Tag-teaming: cooperation between a team of two brokers or agents provides a client the best of both worlds.

A man and his lawyer squared off in court against an opponent, who had two lawyers.

"I want you to hire another attorney to help with my case," the man told his sole counselor. "The other fellow has two."

"That's not necessary," replied his defense attorney. "I can defend you by myself."

"I still want a second person," the defendant insisted. "When one of the plaintiff's lawyers is talking, the other one is thinking. When you talk, nobody's thinking."

Or so the story goes.

So, too, it is with the broker-client relationship. It has to be a two-way street of doing and thinking. At times, having two brokers or agents for one client can be a great way to provide service, but it is a tough and mostly uphill battle.

Many of today's companies rely on one broker or agent to procure their insurance. If we look at a broker solely based on his or her skills in insurance, then we find the definition, according to the London-based Institute of Insurance Brokers, as, "An intermediary, transacting personal and/or business insurance with a range of insurance carriers on behalf of a client. A broker is a professional adviser, usually being independent of any particular insurers."

For many clients, this definition works if the client is just looking to buy insurance. Many are even postulating that this could be done online with the use of a single "online virtual broker" point of contact. You could click around the Internet and purchase some power tools, a gift for your wife's birthday, and $200 million in property insurance for your warehouse operations, all while sitting at home in front of the computer. For some corporations that might be free, but for the majority of companies, the role of the broker is more than that.

Many corporate risk management professionals recognize that they need and enjoy the resources that a broker can offer outside of just buying insurance. But why do customers find it hard to use the services of more than one broker or agent who can work as a team for the good of the client? Unfortunately, it is a fundamental rejoinder which lies primarily within the brokerage community and it is the adage of "all or nothing." In today's aggressive broker/agent world, the short answer as to why this occurs is competition.

It is in the heat of competition that many agents and brokers have forgotten how to win--that is, to provide what is best for the customer. Because of our industry's cultural focus on competition and making winning the only thing--and the escalation of competition that accompanies it--we are soon in a brokerage situation in which competition is the single most important and paramount feature.

Competition is slowly swamping cooperation, and with it goes the sense of helping the customer. Getting the Broker of Record Letter becomes akin to the brass ring or winning the lottery. But the issue is that while a single broker or agent may provide a vast array of resources, can he or she be all things to all customers? Strengths and weaknesses are inherent in the insurance industry, and to believe the philosophy of one-stop shopping, where all strengths are wrapped into one agent, is a myth.

But that same spirit of competition can be turned into a positive if the focus is not about the winning, but about the client. Yet, it cannot be like two cheetahs fighting over the same fallen gazelle to make sure each one gets his or her equal portion. If the agent or broker can swallow his or her ego long enough and accept the opportunity to share his or her own unique capabilities, some greater and some less, with another agent or broker for the good of the client, then everyone wins. Each gets a portion of the business.

There is an old Southern saying. "A meal is just as good as a feast to a hungry man." That sentiment rings true when brokers or agents share their talents to support the client. While one agent may come to the table with great aviation experience and only limited workers' compensation expertise, there is no sin in allowing another agent to have that portion of the business. It demonstrates to the client that each broker has the interest of the customer in mind.

Wonderfully, this approach will build customer loyalty back to both of the brokers. This loyalty will yield additional requests for expertise services, which yield larger fees and more opportunities. Shared brokerage relationships can work if there is more thinking and doing on everyone's part.

Lance Ewing, a Best's Review columnist, is vice president, Risk Management, for Harrah's Entertainment. He can be reached at [e-mail].