Insurance Agency Culture: Building a Team Great Producers Want to Join

A producer walks into a sales meeting with good news. An introduction worked. A decision-maker agreed to meet. An opportunity is moving forward.

Then the questions start.

Why didn’t you approach it differently? Why didn’t you bring someone else? Why didn’t you try another market?

There may be useful coaching behind those questions. But if every success becomes an examination of what the producer should have done differently, the team misses an opportunity to learn what actually worked.

Matt Kistler offers a memorable way to think about that problem: blueberries.

If someone returned to a community with a basket full of blueberries, the natural question would be where they found them. The answer could help everyone else find more.

That same curiosity belongs in an insurance agency’s sales meetings. It also belongs in the way agencies recruit, develop, and retain producers.

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Matt Kistler of ForgePoint Growth Partners to discuss insurance agency culture, recruiting beyond the industry, and creating an environment where producers can succeed.

Their conversation connects several decisions agency owners often treat separately: who they hire, how they coach, what they reward, and which behaviors they tolerate.

Each decision tells people what working at the agency will really be like.

Watch the full conversation with David Carothers and Matt Kistler on YouTube.

Define Your Agency Before You Recruit for It

Agency owners can usually explain the markets they access and the insurance products they sell. Explaining why a strong producer should build a career there can be harder.

Matt identifies that gap as a recruiting problem.

An agency may believe it cannot compete with a larger organization’s compensation package or resources. Yet it has never clearly defined the opportunity it offers.

A candidate needs more than a statement that the agency sells insurance and wants to grow. They need to understand how the organization works.

What kind of clients does it pursue? How do producers receive support? What does leadership expect? How much room is there to develop a specialty or contribute new ideas?

Those answers make culture concrete.

Matt points to David’s agency as an example of an organization with a recognizable identity. Candidates can see its direction and expectations. David also acknowledges that the environment will not suit everyone.

That clarity helps both sides make a better decision.

An agency does not need universal appeal. It needs to explain its approach honestly enough for a prospective producer to assess whether they can thrive there.

Recruiting becomes more difficult when leaders promise an opportunity they have not defined.

Evaluate the Career Opportunity Beyond Compensation

Matt approaches producer career decisions through the idea of alignment.

A strong producer can create considerable value for an agency. Moving that producer into a new organization therefore deserves a thoughtful examination of the opportunity.

Compensation matters. So do the conditions that make production possible.

A candidate should understand the service team, leadership access, collaboration expectations, and potential career paths. If an agency promotes equity or cross-selling, the producer should ask how those opportunities work in practice.

For example, a promise of cross-selling raises several questions:

Who will participate in the client relationship?
How will the introduction happen?
What does each person contribute?
How will compensation and responsibility be handled?
Who will protect the quality of the client experience?

These details determine whether an attractive recruiting message becomes a useful working relationship.

Matt also makes a point that can get lost in conversations about changing agencies: being unhappy does not automatically mean moving is the right answer.

A producer should understand the source of the frustration and whether a prospective employer offers a meaningful improvement.

Agency owners can apply the same discipline. Before presenting their organization as a better home, they should be able to explain what will actually be different.

Expand Your Search to Proven B2B Salespeople

David’s recruiting approach begins with people who already sell to businesses outside the insurance industry.

His example is a payroll salesperson serving middle-market accounts.

That person may already call on the same types of companies the agency wants to reach. They understand prospecting, business conversations, follow-up, and the persistence required to earn appointments.

David sees those habits as a useful foundation for an insurance career.

Insurance expertise still needs to be developed. A successful salesperson from another industry will need licensing, product knowledge, technical support, and an understanding of the agency’s process.

The advantage is that the agency can observe an existing sales discipline before deciding to hire.

This approach also expands the talent pool. An owner who searches only for experienced insurance producers may overlook people with relevant relationships and strong business development skills.

David’s starting point is straightforward: ask clients who handles their payroll and whether an introduction would make sense.

That creates a conversation grounded in a shared business relationship. From there, the agency can explore whether a referral partnership would be valuable.

Hiring may eventually follow, but the initial relationship has its own purpose.

Build Referral Partnerships Around Booked Appointments

David puts specific expectations around those partnerships.

He describes meeting at least monthly and working toward two booked appointments per month in each direction.

The distinction between a lead and an appointment matters.

A name and phone number can leave the recipient doing all the work of establishing relevance. A properly arranged introduction gives the prospect context before the meeting.

They understand who is coming, why the conversation matters, and how much time it will take.

David offers the same preparation to the referral partner. Both people contribute, and both can hold the other accountable.

As trust develops, the relationship can become more collaborative. Partners may review opportunities together, identify people they already know, or arrange a joint introduction.

The agency also learns how the potential future producer operates.

Do they follow through? Do they understand a good prospect? Do they represent the relationship professionally? Do they consistently contribute?

Those observations provide evidence that an interview alone cannot offer.

The partnership creates business opportunities while giving both sides a clearer understanding of how they would work together.

Observe Fit Over Time Before Making an Offer

David’s approach is deliberately gradual.

He explains that a career conversation might begin after several months of referral activity. The broader process can take 18 to 24 months.

That timeline allows him to observe the person in real business situations.

He hears how they present. He sees their follow-up. He learns whether they keep commitments. The referral partner also becomes familiar with his agency’s value proposition and working style.

By the time hiring becomes a serious possibility, both sides have more information.

David tracks the business generated by individual referral sources in his CRM. That allows a career discussion to connect to actual results rather than a hypothetical earnings promise.

He also distinguishes between what a person needs financially and what they want to earn. His goal is to identify a viable starting point and a path toward greater production.

In the model he describes, a new hire may begin working with accounts they helped introduce. Those clients already know the salesperson and have an established relationship with the agency.

That can create a stronger starting position than asking someone to build an entirely unfamiliar book immediately.

It still requires a workable compensation structure, training, and service capacity. The value of David’s example is the preparation behind the decision.

And if hiring never becomes the right next step, the referral partnership can remain valuable. A productive relationship does not have to become employment to count as a success.

Make Sales Meetings a Place to Learn What Works

Matt’s blueberry philosophy addresses a common leadership habit: spending more time correcting producers than learning from their successes.

He describes meetings where a producer would share an opportunity and immediately face a series of questions about alternative approaches.

His response was to change the focus.

If an email earned a meeting, examine the email. If a personal introduction worked, understand the introduction. If a producer handled an objection effectively, explore how they did it.

The team can then identify behaviors worth trying elsewhere.

Useful questions include:

What helped you reach the decision-maker?
Why did the message connect?
What did you learn about the prospect?
What helped the conversation move forward?
What could another producer adapt from your approach?

This creates practical learning material from the team’s own work.

It also gives producers a reason to share more openly. They can bring a useful example without expecting every detail to become evidence of a mistake.

That does not remove accountability or critical thinking. Leaders still need to assess opportunities and challenge weak assumptions.

The change is in the purpose of the conversation. A meeting should help the team understand reality, repeat effective behaviors, and improve the next decision.

Make Cross-Selling a Working Process

Cross-selling is easy to include in a recruiting presentation. Making it work between people takes more effort.

Matt highlights the risk a producer feels when introducing a colleague into an established client relationship.

The client trusts the original producer. Bringing another person into the account means extending that trust.

A producer therefore needs confidence in the colleague’s preparation, expertise, and conduct. They also need clarity about responsibilities and incentives.

Without that clarity, an agency can have several valuable specialties and little meaningful collaboration.

Leaders should be able to describe the process from the client’s perspective.

What additional need has been identified? Why is another specialist relevant? How will the introduction help the client? How will the team coordinate afterward?

These questions give cross-selling a business purpose beyond increasing the number of policies.

For recruiting, a functioning process is also more persuasive than a broad promise. An agency can show a candidate how people collaborate and what support makes that collaboration possible.

Protect the Team From Behavior That Undermines It

David is direct about the damage one person can do to an agency’s working environment.

A producer may generate significant revenue while making life difficult for service staff or other producers.

If leadership repeatedly overlooks that behavior, the rest of the team learns which standards actually apply.

Revenue becomes an exception to the rules.

David challenges owners to consider the effect on everyone else. A single producer’s book is visible. The time, energy, and production lost across the wider team can be harder to see.

That makes cultural expectations worth defining early.

How should producers communicate with account managers? What information must accompany a request? How should disagreements be handled? What does respectful collaboration look like under pressure?

Clear expectations help managers address specific conduct rather than relying on vague judgments about personality.

The issue also connects to recruiting. Agencies should evaluate how candidates treat colleagues and support staff, alongside their sales ability.

A strong production history does not answer every question about fit.

David’s earlier discussion of entrepreneurial producers raises a related leadership question: can the agency provide the working environment the person needs? Recruiting promises and daily management need to match.

Define What “Producer” Means in Your Agency

Matt asks agency owners to clarify a word they use constantly: producer.

Does the role primarily involve generating new business? Maintaining an established book? Expanding existing accounts? Mentoring newer team members?

The answer affects expectations, compensation, and development.

Matt describes owners frustrated with experienced people who hold substantial books but have stopped writing new business.

The underlying problem is a gap between the title and the work being performed.

Maintaining client relationships has value. So does account management. But leadership should recognize those contributions accurately and clarify what additional growth responsibilities belong to the role.

That creates a more useful conversation than repeatedly complaining that someone is no longer producing.

The discussion also points toward an opportunity: transferring experience.

A veteran professional may understand industries, carrier relationships, client history, and difficult coverage conversations that a newer producer has not encountered.

Agency owners can create ways for that knowledge to reach the next generation.

Joint client meetings, structured mentoring, account reviews, and preparation sessions can make experience useful across the team.

The aim is to connect the person’s strengths with clear responsibilities that support the agency’s future.

Make Accountability Clear Before Problems Become Crises

David acknowledges how difficult it can be to act after investing time and money in someone.

Owners may keep funding the same situation because they want the earlier investment to pay off.

That history can distract from the decision in front of them: what should happen next?

The conversation emphasizes using evidence and communicating expectations.

What was the person asked to do? What support did they receive? What progress has occurred? Where does the gap remain?

Those questions help leadership move beyond frustration.

Matt also shares a principle from a former leader: performance decisions should not arrive as surprises.

People should understand concerns while they still have an opportunity to respond.

That means addressing problems early, explaining the expected improvement, and following up consistently. It also means assessing whether the agency has delivered the training and resources it promised.

Accountability becomes more credible when the standard is clear and the conversation is ongoing.

Producers should know where they stand without having to interpret a manager’s mood.

Recognize the Behaviors You Want Repeated

Matt’s examples of recognition are specific to the communities where he worked.

In one region, silver belt buckles became awards for accomplishments such as cross-selling, a strong production year, or outstanding account executive work.

The recognition carried meaning because it fit the people receiving it.

The lesson is not that every agency needs belt buckles. It is that recognition should feel connected to the team and the contribution.

An agency can celebrate new business while also recognizing work that makes growth sustainable.

That might include helping a colleague prepare, improving a difficult client experience, creating a useful process, or supporting an effective collaboration.

Specific recognition explains why the contribution mattered.

It also shows people which behaviors leadership values. When the agency repeatedly celebrates teamwork, preparation, and follow-through, those actions become more visible.

Support staff belong in that recognition as well. Their work helps turn a producer’s promise into the client’s actual experience.

Extend Appreciation Across the Agency’s Relationships

Culture reaches beyond the employees on the organizational chart.

Matt shares an example of a leader who invited carrier representatives to his home for an event centered on appreciation.

Carrier relationships often involve requests: help with an account, attend an event, provide support, or contribute sponsorship dollars.

Creating an occasion to thank those partners changes the interaction.

It recognizes the people who help the agency serve clients and reminds the team that a business relationship should include mutual value.

Matt also discusses recognizing the support producers receive from their spouses. David connects that idea to Producers in Paradise, where he encourages attendees to bring their spouses and build relationships with others who understand the demands of the business.

Starting an agency or developing a book can place pressure on a household. Connecting with people who have faced similar challenges can provide perspective and support.

David’s point is that investing in a career should come with investment in the relationships that sustain it.

Agencies can apply that idea in ways that suit their teams. Appreciation should acknowledge the people around the producer and support a sustainable working life.

Carry Cultural Alignment Into Growth and Succession Decisions

The conversation closes by connecting producer alignment with agency growth and succession.

Matt explains that ForgePoint works with agency owners considering growth, acquisition, and succession decisions, drawing on experience from the buyer’s side.

His emphasis is on helping owners evaluate the opportunity beyond the transaction itself.

The questions resemble those a producer should ask before joining an agency.

What will the team experience afterward? How will leadership work? What happens to client and carrier relationships? Is the operating approach compatible with the organization the owner has built?

Financial terms remain important. Cultural and operational fit influence whether the decision supports the intended future.

An owner who has spent years developing a team should be able to explain how the next step serves that team.

That requires looking beyond the announcement to the everyday work that follows.

Turn the Conversation Into Action

The episode offers several practical starting points for agency owners.

Describe the producer opportunity clearly. Explain the clients you pursue, the support available, the expectations, and the potential career path.
Develop one relevant B2B referral partnership. Choose someone who serves similar businesses and establish a mutual process for qualified introductions.
Track referral results. Record the source, opportunity, outcome, and relationship history so future decisions have a factual basis.
Change one part of your sales meeting. Ask a producer to explain a recent success and help the team identify what it can learn.
Review role expectations. Clarify the balance between new business, account growth, service, and mentoring.
Address performance concerns early. Give people specific feedback, useful support, and a clear understanding of the next step.
Recognize a contribution that strengthens the team. Make the appreciation specific enough for others to understand why it matters.

These actions give culture a place in the agency’s operating routine.

Build an Agency Producers Can See Themselves Growing With

Producer recruiting begins before a candidate sees a job description.

It begins with the way the agency works.

Candidates can learn what to expect by observing how leaders communicate, how colleagues collaborate, and how the team handles success and difficulty.

David’s referral approach creates time to observe those behaviors. Matt’s blueberry philosophy helps a team learn from them. Their discussion of accountability makes expectations visible, while their recognition examples show how leaders can reinforce meaningful contributions.

Together, those practices create a clearer opportunity for the right people.

Great producers need a reason to join. They also need a working environment that gives them a reason to keep building.

Watch the full Power Producers Podcast episode with David Carothers and Matt Kistler, and explore the Power Producers Podcast archive for more conversations about agency leadership, sales, and growth