The NM Report
Welcome to the latest edition of The NM Report.
Welcome to
The NM Report
September 2024
Welcome to the spring edition of The NM Report. As we embrace the warmer weather, all of us here at NM Insurance are gearing up for peak usage season which will soon be upon us. Rest assured, our NM Insurance team will be there to support your businesses and our mutual customers as we head into this busy period.
This edition of The NM Report is packed with up-to-date information for you. In this edition, we introduce Mark Fawcett our new Business Development Manager for Western Australia and get an insight into what drives him. We also provide updates on the industry events we’ve attended and those we’ll be participating in throughout spring.
Looking ahead, we’ll be rolling out updated online training covering all products, with specific updates for our caravan and motorhome dealers as system changes come into effect. Our Compliance Corner offers a refresher on key policies and procedures, while we also discuss the latest updates on business insurance, upcoming surveys, and the introduction of insurance coverage for electric motorcycles.
Meet the Team
Our new BDM in WA: Mark Fawcett
Mark Fawcett recently joined the NM Insurance team as our Business Development Manager in Western Australia. We sat down with Mark to discuss his journey so far with NM Insurance.
Tell us about your role at NM Insurance and what excites you most about working in the Western Australian market?
As the Business Development Manager for Western Australia, I manage our dealer network across motorcycles, marine, and caravans. What excites me most about the WA market is the opportunity to connect with a passionate community of dealers and customers who share a love for adventure. Western Australia offers some incredible camping spots, and I love sharing my hidden gems alongside our insurance solutions.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
My day typically begins early at 5am with a gym session to kickstart my morning. Afterward, I help get the kids ready to go off to school. Once that’s sorted, I hit the road, visiting dealers and offering support throughout the day. By the evening, I’m back with the kids, taking them to their various sports activities.
Share a brief snapshot of your professional background before joining NM Insurance.
I’ve spent the last 20 years in finance, primarily within the leisure industry, which made transitioning to insurance a natural fit. I started as a finance broker before moving into a role in 2010 with a lender specialising in the motorcycle and marine sectors.
What do you love most about working at NM Insurance?
As a recent addition to the NM Insurance team, I appreciate the supportive work environment, the opportunities for professional growth, and the satisfaction of providing the leisure industry with high-quality insurance products.
What are you most passionate about at work, particularly when engaging with clients and partners in Western Australia?
Building strong, trustworthy relationships is what drives me. I enjoy understanding the unique needs of our clients and partners in the WA market, and delivering support that genuinely makes a difference.
What three words would your colleagues and clients use to describe you?
Honest, approachable and reliable.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I love spending time in the great outdoors, particularly camping with my family. I’m also passionate about motorcycles, mountain biking, and supporting my kids in their weekend sports. Travelling to experience new cultures and cuisines is another passion of mine.
Favourite quote or motto that inspires you?
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln
What’s one thing your colleagues or clients might be surprised to learn about you?
As a teenager, I was an avid horse rider with dreams of becoming a Jackaroo on a cattle station, riding my grey stock horse, Outback Jack.
Meet the Team
Our Customer Service Lead: Hollie Wright
Hollie Wright is the Customer Service Lead at NM Insurance. We sat down with Hollie to discuss her NM Insurance journey and how she supports our dealer partners.
What brought you to NM Insurance?
I come from a financial services background, having worked at Westpac before joining NM Insurance. My experience there provided me with a strong foundation for my current role.
What does your role at NM Insurance involve?
As the Customer Service Lead, my role involves supporting both dealer and direct clients with enquiries regarding our products. I assist customers over the phone and via email, ensuring they receive accurate information and efficient service.
How can dealers best reach out to you or the customer service team, and what types of issues or questions can you assist them with?
I’m always available to assist our dealer network. Dealers can reach me via email at customerservice@nminsurance.com.au or by calling 1300 780 533. I can help with a wide range of enquiries, including product information, processing quotes, and addressing any challenges they may face.
Share an example of a time you went above and beyond to help a dealer with an issue.
I recently helped a dealer by processing an online quote that had been referred, ensuring the customer received appropriate coverage in a timely and efficient manner. This ensured a positive experience for both the customer and the dealer.
What advice would you give to our dealer network to maximise their partnership with NM Insurance?
Don’t hesitate to reach out! Building a strong rapport with our customer service team is invaluable. Positive customer experiences are key to growth, and we are here to support dealers in providing the best service possible.
Can you share a personal anecdote or an interesting fact about yourself that helps us get to know you better?
If I had followed my initial career goal after high school, I would be a qualified Heavy Vehicle Diesel Mechanic!
Industry Events
Transmoto 8-Hour
at Clarence Valley
National Motorcycle Insurance is proud to be the Official Insurance Partner of the Transmoto Enduro series. Peter Mant, our NM Insurance Business Development Manager in QLD shares his experience taking part in the Transmoto 8-Hour at Clarence Valley.
Our National Motorcycle Insurance team had a fantastic showing at the event, with our team consisting of NM Insurance Senior Developer Chris Bailey, myself, and two fast young guns, Mitch Bailey (Chris’ son) and Justin Richards, representing our team.
The weekend kicked off in true adventure style – I arrived in my new Jayco RM19.1 Campervan with my Husky TE250, only to get bogged after driving just 20 metres! Thankfully, the rescue tractor was on hand.
Saturday featured the hilarious “Boot Race” to determine the top 40 starters for Sunday. Justin sprinted to the finish, only to realise he needed a special transponder for the race – not the one from his bike!
Sunday’s race was intense. Mitch led with a blistering 27:09 lap time on his brand-new 2024 Husqvarna TC250, while Justin, Chris, and I followed. Despite some challenging mud holes, we can’t wait for the next one! Bring it on!
Industry Events
Nautilus Marine Insurance at
Hamilton Island Race Week
Photograph by Salty Dingo
Hamilton Island Race Week is always a highlight of the sailing calendar and this year’s regatta was filled with incredible moments. As a proud partner of Hamilton Island Race Week, Nautilus Marine Insurance was delighted to join the sailing community in celebrating the 39th running of Australia’s premier offshore keelboat regatta. Hamilton Island Race Week is one of Australia’s favourite yachting events and a firm fixture on the international sailing calendar. This year’s Race Week was staged from 17-24 August, when 164 boats and around 2000 sailors, their families and friends, gathered at the jewel of The Whitsundays to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and unique camaraderie of the on-water and on-shore carnival.
NM Insurance CEO Lyndon Turner and his team were on Hamilton Island for the regatta, supporting the sailing community. “This year’s Hamilton Island Race Week was a resounding success,” says Turner. “Many of our Nautilus Marine Insurance customers competed in Race Week this year, and I would also like to pay tribute to the organising committee and the Hamilton Island team. This is our third year of partnering with Race Week and I know how much work goes into ensuring that the week is a success both on and off the water.”
Following on from Hamilton Island Race Week, Nautilus Marine Insurance continued its support of North Queensland racing as a proud partner of SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week (29 August – 4 September). This year marked the 17th edition of Townsville Yacht Club’s well-loved regatta, which always provides a unique atmosphere and a great end to the Queensland regatta circuit.
Compliance Corner
Distributor Sales Procedures
As we continue to embark into the busier times of the year, we understand the challenge of adhering to policies and procedures whilst trying to stay ahead of the curve in a competitive landscape.
However, policies and procedures provide necessary guidelines and expectations to ensure we reduce customer dissatisfaction, any incidents and breaches which might follow and all whilst ensuring a positive business reputation is maintained.
Policies and procedures are important in balancing the relationship between maintaining a positive business reputation and meeting legal and regulatory obligations which will often maximise satisfaction with transactional matters and minimise the risk and consequences of a loss of customer retention, costly fines and reputational damage to name a few.
Our Distributor Sales Procedures
Our Distributor Sales Procedures are an example of this and provide a concise step-by-step process that must be followed to ensure basic insurance practices are met even when times are busy. This includes the need to:
- Advise the customer what their annual premium will be.
- If a customer is interested in our monthly payment solution, it’s important that you explain that this involves entering a premium funding agreement with Principal Finance (part of the Arteva Funding Group) and that interest will be payable.
- Only discuss insurance with customers in situations that do not offend hawking laws (see our Distributors Guide to Hawking Laws for a recap on this topic).
- Tell customers that you can only provide them with factual information about insurance and not any advice.
- Provide customers with a type of policy they have requested and ensure they are in the relevant Target Market before arranging it for them.
- Tell customers about their duty not to make a misrepresentation and ensure that all underwriting questions are answered directly by them.
- At all times avoid engaging in any unfair, misleading or otherwise inappropriate sales practices including use of any non-transparent or high pressure sales tactics.
A link to the Distributor Sales Procedures can be found here. Make sure you have this printed or saved for day-to-day use as it’s your obligation to follow them.
Contact us
Have a compliance question?
If you have any questions about the above or any other compliance-related issues or would like further copies of our Distributor Sales Procedures or Distributor Notice / Product Summary tools, please reach out to your local BDM. They’ll be happy to consult with our Legal & Compliance Team and provide assistance or guidance where required.
Important Updates
Updated online training
coming soon
As technology evolves, so too must our systems and procedures. With this in mind, we are preparing to introduce updated training across the entire network. This training will be rolled out in small, manageable increments, focusing on all aspects of the procedures we follow.
We are currently compiling the necessary data and organising it into a format that ensures the process is both smooth and educational as we move forward. Our goal is to enhance understanding and efficiency, ensuring the network is well-equipped to adapt to these advancements.
Product Updates
Electric motorcycles: What we are covering to meet customer demand
As technology advances and the motorcycle industry evolves to include more electric options, NM Insurance has made the strategic decision to offer coverage for selected electric motorcycles.
Our focus is to provide our dealers and their customers with a simple, effective insurance solution that encompasses a wide range of motorcycle brands and engine types.
As this is a new segment for us, manufacturers will be subject to selection criteria, which we will continually review and expand in line with industry growth and brand support. New motorcycles are added to our offerings on a regular basis, so we encourage you to log in and check if the model you need is available.
If you cannot find an electric motorcycle listed, we recommend contacting your local Business Development Manager to discuss a review. This decision reinforces our commitment to supporting you and continuously enhancing our motorcycle insurance offerings in line with industry trends.
Product Updates
Updates to our caravan and motorhome quoting platforms
As noted earlier, NM Insurance are currently in the process of updating their Caravan and Motorhome online quoting platforms.
Whilst there are changes, the user experience will still have a familiar feel and approach as the same design principles have been used from our current websites. These changes focus on giving an improved and streamlined approach for the user.
The Motorhome online quoting platform has been changed considerably with a number of underwriting questions removed and further clarity provided on other questions. In addition, there is also the ability to fast track the calculation of a premium.
We have also added the ability to issue a quotation and the purchasing of a policy without the need for a referral to our customer service team.
We have taken your feedback on board and invested in our systems to be able to assist our Motorhome Dealer Network with complete self-service options.
Appropriate and relevant training will be provided during this transition period.
Important Updates
Are you a Marine Dealer?
Did you know that Nautilus Marine Insurance offers business insurance and demonstration / exhibition insurance for marine dealerships Australia wide through our authorised insurance brokers.
Talk to your local Business Development Manager to find out more. Alternatively, talk to your business’s insurance broker and ask them about Nautilus Marine Insurance’s suite of policies.
Important Updates
NPS Survey: why we value your feedback
As you may have noticed, we regularly send out brief surveys to everyone accredited with us. These surveys serve various purposes, but the primary goal is to assess our performance in supporting you, our dealer partners. Conducting these surveys quarterly provides us with valuable insights. This feedback helps us to improve our service offering, refine our processes and enhance your overall experience with us. When you receive these surveys, we encourage you to take the time to complete them and provide any feedback you feel is relevant. Your input is highly valued and helps us to improve.
We can help you
How our BDMs can assist you and your business
Our Business Development Managers play a key role in the functioning of the day-to-day management of all our accounts around the country. They are the ones who signed your business up, trained your staff up and who report to you on how your business is performing insurance-wise.
Did you know that most of our BDMs have previously worked in dealerships across sales, finance and insurance as well as in finance brokerages? Our BDM team also works at events across the country and are always willing to help if you have any questions. Next time your local BDM calls to schedule an appointment, feel free to prepare some questions to discuss with them, these could be related to performance, procedure, sales process, and other relevant topics.
Our BDM team is also responsible for training. As you know, compliance plays an important part in insurance and any interactions with customers. Our NM Insurance team members must meet you and your staff regularly to ensure we are transacting in the correct, compliant manner as described in the Distributor Sales Procedures. The next time your state-based BDM contacts you for a meeting, please make the effort to spend the time required with them.
Our state-based BDMs are listed below with their contact details should you wish to get in touch.
Trish Flaherty
Western Region – Business Development Manager – SA, WA & NT
Securing the journey together.
NM Insurance is a business name of NM Insurance Pty Ltd ABN 34 100 633 038, AFSL 227186 (NM Insurance). NM Insurance is an underwriting agency with binding and claims authorities from Zurich Australian Insurance Limited. These allow it to enter into and arrange policies of insurance and handle and settle claims made under them. NM Insurance acts on behalf of the relevant insurer and not you when providing these services but does so under its own AFSL.
Products are issued by NM Insurance. Advice on this website is general so consider whether it suits your objectives, financial situation and needs. Always consider the relevant Target Market Determination and Product Disclosure Statement / Policy wording before buying or renewing insurance. These are available from the relevant branded website.
We comply with the General Insurance Code of Practice which is designed to raise standards of practice and service in the general insurance industry. The Code Governance Committee (CGC) is an independent body that monitors and enforces compliance with the Code. For more information about the Code or the CGC, visit www.codeofpractice.com.au.
Steadfast Group Ltd (ABN 98 073 659 677) (‘SGL’) has a majority shareholding in NM Insurance. SGL may receive a professional services fee (PSF) from insurers, premium funders and underwriting agencies such as NM Insurance (Partner) for access to regulatory and compliance support; marketing and communications; data insights; and access to technology platforms. The PSF is an agreed amount between SGL and the relevant Partner, usually annually. The PSF is not determined by the volume of the business that the Steadfast Network brokers place, nor is the amount of the PSF known to the Steadfast Network Brokers, so it is not able to influence recommendations to their clients.
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