Matt Bennett

• During our course we discussed the importance of merging one's personal & professional life as a means to becoming a successful broker. This is something I have always believed in, and I feel it allows me to enjoy work much more than others that I know who try to completely separate the two aspects of their lives. However, I recently experienced the professional success it can bring as well. I am very involved in a young professional organization in Decatur , IL . As a part of this group, I have been influential in organizing a number of events hosted at businesses throughout the area. I recently received a call from one of the owners I have worked with a number of times inquiring about the insurance services offered by my agency. I had never really known until this phone call how being involved in what I thought was a community improvement organization could transfer into a huge business opportunity. The family owns a large property development company in addition to a number of restaurants and retail shops. I was asked to work on the insurance for all of the organizations; including the employee benefits and personal insurance of the owners. I wrote the P&C coverage for one of the companies last week, and have set up an appointment to begin conducting the needs assessment for the other companies. The personal relationship I established through community involvement has the potential to turn into a very large professional payoff!

• The Polestar course stresses the benefits of getting involved in professional organizations that operate in a producer's target industry. A huge goal of our program is to work not only to join these organizations, but to then become known as an authority in your area of business. As I've stated before, my agency has a competitive advantage in working with the construction industry. Since I joined the agency I have been going to functions with the Associated General Contractors of Illinois . However, for the most part it has been up until recently just a way for me to meet the owners of large companies; many of which my agency already has relationships with. The Polestar course inspired me to abandon this passive approach in favor of taking on a more active role in the organization. I had a meeting with the organization's Executive Director and was asked to co-chair a committee. I will be directly working with many of my target clients during board meetings of the organization. This demonstrates how important a small amount of initiative can be. Lesson learned: "If you want something, never expect to get anywhere without first asking for it."

• The referral game continues thanks to the lessons I learned in my Polestar classes. Just yesterday while talking with a current client he mentioned a friend of his who owns a construction business he often works with. Due to his satisfaction with our agency, my client has already passed along my name to the other business owner. Yesterday he asked if I would call his friend to see if I can help him in the same way we've worked together to improve his company. Gaining an unsolicited referral may be the best feeling I've had in doing this job.Well, second best to the feeling after writing a big account.