NIBA / Special Feature
“If we keep listening to clients properly,” he says, “we’ll keep improving how we serve them. And we’ll keep strengthening the profession’s voice at the same time,” Gary adds.
The Moment of Truth: Where Broker Value Becomes Real
Asked to identify the most important value brokers bring to clients, Gary acknowledges the strengths highlighted in NIBA’s research report “ Complexity to Clarity: The Broker Advantage ” — then adds a dimension he believes sits underneath them all. “NIBA’s research has identified some critical values that clients and consumers tell us. But one area that I think really encapsulates their feedback, and is not always specifically called out, is the trust and confidence that quality advice provides to both individuals and businesses.” For Gary, trust is the foundation on which all other broker value rests. “Of course, the research gives us feedback on how we deliver on our promise,” he says. “But the quality of our advice and advocacy is only truly tested when a claim or event arises.” “That’s really when clients see the value an insurance broker provides,” he says. “That is the real moment of truth.” “It’s in those moments that long-lasting relationships are formed,” Gary says. “Clients see what your advice means in practice. They see your advocacy. They see how you help them navigate a complex situation,” Gary adds. The Next Decade: Challenge, Opportunity and the Role of NIBA Gary’s perspective on the future is clear- eyed but optimistic. He frames it through a principle he has carried for years. “Someone I’ve worked with for a number of years has regularly reminded me that every challenge creates an opportunity,” he says. “And I think that’s exactly right for insurance broking.”
At WFII, representing NIBA with Nick Cook and Richard Klipin.
Why the Client Voice Matters “We serve our clients,” Gary says. “We talk with them, represent them, negotiate for them, deliver services to them and advise them each and every day.” For him, that is the whole reason client insight matters so much. It is not a separate exercise from the work brokers do. It is a way of listening more systematically to the people the profession serves. “So regardless of size — whether it’s an individual homeowner, a small business operator, or a large business that services individual consumers — it’s critical that NIBA hears directly from them,” he says. Okely sees that feedback as strategically important in two directions. First, it helps brokers improve. “Their feedback enables all brokers to understand what is being said and consider improved ways to evolve our advice and services,” he says. Second, it helps NIBA communicate broker value more clearly to external audiences. “Being able to identify where current services are most valued by clients enables NIBA’s message to focus on the real value brokers provide,” he says. “It speaks to the advice we give. It provides feedback on value, service, advice and the outcomes we achieve at claims time — as opposed to just the transactional cost of insurance.” “It helps us communicate value beyond price,” he says. “And that’s critical, especially right now.”
a unique position in the policy ecosystem because brokers hear directly from the people affected by insurance decisions. “Parliamentarians and regulators have somewhat underestimated how insurance brokers collect quality independent feedback from businesses of all sizes across Australia every day. We listen to clients, provide advice, create solutions, and then support them He is especially struck by the breadth of the broker perspective. “NIBA brokers also live in a huge variety of communities right across the country,” he says, “so our feedback has one of the broadest reaches of any industry group.” through what are often very complex claims situations.” “At disaster events, brokers are often at the forefront of finding solutions and simplifying complex insurance terms so businesses and communities can recover and respond in the best way possible,” he says. “That perspective needs to be heard more strongly in policy discussions.” He wants decision-makers to better understand that brokers are not just intermediaries. They are advisers, advocates and translators of complexity, especially when clients are under pressure. “My view is that NIBA should push hard to expand its advocacy position in policy conversations across Australia and amplify the voice of our clients and businesses in a way that other industries could only wish for,” Gary adds.
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