Agent Spotlight: Danny Edgecomb, Kennebunk Savings Insurance
Danny Edgecomb, AAI-M, AIM, AIS, SM
President, Kennebunk Savings Insurance: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Danny Edgecomb, who holds the AAI-M, AIM, AIS, and SM designations, began his insurance career following his experience working in construction for a few years after graduating from the University of New Hampshire. He was frustrated by the insurance purchasing process and sparked his interest in educating others about the insurance industry, and in doing so giving others a better experience than he had. “The experience seemed like a good opportunity to learn the industry, help folks understand insurance and provide them with more than just a policy,” he said. “If you can help people understand why and what they are purchasing, you will have a customer for life.” An active member of two and past member of a third carrier agency councils, Edgecomb is also a member of the Independent Insurance Agents Association of New Hampshire and Maine Insurance Agents Association.
How did you get into the industry; who mentored you? One of my last construction projects was working for an insurance broker. When I learned what he did, I was fortunate enough to work nights learning the industry. From there, I became a property & casualty agent and just started learning as much as I could from the carriers and my peers to be able to help customers understand what they were purchasing. I have never sold a day in my career, educating the customer has always been much more rewarding.
Why should people consider a career in insurance? Insurance is such a great industry and offers so many different career paths. You can produce insurance, be in accounting, HR, claims, service, or just about anything you can think of. The industry is full of great people and you will never stop learning. After 16 years in the industry, I still learn something new every day.
What excites you about the industry? Where do you see it in 10-20 years? Meeting different business owners and hearing how they got started has always been a passion of mine. This industry is consistently changing and helping customers navigate the process is rewarding. Insurance is a product that will always need to be taught to people. It is as valuable as personal finance. Hopefully in the next 10-20 years, we are teaching insurance as an integrated component of financial literacy at all levels of education.
What are common misconceptions about the industry/as a career that you don’t agree with? That insurance is a commodity. An insurance policy should be created by pairing coverages with the exposures and risks each individual and business has. We just have to take the time to listen and apply our expertise to the situation presented.
What are your goals for your agency? Our goal is to be the premier agency within our footprint in Southern Maine and New Hampshire. We continue to expand our footprint and client base organically and by acquisition if the opportunity presents itself.
What is the most used tool/resource that has made you the most successful? Selling by educating. Most people know how much they are paying, but they do not know the first line of coverage in their auto policy.
What is the most important leadership lesson you have learned and how is it valuable to you today? People always need to be treated as people first. No one is or will ever be perfect, but they will always remember how you treated them.
What would you do for a career if you weren’t in insurance? My dream job would be flying a helicopter, but woodworking is definitely a passion of mine and a bit safer.
What was your first job? My first job was working on the “green chain” in a lumber mill in Wentworth, NH. A lot of hard work, but we always realized we were only as strong as our team was.
What do you like to do outside of the office? Family is just so precious right now. We have two kids under two and just seeing them experience new things every day is keeping us really busy!
Do you have a favorite book/podcast? I’m an educational textbook nerd. Not much of a fiction individual, but give me something to learn and I’m intrigued.
Visit Kennebunk Savings Insurance:
Website: kennebunksavings.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/kennebunk-savings-bank/
Facebook: facebook.com/KennebunkSavings
Instagram: instagram.com/kennebunksavings/
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/
