Getting it right with a future client

When Howden was approached by the UK’s leading audio interface manufacturer, wanting us to address their business insurance needs, it was our mission to make the entire bid process both unique and personal, ensuring we demonstrated how our core values related to those of the potential client.

The business

They are a global company with headquarters based in the UK, and a world leader in the music industry. They make sure the highest quality of sound is achievable for everyone, from home-studio musicians to the biggest bands in the world.

They were looking for a new broker who could oversee their commercial insurance, pensions, and employee benefits. 

The presentation

The Howden team focused on the relationship between their key personnel and our support team. We listened and responded to the needs of the business, making our presentation relevant and engaging. The tender document itself, and the specific client details within it, were a key component.

We received positive feedback on our presentation and the business was invited on a full tour of Howden HQ afterwards, where a Howden UK&I Executive Director was on hand to provide senior leadership-level insight, as well as representatives from our Commercial, Trade Credit, Employee Benefits, and Marketing teams.

While we of course demonstrated what Howden could provide for the potential client, our very personal approach reflected and reinforced everything we had said about how we do business. 

We took time to understand how they were running their procurement process and when we heard that we were to be the penultimate presentation in a day of presentations, we thought about what would set us apart from other insurance brokers and so a chocolate cake to replenish their flagging energy, a brief tour of the office art work, and a relaxed meeting environment on one of the lower level floors (particularly important as one of the business’s team suffers from vertigo) was part of our set-up.

The win

We were informed very quickly that the business would be transferring their commercial insurance and pension requirements to Howden, with the further possibility of us also taking on their employee benefits. 
Amongst all the plaudits provided by their team, they strongly reinforced how impressed they were by the winning mix of professionalism and our personal approach.
Reflecting on this, Max Palmer-Jeffery, Client Relationship Manager at Howden, said:
 

Next steps and future strategy

This success should not be viewed as a singular victory. With this “make it personal” template, Howden can apply a similar approach to our other bids.  And in terms of the new client, the key to a long-term partnership is building on the foundations beyond the “courtship”, taking a vested interest in how the business is doing, and checking in on a regular basis.

That is and should always be, the Howden way.