I’m sure you’ve heard it said before that your network is your net worth. Today we’re going to talk about why you need to focus on being a connector as a producer.
Understanding the importance of your network is paramount as a producer, and if there’s one thing I feel I’ve done good over the course of my career, it’s that I’ve focused on being a connector. I have taken great pride in solving problems for peers, company people, and even employees and team members in my agency. I typically know who can solve their problem if I don’t have the solution myself.
Think about this for a second. If you can introduce your client, who has a payroll problem, to an outstanding payroll rep in your network, what have you just done? You’ve solved the problem for your client, which immediately gives you credibility and better standing with them, but you’ve also helped somebody make money because they sold a deal to somebody in need. By connecting those two, I didn’t necessarily make money right then and there, but what I did do is I made a big deposit in the relational bank account that I have with my client and the person to whom I referred the business.
Though think about how to build your network, think big. The problem is that too many people do what we do have a scarcity mindset. They want to keep everything close to the vest, and the problem is that they can’t grow that way. With an abundance mindset, you’re willing to talk to peers who do the same thing. You can talk to service providers who are servicing the same types of clients that you have. You’re able to introduce your peers to carriers who may be able to solve their problems or, in some cases, wholesalers.
And listen, even if it never comes back to mean money for you, you’re going to sleep well at night knowing that you took the time out of your day to take a relationship that you’ve harvested. You’ve nurtured it over the years and introduced that relationship into someone else’s professional life. And that, I can tell you, is equally as satisfying as any dollar you’re ever going to make.
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Influence is one of the most powerful tools we have in business, leadership, and personal life. Used well, it inspires people, builds trust, and creates ethical results. Used poorly, it can slide into manipulation and self-interest.
Reinvention is one of the most powerful themes in the insurance industry. Some of the best commercial producers in the country did not grow up wanting to sell insurance. They did not study risk management in college. They did not come from an agency family. They found this industry after they tried something else. They found it after life pushed them toward a career where performance, autonomy, and mindset determine the outcome.
The most successful producers in the middle market did not get there because they quoted faster, smiled bigger, or knew how to talk longer. They got there because they learned how to differentiate themselves so clearly that prospects had no choice but to see them as trusted advisors. They learned to operate like businesspeople first and insurance technicians second. They learned how to tie operational mechanics to insurance outcomes. They learned how to control their time, their pipeline, and their future.
In commercial insurance, the most dangerous threats to your book of business aren’t always visible on the loss runs. One of the most overlooked vulnerabilities for middle market producers is ignoring the personal lines needs of their business owner and executive clients.
The commercial insurance industry is one of the few professions where someone can enter with no experience, no connections, and no background in risk management and still build a long, lucrative career. But success is never automatic. It requires hunger, humility, curiosity, and the willingness to keep showing up even when the process feels overwhelming. That is why the story of Pam Seidler has already started making waves among new and aspiring commercial producers.
In an industry where tradition often outweighs innovation, artificial intelligence and automation are slowly but steadily reshaping how independent insurance agencies operate. The push toward smarter, more efficient workflows is no longer a matter of if—but when. While many agencies are still evaluating how AI fits into their operations, early adopters are already reaping the benefits of streamlined submissions, faster processing, and actionable data insights.
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