The Insurance Broker
Client Intake System

Coverage type is the first branching decision in this system. Personal lines, commercial lines, and specialty coverage require entirely different carrier relationships, underwriting criteria, and quoting processes. Your answer determines which product suite, licensing requirements, and service model applies — and whether this broker is the right fit for what you actually need.

Individual, small business, and mid-market clients represent fundamentally different service models — not just different coverage amounts. A solopreneur with a home-based business may need a BOP with rider, while a 40-person operation needs a structured commercial program with dedicated service support. Your answer tells us which market and service tier this conversation should be in from the start.

Annual premium volume is one of the clearest signals of account complexity and relationship value. A prospect spending $1,200 a year on personal auto and a commercial client with a $45,000 annual program are both legitimate clients — but they require a completely different service model, time investment, and commission structure. Your answer tells us whether this account fits this practice's focus.

The trigger for shopping is one of the strongest predictors of how likely this prospect is to switch and bind. A client shopping because their current broker is unresponsive or their renewal just increased 30% is a motivated buyer. Someone casually curious with no current pain point will consume time and not convert. Your answer tells us how to prioritize this consultation and what the conversation should focus on.

Claims history is the variable most prospects downplay on the first call — and the one that affects placement difficulty most. Multiple claims don't disqualify a prospect, but they change the carrier pool, the underwriting process, and the realistic premium outcome. Knowing this upfront lets us set accurate expectations, target the right markets, and avoid wasting time on standard markets that will decline on submission.

Coverage gap awareness is one of the clearest signals of a prospect's sophistication — and their readiness to buy. A client who already knows they're underinsured on general liability or missing cyber coverage is pre-sold on the value of addressing it. A client who has never thought about gaps presents a different opportunity: the consultation itself becomes the value event. Either way, your answer shapes how we open the conversation.

Whether coverage is currently active, lapsing, or nonexistent changes everything about how urgently this account needs to move. A prospect with a policy renewing in 45 days has a natural deadline that creates real urgency. An uninsured business is an immediate liability risk — which is both an urgent opportunity and a flag about how they've approached risk historically. Your answer tells us how to structure timing and follow-up.

Decision authority is the single most important variable in predicting whether a consultation ends in a bound policy. Presenting a solution to someone who can't approve it wastes everyone's time — and creates a dead-end follow-up cycle. Knowing this upfront lets us ensure the right person is in the room from the start, structure the conversation appropriately, and avoid preparing a full proposal for someone who can't act on it.

Purchase driver tells us how to frame the value conversation. Price-driven prospects need a competitive market comparison up front. Service-driven prospects need examples of responsiveness and advocacy. Relationship-driven prospects need to understand who they'll be working with and how accessible that person will be. Knowing this before the consultation means you lead with what actually matters — not a generic pitch.

Referral source is the final piece of the prospect profile. It tells us how you arrived, what you already know, and what level of trust is already in the room. A referral from a current client arrives pre-warmed — the relationship starts at a different baseline than a cold search. Either way, knowing the source helps us calibrate how much context-setting is needed before the conversation moves to coverage and proposal.