when clients select us as their exclusive representative in the insurance marketplace.”
What happens when a prospective client
pushes back on the fee that other agencies
that rely on commission alone aren’t levy-
FYI ON KMRD
J Unlike many agencies and brokerages,
KMRD Partners does not promote itself as
specializing in any specific industry. In fact,
says Robert Dietzel, a firm principal, KMRD
“looks forward” to competing with specialists
because “they often fail to invest the time
to truly understand the individual needs of
their clients…Specialization can lead to the
assumption that, for example, every retailer
has the same exposure and needs.”
J In addition to its standard website
( KMRDPartners.com, which is loaded with interesting case studies and a “Hall of Shame”),
the firm also recently launched a second site,
OneMinuteFromNormal.com, that features
examples of specific carriers offering what
KMRD believes are superior solutions for specific needs expressed by prospects, such as on
construction coverages or technology E&O.
ing? “When you earn every dollar and de-
liver a return on investment, it is easy to talk
about,” says McPoyle. “If a prospect does not
understand this approach, we stop our con-
versation and focus our resources on finding
clients with values that align with ours.”
The approach has paid off. The agency
grew from $12.5 million in premium vol-
ume in 2008 to $20 million in 2010. “We
developed a risk-management model that
we thought would sell well at the time, and
we were right,” Dietzel says.
“Robert and I have been in this business
for 18 years. We continue to meet executives,
CEOs and owners and show them how we
conduct ourselves. Judging from the comments we receive, I know we are doing something special here,” McPoyle says of his agency,
headquartered 20 miles north of Philadelphia
in Warrington, Pa., that employs 20 individuals, including 11 commercial-lines producers.
The agency also has an office in
Limerick, Pa. that serves the needs of small
to midsize businesses.
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October 3, 2011 | National Underwriter Property & Casualty | 23