One question I like to regularly ask myself is, “What are you excited about?” It enables me to focus on the things that move us forward, victories large and small, the projects both professional and personal that challenge and inspire you to reach new levels of satisfaction. One of the things that excites me at the moment is a new addition to the NU bullpen.
Supplying our readers the best intel possible on how to sell more effectively is one of the most important missions of this brand. To that end, in this issue we welcome new columnist Barry Seigerman, who has more than a thing or two to teach us all about how to prospect, form relationships and close the deal. Seigerman's column, “Sales for Fun & Profit,” debuts this month and will be a regular feature in this magazine and on PropertyCasualty360.com.
Considering his more than 50 years of experience in selling insurance, one would do well to heed Seigerman's wisdom.
With a loan he was literally granted on a handshake, Barry founded The Seigerman Agency in 1975 in Long Island, N.Y., as a full-service, multi-line agency and served as chairman and CEO of Seigerman-Mulvey Co. Inc. until Bank of Smithtown (N.Y.) Insurance Agents and Brokers Inc. acquired the agency in 2004—and he stayed on as president and CEO through 2007. That group, in turn, was acquired by People's United Bank in 2010. Now he's a producer for People's United Insurance Agency, the latest chapter in a very long book of business he's built through the simple power of cultivating relationships.
I met Barry in late 2013 and I quickly realized that this was a man with a wealth of street-smart experience under his belt, the kind that you don't learn in a classroom or in an online course. He also possesses no small amount of chutzpah (one of the many reasons that I like him), and I profiled him for the cover of our January 2014 issue, which I encourage you to check out.
“In all the years I've been selling I have never asked anybody to buy anything, and the close is made the first 10 minutes of your first interview with the prospect,” he told me then. “Because during those first few minutes, that person is telling you what they need and what they want—and then when it comes down to the end, you've addressed that with all the facts that they need.”
As often happens with the people I profile, Barry and I became friends and kept in touch. Over lunch this spring in one of my favorite spots in Little Italy, it occurred to me that our readers could greatly benefit from Seigerman's hard-earned experience, that it was time for him to share it with a larger audience. I asked him how he'd feel about penning a monthly column.
Seigerman was intrigued by the idea of taking on this new challenge, and within days, he'd sent me a list of column ideas. I'm thrilled to report that the results have been highly positive, and I'm eager to share them with you. His insight gives NU's readers a much-needed edge in the competitive world of selling P&C insurance.
The title “Sales for Fun & Profit” couldn't be more fitting; for Seigerman, selling is in his blood, it's something he still very much enjoys—and he'll show you how to enjoy it, too. How to sell smarter, not harder; how to make sales progress with every personal interaction you have; and how success in selling is based on the long game, not through exceptionally high, short-term goals that cause many young sales professionals to wash out.
Meet Barry Seigerman. He has some things to teach you.
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Shawn Moynihan
Shawn Moynihan is Editor-in-Chief of National Underwriter Property & Casualty. A St. John’s University alum, Moynihan has earned 11 Jesse H. Neal Awards, the Pulitzers of the business press; seven Azbee Awards, from the American Society of Business Press Editors; two Folio Awards; and a SABEW award, from the Society of American Business Editors & Writers. Prior to joining ALM, he served as Managing Editor/Online Editor of journalism institution Editor & Publisher, the trade bible of the newspaper industry. Moynihan also has held editorial positions with AOL, Metro New York, and Newhouse Newspapers. He can be reached at [email protected].
