Christmas is a time for reflection, a time when most of us think about the past year and wonder how it went so quickly, writes Andy Talbot, sales manager at ARAG. I couldn't help but notice the changes over the past three years at our recent Christmas party. Our first was a rather quiet affair with just six of us going out for a pizza while last week there were over thirty staff dancing the night away.

2009 has been a year of growth, our German shareholders use the simple but somewhat disturbing phrase 'coming off the breast' to define our profitable status. The challenge now, is to provide dividends, which is far cry from only a few years ago when we were just setting off and the pressure was on generating sales.

I've also been thinking about ideas I could share as people prepare for the next year. A fresh start to the calendar is often a prompt for setting new personal targets. In 2006 we took the leap to start ARAG and perhaps my experience will be of use to others.

We had the luxury of working in serviced accommodation for seven months before our official launch. It was during this time that we fine tuned the business plan and applied for our FSA authorisation. Having time on my hands I sought advice from an 'old hand' of start-ups Tony Lumsden Cook who very sadly recently passed away.

I had worked with Tony previously at Cox Underwriting and more relevantly Oak. I described the sales plan and asked for advice. He gave me a few nuggets of guidance that day, but one stuck out above all others and even now it is what I would like to highlight for you all.

He predicted that we wouldn't win those accounts we had put down as very likely but these would be more than compensated for by winning others that we didn't give much hope for. As I review our growing client base while setting targets for 2010, his predictions were spot on.

Just goes to show, experience is indeed the best teacher.

Whatever your business objectives are for the new year I'd just like to take this chance to wish you a happy Christmas and a great New Year.

Comment

If you would like to comment on this blog please post below or email pbeditorial@incisivemedia.com

A flurry of press and party invitations have meant a busy couple of weeks in insurance writes Andrew Tjaardstra, editor, Professional Broking.

My story of the last few weeks has been: the top of Tower Bridge (Sterling), the Tower of London (Groupama), a Dover Street wine bar (Oak Underwriting), a top ten London restaurant (MI the London-focussed part of Open GI), AIG's board room or dining room, Boisdale - a London-based Scottish cigar and jazz restaurant (LV), and a West End pub (with PR and marketing agents FWD). Good to see insurers and brokers still know how to enjoy themselves and that the entertainment industry is being given an injection of life over the Christmas period.

At the Tower of London I bumped into Stevie Sutherland of Kwik Fit, who has relatively recently joined the company as business development manager. He said he was shocked by the number of evening invitations, lunches etc. he had received to since joining the industry but he certainly wasn't complaining.

Seeing the 'Ceremony of the Keys' at the Tower was a memorable experience - a nightly event at the Tower for the last seven hundred years. Also the gold punch bowl in the exhibition of the Crown Jewels is incredible; it holds over 100 hundred bottles of wine - our kings and queens, along with those in insurance, know how to have a good knees up!

With the likes of Paul Picknett - Groupama's 'director of fun' pulling the strings, broker managers are guaranteed a Christmas fit for royalty for years to come.

Tony Lumsden-Cook

It is with great regret that we have to report that the founder of Oak Underwriting, Tony Lumsden-Cook has sadly passed away. We wish all the best to his family and colleagues.   

Reader offers

A reminder that PB is giving away free disaster recovery worth £425 to all our brokers in association with First Recovery. Please click here for more info and quote the reference PBFR09.

In addition, we have negotiated for our readers 15% off all spends of over £100 at Bibendum Wines. Click here for their list and quote the reference PB MED15.

Alternatively enter our competition to win a bottle of champagne courtesy of Bibendum Wines. 

Comment

If you would like to comment on this blog please post below or e-mail pbeditorial@incisivemedia.com