“Hey Dude, wassup”
the view from here
Graham Mawman
When the Editor first invited me to write this piece, I thought nothing of it. However, having finally gotten around to composing it, I came to realise that having been away from the corporate world for 11 years, how much harder it is today as opposed to the old days. I certainly don’t miss writing those reports, business plans, sales projections etc, but you do get a little rusty.
o as I sit here in the sunshine on the deck of Joe’s Crab Shack, watching the dolphin frolic in the Atlantic, I am trying to cast my mind back over nearly 45 years in the business.
S 20 insurancepeople JUNE 2010
I find I have come nearly full circle since starting out in 1966 and once again, spend my days talking to customers, selling insurance from our comfortable, friendly office.
The first 30 odd years of my career in the insurance industry were spent in the UK. I started out at National Motor Fire & Accident as a trainee in their Princess Street, Manchester offices.
I remember my interview like yesterday and recall things were not going well until I mentioned I kept wicket for the grammar school. The personnel manager’s eyes lit up and he asked me - if I joined the company - how I would feel about turning out for them in the Insurance Cup. I started work the following Monday!
On leaving NMA I moved across the center of town to join Fred Fishwick Insurance Brokers just off Albert Square. Fortunately shortly afterwards I was rescued when Ken Scowcroft persuaded me to join Swinton Insurance, where I stayed for over 25 years before finally joining Paul Cosh at Century Insurance Centers. On leaving Century personal circumstances took me to the United States where fortuitously the opportunity to buy into an insurance agency in Jacksonville Beach, Florida presented itself and I remain there to this day. I recall my first day here. I arrived early at the office in my suit, shirt and tie and greeted my first customer with a pleasant, “Good morning, Sir. May I help you?” I didn’t quite
catch the reply from the young man in shorts and flip-flops, but was later told he had replied, “Hey Dude, wassup.”
Many of our customers have never left Florida, let alone the USA and I am asked weekly if I am Australian, South African, or English, and on one occasion French! I have also been asked if England is in London. On the whole our little
business has prospered and we are still growing due to our flexibility and adaptability. Some aspects of the market for agents in Florida have changed greatly since I arrived, others very little. Whilst we do have direct writers to worry about, a large percentage of our clients are still paid weekly and pay their premiums in CASH! Ideal for the local independent agent.
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