Charlotte, a broker, is meeting a potential client in person, and hopes to close the...

Charlotte should present herself as prepared, professional, and commercially knowledgeable. Before the meeting, she should review the contractor’s operations, likely exposures, previous insurance arrangements, and common contractor risks such as tools, equipment, subcontractors, commercial auto, job-site liability, wrap-up liability, bonding, and completed operations. In the meeting, she should arrive on time, dress appropriately, speak clearly, listen carefully, and ask structured questions about the contractor’s work. Because she has past contractor experience, she should use that knowledge to ask practical questions, but she must avoid sounding overconfident or assuming every contractor operates the same way.

Credibility matters because commercial clients are more likely to disclose accurate information when they believe the broker understands their business. For a contractor, poor disclosure can create serious coverage gaps. Charlotte adds value by translating contractor operations into insurance exposures and explaining how the insurance program should respond. Her value is not just obtaining a quote; it is identifying risk, advising on coverage, helping with risk control, and protecting the client from uninsured loss. Course topic reference: Introduction to Commercial Insurance; Analyzing Risk Exposures; Contractors; Broker Professionalism and Client Credibility .

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