Agency Profile: This is Personal

Atkinson Insurance Group

Beaverton, Ore.
Founded: 1981
Employees: 6

Mark Atkinson, 55, would be “bored silly” if all his agency did was write insurance. So folks around Portland might see Atkinson’s staff sponsoring a charity 5K, delivering thank-you gifts and treating client families to a minor league baseball game or the annual holiday tree-cutting party.

The agency maintains a handful of legacy commercial accounts, but the focus is on personal lines because Atkinson says that’s the work that yields the most joy. Relationships with families and individuals allow agency staff to maintain a high level of involvement in causes important to clients—and many others who will never be clients.

Kaity Blacksher, 28, started at Atkinson when she was 18 with agency ownership in her future. Atkinson’s son Paul, 29, spreads goodwill on days off from his full-time job as a firefighter with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.

KAITY BLACKSHER, PERSONAL LINES MANAGER

I’m not a salesperson—I’m a servant. I’m protecting families, providing peace of mind and being there for clients. I thrive on the relationships I develop with clients, and a lot of them become friends. Being able to serve our clients and then give back to them and other organizations is really cool. The culture we have created is different. People recognize and appreciate that.

MARK ATKINSON, PRESIDENT

When there’s more to your agency than slinging insurance, that’s what makes you referable. There’s a greater good. We’re not stuffy. We have fun with our clients. Our personal attention creates an experience that causes them to refer others. Our business is exclusively from referrals, and we like to reward the behavior beyond the usual coffee shop gift card. Our interaction goes beyond the annual review, including a newsletter that generates a lot of response.

PAUL ATKINSON, MARKETING AMBASSADOR

We sponsor client thank-you events throughout the year, including “pop-bys”—I pop by to drop off a small gift. It might be a gift card or a basket of condiments and a note that says “We relish your business.” It’s corny, but it makes them smile and feel truly valued. We’ve adopted several area schools, and every month I swing by and bring the teachers ice cream or another treat to thank them for what they do.