Understanding Clients’ Needs – Josh Bedford

“You don’t need to wear a suit and sit in an office for 7 hours a day to be a professional. In fact, in insurance broking you’re probably worth more to your clients when you actually roll up your sleeves and get stuck into what really makes them tick, what their risks are, and what they really need in terms of cover.”

Josh, based in Exeter, came to Konsileo from a large brokerage because he wanted to get back to basics. He explains: “I love being an insurance broker, but what I love about it is getting know clients and being hands on. The further you work your way up in a traditional brokerage, the further away you end up from your clients – and from the work you like doing.

“I liked some aspects of working for a big firm, but I realised I didn’t want to spend my time managing other people, managing systems, and getting bogged down in corporate processes.

“I’d say in previous roles a significant amount of my time was doing non-client facing tasks. Now 95% of my time is focused on clients, and I think that’s what they really want – proper unrestricted and ongoing attention and advice from someone who understands them and cares about them.”

Josh works with a wide range of clients across the South West, with around half his book being food and drink manufacturers – including local cider and gin producers. He’s also working with a wide range of insurers to place their cover.

He explains: “I’m dealing directly with a wider range of insurers than I ever have before, with more transparency, so I know if there’s cover out there I can get it – and it’ll be the right cover. I have instant back-up from the Konsileo team if I need market recommendations or expertise in different areas. And the tools and systems we use are intuitive and light touch, but incredibly robust.

“There’s so little time wasted now. I can crack through my list for the day without any distractions and without jumping through any hoops, and I can’t believe how much I can get done. With Konsileo I can just get on and do the job I love, and do it incredibly efficiently.”

For Josh, Konsileo has also meant a major change in lifestyle. He says: “In previous roles I didn’t enjoy working from home, because I was bringing that stress, pressure and constant scrutiny into my personal space. Now I can do things my way. I’m not working from a corporate script or logging my time. I’m being me, treating customers how I’d like to be treated, and creating my own business.

“I’m bringing more income in now than I have at any other time in my career, and I’m seeing more of it in my pay packet, too. Not only do you get a salary, but you also earn bonuses, and they grow with your book and your performance.

“At the same time, I’ve got more balance than I’ve ever had before too. To the point where I’ve been able to project manage a house build around my Konsileo job! Now we’ve moved in I get to take my girls to nursery and school in the morning, and even go for a walk with my wife of a lunchtime.