The future‘s bright if your a specialist with Chris Withers, Ecclesiastical

<p>Are you unsure as to what kind of broker you are, or wish to be? Do you have a vague understanding of where your interests lie, and wish to reorient yourself and/or your business towards them? Are you interested to learn the various benefits and potential pitfalls of being a generalist or a specialist broker?</p> <p>In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Chris Withers, the Broker Distribution Director for Ecclesiastical Insurance, about the firm’s recent research into broker specialism and generalism. The recently published whitepaper identifies four key broker personas, distinguished by their inclination towards specialist or generalist tendencies. In conversation with Boston Tullis’ Sarah Myerscough, Chris explains the findings of the study and identifies the advantages and pitfalls of each broker persona type, culminating in a fascinating discussion about how the broking market will evolve in years to come.</p> <p> </p> <p>Quote of the Episode</p> <p>‘The future’s bright if you’re a specialist.’</p> <p>This notion concludes Ecclesiastical’s research report, composed after the initial survey and a series of roundtable discussions featuring brokers across the generalist-specialist spectrum. This suggests that there is a significant benefit to the particular market knowledge which specialism entails, and that this will prove increasingly fruitful as the market develops over the next few years. That being said, the very nature of specialism and generalism appears to be evolving. As Chris notes in the episode, broker consolidation is a rapidly growing part of the industry. Specialist brokers who have a particular niche within the market may soon find themselves as part of a major distributor, who may present themselves as a generalist provider with pockets of specialism. Thus, generalism is by no means a drawback, but incorporating elements of specialism into your firm, or developing a few particular niches as an individual broker may ultimately prove advantageous.</p> <p> </p> <p>Key Takeawa