Topic
Professional Development
How to bring up the marijuana discussion with clients
September 28, 2018 by Jason ContantBrokers need to know what their client’s habitational lease or contract states about marijuana use to provide their best advice, the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario said Thursday. Kevin O’Hare, IBAO’s education supervisor and instructional designer, said brokers need to…
How a biologist could help insurers with data analytics
September 27, 2018 by Greg MeckbachDo insurers need to hire the brightest computer programmers and pay through the nose if they want to get the most out of data analytics? Not according to some Insurance Analytics Summit Canada speakers. “People from behavioural science, people from…
Maybe men aren’t such bad multi-taskers after all
September 26, 2018 by Jason ContantDespite popular stereotypes, women are not better multi-taskers than men, suggests a new blog from Harvard Business Review. “We cannot exclude the possibility that there are no sex differences in serial multitasking abilities, but if they exist, such differences are…
Why this brokerage is not looking to hire insurance experts
September 18, 2018 by Greg MeckbachWhen Matt Alston hires workers for his property and casualty brokerage, he is not looking for a walking encyclopedia of insurance. At Surex Direct, personality “always trumps technical skills and accreditations,” said Alston, Surex Direct’s co-founder and chief operating officer.…
How to handle grieving clients
September 5, 2018 by Jason ContantBrokers are used to responding to clients’ questions about their insurance needs, but are they always able to effectively handle grieving customers? The million-dollar question is how to ensure brokers are building enduring and caring customer relationships, while also protecting…
How these independent claims adjusters lost their jobs
August 30, 2018 by Greg MeckbachSome employees of Canadian independent adjusting firms have been shown the door due to bad behaviour that the #MeToo movement is bringing to the forefront, company CEOs said at the recent Canadian Claims Summit. In terms of harassment in the…
How to motivate brokers on the front line
August 30, 2018 by Jason ContantBrokerages looking to better motivate frontline workers should optimize play, purpose and potential, while reducing pressure, a recent experiment suggests. In a blog post for Harvard Business Review, authors Lindsay McGregor and Neel Doshi implemented an experiment to transform the…
Why IBAO decided to move CAIB exams online
August 16, 2018 by Jason ContantThe Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) is anticipating “significant” time and cost savings as the exams for the Canadian Accredited Insurance Brokers (CAIB) program move to a “fully digital experience” in the province by December. “We’ll no longer be…
How to sell cyber to small business owners
August 12, 2018 by David GambrillThere is a very large untapped market for selling cyber insurance to small businesses. How can brokers best approach small business owners to offer them cyber coverage? A recent 2018 study of Canadian “smaller businesses” by Scalar Security* found that…
Why Canadian companies need to ‘digitally upskill’ their staff
August 2, 2018 by Jason ContantWhile a majority (85%) of Canadian organizations are investing in emerging technologies, few of them are managing the risks associated with technology, such as cybersecurity threats and lack of talent, a recent PwC Canada report has found. The Full Risk…
How to bring adult children back into the family brokerage
July 25, 2018 by Jason ContantFor brokerages considering succession planning, allowing the next generation to “find their own path in the world and then successfully boomerang back into roles in the family business is critical to the future” of the business, according to a new…
The new breed of leader
July 23, 2018 by David GambrillA new breed of vulnerable and humble leader – someone who recognizes the importance of personal growth in helping the company to expand the business – is bucking the traditional stereotype of the uber-confident, omniscient CEO who comes to the…