Agents Council for Technology, says this iconic movie moment can be compared to a common issue insurance companies face when they don't take the time to carefully strategize.

Chris believes you can buy every shiny tech option available, but if you don’t have a good strategy for putting it together, you won’t be successful—and no, the lights won’t turn on.

How can you balance your InsurTech aspirations with solid results? Listen now.

Pumping iron, with Jessica Jeffress

In this episode, we are joined by Jessica Jeffress, chairwoman at NetVU and current associate vice president at Peel & Holland.  

During this episode, Rick and Jessica talk through:

• Building the planning muscle; learning to execute a plan, from start to finish
• Using the “relationship continuation” method to build loyalty with clients
• The specific ways she builds company culture through training & jam sessions

InsuRant: Getting fit for the feeding frenzy

In 2021, there were over 1,000 insurance agency mergers and acquisitions in the U.S.—up 30% from 2020. This high activity is expected to continue in 2022, so if you’re an agency owner or hoping to be one day, Rick says it’s time to start planning for the day when it might be time to sell.

To make their business worth the most when the feeding frenzy comes, agencies need to be doing everything they can NOW to get fit and maximize value.

This episode is a super-informative listen for current agency owners and aspiring owners alike!

Striking data gold at your agency, with Liri Halperin Segal and Michael LaBella

In this episode, we have AI and data experts Liri Halperin Segal and Michael LaBella joining us from InsurTech LeO, where Liri is the co-founder and CEO, and Michael is the vice president of sales.  

During this episode, Rick, Liri, and Michael talk through:

• The importance of creating new data to improve sales (11:00)
• Why agencies don’t need to hire a data analyst if they have the right tools (14:22)
• The missing piece in self-service offerings at many agencies (17:20)
• Measuring the effectiveness of your tech. If employees aren’t using it, it’s a waste. (25:20)

Happy listening!

 

Running away from bad tech, with Syd Roe

In this episode, we have the one and only Syd Roe joining us on the podcast, and she’s got some insights about tech and insurance you need to hear:

• Changes Syd wants to see in the industry
• How Syd envisions those changes coming
• The importance of an effective tech stack
• When to run—not walk—away from bad tech

Enjoy the episode!

 

 

InsuRant: Who handles the tech at your agency?

Imagine you’re an agency owner, and you’ve just decided to invest in new technology to improve your business. That’s a crucial first step, but have you ever thought about the steps that come immediately after?

This topic has come up a lot lately, so we’re breaking down what you need to know.  

During this episode, Rick shares his playbook to help you get ahead in the tech implementation game. Want to watch the episode instead? Check it out on YouTube.

InsuRant: Unwinding what-ifs

If you’re a business owner, you’ve likely had thoughts and questions like these:

• I wish we would’ve done ____three years ago.
• Where would we be now if we had done _____ instead?

In this episode, we’re getting a bit introspective and talking about what would happen if we could go back in time and unwind some of the choices we made for our business. Of course, we don’t have the power to change the past, but we do have the power to change something today that will help you in the future.

Tune in to hear Rick’s perspective on what decisions you need to be making today for a better tomorrow—and why you should NEVER make fast decisions or band-aid decisions.

Breaking glass ceilings, with Sarah Muniz

In this episode, Rick Fox is joined by Sarah Muniz, a long-time producer and author of the book, Undiscovered Voices: Unlocking the Potential of Women in Insurance.  

Sarah’s voice is one you need to hear in this industry as she shares her valuable perspective working her way up from CSR to producer, and the many lessons she learned along the way as she navigated bias in the workplace.  

A must-listen for everyone, hear why there is still a leadership gap in insurance, navigating unconscious biases, why more diversity in leadership roles helps companies make more money, and much more.