Rules for adjusting | Networking

In this video - part of a brand new series from AdjusterTV called The Rules for Adjusting - I'll cover Rule #2 where you'll learn just how important building relationships is for your career - and how to do it. 

Rule #2 Build Relationships

Believe it or not, but your claims career is all about people - not about how good your estimates are or how fast you are.

While those are also important, if you can't be a good human and be pleasant to be around and work with, you probably won't go very far in this work.

And that goes for your IA firm and the carriers you work for at least as much as it does when you're working with the insured and their contractor.

It really is kind of a people-person job.  There are those who say that this kind of thing can't be taught, but I don't buy that.  I absolutely think it can and not only that, it's a critical skill for your success as an adjuster or really any other role you take on in this industry - and really any other industry for that matter.

Okay what do I mean by build relationships?  In a nutshell it means getting to know the people at the firms you work for - and want to work for - and making yourself indispensable to them.  You want them to want to call you and keep you busy.

If you're wanting to be a successful property or auto IA, you need to understand that this is a very tight knit community.  You have have noticed this if you've attended the NACA convention held every January in Vegas.  The same people are there every year and even though they're working for competing firms, they're all smiling and having fun and going out to dinners together and so forth.

You may also notice - if you attend more than one NACA convention - that people switch companies.  So the lady who was the director of operations at firm A last year, is now the VP of Shared Services at firm B this year.  Did you get to know this lady last year?  Were you nice to her?  Did you overcome your fear of networking?  She's at a different company now and if she knows you.. then there's your "in" at firm B.

So building relationships starts with networking.  Attend networking events like the NACA convention and all the IA firm conferences, meet n greets, trainings, and carrier certifications you can.  Be friendly, be present, and don't be afraid to walk up and introduce yourself.  The reason any of these events exist at all is so that they can find -YOU.

Once you've started getting work.. the relationship building is just beginning.  The key thing to remember is that you're there to serve the industry.  Yes, this career can be and usually is very rewarding.  But it starts with adopting a posture of service and being ready and more than willing to take on any assignment - big or small, near or far - that your IA firm needs you to.  And to do it with a smile.

Here's a great opportunity:  you live in Dallas and you get a call from your team lead who says, "hey listen, I've got one here that is starting to go a little sideways - it's about a 4 hour drive one way from you but the last three people I called turned it down and I'm getting a little desperate.  Unfortunately, I can't give you mileage on this one either.  I'm sorry about that but it's a messed up situation.  Can you help me?"  Sounds like a garbage claims, doesn't it..

A person who is only thinking about themselves..  a person who listens to the people on social media who tell you that you always have to think about the money first or you'll get screwed..  a person who says, "I won't take any claim outside of 12 miles from my house without getting mileage"..  those people will turn this claim down.

But if you're a person who is selfless..  a person who is playing the long game..  a person who is there to help..  ......  a person who understands the value in maintaining and building this relationship with this firm..  who understands that while this particular claim might suck, the guy who is dispatching it also understands that..  that person says without hesitation and with a smile:  "yes no problem.  Send it over and I'll take care of it before the end of the week."  You make no mention of how you'll get paid, mileage, none of that.  You just take the claim and get it done.  Doesn't even matter if you lost money on it.  That's not the point.

You just made that team lead's day and, more importantly, you moved up the roster.  That manager who gave you what you both know is an awful claim is now in your debt and will be looking for ways to reward you for helping him out.

I'll say it again:  this is people-person work.  You're helping people when you take the garbage claims.  Doesn't matter why that claim became a garbage claim.  Doesn't matter who's fault it is.  You don't care.  The only thing you care about is that you eased your manager's workload a little bit by helping him out with a huge problem.  That's your immediate reward.  Your long-term reward is that you've demonstrated that you're a resource they can count on.

In this scenario, it might be said that if you say yes once, then they'll always send you the garbage claims.  I think that's debatable but even if it's true - if I really want to move up the ranks at that firm, heck yes I'm going to say yes with a smile every single time.  It's a bit like the CEO who started at the company cleaning toilets.  He's served that company at every level and even though he'll never be asked to clean toilets there again, he's probably going to do it if he's available instead of letting it sit until the cleaning crew can come in.  Just as a total aside, the best leaders are the ones who serve their customers AND employees.

Cultivate the mindset of service, always be building those relationships, and the rewards will flow to you.  More than that, you'll have built an incredibly solid foundation of character that people can see a mile away.  You'll start to get a reputation among the firms (remember how people are always moving between companies?)

Which means that opportunities will start to come to you.