Five Key Steps to a Successful Broker/ Risk Manager Relationship

In the view of insurance brokers, a successful relationship with risk managers depends on the broker’s ability to achieve a clear understanding of a risk manager’s strategic objectives—and then to supply the information and programs that lead to satisfying those needs.

It is a relationship in which the primary goal of the broker is to listen and understand the business objectives and strains that each risk manager faces. That means understanding the business they are in; the factors driving their risk decisions; the resources they have available; and how they are judged by their superiors.

Here are the five main steps a broker must take in forging a successful relationship with a risk manager:

1. IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF RISK MANAGER WITH WHOM YOU’RE WORKING

Risk managers fall into two different camps, says Rob Meyers, senior vice president and P&C leader for insurance broker USI. One carries the formal designation of risk manager, an individual whose role has grown in sophistication over the years.