A Prosperity welcome to Mark Rayner, ATE Business Development Manager

We’re pleased to welcome Mark to the Prosperity team as our After The Event (ATE) Business Development Manager. Mark has worked for many years in the legal expenses insurance sector, over the years he’s worked for some big names – including one of the country’s biggest providers of legal expenses protection, ARAG; DAS and Lamp. He brings with him an incredible level of experience to our team, having specialised in the industry for so long Mark understands his client’s pain points well and is well-versed in the art of making the provision of legal expenses protection as straightforward as possible – meaning you get to focus on your clients whilst he takes care of you. 

How did you come to work in the legal expenses insurance sector, Mark?

My second job from leaving school at the age of 15 was for Hambro Legal Protection, which, at the time, was the biggest firm in the country providing legal expenses insurance. They were local to where I lived and it was a great first job as I emerged fresh out of school. I started on the broker and claims side. Then about 20 years ago, I moved into sales and have been in sales ever since.

My insurance sales career began with Before The Event (BTE) legal expenses products, which I worked in for around ten years before moving into ATE insurance products. It’s a niche and interesting sector and although I’ve been learning, effectively, on-the-job for years, every day is a school day. I love that I still get asked, even now, interesting questions by clients – which means I’m always learning too!  

Was it a big change, moving from BTE to ATE insurance products?

It was quite a step as they are very different markets. Previously, working with BTE products I dealt mostly with insurance brokers. Now I work with ATE products, I work mostly with solicitors, which is far more involved. 

So what does your day-to-day work time look like, Mark? And what are the challenges of the job?

My week is a mix of being out on the road seeing clients at meetings and catching up with the team at the Prosperity office. My client base mainly deals with personal injury and medical negligence cases so I spend time speaking to them as well as researching the market and contacting new prospects. At the moment, I’m also concentrating on claims companies and solicitors dealing with housing disrepair claims. 

The challenge of the job lies in the fact we have many competitors. At any one time, solicitors will have four to five, or more, options for ATE insurance products on their desks. However, the advantages of our products differentiate us and set us apart. 

For instance, we don’t set minimum volumes. Solicitors can use our user-friendly portal for one or two cases and get a very competitive rate immediately. The bigger providers don’t deal below certain volumes of cases, so we have an advantage for smaller solicitors straightaway. Yes, the market is a challenge, but we know we have an excellent product ideal for many solicitors requiring these products, and at extremely competitive prices. 

What’s your favourite part of the job?

Signing up a new client and helping them. I see my role as partly account management. It’s important to me our clients are happy and at ease using our products, gaining real benefits for their organisation. Initial meetings I have with clients set the tone for the rest of the relationship and often, five or ten years later, we’re still in touch.

I recently signed a client whom I had worked with in a previous role, we reconnected after five years, so that was great. I understand the pressures they’re under and was able to respond with ATE products that really help. 

Are there ongoing challenges in the industry you need to be aware of?

As well as the ongoing need for ATE insurance to provide difference and real benefit to the range of solicitors dealing with these types of claims, we always need to respond to the needs of the market – often dictated by legislation.

It’s a sector fraught with legislation, so there’s a real need to keep abreast of it so we can understand and respond to our clients’ many challenges and pressures.

What are your interests outside of work, Mark? What do you like to do on a weekend?

I’m a huge music fan and collect vinyl records. An ideal weekend for me would be Friday night in a quiet, local pub with my brother and mates, preferably with a pre-1995 jukebox in the corner. Saturday would see me record shopping in London or Norwich, perhaps catching a band afterwards in a local venue in Colchester or eating some Indian food at a restaurant with my wife. 

I also love to keep up with the football: Liverpool F.C. and our local Colchester United. Sunday afternoons mean feet up and a good film.

If you could live in any city in the world, where would it be? 

Manhattan, New York. I’ve been there twice and it’s just awe-inspiring. Great music scene and, of course, record shops. You can see two or three bands in one night. There’s just so much going on and I love that.