I remember the presentation like it was yesterday.

Sitting across from a large civil contractor, pitch deck out, confidence high. I had the brand, the market clout, the world-class resources. The script practically wrote itself. Intellectual capital, dedicated verticals, niche-specific service teams, unmatched carrier relationships, ad infinitum.

I delivered it dozens of times. And most of the time, like this time, it worked.

That was my life for seven years at Marsh. The world's largest insurance brokerage. And I was proud of it.

Then I left.

I joined a regional agency. And for the first time in my career, I found myself on the other side of that pitch. Sitting across from a prospect while some polished producer ran the exact same lines I used to run. Knowing their eyes lit up at words like "world-class resources" and "risk architect."

It was humbling. But honestly, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Because it forced me to ask a question I'd never had to ask before:

How do you beat a Marsh?

Assuming there are no glaring service, cost, or coverage issues, the answer, it turns out, isn't to try to out-Marsh Marsh. It's to reframe the entire conversation. And I’ve found the best way to do that is to turn their size from a strength to a weakness.

But, before I tell you how, a disclaimer.

I don’t thing big agencies are good or bad. I’m agnostic. To me, it’s all about the individual Producer.

I’m going to paint with a broad brush in this newsletter. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. My goal in this newsletter is to empower smaller shops, not crap on bigger shops.

There’s a place for both in the mid-market. So please don’t send me a nasty DM or unsubscribe.

I want to see everybody win. And being an ardent believer of the “abundunce mindset”, I think it’s totally possible.

Fair enough?

Ok, let’s get into it.

Here are three talk tracks that can help any smaller or regional agency differentiate from the big boys.

#1. Higher Splits Mean More Time & More Attention

Here's a number you’ve probably never thought to share with a prospect:

Your commission splits.

Larger agencies usually pay producers less than smaller agencies.

25% of revenue is the norm, while smaller agencies frequently pay 35-40% or more.

That gap is a difference to exploit.

Walk through the math with your prospect. If you and your competitor both have a million-dollar book and they're earning 25% while you’re earning 40%, you’re taking home $150,000 more on the same book.

That means you need fewer clients to hit your goals. And fewer clients means more time, more attention, and deeper relationships with each one.

That's simple math. And business owners respect math.

Your talk track might go something like this:

"I'm not out here trying to grow a massive book just to keep my family fed. I can afford to be selective, and that means when you call, I pick up."

#2. Use Their Minimums Against Them

Every large agency has a revenue floor.

Most will tell you it's $10,000, give or take.

In reality, the accounts getting white-glove treatment are $25,000 to $50,000 and up. That crossover zone, accounts generating $10,000 to $45,000 in commission, is where the big boys are present but lacking.

If your at a smaller shop, that's your sweet spot.

A prospect in that range at a large agency is, if we're honest, a mid-tier account at best. They're not getting the senior team. They're not getting the proactive calls. They're not getting serviced like they should.

At your shop? That same account might be near the top of your book. And that changes everything.

Don't be shy about it. It's true, and clients feel the difference.

Suggested talk track:

"At a big shop, you're one of hundreds of accounts in that revenue range. At ours, you're a priority. You get our best people, our full attention, and a team that actually knows your name."

#3. Private Equity and Shareholders Come With Obligations

This is the one most producers completely overlook.

But it might be the most powerful of all.

A significant portion of large brokerages today are either PE-backed or publicly traded. That's not inherently bad. But it does create incentives that aren’t always aligned with your client's best interests.

Private equity wants top-line growth and expanding margins. To get growth, agencies push producers to sell more and hand off faster. To expand margins, they cut overhead which usually means leaner service teams, higher caseloads, and staff that's stretched thin.

The result? A client who signed up for a premium experience and got lesser service at best, or worse, a call center.

I’ve seen this more times than I can count.

You can say this plainly and professionally:

"We're privately owned. No outside investors, no public shareholders. Nobody calling us at the end of the quarter asking why the loss ratio is up. That means every decision we make is about what's best for our clients, not what's best for a board presentation. When something goes sideways on a Friday afternoon, I'm not checking with a manager in another time zone. I'm just handling it."

Business owners who've been burned by a big agency before, and there are a lot of them, will lean in when they hear this.

You Can’t Beat Them At Their Game

The big firms have resources.

They have brand recognition.

They have offices in cities you've never visited and org charts that go ten levels deep.

What they don't always have is a Producer who's truly invested, truly available, and truly accountable to the client sitting across from them in the $10,000 to $45,000 range.

If you’re at a smaller shop, that's you.

These three talk tracks don't require you to compete on resources or reputation.

They require you to reframe the conversation, and show a prospect, in concrete terms, why the way you work is actually better for them.

My advice is, unless you’re the elite of the elite, stop trying to out-Marsh Marsh. You can’t win at their game. They are at the top for a reason.

Instead, flip their size on them, and show insureds why it makes more sense to work with you.

That's how you win.

Ok, I’ve urked enough people for one day.

Here’s think link to my selling system for P&C Pros:

→ The Producer Playbook 

Kick ass take names,

Micah

P.S. Found this useful? Forward it to a Producer who's been losing deals to the big boys.