The Lost Art of Submission Narratives
By Ken Kukral
I remember a number of years ago when I went to a reception held on the aircraft carrier The USS Intrepid. Kind of a unique place for a cocktail party but I figured I would go check it out. Well the week I was in New York it was in the 80’s then in the 40’s a day later so it was tough to control the temperature so it was a bit stuffy on an aircraft carrier. I quickly thought, I will make a showing and then slip out.
As I tried to sneak towards the door I overheard one of the tour guides telling the story or some of the battles the aircraft carrier was in. I was enthralled by the stories he was telling and how he brought them to life. Over 10 years later I can still remember the stories he told. So the value of telling a story in an interesting and “lifelike” format is that it will be memorable. I only wish all history teachers could realize this and incorporate it into their classrooms.
So why don’t more producers look to tell their clients “story” so that it will bring the account to life and catch the interest of the underwriter? I have always heard in sales it is “all about the story”. There is no way an application can tell the full story on an account so why not “tell the rest of the story” as the late Paul Harvey used to say. You do want your submissions to stick out and catch the interest of the underwriter don’t you? A well written narrative will answer many of the questions the underwriter may have and help speed your submission to the quoted stack. There is nothing worse than back and forth information gathering so slow down getting a quote. If you think about it, so few submissions have narratives anymore, that your submission will stick out favorably.
So what are the components of a good narrative?
1. One page in a story format
2. Details of your knowledge or relationship with the customer
3. Details of what makes this a good account
4. Loss control or risk management that the customer has implemented.
5. Explanations of any losses
6. Details of the business including growth plans
7. Why the carrier has a good opportunity to write this account
8. Any pricing or terms you need for this account to improve on their existing program.
9. Any gaps in the “story” for this account
10. Last but not least, when you need the quote by.
It is not a contest to see how little information you can to the carrier and still get a quote. This is a journey to properly write the account with the best value you can so that it can be a long term client for your agency. Develop your own narrative story format, be consistent and tell your clients “story” the best way you can.
I would love to see any template format that your agency is presently using.
Positively Positive
By Cathy Thurber
This weekend I had the chance to hear someone speak about the importance of being positive. It was amazing to realize that even when you think you are a positive person there can be areas of your life where you’re just not up to snuff. Are you positive about certain things, but let other things slip by? As easy as it can be to be upbeat and happy, it can also be difficult to maintain that attitude during different situations.
Everyone knows the usual path to being positive….smile frequently, laugh as much as you can, and try to turn negative thoughts into positive ones – or at least keep them to yourself. In order to do all of these things, I’ve been known to post little affirmative quotes around where I know I’ll see them. Corny, I know. But sometimes it’s that one little quote that can stick in my mind all day and rumble around. And I always seem to need that quote at some time during the day. So, I’m giving you three of my favorite attitude quotes:
Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right. I use this one a lot on myself as I have a tendency to think that I can’t do something, just because I have never done it before. Why stop yourself? What will happen – you might not be perfect at it? Who cares? More likely, you’ll find that you enjoy doing what you’ve been telling yourself you can’t do. If anything, you at least get a sense of accomplishment out of the fact that you finally did it, whether or not you enjoyed it!
Things turn out the best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out. This is all about how you react to certain situations. As some of my friends know, I can react negatively quite quickly to a situation. I’ve been “working” on this quote because it reminds me that I need to slow down and think about things. If I can look at whatever’s bothering me objectively, and find the positive outcome in the situation, then that’s what will happen. It doesn’t matter if it’s something that can be completely crappy – it’s how I react to it that determines how things will turn out.
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Come on…..you know I had to have a little bit of sarcasm in here! There is always that situation where you’re dealing with a particular person that is a thorn in your side. My mother always told me to “kill them with kindness.” Staying positive in a situation that is difficult for you – due to another person’s attitude – is hard. But sometimes just knowing that your positivity is a little annoying….well, it can just make that moment a little better. I know I know – it’s probably not exactly positive thinking – but it does work!
Think good thoughts about yourself……smile a lot, laugh often…… be positive about what you can do (or want to do), and try to make your situations turn out for the best. There’s nothing better than living a long and happy life. I’m positive about that.
Texting and driving- an accident waiting to happen
By Cathy Thurber
Just the other day I was driving home and noticed that the car driving towards me was slowly moving towards my lane. The gentleman driver wasn’t even looking at the road; he was busy texting on his phone. Luckily his car did not go into my lane and someone behind me honked, causing him to pay attention and get back in his lane. The driver had been so engrossed with his phone that he wasn’t even glancing at the road in front of him. It was an accident waiting to happen.
That got my thoughts churning. I know that Ohio’s state legislature had been talking about a statewide ban against texting and driving, but at this point there is no prohibition against it. Certain municipalities have issued distracted driving laws, but it’s ok to text and drive elsewhere in the state. And seeing this guy slowly drive into my lane made me think of all the drunk driving laws. I know you’re not incapacitated when you’re just texting, but the level of attention you’re paying to what’s around you has got to be about the same. Don’t get me wrong – I have texted while driving before. But after watching how distracted that driver was coming towards me, I realized how I could be putting people in danger with every tap on my phone’s keyboard.
I read that the National Safety Council estimates that 200,000 crashes are caused every year by drivers that are texting; and those who drive while texting are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident. Whether or not the state is going to pass legislation on this, don’t you think it’s just common sense to NOT take your attention off the road for those long moments?
Everyone that texts while driving is being neglectful to all the other drivers on the road….not to mention those kids that may be sitting in the backseat! For God’s sake, put the phone down and pay attention to the moving vehicles surrounding you! You won’t catch me texting while driving anymore. I have a future I want to experience and I need to be alive to do it.