Built on Trust: Brian Green Allstate

By Lisa Loewen
Photos by Brian Peters

When Brian Green purchased an existing Allstate Insurance agency 20 years ago, he had a wife and two babies at home. Today, he owns three Allstate agencies, two in Topeka and one in Manhattan, manages 17 employees and has six children ranging in age from 22 to 12.

A Nebraska native, Brian moved from Omaha to Lawrence to attend the University of Kansas, where he earned a degree in business management with a concentration in English. Those communication skills served him well when Harding Glass hired him right out of college as a regional sales rep covering Topeka, Manhattan and Salina. Brian spent 10 years building relationships with clients across those territories until Harding Glass was purchased by another company. His former boss called to say he was moving to Allstate and suggested Brian do the same.

INSURING THE FUTURE

With the support of his wife, Kim, Brian purchased an Allstate agency in Topeka on March 1, 2006. He quickly discovered that working as a salesperssomeone else is different than being your own boss.

“I thought my phone would just keep ringing with people wanting quotes,” Brian said. “That first December, it only rang twice the entire month.”

He brought in an Allstate trainer to teach him how to build a prospect database. Brian and his one employee, Laura Donnelly, the former owner’s daughter, slowly began to build a clientele.

“I could hardly pay the bills at the time, much less give Laura the raise she deserved. But we learned to write business together,” Brian said, “building relationships one client at a time.”

It took five years before Brian felt like the business was stable enough to call it a success. A few years later, he added another agency in Topeka and two in Manhattan — one of which he eventually sold to Laura so she could build her own company.

OPEN POLICY

Communication matters in any business, but for insurance companies, it is essential for maintaining customer relationships long term. Homeowners need to understand their coverage options before they buy, and to have open lines of communication when it’s time to file a claim.

“It really comes down to being able to talk with customers about what they need. Being honest and providing good service along the way gives you the opportunity to keep those lines of communication open,” Brian said.

For Brian, that communication often means explaining to customers that insurance is more than just protection for a home or automobile; it’s part of a broader strategy for managing financial risk. Liability coverage, for example, helps protect against the cost of injuries or property damage a person may be held responsible for. Umbrella policies go a step further, extending liability coverage beyond the limits of standard home or auto policies to help protect savings, investments and future income from major claims or lawsuits.

Good communication goes hand in hand with good customer service. For Brian, that has meant spending a Sunday afternoon helping a client figure out what to do after their daughter’s car broke down in Emporia.

“It might not be the most convenient time for me, but if it were my daughter on the side of the road, I know what I would want from my agent. So, that is how I will respond,” Brian said.

WHEN IT HITS HOME

Throughout his 20 years as an insurance agent, Brian has helped people navigate tragedy. One of the most memorable events was the 2011 hail storm, when almost 70% of Topeka homes needed new roofs. But the sheer volume of claims during that time was nothing, he says, compared to the times he has sat and cried with clients who have suffered a tragic loss.

“I have stood in shells of houses that have burned to the ground. I have held the hands of people who have lost a loved one and now need to file a fatality claim,” Brian said.

Brian has always felt empathy for clients who are experiencing difficult situations. But last July, he found himself relating on a more personal level when his family was involved in a head-on collision while driving back from the Lake of the Ozarks in a rainstorm.

The impact rolled their Ford Expedition, leaving one son with a neck injury, a daughter with two broken vertebrae, his wife with a broken sternum and Brian looking down at a foot that was barely still attached to his leg.

“As we sat there in the ditch, everyone crying and panicking, waiting almost an hour for the ambulance to show up, grateful to all be alive, I couldn’t help the thought running through my head that there was no way that 22-year-old driver in the other car had enough insurance to cover this accident,” Brian said. “I just hoped we had enough of our own to cover it. In that moment, I realized that when you need insurance the most, the cost doesn’t really matter.”

Brian carries that memory, and how he felt in the moment, into every coverage conversation he has with clients, because needing insurance always means something bad has happened.

“People curse the premiums every month, but when their house catches fire or they are in an accident, they are glad they have the insurance,” Brian said. “I tell clients all the time, ‘I’m the devil until I’m your angel.’”

FUTURE COVERAGE

Brian is happy with his success, but that hasn’t made him complacent. If anything, success inspires him to work harder. The insurance business has become more competitive, benchmarks are higher and Allstate expects more policies written each year. Brian says he is grateful to be part of such a supportive community in Topeka.

“As a community, we have seen so much growth in the last 10 years as a result of a city that is actively trying to create a better business environment,” Brian said. “We all prosper when our community prospers, and we need to all look out for one another.”