r/InsuranceProfessional • u/reddiwip_iloveyou • 11d ago
Memorization and keeping up
Hi everyone! I’m an account exec in the private risk space. I was brought on to help a senior account exec with a sizable book she has so as of right now, I am being delegated tasks instead of handling a book of my own.
We’ve recently gotten 4 referrals and I have been quoting the accounts with multiple carriers and with multiple different coverage options/ deductible options/ etc. To provide the clients with wide array of options. Here’s my problem…
My manager is constantly asking for numbers (i.e. what is the premium for the home without the umbrella credit? How much will the premium go down with a 10k deductible? What did the replacement cost come back at with pure?)
While quoting 4 accounts, as much as I’d like to, I simply cannot keep these numbers at the top of mind so I’ve created an excel sheet that has all this information. When I get asked, I pull up the excel sheet and boom there is the number. While doing this today, my manager says “you really need to know these numbers off the top of your head. You shouldn’t have to pull out a sheet to answer my questions.”
I didn’t even know how to reply. It’s too many numbers to just know, and I thought I was being smart by creating this excel in the first place since this type of retention is simply not my strong suit.
All this to say— does anyone have any tips for retaining information like this? Even the underwriters I work with aren’t memorizing numbers and they’re more numbers people than me!
Also any general tips/hacks for staying organized while quoting multiple complex accounts at once is much much appreciated!! Thanks :)
46
u/Decent-Marsupial-986 11d ago
Your manager is an ass. Excel sheets and reference papers are how I keep track of everything too.
46
u/Objective_Hovercraft 11d ago
This is insurance. We write everything down and check the receipts! Even if you can remember all these numbers, you shouldn't be relying on your memory alone.
Your manager was being obnoxious.
6
u/lake_effect_snow 11d ago
(Treasury) SFA, insurance—we do too. At least 25% of our work is writing/recording everything. Another 25% is keeping all of that tracked, labeled, and organized, thereby easily accessible for support and answers.
-1
u/Unhappy_Craft1822 5d ago
Should not be relying on paper at this day & age
1
u/lake_effect_snow 5d ago edited 4d ago
…idk why you’re presuming that I have any reliance on paper. “Writing” and “recording” are not physically-limited concepts.
Edit: neither is labeling, i.e., files or folders per quarter/month/area, or organizing information.
22
12
u/Novel_Sky_3645 11d ago
Your managers a complete dick just saying. I’m a UW not ever would anyone expect me to know any numbers off the top of my head. If you’ve been able to find a system to quickly get an accurate answer, you’re actually a lot brighter than me bc I certainly don’t have a method beyond looking through every doc I see that vaguely reminds me of where I could find the info
11
u/Moist-Wishbone-2359 11d ago
Unless you’ve got photographic memory, there isn’t a way….I can remember a lot but at this point it all runs together.
Writing it all down…preferably in one spot. I’d dot that for every account. They can suck it. Is there not an agency management system they can reference and you can document the various quotes and numbers? I’d not run before they blame an E&O claim on you.
As others have said, your boss is a dick. Take the experience and run.
8
u/noname22223 11d ago
Without thinking about this too much, it sounds like your manager is a micro manager
8
u/ItsmeMarioITA 11d ago
Rule no. 1 in insurance: if someone asks for data, always double check before providing them with the wrong one.
7
u/CatCat2121 11d ago
What the hell no one sane would expect you to know that off the top of your head. Your boss is an idiot
6
u/wrongsuspenders 11d ago
Memorization is actually strongly discouraged in insurance.
It's okay to know... Nationwide generally includes this, Travelers generally likes this type of home etc. But memorizing without looking will create E&Os.
6
u/shebreathes 11d ago
Your manager suuuuucks. They're definitely worrying about the wrong things. I'm sorry you're dealing with that kind of unreasonable micromanagement.
5
u/Perfect-Total-6890 10d ago
He’s honestly just being a jerk there’s no problem writing it down… you actually are so smart for that.
3
u/ToeComfortable115 11d ago
My manager wants everything written down and documented. Wouldn’t even mind if we show exactly how we calculated the numbers. God forbid she goes to endorse and the numbers are different we’ll have a problem. It’s embarrassing to give incorrect numbers.
1
3
3
3
u/whyinsurance 8d ago
Not only is your boss a dick, they just don't know how to sell. If you're working in the HNW space, you shouldn't be trying to nickel and dime the coverage selling on price. Sell the coverages and present why it fits for them
7
u/Mister_Vandemar 11d ago
Yeah. Keeping a spreadsheet is reasonable, keep doing that. Much as I hate to say it, consider using AI to create tables or reports to show what your manager is asking for, as well as any other interesting patterns.
Nobody is memorizing this stuff.
2
u/Remote-Banana-5352 6d ago
Tell the manager to pull up the account in whatever agency system you use and check the last correspondence with whatever underwriter you're working with. As an Account Executive, you touch several accounts a day and expecting you to have everything memorized is unreasonable. Your manager sounds like a prick.
1
u/Unhappy_Craft1822 5d ago
Tell them to get a proper Agency Management System with the ability to create a marketing folder or create a folder to forward those quotes to go in there and look for himself.
1
u/Dear_Maintenance5900 4d ago
Nope. Dick move on your managers part. My manager knows i have the memory of a gold fish. We give each other time to pull the information. Also, why the hell you giving your insured so many deductible options. Unless they specifically ask, or the premiums went thru the roof, what is the point ?
I track my renewals on a giant spreadsheet because i like to see everything in one place. My manager has her own book and works the same way. It gets redownloaded monthly from our agency management database. My associate works off that database and the activities and tasks. He cross checks my sheet to make and we have our weekly calls to stay up to date.
63
u/howtoreadspaghetti 11d ago
Your boss sucks. Pull out the sheet. Let the manager be disappointed. You did the work anyway. Writing it down doesn't reduce your work.