By Frank H. Bragg

From AA&B May 1945

By the time this is in print V-E Day may have come and gone, but whether it has or not, be sure to get your Plate Glass insurance prospects under cover, as another V Day is ahead. Every such celebration results in much broken glass, some due to hilarity, and some due to crowding on sidewalks. In these uncertain times other kind of disturbances may mean broken windows. They have in the' past and can happen any time.

So this is indeed a propitious time to start a consistent and continued effort to sell Glass insurance. Don't fail to remind all Plate Glass insurance prospects that brittle glass is subject to many breaks. Records that have been kept over the years reveal that the frequency of loss under Glass policies is the highest known under any form of insurance-one loss to every four policies. And, when price ceilings are lifted there will be a substantial in-crease in replacement costs. Most insurance policies make the insured responsible for having sufficient insurance to cover the loss. Plate Glass insurance agrees to replace the glass regardless of cost at the time of the breakage.

The annual premium volume of approximately 100 companies writing Plate Glass insurance now amounts to $12,000,000. According to the best possible estimates this represents less than 30 per cent of all insurable glass. That means that there is still at least $25,000,000 of Glass premiums unwritten, with more than $6,000,000 of commissions awaiting insurance agents. It is obvious from this that the field for Plate Glass insurance is a fertile one, and almost limitless for those agents who consistently solicit it. It pays top commissions, and once written, usually stays on the agent's books for years.

The successful selling of Glass insurance is contingent on the seller's knowledge of the product, the effort that he puts forth in selling it, and, most important of all, his knowledge of how and where to find his prospects and the methods to use in selling.

The product-the policy contract as now constituted-is perhaps the broadest and simplest form of casualty insurance written. It provides indemnity to the insured for accidental breakage (except fire or war risk) of the insured glass and lettering if any. It also includes coverage for loss due to acids or chemicals accidentally or maliciously applied, provided the glass or lettering so damaged is thereafter unfit for use for the purpose for which it was being used immediately preceding the occurrence. The insurance further provides without additional premiums that it will pay for:

Damage To Show Case Frames And Sashes

*1. The cost  (not exceeding $75) of repairing or replacing with like material, show case frames and sashes immediately encasing and contiguous to the insured glass, provided that such repairing or replacing is made necessary by such damage to the insured glass.

Temporary Installation

*2. The cost  (not exceeding $75) of boarding up or installing temporary plates in the windows in which broken insured glass is located, provided such boarding up or temporary installation is necessitated by unavoidable delay in replacing the broken glass.

Removal Of Obstructions

*3. The cost (not exceeding $75) of removing and replacing any fixtures or other obstructions (excluding show window displays) necessary to the replacement of damaged glass.

How and Where to Find Prospects For Glass Insurance

A client, once sold, is always your best bet for additional lines, so by checking your list of glass policyholders against your fire, burglary and general liability records, you will develop a list of real, honest-to-goodness prospects for either Mercantile Glass or Private Dwelling Glass insurance.

Glazing concerns with whom you are acquainted can tip you off to new construction or alteration work on which they are estimating or have been awarded the contract. They can also furnish you with the names and addresses of uninsured owners for whom they have made replacements. These people are particularly good prospects, as they have already suffered a loss and are sure to realize the value of Glass insurance if you bring it to their attention.

Your architect friends can inform you of new building or alteration work contemplated, and in many instances furnish the data necessary to enable you to quote the rate for insurance, before the work is done. Banks and savings and loan associations are real prospects, as the handling of mortgages, estates, and acting as trustees, have placed much Glass insurance under their control. Invariably their officials are insurance-minded.

Managing and rental agents of existing buildings are likely prospects.

When you have exhausted the list of prospects obtained in any of these ways, remember that every property owner or lessee of property (many leases require the tenant to carry the insurance) is a prospect for Glass insurance, whether the building is a dwelling, apartment house, mercantile
building, church or public building.

Selling Methods

Before interviewing a prospect, make it a point to know how much the premium will be. This can be determined by measuring the glass and rating of the risk. This shows the prospect that you not only know your business but are ready to transact it with the least possible loss of time to him.

Do not invite a negative answer by asking such questions as "How about some insurance on your windows?" or "Can I get you protection for your plate glass?" Instead, tell him that you wish to sell him new windows, in case his present ones are broken with-in a year, for the sum of   (state amount) which, spread in his budget, will amount to only so much (state amount) per month or week. Point out to him that it would cost him approximately so many dollars if all of his glass were broken at the one time,
or so many… dollars if his largest window were broken. You can get these values from your glazier. 

Emphasize the fact that, regardless of what the increase in the cost of glass may be during the year, and with costs bound to go higher, the company pays the bill, and further, regardless of the number of breakages sustained, the coverage under the policy is automatically reinstated without additional
premium. Point out the additional coverages already mentioned. Stress the point that insurance companies, because of being steady patrons of glazing concerns, receive preference over individuals in having their work done, so that the glass is set the same day it is broken.

Tell him of the value of keeping his display windows-the most important and the highest priced salesman in his store-working constantly and, when breakage does result, repairing the same with the least possible loss of time. The service feature of Glass insurance is most important, and you cannot say too much on this subject. Be sure to tell him that a three-year installment contract, payable 50 percent the first year, 30 percent the second year and 20 per cent the third year, will save him 121/2 per cent of the three-year premium; or better still, sell him a three-year prepaid policy at 21/2 times the annual rate, or a saving of 162/s per cent.

Solicit and sell the "All Fixed Glass" dwelling policy to clients already on your books and use it to obtain new customers. This policy can be had for $3.00 for one year, or $7.50 for three years. It usually opens the avenue for obtaining other lines, such as Residence Burglary and Liability insurance.

Do you ever actually ask clients for further leads? Do you really come out and ask them for names of their friends and acquaintances who might be interested in similar protection to theirs? Sometimes many good leads come this way, and many clients who are well satisfied with their insurance will be glad to furnish names of prospects. These referred leads stand a good chance of becoming good sources of business.

It is easy to criticize anything; producing something in its place is another thing.