The S.U.N. (Sell. Underwrite. Negotiate.) Program is an insurance-specific workshop that helps professionals be more effective from the first conversation through the moment the deal is closed.
COMPANIES THAT HAVE LEARNED HOW TO SELL MORE AT HIGHER MARGINS USING S.U.N. CONCEPTS:
Insurance Deals Have Three Stages
The SUN Program strengthens two of them & helps you align with the third
Stage 1:
Sale
Everything begins with selling. You uncover needs, ask strong questions, prepare presentations, and differentiate against competitors. This is where you build the foundation that protects value later.
Stage 2: Underwriting
Underwriting shouldn’t be limited to setting terms, conditions, and pricing for a deal. Instead, underwriting should be seen as a way to build relationships and develop customized alternatives to aid in future negotiations.
Stage 3: Negotiation
After underwriting, negotiation closes the deal. This is where teams lose margin, give unnecessary concessions, or strain relationships. Effective negotiation protects your position and builds loyalty.
What are your people struggling with?
Deal Flow? Creative Solutions? Achieving Margins?
Differentiate From the Competition
Increase deal flow by clearly demonstrating your Value Proposition
The Result??
More Deals. Faster. Higher Margins.
More Deals. Faster. Higher Margins.
Mark has spent 30+ years inside the world of high-stakes negotiation, where one conversation can shift deals, relationships, and entire business outcomes.
As co-founder of Shapiro Negotiations Institute, he has trained thousands of leaders across 23 countries, partnering with Fortune 500 companies, mid-market firms, and fast-growing organizations to strengthen how they communicate, negotiate, and lead under pressure using proven negotiation frameworks and real-world behavioral strategy.
Across that work, Mark has seen a consistent pattern: it’s not a lack of knowledge that breaks outcomes, it’s what happens in the moment conversations get difficult, emotional, or uncertain.
That’s where his expertise is focused.
Through the S.U.N. Program, Mark teaches leaders how to stay grounded in those moments, hold their position without escalation, and move conversations forward with clarity, control, and trust intact.
Results Clients Have Seen
15%
Increase in Bind Ratio
Control group improved 5% over the same period
8.5%
Retention Improvement
Achieved over a two-year period
7%
Year-over-Year Rate Increases
Achieved by trained teams
Designed for Revenue Leaders in Insurance AND Reinsurance
If your organization manages risk capital and negotiates complex placements, this program was built for you.
One-Day Workshop
PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN HOW TO:
Control the Sales Meetings
Position Your Unique Value Proposition
Adjust to Multiple Buyer Personas
Use Leverage to Increase Deal Flow
Set the Stage for Future Deal Negotiations
Structure Multiple Deal Options
Timely Exit from Misaligned Deals
Use Objections as Closing Opportunities
Create Urgency to Close Lagging Deals
Leverage One Deal to Obtain Multiple Deals
What’s Included
✓ Sales fundamentals and discovery techniques
✓ Negotiation strategies and tactics
✓ Handling objections and difficult conversations
✓ Real-world insurance scenarios and case studies
✓ Interactive practice and feedback
✓ Take-home resources and frameworks
TWO-Day Workshop
PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN EVERYTHING IN DAY ONE PLUS:
Application to Participants Actual Deals
Assessment of Participants’ Strengths/Weaknesses
Role Plays For Skill Reinforcement
Personalized Coaching/Feedback
Customized Take-Home Tools
Follow-Up Webinar to Assess Implementation
Reinforcement Campaign
ROI Guarantee
What’s Included
✓ Everything from the one-day workshop
✓ Advanced negotiation techniques and psychology
✓ Extended practice with complex scenarios
✓ Team dynamics and group negotiations
✓ Deeper reinforcement and skill mastery
✓ Personalized coaching and feedback
✓ Implementation planning for your organization
Bring the S.U.N. Program to Your Team
If your people touch the deal at any point, selling, underwriting alignment, or negotiation, the S.U.N. Program gives them a shared, insurance-specific approach that improves outcomes from first conversation to signed terms.
FEATURED WORK & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Mark’s thinking on negotiation, influence, and difficult conversations has become widely recognized as essential reading for leaders who operate under pressure.
His bestselling books, The Power of Nice and Bullies, Tyrants and Impossible People, are used by professionals and organizations around the world to navigate conflict, strengthen communication, and lead more effectively in high-stakes environments.
Alongside his work, Mark has been featured and shared across leading business and leadership platforms, reinforcing his role as one of the most trusted voices in modern negotiation practice.
Your Questions, Answered
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No. Underwriting is product-specific and organization-specific. The SUN Program strengthens sales and negotiation skills and helps teams align with underwriting realities without trying to replace underwriting expertise.
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All lines. The S.U.N. Program is built around transaction dynamics common across insurance—whether you're writing commercial, specialty, reinsurance, or any other line.
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Anyone involved in winning, structuring, or closing business—underwriters, brokers, producers, account teams, and leaders. Not designed for claims teams.
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It's a high-participation workshop. Expect interactive exercises, role-plays, real-world scenarios, and plenty of practice. You'll apply what you learn immediately.
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Timeline depends on your needs and Mark's availability. We typically can schedule workshops within 4-8 weeks, though expedited timelines are possible for urgent needs.
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There's no hard limit, but we recommend keeping groups to 30-40 participants for optimal interaction and feedback. Larger groups can be split into multiple sessions.