News

There is a pretty well-known marketing expert and blogger by the name of Seth Godin who I think has been reading my mail. As fate would have it, he posted an article today that hit my last nerve. In a nutshell, he says that a toddler’s concept of winning is getting what she wants – now.  As we mature into our teens, our concept of winning is you lose – I win.  And for those who advance to the under-evolved status of demagogue, we recognize the characteristics of someone who believes that life is only about winning and would rather wreck the system itself than lose.

I believe, as Seth does, that there is a better way to win by “…getting closer to someone who wants the same thing, delivering improvement over time, and creating trust… What if the win is the ability to give a true gift?”  In our segment of the industry, we know that we are often the outlet of last resort – that means when we deliver our product we help you and your customer win the opportunity to… start a business, expand a business, keep their business, or pursue their dream.

Last week one of our carriers delivered a shocking blow. They made the decision to abandon the wholesale distribution network to which they had previously and repeatedly stated they were 100% committed to.  At the helm of this company is a demagogue who has devalued his customers by saying that he can do our job better than we can – and made it clear that he must win at all costs.

I also received the bitter news this past weekend that our nephew Simon Hauger and his team of high school students from the West Philadelphia High School lost their bid to win the $10 Million Progressive Automotive X-Prize competition. Here is a group of men and women who had faith in one another to build something truly amazing that would not only win them considerable amounts of money – but give something incredibly precious back to their school, their community, and the kids themselves. Even though they did not win the X-Prize, they won our hearts. If you get a moment stop by the EVX Team’s website or send them well wishes. 

So how do you suppose Seth knew I had a Howard Beale moment and needed to be reassured that I don’t have to be taken for granted? Oh, I’ll get over my disappointment and move on, and we will most certainly figure out what to do about the demagogue. One thing that I do not have to worry about (thank God) is that the Tuscano Agency will be working harder than ever to keep your trust and deliver a win for you.

Simon and his team built some amazing cars and if it weren’t for the fact that they were in a competition we could have easily insured them with American Modern’s Collector Car program. This is a truly comprehensive product that delivers all of the coverage and features your customers are looking for. Even better, you will love the fact that you can now quote, bind, and issue this business through modernLINK®. Check out our product page for more information and marketing materials. 

Finally, I want to encourage you to call Tuscano for all your daycare needs. We have great markets that can handle the full spectrum of this business. We feature a great admitted BOP program or several of our other markets will write the one-off account. Whether you have large multi-location risks or small in-home businesses, the SBU team would love to work with you and yes, they CAN do it!

 Have a terrific Fourth of July holiday and stay safe.