Be the Quarterback of Your Insurance Strategy!

Kirk Conole • March 7, 2021

I sat in the office of a man overseeing operations for one of the nation’s largest insurance brokers and asked the secret to their success. He laughed, “We get to know the client really well. When the client’s wife goes shopping, the broker’s wife takes her and pays for everything on our corporate card. If he ever ended his relationship with us, his wife would divorce him!” If you don’t believe anything else about property and casualty brokers, know this: insurance brokers are relationship experts. Could this be a problem?


A powerful web of conflicting interests is spun when 93% of the USA’s $900 billion property and casualty insurance premiums passes through the hands of brokers who work for both the carrier and premium payer. You might be the hapless prey caught in this web until you use a strategy that gives you the insight, power and control to free yourself and drive down your costs substantially!


Why not try DCI’s “3-Step Strategy”?

  1. See each broker as a receiver and see yourself as the star quarterback.
  2. Spread the field.
  3. Throw a better “Football” (the submission package).


#1. As Quarterback, you should have 3-5 great receivers (brokers) to pass to.


Every broker wants to be the quarterback. “I’ll take charge of everything and run the plays,” he assures you, “I have access to all markets.” The problem is access doesn’t guarantee success any more than calling (202) 456-1111 guarantees you’ll reach the President of the United States. Success requires that you have clout. With “direct writer” carriers who pay no broker commissions – your broker has no clout and no interest. Brokers have their greatest influence with a handful of carriers who get the bulk of their business. When a broker solicits multiple carriers and certain ones “decline to bid,” the carrier isn’t necessarily declining you. The might just be declining your broker. This is why you need 3-5 brokers to access 10-20 markets with maximum success.


Great brokers working their best markets are like receivers running their routes and not crossing into another’s. Whoever can create the greatest gain (price plus service) is the one who receives the business for that year.


#2 Throw to a wider field – Not just brokers/carriers in your city.


Though insurance carriers in different cities go by the same name, some function better than others and all run as independent profit silos. Knowing where best to enter the market is critical. Often it’s not the region where you’re headquartered. An oil company working in California’s San Joaquin Valley discovered that his carrier’s Houston office was more proficient and cost effective than its west coast office. There are analysts with databases identifying the best carriers in various cities throughout the nation, and the top performing brokers who are aligned strongly with them.


#3. Use a better football – Improve your submission package.


Can you imagine being the quarterback in an NFL game and having your center snap you a Nerf Football? Every time the typical broker volunteers to write the submission package by putting together a few pages here and there, you end up playing with a Nerf Football. The submission package is your football, the document each broker uses to command best pricing from his preferred insurance carriers. Do not assume your awesome broker creates an awesome submission package. Brokers are relationship experts but a thoroughly prepared submission package that can be used to drive down premiums 20% is not his core expertise. When you play with “Nerf” submission packages, there will be gaps in the narrative and the underwriter will compensate by hedging the premium upward. That hurts you.


The quality of your quotes requires a thorough, precise, and independently developed submission package written by a 3rd-party analyst specializing in writing submission packages. The expert:


  1. Conducts interviews to thoroughly understand your operations.
  2. Prepares a uniform bid document (RFP).
  3. Verifies technical accuracy of all your contract terms/conditions/endorsements, etc.


(In one case, the analyst found a gap and advised coverage where the broker had not seen any gap. Months later, there was $600,000 loss, which, because the client took action on the analysis was completely covered, but just in the nick of time.)


All responding brokers are given a certain date to bring you their best quote and answer your questions regarding their servicing capabilities. When you, the newly empowered star quarterback, are empowered with the three-step strategy you’ll be throwing touchdowns every play.


Can you keep your current broker? That’s up to you, the quarterback. If your broker is your close friend, you can always remain friends, and with your saved money you can write your friend a check to make him/her whole on any lost commission. You’d still have so much saved money leftover you could send all your employees and their spouses on a shopping spree! We invite you to take the field and use DCI to win every game from here-on-out.


Interested in what DCI’s 3 Step Strategy to reduce insurance premiums can do for you? Email us at info@dcisolutions.net for a no-cost analysis

Why Do Companies Just Renew Their P&C Insurance?

By Kirk Conole • August 27, 2026
Every year, companies renew millions of dollars in Property & Casualty insurance with essentially the same process: The broker presents the renewal. Executives review it. Maybe there’s a discussion about rates or coverage changes. Then the company signs. Why? Often, it comes down to two assumptions: “Our broker does a good enough job.” Or: “It’s too messy to look into right now. We’ll just have to trust our broker.” But there’s an important question between trusting your broker and automatically renewing: How certain are you that your broker eliminated every meaningful coverage gap and left $0 on the table?  If the answer is anything less than “absolutely certain,” an independent review may be worth considering.

How to Find Out If You’re Overpaying for Property & Casualty Insurance

By Kirk Conole • August 13, 2026
Many companies assume the only way to find out whether they're overpaying for Property & Casualty insurance is to shop the account. That usually means involving the broker, approaching carriers and potentially disrupting the market. But there is another option: independent, confidential verification. A company can evaluate its current insurance program to determine where it may be overpaying, where coverage gaps may exist and which appropriate markets may have been overlooked, without immediately alerting the incumbent broker or approaching carriers. That means no awkward broker conversation, no market disruption and no commitment to make a change.

Does Your Sales Process Fail the "Boomer Test"?

By Kirk Conole • August 5, 2026
When was the last time you called your own company to see what a prospective customer experiences? You might be surprised. While websites, chatbots, and AI assistants have transformed how businesses communicate, one fact hasn't changed: many buyers, especially executives and decision-makers over 60, still prefer to pick up the phone when they're ready to make a purchase. That's often the moment of highest buying intent. So what happens when they call? Too often, they're greeted by an outdated phone system that sounds like it hasn't changed since the 1990s: "Thank you for calling... For Customer Service, press 1... For Billing, press 2... For Technical Support, press 3... For Sales, press 5..." After navigating the menu, they're rewarded with another message: "The person you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please leave your name and number. Someone will return your call." At that point, many prospects don't leave a voicemail. They call your competitor instead.

Is Google Quietly Increasing Your Customer Acquisition Costs?

By Kirk Conole • July 29, 2026
Google Ads has always evolved, but a few recent changes have made it more difficult for businesses to control where their advertising dollars go. Three changes, in particular, can have a direct impact on your customer acquisition costs (CAC): Expanded "exact match" keywords to include broader "close variants." Shifted more bidding decisions to AI-driven automation. Reduced transparency into how advertising prices are determined. At first glance, these updates may sound like improvements designed to increase reach and efficiency. In reality, they can also result in your ads appearing for searches you never intended to target. For example, you might bid on the exact-match keyword [auto insurance Encinitas] , expecting your ads to appear only for that specific search. Instead, Google may show your ad for broader searches it considers to be a "close variant." While some of those clicks may be valuable, others may come from users who are unlikely to become customers. The result is simple: More irrelevant clicks Higher advertising spend Lower campaign efficiency Increased customer acquisition costs Many businesses assume rising advertising costs are simply the new normal. In reality, a portion of that increase may be caused by how campaigns are configured and how Google's automated systems are making decisions on your behalf.  That doesn't necessarily mean you need to replace your marketing agency. It does mean it's worth taking a closer look at where your advertising dollars are going. At DCI Solutions , our independent advertising audit is designed to uncover wasted ad spend, identify hidden inefficiencies, and provide objective recommendations, all while allowing you to continue working with your current agency if you choose. Before increasing your advertising budget, make sure you're maximizing the one you already have.
Blue ad: “Legacy copper costs more every month” with cable rack and cost icons from DCI Solutions.

Why Legacy Copper POTS Lines Are Becoming One of the Most Expensive Telecom Costs You Don't Know You Have

By Kirk Conole • July 8, 2026
Legacy copper POTS lines are driving up telecom costs. Conduct audits to identify savings. Contact us for help!
Construction promo graphic: “Structuring beats shopping,” claiming $1 million saved on insurance premiums.

Why Structuring Construction Insurance Beats Shopping It

By Kirk Conole • June 23, 2026
Many construction firms assume the best way to lower insurance costs is to shop their coverage to as many carriers as possible. In reality, that approach often produces the same result: multiple quotes based on the same flawed assumptions, inflated values, and standard market pricing.  Recently, a builder reduced construction insurance premiums by more than $1 million without a traditional shopping exercise. The savings came from restructuring the program before it ever reached underwriting.

The Oracle Java Call That Can Turn Into a Six-Figure Licensing Problem

By Kirk Conole • June 19, 2026
For many IT leaders, it starts with what sounds like a routine phone call. Oracle reaches out requesting a "quick discussion" about your Java environment. The conversation is typically positioned as a support check-in, a licensing update, a security discussion, or a general review of your organization's Java usage. On the surface, it appears harmless. In reality, the discussion often serves a much different purpose: determining whether Oracle Java exists anywhere within your environment. Once that is established, the conversation tends to shift quickly. Questions may include: How many employees does your organization have? Who is using Oracle Java? Which systems rely on it? Are contractors or subsidiaries involved? How broadly is Java deployed across the enterprise?  At that point, the licensing exposure calculation begins.
Blue Collar Workers tax credit flyer with earnings examples and white text on a dark banner

Are You Actually Capturing Every WOTC Tax Credit?

By Kirk Conole • June 10, 2026
Many employers who hire blue-collar workers assume they're receiving every available Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). The reality is that many companies lose valuable tax credits simply because the process isn't being monitored correctly. One of the easiest ways to verify compliance is through a monthly reporting system. A simple report should clearly show: New hires screened on time Missed forms Late submissions Overall compliance percentage In the example below, the employer achieved: 100% of new hires screened on time 0 missed forms 0 late forms That level of compliance helps ensure tax credits are protected and available when it's time to file. The problem is that many organizations never receive this type of visibility. Without regular reporting, missed screenings and late paperwork can quietly eliminate tax credits that should have been captured. The financial impact can be significant. Even a relatively small number of qualified hires may generate thousands of dollars in tax savings. In many cases, companies discover additional opportunities through an independent audit of their tax credit and operational processes. A thorough forensic review often uncovers overlooked savings, compliance gaps, and process inefficiencies. For many organizations, the combined effect can translate into meaningful cash flow improvements without changing vendors, disrupting operations, or taking on additional risk. The question isn't whether WOTC credits exist for your workforce. The question is whether you're capturing every dollar you're entitled to. When was the last time an outside expert reviewed your process?  Being busy is understandable. Leaving money on the table isn't.

Your Claims Report Is Probably Noise. Your Census Data Is the Real Signal.

By Kirk Conole • June 4, 2026
For decades, employers have been conditioned to believe that health insurance claims reports are the key to understanding healthcare costs. They're not. In fact, by the time most employers receive a claims report, the information is already historical. It tells you what happened, not what's likely to happen next.  That's a problem when healthcare spending continues to rise and employers are being asked to make critical decisions about funding strategies, stop-loss coverage, network selection, and employee benefits.
Man walking on a road at sunset with bold text about hard work, discipline, and performance standards.

The Hardest Thing I’ve Done, And What It Taught Me About Performance Standards

By Kirk Conole • May 27, 2026
Learn how high performance standards reveal hidden savings in your business. Contact DCI Solutions for expert cost management today!