“Honestly, it’s been like a dream come true. You’re not an appointed representative, you’re not working on commission-only, your time really IS your own, you can pick your clients, your markets and basically do the job the way you’ve always wanted to – AND you get paid well for it.”
Matt James, from Norwich, started working as a Client Director at Konsileo two years ago. He has a well-established book and specialises in courier and fleet insurance.
“I think winning your first case as a new broker is always a special moment, and I’ve been building momentum from there. And Konsileo make it easy. The system is so streamlined and so easy to use you can get people on cover really fast (and compliantly!). I’ve had some really good months and wins, one in particular is an Amazon fleet, over 6 figure premium.
Prior to joining this role, Matt had never heard of Konsileo before getting a call out of the blue. Frustrated with working for big corporations, he was ready for a change – but couldn’t believe what Konsileo was offering was real.
Matt says: “I thought, how on earth can this be a real-life job? I think I only really let myself believe it when my first Konsileo pay cheque cleared – and it was actually in pounds and not random Bitcoin!
“The transition to something so radically different can be a little bit scary, but here to tell you that it’s not too good to be true, it’s brilliant, and I’d personally never leave here now.”
Clients come first
“Before I started at Konsileo, I’d very much lost my love for the job,” continues Matt. “I’ve always seen broking as being about helping people – only it didn’t always feel like that. In previous roles I’d found it demoralising to be confined to having to place business with certain providers, to be in constant competition with colleagues, constantly micro-managed, and to face these ever-growing targets.
“At Konsileo, the client comes first, and that’s the way it should be. I’m here to get them the right price and get them protected – not to make maximum commission. Now I can get the right policy from the right place, which is liberating. Everything is done transparently and openly, and you collaborate with and share income with colleagues through virtual team contracting to get the best deals and deliver the best service.
“You’re certainly not left to flounder on your own. I speak to my coach every week, a client director who’s been at Konsileo longer and has different specialisms to me, and I work closely with a group of colleagues who work on the same classes of business. Just one message on Teams and I’ve also got advice and support from 100 other brokers, too.”
The induction process
Matt, who is DIP CII qualified, joined the team in September 2022, and he wasn’t exactly looking forward to the induction process. He continues: “It’s fair to say I was not feeling thrilled by the prospect of a month being glued to my desk and my screen! On paper, it looked awful – but I couldn’t have been more wrong! It was exactly the introduction and the start I needed. It was informal, interactive, and practical in terms of thinking about how your business is going to work and what you need from Konsileo to make it a success.
“Despite that, those first few days afterwards when you’re sat on your own suddenly in control of your own destiny can feel quite unsettling. You have to unlearn those 9 to 5 habits and let go of that feeling of being watched and having to prove yourself every minute of every day.
“I was ready, though. I think as you get older your value your time more, and I’ve really found my freedom alongside a renewed love for broking. If I want to take the dog out I can pop out for an hour, if I need to take the car to the garage I can do that – I can go to the doctor, or take a swim at lunchtime, because I can manage my own time and my own workload.
“My wife tells me I’m so much less stressed, now. Or at least less moody! I don’t think I realised quite how much my job was impacting me – and her. Now I love my job and I wake up every day excited about what I’m going to do and what I’m going to win. It’s been a long time since I had that feeling. I highly recommend it.”
Off to a flying start
Matt started off by pouring energy into lead generation – which paid off almost immediately with a big case. Now he has an established book, with plenty of referrals and new business, is set to be exactly where he wants to be at the end of the year. Matt is looking forward to doing more business next year and seeing how the company and himself grow.
“The really good news is that I’ve stopped wondering what the catch is. Konsileo does what it says it will – and I suppose that if there is a catch it’s that it’s not for everyone. You have to be able to operate independently and motivate yourself. If you need someone else to tell you what to do and when to do it and serve you up leads on a silver platter – maybe it’s not for you.
“But if you want a change, if you want your freedom – find out more about Konsileo. Because if you keep doing the same thing over again at the same sort of broker, you’ll end up with the same result, the same red tape, the same targets, the same restrictions. If you do something different, it could be a whole new start – and a whole new lease of life.”
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