As part of the ongoing unveiling of IB's Top Ten Brokerages, we announce the company who took home the ninth position, Bryson & Associates Insurance Brokers Ltd.
We spoke with Tracy Makris, President.
What’s your reaction being named one of the Insurance Business Top 10 Brokerages?
Being named one of the Top 10 Brokerages ignites an extremely positive reaction and is considered the ultimate compliment! Brokering has become a very complex business and as a result appears to be separating the forward thinking, visionary brokers from the traditional brokers. Being named top 10 is dynamic!!
What’s the most important thing a broker can do to develop their business?
As a broker, we are committed to maintaining a strong reputation with our customers and within our communities. The core of our business development is to maintain these strong relationships as it is the lifeline to referrals. By strengthening our relationships and maintaining our customer-focused approach, we demonstrate our relentless quest to put our clients at the centre of everything we do.
What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry today?
That’s a great question, and perhaps I might answer with a different reply based on line of business. The biggest challenge in personal lines insurance, in my opinion, is the technology advancement and understanding as a brokerage what impact telematics, self driving vehicles, and digital shopping will mean for our customers over the next few years. In commercial insurance, getting in front of the end buyer can be one of the biggest challenges these days. Business owners are guarded, protected from interruptions and find it difficult to make time to review their insurance needs.
How would you change the industry to help brokerages flourish?
Knowledge is power, and by encouraging education, we support our professional image. Bringing insurance education into the schools, offering programs more locally and raising the bar on standards, we can enhance the image of the professional insurance broker to attract new, younger talent.
What sets your firm apart from your rivals?
That’s simple... our team! They are truly amazing. They understand what is expected of them as professional insurance advisors and they understand customers deserve the best experience. We aren’t afraid of the competition because our staff recognizes that offering innovative thinking and complete solutions to specific needs are much more valuable than price alone. Our staff interacts with their customers on a professional level while keeping them involved in our community events.
What’s next?
For our brokerage, what’s next includes Growth, Retention, Profitability and Continuous Education for both our staff and our commercial customers. Understanding the digital space in Personal Lines will be both a challenge and a rewarding experience. By specializing and always elevating our Commercial delivery, we will be able to expand our offerings and ultimately reach our ongoing goals.
