Peter Simpson, Director and Insurance Broker of Ausure Osborne Park, Perth, WA, has won the Ausure Group’s Uberrima Fides Award for 2010. This award recognises an individual who acts and promotes the Ausure Group in accordance with the company values of ethics, professionalism, integrity and support for fellow Ausure team members.
The Ubberima Fides Award is given in honour of Ausure Insurance Brokers Foundation Members’: David Paul (first Ausure Branch, now Ausure Moree), Foster Brown (now Ausure Hunter Valley), Tim Dale (Ausure Echuca) and Henri Rasanen (Insure for you, Canberra.
Freelance Journalist Gill Lilley interviewed Peter Simpson after he received this prestigious award at the Ausure Conference in Sydney:
1) What was your reaction at winning this award? “Absolutely astounded and speechless as it was totally unexpected,” says Peter.
2) Brief bio of yourself and company? “I could be called a late starter in the insurance industry. I commenced in 1998 with Tower Australia but gradually found I was not suited to life insurance. I was working with a small operation called Blue Dolphin Financial Services. The owner of the business was a multi-agent with AMP and others. After a few years I discovered I was better suited to General Insurance. I did the hard yards and I was my first client and gradually built up a portfolio of my own.”
“The first five years were very difficult, “ recalls Peter, “as I was not aware that you could purchase a portfolio but thinking back this was the best way. My mentor at that time always said you had to do an apprenticeship and each year it got better. My only regret is that I did not see the potential back in 1997 when I left the Air Force and took up the offer of insurance but at that time all insurance people were crooks and viewed much the same as car salesmen.”
3) What has contributed to your success? “Hard work, a belief in myself and a wife who stood behind me.”
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4) What are your values and do you have a personal philosophy? “My core values include being honest and open with the people I deal with and my personal philosophy is to do the right thing.”
5) Best marketing strategies? “When Blue Dolphin dissolved I was fortunate to find work in what was known as Centurion Insurance Brokers. Being in the hub of action there were plenty of opportunities. I have not embarked on any marketing apart from a disastrous and costly mail-out program from which I never received one enquiry. My only strategy was to have a good referrer base and in one year I paid my referrers over $35000.”
6) Advice to new insurance brokers or other businesses starting out? “Don’t ever give up. Be true to yourself and clients. There will be times when you doubt the path you have taken and at one stage I ventured into two other businesses but soon realised I could only serve one master.”
“Do the hard yards, be involved with people who are successful and don’t hesitate to bounce things off them. Even today I use my colleagues to get their advice on aspects of insurance. Take anything that comes in the door even if a little 3rd party motor insurance as you never know what sits behind that and I am sure we all have similar stories.”
8) How has your location contributed to your business over the years? “I don’t believe location is really that important as most of my business is done via email or telephone. Over the years I have gained clients in the USA, UK, Dubai and other exotic places.”
9) Insurance tips and advice? “Have a rough idea of what you are talking about and NEVER give misleading information to get the sale. The insurance industry is vast and there are so many policies that it’s impossible for you to know each and every one in detail. If you don’t know the answer, tell your client that you will find out and get back to them.”
Peter Simpson is based at Ausure Insurance Brokers Osborne Park, Perth, Western Australia. To contact Peter, phone 08 9446 5545, mobile 0411 827 875 or email peter.simpson@ausure.com.au.
WHO IS AUSURE? Ausure Insurance Brokers has grown in the past few years to include well over 240 Authorised Representatives who are positioned throughout Australia to provide clients looking for insurance with localised, personal and proactive service.
The Ausure Group Head Office is based in Cardiff, New South Wales and operated by Managing Director Troy Brown, Chairman and Founding Director Wayne Brown, Operations Manager Graeme Lilley and General Manager Trent Brown.
Ausure Insurance Brokers received the award for the Fastest Growing Financial Services business with headquarters in the Hunter region three times during the last four years (MAP Marketing 2006, 2007 and Eclipse 2009) and was Finalist in 2010.
Ausure was also selected as Small Business Champion Award State Finalist for the last two years running (Commonwealth Bank, 2008 and 2009) and National Finalist in 2010. Ausure’s Founding MD Wayne Brown was State Finalist in the Small Business Champion Entrepreneur Awards in 2008.
-- News release issued by Gillian Lilley Writing, phone 02-4956-1135, mobile 0422-269-221,e-mail gillylilley@gmail.com.--