Young Brokers Perfect their Pitch at the IBAO Young Brokers Conference

Toronto, ON, June 10, 2019/InsPress/ –  Young brokers honed their sales and client relations skills in a Pitch to Win Competition at this year’s Young Brokers Conference.

The Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) hosted its annual YBC Conference in Niagara Falls June 5–7. Brokers from across Ontario, as well as visiting young brokers from Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, gathered at the Hilton Niagara Falls and Fallsview Casino for two and half days of intensive professional development and networking.

In the all-new Pitch to Win Competition small teams of brokers put together their best spiel to land the business of real-world clients. Brokers had their choice to compete for either a Personal Lines client or a Commercial Lines client.

“We designed the Pitch to Win Competition to help these young brokers sharpen their skills at selling—selling beyond price—which is crucial to any successful broker and a key skill to have in a hard market,” said IBAO CEO Colin Simpson.

In preparation for the pitch competition, brokers took in two keynotes that offered actionable takeaways on communicating their unique competitive advantage and effectively positioning insurance products. Presentation Coach Warren Weeks spoke about how brokers can present their professional reputation in the most compelling way. Negotiation Expert Fotini Iconomopoulos shared her insights on how brokers can utilize the principles of persuasion, body language and tone.

The winning Commercial Lines and Personal Lines teams split the $5000 cash prize provided by Trillium Mutual.

Personal Lines Competition Winners – Team 7
Lindsay Carder – Joslin Insurance
Alex Varney – TW Insurance Brokers
Paul Stewart – Cambrian Insurance Brokers
Rebecca Grech – McConville Omni Insurance Brokers
Thomas Watson – Guardsman Insurance Services

Commercial Lines Competition Winners – Team 19
Scott Sleightholm – Kenny Insurance Brokers
Michael Shepherd – Will Marshall Insurance Brokers
Jessica Schiepan – McFarlan Rowlands Insurance Brokers
Joanna Mendonca – Staebler insurance
Harrison Bateman – Smith Williams & Bateman Insurance Brokers
Michelle Moore – Acumen Insurance Group

The IBAO would like to thank all of the Young Brokers Conference sponsors.