The Opportunity
A large mechanical contractor had been with the same broker since the company was founded in 1978. After 45 years with one broker, the relationship had become the default, and the client assumed their program was being actively managed and competitively priced.
The incumbent broker had told the client that, after going to market the prior year, their existing carrier was the best option available. On the surface, that suggested the account was being handled diligently. In reality, the relationship had quietly gone on cruise control, a long-tenured account that wasn't being pressure-tested the way a newer relationship would be.
The Strategy
Getting engaged with the client meant first proving that the incumbent program wasn't as strong as the client had been led to believe:
- Conducted full diligence on the existing program to identify weaknesses the client wasn't aware of.
- Clearly showed the client how and why a 45-year relationship had drifted onto cruise control, despite assurances that the account had been recently marketed.
- Took the account to market broadly and independently, rather than relying on the incumbent broker's prior market check.
- Compared results directly against what the client had been told, that their current carrier was the best option available.
That comparison became the deciding factor: it revealed the incumbent carrier wasn't actually the strongest fit once the account was properly marketed.
The Results
The market results confirmed exactly what diligence had predicted, and gave the client clear, concrete evidence that their long-standing program had room to improve:
- The client's current carrier, which the incumbent broker had positioned as the top option, ranked only fourth best once the account was fully marketed.
- The client saved over six figures by moving away from the carrier they had been placed with.
What looked like a stable, well-managed program turned out to be an account running on autopilot. Bringing real market competition back into the picture gave the client a clearer view of their options, and meaningful savings that a familiar, long-term relationship alone hadn't delivered.
