"You're right," I nod. "Insurance is like a stone." Then I continue, "But it's like the stone that David carried into battle with his 
slingshot. It helped him defeat Goliath."

Insurance should be viewed not simply as a burdensome expense item, but as a strategic investment in your business that helps 
you compete more effectively.

In particular, insurance can be a great equalizer between you and your larger competitors. When used effectively in your sales 
presentations, insurance can help you portray yourself as more professional and more concerned about your customers' welfare. 

Consider King David for a moment. David's stones served to equalize the field between himself and the giant Goliath. By allowing 
David to attack from a distance, his stones transformed the gutsy shepherd boy into every bit the warrior that Goliath was. Despite 
Goliath's fearsome offensive abilities, he wore no armor, leaving him vulnerable. Little David unleashed his stone and felled the giant.

All courier owners -- not just those who are military buffs or biblical scholars -- can learn something from this parable. Your business 
may be small; it may be relatively new. Or you may be grossing $1 or $2 million but find yourself up against one of the courier giants. 
You may not have the latest and greatest computer dispatching system with satellite tracking.

Still you can effectively demonstrate your professionalism by presenting a well designed insurance portfolio. Without spending a 
fortune, you instantly gain a substantial measure of respect from prospective customers.

Insurance and Professionalism

Insurance is an important yardstick that customers use to measure your professionalism. Insurance does not directly indicate the 
quality of your delivery service, but it is a symbol of your professional commit-meat that customers can readily understand.

In addition, many larger prospects realize that your services put them at considerable risk. Not only is their property in your safe-
keeping, but also you are acting as their legal agent. They can and have been held responsible for injury or damage your drivers 
may cause.

Customers expect you to stand behind your service by taking financial responsibility for whatever may go wrong. For this reason, 
they request to see proof of insurance, such as a certificate. Many go so far as to have themselves named as an additional insured 
on your policy. Naturally they want that policy to provide adequate coverage.

How to Use Insurance to Equalize the Competition

Consider this scenario: You're bidding on a large account (X) currently controlled by ACME, one of your city's largest couriers. 
Your price is competitive, but you don't yet have the deal.

You: "Mr. X, you seem satisfied with my bid. Is there anything preventing you from trying out our service?

X: "The price is right, but I'm not yet convinced that your operation is geared to service an account like us."

"Fair enough. What I hear you saying is that we are much smaller than, ACME and maybe you're not sure if we're professional 
enough."

"Something like that, yes."

"As you know bigger is not always better. You were complaining that you haven't been getting the personal attention you 
want  from ACME. To them you may be just another customer, but to us you will be a VIP."

"Fine, but how will your VIP treatment measure up to their normal service?"

"Of course I can't prove to you how good we are until you try us, but I can show you that we take care of our customers like 
professionals. For example, take a look at our insurance porttolio. We make sure you are shielded from harm if anything should 
go wrong. We carry 51 million liability limits with A+ rated carriers and excess liability coverage above that. Our shipments 
are insured and bonded for up to $25,000. I think you'll find we compare well with the protection ACME is providing."

"Sounds good, but I think they have $1 million in cargo insurance."

"It could be ten million, but who cares if you never ship anything worth more than $10,000 or $20,000? And you should know 
that we use specialized insurance advisors, so if you need a higher limit -- even for a single shipment -- we can do that. It costs 
our customers less this way than to do it across the board."

"Impressive. I'll think about it."

"One more thing, is your current courier bonded?" "Yes, according to their certificate and advertising."

"But, like us, don't they do most of your deliveries using drivers who are independent contractors?"

"I'm sure it's nothing intentional. Sometimes things slip through the cracks in a big organization. Maybe they don't use a courier 
insurance specialist. We are very serious about running a professional operation."

{momentary pause} "It makes sense. You have a deal."

The Lesson

Meeting Customer Expectations

A Shield and a Sword

Of course, to really differentiate yourself from other couriers you need to seek out additional features. The above example pointed 
to a few: A+ rated carriers, flexible cargo limits and bonding for independent contractors. Many other similarly valuable coverage 
enhancements exist.

Long live King David!