Q&A WITH CHRIS MILLER

Chris Miller, CIC is a principal agent with Miller Insurance Protection Team, a full-service independent agency in Jonestown, PA. Chris also serves on the Insurance Agents & Brokers Board of Directors.

Q. While you grew up around insurance, when did you decide to make a career of it? And what was the draw?

A. And here I thought everyone grows up wanting to be an insurance agent! While I did start at the agency fresh out of college, the truth is I didn’t even entertain the thought until the last few months prior to graduation. Being that Miller Insurance was a multi-generational agency laid amazing groundwork, but from the outside looking in, it was definitely a “legacy” agency in the truest sense of the word. Having a very strong technology background, I thought retooling this beast would be a fun challenge. It sure has lived up to that expectation.

Q. You’ve been in the industry for 12 years. What do you know now that you wish you had known when you started?

A. This question made me audibly laugh. While it’s tangentially related, when you actually stop and recognize the vast change that has taken place in this industry over that short period, it’s shocking. It makes those two bookends almost incomparable. While these might not be revolutionary, let’s call this “The Top 5 Things I Wish Were Beat into My Head the First Day … That Still Hold True.”

1. If you win on price, you will lose on price.

2. The sales process does not start with prospects; they all begin as suspects. Consequentially, never try to qualify a suspect. You will save yourself an incomprehensible amount of time if you try to disqualify them first.

3. Every agency has a personality. Find the clients that fit yours. Ignore the rest.

4. After decades, and more than a century for some, your carriers still do not understand what actually occurs in an agent’s office.

5. We are not in the insurance business, we are in the relationship business.

Q. You’re a techie, so tell us: What’s the most exciting development you’ve seen in the independent agency channel? And what tech is still lacking?

A. The most exciting is technology becoming more accessible and catering to the independent agent. A lot of agents bemoan the InsurTech movement, but there are just as many solutions being built to enhance the IA channel as there are to challenge it. The way I see it, there is little technology lacking in our space. Surely there’s no shortage of antiquated systems, but there are countless solutions for each.

What our industry is missing so badly is the fabric in between. We’re living in this world of silos, and our data is held captive. AMS partners, carriers, and tech vendors (the only willing party) don’t speak to one another; don’t share. While some claim to “integrate,” the result is a poor excuse for it. If our channel is going to survive, it’ll be by leveraging data, so it’s high time these walls are torn down.

Q. As life starts to settle, many of us are reflecting on the past year. What lessons will you – and Miller Insurance as a whole – take away from the pandemic?

A. Make everything a learning opportunity. Teach your clients a new way to do business and your team a different way build relationships. As an individual or an organization, the minute you stop learning you start dying.

Q. Thank you for your ongoing involvement with IA&B – from volunteering on a Member Agent Panel, the Futures Program Task Force, and now the IA&B Board of Directors. What drives your commitment to our organization? And why would you encourage others to get involved?

A. The resources of IA&B were an integral part of my training and consequential success, so giving back is important. Speaking with others at national events, you’re quick to realize that partners with the density of resources that IA&B offers are hard to come by. From education and legal advocacy to market access, our membership is invaluable.

Q. Congratulations on your 2019 election to the Lebanon City Council! Tell us about the experience of running for public office and now serving on council.

A. Well it’s eye-opening, but running for office was a lot of fun! You get the opportunity to meet so many interesting people you never knew were part of your own community. I had to laugh during the process though, because the insurance industry has made me so numb to knocking on random doors and holding conversation; it’s just second nature. Many of my opponents lamented “doing doors” or just didn’t, and it showed in the results. After all, second is the first to lose!

On a serious note, serving on Council really gives you a different perspective. It makes you put your ear to the ground and listen to the heartbeat of a city, the good and the bad. It’s truly exciting to be part of where we’re heading.

Q. When this issue of Primary Agent hits agency mailboxes, it will be summertime. Any plans for travel or outdoor adventure?

A. Always. I’m a travel junkie and the rock climbing, kayaking, scuba diving type, so adventure usually isn’t in short supply. Sadly, a lot is still up in the air surrounding international travel right now so nothing concrete in that department, but there’s an itch needing a solid scratch for sure. I am lucky enough to have the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail less than a mile from home, so I spend a good bit of recharge time out there this time of year.