071: The future‘s bright if your a specialist with Chris Withers, Ecclesiastical

Are you unsure as to what kind of broker you are, or wish to be? Do you have a vague understanding of where your interests lie, and wish to reorient yourself and/or your business towards them? Are you interested to learn the various benefits and potential pitfalls of being a generalist or a specialist broker?

In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Chris Withers, the Broker Distribution Director for Ecclesiastical Insurance, about the firm’s recent research into broker specialism and generalism. The recently published whitepaper identifies four key broker personas, distinguished by their inclination towards specialist or generalist tendencies. In conversation with Boston Tullis’ Sarah Myerscough, Chris explains the findings of the study and identifies the advantages and pitfalls of each broker persona type, culminating in a fascinating discussion about how the broking market will evolve in years to come.

 

Quote of the Episode

‘The future’s bright if you’re a specialist.’

This notion concludes Ecclesiastical’s research report, composed after the initial survey and a series of roundtable discussions featuring brokers across the generalist-specialist spectrum. This suggests that there is a significant benefit to the particular market knowledge which specialism entails, and that this will prove increasingly fruitful as the market develops over the next few years. That being said, the very nature of specialism and generalism appears to be evolving. As Chris notes in the episode, broker consolidation is a rapidly growing part of the industry. Specialist brokers who have a particular niche within the market may soon find themselves as part of a major distributor, who may present themselves as a generalist provider with pockets of specialism. Thus, generalism is by no means a drawback, but incorporating elements of specialism into your firm, or developing a few particular niches as an individual broker may ultimately prove advantageous.

 

Key Takeaways

Chris Withers outlines the following broker persona types throughout the episode:

1. The Pure Specialist

• This type of broker prioritises the industry they specialise in above the provision of insurance solutions. They typically worked in that particular sector first, and then began to work in specialist insurance. As such, they are equipped with detailed market knowledge, and are often conducting their own market scanning.
• They will typically have an understanding of the challenges they may face when presented with various clients’ risks, facilitating trust between themselves and the client/insurer, and leading to smooth communication between all parties.

2. The Intentional Hybrid

• This approach is typically more identifiable in broking firms than individuals.
• They thrive on adaptability; if they see an opportunity to specialise in a particular area in the market, they will do so.
• While the Pure Specialist has an understanding of and interest in the market before the risk is presented, the Intentional Hybrid will use the specialist capabilities of the insurer to back up their own developing specialism(s).
• This persona type creates a multiplicity of options for growth and expansion, but can this principle necessarily be upscaled? Can such a firm survive in competition with others who can provide solutions without as much handholding from the insurer?

3. The Connected General Practitioner

• This broker type operates in a similar fashion to a medical GP. They are highly connected with specialist insurers, whom they will contact after assessing a client’s risk.
• They don’t necessarily try to build the capability for specialism within their own business, acting as a mediator to specialist insurers while retaining a more generalist approach themselves.
• They see broking itself as their specialism rather than the client’s needs.

4. The Organic Generalist

• This broker type is deeply concerned with the scalability of specialising.
• They are more likely to be trained in insurance first and forehand.
• Their specialism is insurance placement and managing and identifying insurance risk, rather than the client’s or a specific sector’s needs.
• They will deliberately avoid building specialist capabilities within their business.

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong personality type – each of them has a value and a powerful contribution to offer to the industry. This research is by no means conclusive or definitive, and indeed there may be other persona types prevalent within the market, or some of those outlined above could be fused together.

 

Best Moments/Key Quotes

“[The Pure Specialist is] completely immersed in whatever it is that they have chosen as their specialism. It is their passion, as well as their career. They are usually quite disruptive, actually, because they don't want to settle for the status quo. They don't want to come up with a solution everyone else has got, they want to be ahead of the game.”

 

“One of the big findings of our research was that differentiation was a big reason as to why brokers would choose a specialism, so the Intentional Hybrid sees that and has the ability to have specialist areas within their general broking business.”

 

“The General Practitioner certainly doesn't shy away from specialism. But they don't pretend to be anything that they're not either. So, the GP is well connected, in terms of specialist suppliers, and invariably specialist insurers that they can bring in, they deliberately seek out these opportunities, but they don't try to build that capability themselves within their business.”

 

“The Organic Generalist is proud of the fact that they're a generalist. And the specialism for them is insurance placement, and managing and identifying insurance risk.”

 

Resources

Ecclesiastical’s Whitepaper Report: https://ecclesiastical.com/documents/broker-specialist-roundtable-research.pdf

 

About the Guest

Chris Withers is the Broker Distribution Director for Ecclesiastical Insurance. He has over 25 years of experience in the industry, having previously worked for Covea and RSA.

Chris’ LinkedIn Profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chris-withers-ab77761b 

 

About the Host

Sarah Myerscough is the Sales and Marketing Director of Boston Tullis Group. The founder of The Insurance Brokers Podcast, she brings a wealth of marketing experience and a fresh perspective on marketing in the insurance sector. Boston Tullis works with insurance brokers to offer solutions to business development ceilings, particularly in the rapidly developing fields of video marketing and thought leadership.

If you would like Sarah to help you develop an integrated marketing strategy, using state of the art concepts, then please book a free 20 min call via Calendly.

 Website: https://bostontullis.co.uk/ 

Evaluation Link: https://s.bostontullis.co.uk/s/podcastevaluation