001: Making Insurance Sexy with Mercy Komar

Are you unsure if you are entirely suited to your insurance role, and looking to make a change? Is the industry becoming more inclusive of women, and what can we do to further push these boundaries? What can we do to make insurance more appealing to the general public, and why is it important that we do so? In this week’s episode, we are thrilled to be speaking with insurance’s self-proclaimed Cyber Diva, Mercy Komar! In conversation with  Sandra Lewin, Mercy emphasises the vast array of roles on offer within insurance, granting it a ‘sexy’ appeal for anyone looking to join the industry or who may wish to make a change whilst remaining in the same business. She argues that women are at a natural advantage for selling insurance, and that a key area for boosting equality across the industry must be in the increased appointment of women in sales roles.   Quote of the Episode “You've got all kinds of different jobs in the insurance industry. Once you're in the industry, somebody will help you move into something else, if you're not happy where you are. If you're not happy with what you do, and you think it's [to do with] the business, then you should leave, because you're not ever going to be happy. But if you like the people, and you like generally like the business, just find another position. There's plenty of them!” Mercy has worked in a wide range of insurance roles across her prodigious career. She highlights that one of the key benefits of our industry is that, having accrued an understanding of its innerworkings, you can seamlessly shift into different roles, thereby gaining new skills and experience. Sandra herself began her insurance career as a broker, before later realising that she works better behind the scenes in operations, and she was able to make that transition. If your dissatisfaction with your role is derived from your environment and the culture of the company you are working for, you should make a broader change. Conversely, if you are no longer finding satisfaction with your role, or believe that your skills could be better used elsewhere, consider having a chat within your business to identify what other roles you might be suited for.   Key Takeaways If the prospect of exploring new roles in insurance sounds daunting, Mercy notes that there are thousands of women on LinkedIn who would be more than happy to help with any queries or concerns you might have in this regard. The platform offers a fantastic opportunity to network and connect with other women in the industry, particularly for those who don’t always have time to go to in-person networking events. Mercy suggests that, while insurance continues to be male dominated, a key factor to facilitating future change is the need for more women to take up sales positions. She argues that sales can generate equality, as the centre of power within all insurance businesses, and the most visible and direct driving force of profit acquisition. Thus, the more women who get into sales, the greater bargaining power we will attain when demanding that companies become more inclusive of women at strategic levels. Furthermore, she argues that women are naturally predisposed to be trusted in sales roles, as many people will instinctively take on the advice of mature women by identifying their maternal characteristics. For Mercy, securing the long-term future of the industry necessitates emphasising its allure, its ‘sexy’ qualities. She argues that in advertising our industry to the broader public, we need to highlight the following: Insurance offers a wide range of roles which you can experiment with. You can make a good living, and we get excellent benefits. The industry is constantly evolving. We are a people-centred industry, dealing with people on a daily basis. In order to onboard great new insurance talent in the future, we need to promote ourselves better to the public. A great way to start is by emphasising the human element of insurance. Sharing posts on LinkedIn celebrating our successes and giving insight into our personalities can really humanise us as individuals and our industry as a whole.   Best Moments/Key Quotes “I have done every job in an insurance office except accounting. I've sold agencies, bought agencies, I have done sales, I've done all the CSR work, I've done claims. I've done it all. And that's one of the things that's great about insurance, you can move!” “There are thousands of women on LinkedIn, that you can turn to and say, ‘This is what I do now. What should I try instead?’ And they'll give you help; they'll give you suggestions and tell you what other things you can do.” “In sales we’re equal. That's one area where we can force ourselves to be equal whether somebody likes it or not. And I think the more of us to get into sales, the better off we're going to be. I think that way we can demand more at the companies in the way of boards of directors having more women, because more women are out there [selling] the product. That's my opinion.”   Resources Awkward Insurance Podcast: https://awkward-insurance.simplecast.com/ Bound and Determined Podcast: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/bound-determined-1008066   About the Guest Mercy Komar leads an illustrious insurance career, with 53 years of experience in the industry in various roles. She currently works as a Risk Consultant for L Calvin Jones & Co. specialising in cyber risk coverage, and is also an experienced insurance educator. Mercy’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mercyk/   About the Host Sandra Lewin started her career in insurance as a broker and has since taken on many different roles. Alongside being a host of this podcast "100 Women in Insurance", she also specializes in helping insurance businesses and professionals establish a social media presence, delivers change programs, and provides one-on-one coaching for women looking to take control of their careers and lives. Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn and find out more: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin