What’s the secret to staying ahead in the stop loss market? A quality product is essential, of course, but as a veteran Symetra stop loss sales manager explains, relationships are key.
The insurance world is generally portrayed as a business of numbers. But salespeople in the industry know different. It is a business of relationships.
Debbie Rotz, a Symetra regional group manager based in San Diego, has been a successful sales representative for 28 years. But the “secret” to her sales success is no secret at all. She builds long-term relationships and supports them with a quality product and a superior level of service.
“In a business that is often thought of as a commodity, the ability to build and nurture strong relationships is key,” says Rotz. “A provider/broker/TPA relationship based on mutual trust and respect will last beyond the first sale.”
Long-term Trust
Rotz knows that clients will stick with – or return to – stop loss providers that provide exceptional service. That is why maintaining relationships with brokers and TPAs is essential, even when there are no active group opportunities.
“I might go several years without helping a particular broker/TPA with one of their group prospects,” says Rotz, “but I stay in touch because I know that one day they’ll have a need that only Symetra can fill.”
That scenario played out recently for broker John Mengarelli, president of Novato, Calif.-based Alternative Risk Solutions, LLC (ARS). Mengarelli was working with a client who was unhappy with their current provider because of an unexpected gap in coverage. He brought the client to Symetra because he knew Symetra would provide a thorough, straightforward contract and great service after the close.
“Symetra’s clean, simple contract really sets them apart from their competitors,” says Mengarelli, “and their claims facility is the best in the business. We call them our ‘back room’ because they work so seamlessly with our office. In fact, my account managers have told me they wish they could write all of our business with Symetra.”
Price vs. Experience
With its long history in the business and its strong reputation for service, Symetra is a known quantity in the stop loss arena. While Symetra may not always have the lowest price, its reputation for delivering value and its longevity in the industry are key differentiators.
“Symetra has been in this business for over 30 years,” says Debbie Rotz. “We’re a consistent, reliable player who brokers, TPAs and clients trust. People come to us because they know they won’t have problems after the sale. We’re not going to sacrifice quality to be the lowest rate on a spreadsheet.”
John Mengarelli agrees.
“There are a lot of players in this business,” he says, “but Symetra’s experience, contract and service really make the difference.”
To learn more about Symetra’s medical stop loss insurance policies, visit our Loss web site, contact your contact your regional group sales manager  , or call our home office at 1-800-426-7784.
Debbie Rotz is a San Diego-based group sales manager for Symetra Life Insurance Company. She can be reached at 1-800-396-6214 or deborah.rotz@symetra.com.
John Mengarelli is president of Novato, Calif.-based Alternative Risk Solutions LLC. He can be reached at 1-866-515-3881, ext. 1 or jmengarelli@altrisk.biz.
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“In a business that is often thought of as a commodity, the ability to build and nurture strong relationships is key. A provider/broker/TPA relationship based on mutual trust and respect will last beyond the first sale.”
Debbie Rotz
Symetra Regional Group Manager
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