Agency Profile: Rural New York State of Mind

Seely & Durland Insurance

Warwick, New York
Founded: 1934
Employees: 12

Harry S. Seely planted his agency in a small but prosperous town in the Hudson Valley where farms, orchards and wineries abound and folks cherish family values. Seely’s son-in-law, Ken Durland, eventually succeeded him, and now his grandsons man the helm as a fourth generation joins the family firm.

Leveraging digital technology has enabled brothers Stu and Garrett to successfully forge a territory that far exceeds their rural base. The Best Practices agency does business in eight states, and the horizon looks nearly limitless after hiring a full-time marketing director. With two producers, the agency services 1,300 personal lines accounts and 600-plus commercial clients—the latter of which yield more than 60% of the firm’s income.

GARRETT W. DURLAND, PRESIDENT

We remain a generalist agency, and our expectation is always proactive, outside-the box-service. “Hug your customer” is our mentality. Our culture is positive and supportive. We foster a true team spirit and create a fun and competitive atmosphere for sales success. We take great pride in our flexible work environment, too. Our technology gives all employees the freedom to work from home when necessary. When we recently had 24 inches of snow, we were still able to run the office remotely.

In 2001, we embarked on a journey to form an alliance with other like-minded independent agencies. Three original agencies met for a year, hammering out an operating agreement and associate level contract. Three has grown to seven, with 10 locations. Our alliance, DCS Risk Management Group, operates as one, with weekly conference calls and quarterly meetings to review results. We have joint goals, shared expense reductions and sales support between all members of all agencies. While the alliance operates as one, the individual members operate with independence. It has proven to be a great market and idea-sharing success.

TAMMY L. ARTUSA, CLIENT RELATIONS, PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISOR

Over time, our marketing strategy has been strongly impacted by evolving technological factors, and now incorporates a growing emphasis on connecting with our audience through digital marketing techniques. With e-commerce insurance giants changing the way consumers shop for insurance, adopting multiple channels to market and sell policies has become imperative to expand our reach. Reaching customers in the right place, at the right time and with the right message allows us to drive engagement and establish relationships with customers before and during the purchasing process. By generating habitual and relevant content that focuses not on selling but educating our audience, we connect through a more personalized experience. We market more than just insurance; we market a lifestyle.

We regularly reach out to our clients to conduct coverage reviews and advise them when appropriate. Our internal motto is “Serve +1.” Each time a client calls to ask for anything, our client relations professionals check their account to find one extra opportunity—another line of business, a coverage change, even to verify an email. In addition, we send mailings and communicate daily with our connected clients and prospects online through our social media pages, blogs, personal emails and informational email blasts. We see constant communication as fundamental to earning and maintaining trust and ultimately fostering growth within the agency. Biannually, we send each personal lines client a comprehensive survey for home and/or auto, to assure we are providing the appropriate protection for their current circumstances.

We have done several traditional marketing campaigns. A landscaper’s seasonal campaign was fun and particularly successful in generating new clients. We set up two letters in TAM. The first release was in the fall and included artificial leaves with the message, “Leaf season is over…are you prepared for next season?” The spring letter included a package of wildflowers embedded in biodegradable fiber and asked customers to plant them as a reminder to give us call. One company planted the seeds and brought them to us full grown. Many of those flowers still bloom every spring.

STUART S. DURLAND, VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS

In the past, being rural could be a challenge that required knocking on a lot of doors. But when an agency like ours takes immediate and full advantage of new technology, it doesn’t matter whether we’re situated in a beautiful, rural village or New York City. Also, not a lot of agencies do this, but we hired a full-time marketing director last year who works exclusively on marketing, not sales. It’s been remarkable to watch how hugely successful it is to have someone managing our website, social media, marketing campaigns and email campaigns, and attending networking events. Geography is not a challenge.

We made our first agency purchase in May 2016, and we are looking for other opportunities. We feel our perpetuation options are wide open, with internal and external still being explored.

In 2006, we instituted an incentive-based compensation plan—but streamlining our CSR processes through automation was the only way they could take advantage of it. Technology is an agent’s best friend. We have been Applied System TAM agents since 1991 and currently utilize Applied’s cloud environment TAMOnline 2016. Our next big investment is Applied’s Epic system. We’ve started the upgrade process, which is a huge but worthwhile endeavor.

We use digital scanning, e-signature, VoIP, Constant Contact for automated emails, claims download and 24/7 self-service, as well as ACORD eDocs and Messages, Commission Download, and Inquiry and Bridging. We also use an agency portal via Applied CSR24 and Vertafore PL Rater to include consumer rate quotes via our website.