Nick Taylor-Ward has worked in insurance for over 30 years and been a CII chartered insurance broker for 14, but his latest role at Konsileo is by far his favourite. He started in September 2019, joining from one of the biggest brokerages in the world, and hasn’t looked back since.
Nick says: “When you’re a broker in a big corporation you’re just another cog in a machine. You’re basically stuck in your box and you’re not allowed out of it, so you’ve got no control and no independence. Konsileo turns all that on its head.
I was fed up
“In my last role I was increasingly fed up of being expected to squeeze clients for as much money as possible – while delivering as little service as possible. Instead of building up a relationship and looking after a client all the way through, it was all about the hard sell. Then just at the point a client needs you most – they’re palmed off to a claims team who don’t know them and don’t particularly care. That’s not my ethos and not how I want to operate.
“I was looking at setting up my own brokerage when I got a call from Konsileo. I thought it was a great model and a great opportunity.
I want to help my clients
“Konsileo has in essence allowed me to create my own boutique insurance brokerage. I’m responsible for everything from sales to administration, advice to renewals to claims – and that’s how I like it. I’m not having to delegate things away any more to other people or other departments – I get to do the job as I want to do it and offer a full, robust service.
“If I’m helping a client buy a policy I want to ensure it’s going to work for them. I want to be able to get to know them and let them get to know me. I want to be there to help them grow and keep them out of trouble! For me the role of a broker should be about being a trusted advisor, and lots of my clients come to me to talk about general business decisions beyond insurance and risk.
Community and collaboration
“Of course, the advantage of Konsileo is that you’ve got a whole community of other experts you can collaborate with. So instead of hiking across the country to see a new business premises, I can get a more local colleague to go and take a look, and give them a share of the income. We can also share knowledge, advice, markets and contacts between us to get the best options and results for clients. At Konsileo it’s all about doing the right thing, independently and together.”
Like all Konsileo brokers, Nick works from home in North Nottinghamshire. His clients are an eclectic mix including construction, motor trade, and social care organisations. Many are existing clients he’s known over 10 or 15 years, with referrals from those clients often providing new business.
Nick continues: “Working with Konsileo I’ve got a small but profitable book of business which allows me to be flexible with my time. I don’t have to run around madly writing 100 clients a month – I can concentrate on 3 or 4 big clients, earn more, and work less.
Flexibility, freedom and trust
“In my old job I was working 10+ hour days, and earning about 15% of the value of my book. Now I take home 50%. I used to get up and get in the car before the kids were dressed, and get back just as they went to bed. Now I can do the nursery and school run every day, and even fit in a trip to the gym.”
Konsileo brokers aren’t clock-watched – and they aren’t managed in a traditional hierarchy, either. Instead, people are assigned coaches who help them trouble-shoot and develop.
Nick continues: “I’m a coach and I look after 6 or 7 people, and I have a coach, too. It’s much more of a fluid exchange than a traditional performance management structure, and much more individualised. Big corporates say they invest in people, but it’s usually all tick boxes and no trousers. At Konsileo they really do care about YOU, your goals, your style, your personality, and your life.
I was made to feel special
“I’ve walked out of interviews before because I knew the fit was wrong, but when I walked into my first interview with Konsileo I was made to feel special. They wanted to talk about me not themselves, and I knew me and my book of business were in the right place.
“Not having a base or a traditional team can feel weird at first, but I find it a great way to work. Konsileo just get it right. And the flexibility, earning capability and potential quality of life you can find as a result are just brilliant.
“I’d say that if you’ve got the knowledge, if you’ve got the relationships, if you’ve got the ambition – Konsileo really is a great place to be.”
Want to find out more? Call Nick on 07976 090 701 or email him nick.taylorward@konsileo.com – you can also find him on LinkedIn
You can also contact our Head of HR, Prina Mashru, to learn more about Konsileo on 07737 603 613 or prina.mashru@konsileo.com.
