Peter Drucker, legendary management and marketing guru, once said, "The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer."

I frequently travel across the country to meet with agents and brokers who tell me about the increasing number of challenges they face as they work to grow their businesses — businesses that serve a vital role in their communities. I've had the opportunity to understand these issues first-hand, which is the first step in creating stronger partnerships and helping agent and broker firms keep their communities safer and more protected.

Based on what I've learned from leaders of firms across the country, there are four key ingredients to creating successful relationships in today's evolving financial services environment.

Responsiveness

Agencies, carriers and brokers alike know all too well that customer retention in the insurance and financial services industry is becoming an increasing challenge. Carriers that promptly respond to the needs of a broker are carriers that grow with brokers. A strong relationship is important, but this alone may no longer be enough to retain customers as their expectations for prompt, technologically driven solutions grow.