The feedback on the video blog came flooding in, we even made backchat, seems most of you appreciated my willingness to make a fool of myself! I wonder once John has departed will I manage to force myself out of my comfort zone quite so much, in a strange sort of way I hope so, though maybe a purple mermaid costume is a once in a lifetime thing!

I can’t believe it’s the first Friday in Feb, 5 weeks into my new job, with my new boss who is out and about getting to know as many brokers as possible.  Like most I spent January trying to exercise, be healthier and cut down my alcohol intake, although sometimes I think I’m in the wrong job for all that, plus the fact I’m far too easily led astray.

A whole month and a bit into the new year and the general consensus seems to be that we’re gearing up for another tough one. Certainly customers and clients are yet to see a light at the end of the tunnel. So when something hits your desk that makes you smile, makes you proud, makes you think it’s all worth it, then you have to make the most of it. This is a year to savour the silver linings.

For me, seeing the quote below was the highlight of my January:

I’m an insurance broker and like us all I love to moan about the insurers we represent. If they paid us 99% commission and issued policies within 30 seconds of inception we would still complain about remuneration and service, that’s what we do!

But wait, did I really find myself saying today that Aviva are really helping us with their latest promotional material and window stickers and adverts? Did I really say that the Personal Best equivalent rates appearing on my CSC system are really coming up trumps for us? Did I really say that our account manager Dave Elsey is taking such an interest in us and being in useful regular contact? Did I really come back from the BIG seminar recently hosted by Jo and the gang enthused about Aviva caring about and helping the smaller broker?

The answer to all these questions is amazingly, YES, so well done all at Aviva, long may it continue.

The reason I love this is because it captures so much what we’re trying to do, trying to be for brokers. If I am asked to prepare a presentation this is what I want to say, this one quote tells me it’s all worthwhile.

That’s not to say I don’t get my fair share of complaints to deal with, speak to my fair share of brokers who tell me it’s not working. But this quote tells me the art of the possible, the silver lining, and as I said this feels like another year where we have to make every single lining count.

Here’s to silver linings.

Take care

Jd

(Quote provided by Gary Stockbridge – Abacus Insurance Services on the Aviva Broker B.I.G. Forum, 22nd January 2010)