Some of us in the insurance and benefits business tend to think we know everything. Can you imagine that? Though I've been in insurance since the Baltimore Colts of the NFL moved to Indianapolis, I'm still in learning mode. It's pretty tough, even for a genius like me, to keep up with the various company benefit changes, underwriting requirements, and paperwork needed to write business. That's why your insurance company representatives are a great resource, aside from buying you lunch or giving you a sleeve of golf balls every so often.

I got a telephone call from a business owner who ran a medium-size company that provided call-center services to surrounding manufacturers. The referral came to me from a pretty unlikely source – my plumber. In the course of fixing my toilet we struck up a conversation about insurance, and i learned his girlfriend worked for this call-center business. She tipped off the owner that I was in the insurance business and that lead to the inquiry. Who would have thought sewer gas and medical insurance would have been a meaningful courtship?

I met with the owner who was interested in medical and long-term disability quotes.We hit it off since we shared similar interests in baseball and our kids being close in age. The demographics of this group were great, with a young average age and limited to no medical issues. He did mention that two other brokers were vying for the business. But, with the referral and my first meeting I really felt that the stars were lined up in my favor.