Rachael Rizzi, CSRM, CISR; senior sales executive,commercial insurance at Orgill/Singer & Assocs.
Years at company: 6
College: UNLV ‘04 (BA), Grand CanyonUniversity ‘12 (MBA)
Organizations: IIA of Southern Nevada(President Elect), Nevada Young Agents Committee (Southern RegionalDirector), Society of Certified School Risk Managers and Society ofCertified Insurance Service Representatives

Read Rachael's previous nGI Q&A

How can employers recruit youngtalent? Ultimately I think the key is not necessarilychanging the way they recruit, but rather the way they think aboutyoung talent. Employers have to step out of their old ways andstart from a place of true understanding about the personalitiesand preferences of the new generations. The ideals, preferences,methods of communication, ways of solving problems and work ethicsare so vastly different for young folks that recruitmentmentalities must be created to speak to these differences in a waythat the new generation of insurance professionals can connectto.

What’s the toughest thing about being a young agent in afield where the average age is 55? For me, thetoughest thing is getting folks to think outside of the box andembrace new ideas. By 55, most people have experienced quite a bitin life and have a lot of knowledge to bring to the table, but theyalso have negative baggage that destroys the incubation,implementation and buy-in of fresh, game-changing ideas.

How does technology fit into your workstrategy? Technology plays 2 critical roles in mywork strategy: first, it allows me to work anywhere, at anytime.This goes a long way in my ability to maintain that ever elusivework/life balance. It also affords me the ability to provide nearlyinstant service to my clients. Second, technology is essential forthe efficient and profitable management of client relationships.Using automation to take care of back-end servicing frees me up tospend time with current clients and winning new ones.

Who do you look toward as a mentor in thisindustry? Currently it is the COO of my company,Eamon Springall. Even though he is only a few years older than Iam, he has built an amazing empire, both inside and outside of theinsurance industry.

Read on for more from Rachael Rizzi

What are your future goals in thisindustry? I would really like to help steer therecruitment efforts for young talent. I also want to become moreactive in legislative issues. Other than that, building my ownempire is the only thing on the agenda.

How do you balance work and personallife? This is, by far, the most challenging part ofmy life as a wife and mother of 2 young children. And to be honest,I am not convinced that I have perfected the secret formula justyet. But, for now, I take a “balanced scorecard” approach tostrategically planning and managing my daily activities so thatthey align with the vision and goals that I have for myself, myfamily and all of the other areas of my life. I often evaluate thecommitments I keep to ensure that they are congruent with my masterplan and adjust accordingly.

What is an important lesson you learned when joining aprofessional working environment? It is actually alesson I learned as a child that I never really embraced, but gotsmacked in the face with as a professional: it’s not what you say,but how you say it. Sometimes when you are young, you arepassionate and forget to think before you speak. In an epic failmoment, I realized that there is always a nice, calm way to getyour point across. While I cannot profess to have yet perfectedthis skill, it is a lesson I will never forget.

What do you see GenY/Millenials struggle with in aprofessional environment? What advice do you have? Asan advisor for one of the sororities at UNLV, I see a tendency inthese folks to either quit when things get tough or find aback-door, band-aid solution to a problem. In most professionalenvironments there is little tolerance for this type of behavior.Life is tough, business is tough, and there are a lot of instanceswhere the decisions you have to make take full, long-termcommitment. Know that we all have a role to play that is unique anddifferent. Your actions and input is an important contribution forthe people that are depending on you.

Where do you hope to take your career? Whatdirection would you like your career to go? As withmost people, I get bored staying at the same level for too long.That being said, I don’t have any big ideas for what the next stepor the destination at the end of my journey should be. For now I amenjoying the ride and allowing my career to unfold naturally. Thishas always been my approach. I guess it is the Buddhist in me thattrusts that the universe will present to me the next step when thetime is right.

What skills do you think young agents will need in2012? A willingness to do what is right, even if thatmeans losing will be essential for surviving 2012. People are goinginto survival mode and doing things that are unethical and immoralto secure new business and keep existing business. Maintaining yoursense of ethics will ensure that the client you once lost willreturn to you once they have been burned by the deal that was toogood to be true.

Read on for more from Rachael Rizzi

What skills do you think young agents struggle with intheir first years in this industry? What advice do youhave? For me it was finding my own selling style.When you start out, everyone has advice for how you should go aboutyour business. At the end of the day you just have to do what feelsright to you. That is not to say that you shouldn’t push yourselfto step outside of your comfort zone, but you also shouldn’tpretend to be someone or something you aren’t.

What sales strategies worked for you in2011? Focusing on the client rather than on thecompetition is how I got through 2011. As an independent agentthere is always going to be a feeling that you are swimming in aproverbial shark tank, but when you focus on what everyone else isdoing rather than what you are bringing to the table, you lose moreoften than not. Clients don’t care about your competitors until andunless you aren’t focusing on their needs.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in 2011 as ayoung agent, and how did you handle it? I started mycareer over 10 years ago, working my way up through the ranks. Backthen, the more seasoned producers only focused on “big business”leaving the smaller accounts to the young folks to “cut theirteeth” on. In 2011, with the economy the way it was, the gloveswere off for every size of account. Again, in this situation Ifocused on my clients and our relationship rather than worryingabout the competition. I also played my cards a little more closelyto the vest.

How does your agency, or any ofyour committees/associations, reach out to high school or collegestudents? Unfortunately, there isn’t much reachingout going on in general in Nevada. This is definitely an area thatwe need to focus on. I would like to eventually see agencies andcarriers partnering with the Nevada universities to recruit andprovide internships so that young folks get exposure to ourindustry and a feel for what we do.

What are your main priorities as a youngagent? At this stage in my life, my priority iswork/life balance. To me this means devoting adequate time togrowing my book of business, spending time with my family,participating in industry associations and events, as wellreligious and charitable organizations.

Rachael Rizzi was featured inthe March 2012 issue of AA&B. She isa senior sales executive, commercial insurance atOrgill/Singer & Assocs.