Obtaining new clients for your safety consulting business - working with independent insurance agents and brokers ... continued

In the previous issue, we discussed obtaining new safety clients by building relationships with independent insurance agents and brokers.  Now, let's consider techniques used by three different safety consultants to maximize their relationship with insurance agents.

1. One safety consultant provides mini-seminars hosted by the insurance agent.  A specific topic such as OSHA recordkeeping, HAZCOM, machine guarding, etc. or a general topic such as an overview of OSHA regulations is agreed to by the agent and the consultant.

The agent then invites current insureds (businesses insured through the agency) and advertises to other businesses to invite them to the free seminar. This helps the agent keep more of the current insureds and to recruit new insureds.

The safety consultant provides the short seminar, usually about 2 hours including a question and answer session. This usually results in one or more of the business owners and managers in attendance hiring the consultant for further safety consulting and training services, either immediately or at a future date.

A small group can often be accommodated in the agent's office or for a larger group, meeting rooms are available at local hotels.


2. Another safety consultant produces a monthly newsletter and co-publishes it with the insurance agent.  The newsletter contains timely OSHA and safety news and tips.  The agent and the consultant share the cost of printing and mailing the newsletter and it is sent to all the agent's current business insureds.

Again, this technique usually results in requests for additional services from the consultant.


3. Finally, the third example is a consultant who has monthly "open door" time to allow insureds of the agent to come in or phone in and get answers to safety, OSHA compliance and loss control questions.  This particular consultant provides the "open door" time on the afternoon of the first Thursday in every month. The consultant uses a spare room at the agent's office to provide this service free of charge.

Again, the consultant often develops new business as a result of these contacts.  The consultant also benefits directly when the agent advertises this service to the current and prospective insureds.

The above are only three examples.  You may wish to develop other methods of maximizing your relationship with insurance agents