2020 vision glasses Recent elections have shown that the country is divided nearly 50/50 over many political figures and hot-button issues. (Image by Chris Nicholls)

Public speaking can be a valuable way for brokers to build their reputation and recognition as thought leaders in the community. It also can be a potential landmine in these politically charged times, as Ken Stevenson is well aware.

"I was asked to speak to a civic organization about the Affordable Care Act shortly after it passed," says Stevenson, vice president, employee benefits, for the Earl Bacon Agency in Tallahassee, Florida. "The president of the organization pulled me aside beforehand and said, 'I want you to know we have a lot of Democrats here, so please be sensitive to that.'

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader

Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:

  • Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Agency Management
Sales & Marketing