The Business Insurance Bureau

Bob the Broker's Modus Operandi

Author: Bob Hannah - 2 min read

“Wherever there is a ‘target’ – there is a travesty. That’s my observation.

Sales targets have a role for physical goods, but little else – especially not business insurance.

Many things of great importance can become sacrificed for a ‘target’. Running like a hamster on a wheel, people can lose their sense of purpose, justifying the expedient over the correct.

So, we don’t have individual sales targets: we build relationships.

It’s not about selling products, it’s about understanding customers. Some things just can’t be commoditised. We grow organically – it’s slow, patient and puts people before the short term results – but ironically, it’s long term profitable.

All you need is love

Every year or so, we run a team seminar called “All you need is Love” – sounds corny, I know, but I’m serious about it. If you love what you’re doing, you don’t need any artificial motivation to go the extra mile – ‘there’s nothing you can do that can’t be done’.

We endeavor to make sure our clientele’s future can be secured in the worst of circumstances.

To be human, being responsive, you have to understand how other humans feel. But empathy is more than that, it means taking those feelings into account. It is the foundation of everything else. Hamsters can’t do this.

Wherever we exceed expectations, I find those relationships cross a threshold and we build for the future of us all: our clientele, our staff and our business. It’s a virtuous circle, the only true success.

Sometimes, the most important figures don’t appear on the accounts: the multiplying effect of quality work, of satisfied clients, of a committed and self-motivated team.

Modus Operandi


This is our modus operandi – the way we do things, how we can build our business by first protecting yours, properly.

Of course, this modus operandi is the triumph of the customer over all else. Arguably, there is nothing new or original here. And, after all, customer service can’t be a competitive advantage – anyone can do that surely?

They say there are no traffic jams on the extra mile – and I find that to be true – yes, anyone can do customer service, but in my industry, no one does what we do in the way that we do it.

I find that’s what gets results.”

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