Look, I love it when people tell me they’re happy with what they’re paying for insurance. That tells me they don’t understand their total cost of risk. If you let that objection get in your way, you got a lot to learn and a long way to go.
Another objection that you may get when you’re reaching out to new prospects is, “I’m happy with what I’m paying right now.” Really? Are you? Let me ask you a question. Has anybody ever come in and done a total cost of risk calculation for your organization? Oh, no, they haven’t?
See, this is a common trap that we find many business owners and decision-makers get into because they’re focused on the premium. They concentrate on the price of a product, and they don’t realize the actual problem. When we engage with a company, we come in, and we do a calculation for the total cost of risk, and that includes many things that you don’t even realize are leaking from your financial statements right now. Just a quick example for you is indirect costs to claims. Did you know that the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that for every dollar spent on direct costs inside of a worker’s compensation claim, that the indirect costs associated with that claim across the general industry nationwide is between two and 20 times the direct cost?
So you might be entirely happy with your premium. Quite honestly, in a guaranteed cost workers’ compensation program, that would make sense. You don’t feel the pain of claims until your mod goes up, and then subsequently, you get a Consent to Rate, or you get a debited rate, depending on what state you’re in, as a result of your performance. See, there’s a lag there. One of the things that you gain by being proactive and focusing on the total cost of risk is that you’re looking at way more than just what you’re paying in insurance premiums. Insurance premium is undoubtedly important, and it’s certainly a component of the total cost of risk, but it’s only one of five things that affect that. And if you only focus on one of five, which is 20% of the calculation, you’re missing out on 80%. Flip the script.
I’d love to have the opportunity to come in and talk to you about the other 80%. We can talk about insurance later.  I’m not an insurance salesman; I’m a risk manager. I would highly recommend that if you’ve not had this done in the past, we spend 20, 30 minutes talking about it. And I can assure you; you’re going to see things that you didn’t realize were happening. It’s just the nature of the beast. It’s what we do.
Yes, I realize my message is different. Yes, I know you’re used to people coming in and selling you something or trying to sell you something. And yes, I realize that you’ve already in your mind lumped me into that same category, assuming that’s what I’m going to do. It’s not. That’s not how we operate. You have my word that I’m not going to try and sell you anything. I’m merely asking for 30 minutes of your time to show you why you shouldn’t be happy with what you’re currently paying right now.
Influence is one of the most powerful tools we have in business, leadership, and personal life. Used well, it inspires people, builds trust, and creates ethical results. Used poorly, it can slide into manipulation and self-interest.
Reinvention is one of the most powerful themes in the insurance industry. Some of the best commercial producers in the country did not grow up wanting to sell insurance. They did not study risk management in college. They did not come from an agency family. They found this industry after they tried something else. They found it after life pushed them toward a career where performance, autonomy, and mindset determine the outcome.
The most successful producers in the middle market did not get there because they quoted faster, smiled bigger, or knew how to talk longer. They got there because they learned how to differentiate themselves so clearly that prospects had no choice but to see them as trusted advisors. They learned to operate like businesspeople first and insurance technicians second. They learned how to tie operational mechanics to insurance outcomes. They learned how to control their time, their pipeline, and their future.
In commercial insurance, the most dangerous threats to your book of business aren’t always visible on the loss runs. One of the most overlooked vulnerabilities for middle market producers is ignoring the personal lines needs of their business owner and executive clients.
The commercial insurance industry is one of the few professions where someone can enter with no experience, no connections, and no background in risk management and still build a long, lucrative career. But success is never automatic. It requires hunger, humility, curiosity, and the willingness to keep showing up even when the process feels overwhelming. That is why the story of Pam Seidler has already started making waves among new and aspiring commercial producers.
In an industry where tradition often outweighs innovation, artificial intelligence and automation are slowly but steadily reshaping how independent insurance agencies operate. The push toward smarter, more efficient workflows is no longer a matter of if—but when. While many agencies are still evaluating how AI fits into their operations, early adopters are already reaping the benefits of streamlined submissions, faster processing, and actionable data insights.
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