Mark Sing - Now I Know What I'm Capable Of
After starting in small offices, Mark has grown as an insurance broker since joining the industry ten years ago. His friend initially got him into insurance, and it’s the friendships created along the way that got him to stay.
“I enjoyed the social side of it, being able to really build relationships that see you through. That’s partially why I joined Konsileo – the ability to invest in the people that I want to rather than being forced to work with people I wouldn’t normally choose to work with. Coming into it, I was dubious because it sounded too good to be true, everyone on my cohort agreed. The more you get into it though, the more you realise Konsileo is everything it promises to be. It’s unbelievable. I can build my book for me, rather than just for the company, which feels really rewarding.
“Everything surprised me about working here, from who you work with to the business you write. It’s completely different to anything I’ve been able to do before, it’s so much better than I thought it would be! Everyone has been so good, you have that support network there when you first begin. It’s allowed me to be more relaxed about the type of business I’m going after because it’s no longer about the quick wins, but about investing in clients for life.”
Collaboration and New Skills
Virtual Team Contracting, or VTC, is the main mechanism through which Konsileo brokers collaborate, sharing knowledge and expertise on sectors and products. Mark explains how, for him, “the initial idea before I came was to start branching out, but the VTC changed everything. I can work with other people to help with things that I don’t usually cover, so the clients get the best outcome, and I can keep building my book. I didn’t enjoy passing business on because you wouldn’t get much for it, but here collaboration is rewarded.
“You also start to get more involved in the operations side of things. Because of the agencies we have access to, and our flat management structure, you get to know the whole process. I thought I knew a lot about ops before I joined, but then realised there’s a lot you don’t see, like negotiating rates with lead providers. It was all pre-made for you everywhere else, but here you get to help build.”
Motivation Through Community
When asked about how he keeps himself motivated, Mark describes how, “it varies – I almost flick it like a switch. You’ll have that time and then you need to change, and try not to get into your own head and withdraw. Surrounding yourself with people who are good helps massively; if you spend your time with people who have low energy, then you find yourself in the same mindset. You really get motivation from the people around you.
“Hubs are a huge motivation for me too. I became the fleet guy for our Hub, so people started to look to me as an expert. I was able to build a network of collaboration. At the Induction, the whole collaboration thing felt a bit like a buzzword. I understood it in concept, but it didn’t click for me until I put it into practice. It’s the best thing for a new broker at Konsileo to do. I worked from home during COVID and didn’t enjoy it, so that was my only big worry, but I’ve found that as much as you might be alone in person, you have people around you.”
Knowing What You're Capable Of
Asked about recent positive moments, he responded, “the award at KonsileoCon. I was worried about how much business I was writing, so it was a massive confidence boost. It calmed me down, because there’s still the element where you entertain stuff you would’ve avoided previously, so this takes the pressure off – which is always self-generated, in a way. I want to help more people get into the same position as I am. The Profit & Loss is quite shied away from, but I’ve been open all the way along and I feel it’s partly since I won the award that people have opened up more. It’s truly a mindset thing; my expectations were so high for myself but now I know what I’m capable of.”
