Making Contracted Producers More Productive Everybody wants more agents. Who is making them more productive?
Executive Summary
Insurance distribution leaders should evaluate producer productivity alongside recruiting. A LIMRA–NAILBA study released in March 2025 found that more than eight in ten brokerage general agencies and independent marketing organizations identified increasing sales of current products and expanding their producer networks as top business priorities. The opportunity is clear. The execution question deserves equal attention: what happens after a producer signs the contract?
At Big Ridge Consulting, we believe sustainable growth requires a deliberate system for helping producers become active, effective, and consistent. Leaders should connect recruiting to onboarding, practical case support, coaching, and measurable milestones. A larger roster creates potential. Converting that potential into suitable, persistent business requires management attention and an accountable process.
The Gap Between Contracting and Producing
Recruiting is visible. Organizations can count appointments, announce partnerships, and celebrate expanded reach. Productivity requires a closer look at producer behavior and the experience of doing business.
A contracted producer may never submit an application. Another may write one case and disappear. An experienced advisor may have clients with protection needs but lack confidence in underwriting, product positioning, or implementation. These situations require different responses, yet a single recruiting total can obscure them.
The research does not establish that intermediaries are neglecting productivity. In fact, 47% planned investments in advanced sales support and underwriting, while roughly four in ten planned investments in wholesaling support and new business prospecting. Those commitments create an important leadership question: how will the organization determine whether its support changes producer outcomes?
Build a Path to Repeat Production
Start by defining the producer journey. Contracting, onboarding, first submission, first placement, and repeat production should each have a clear owner. Producers should understand their next action and know whom to contact when a case stalls.
For new producers, the first ninety days should include a realistic prospecting plan, product education tied to actual client needs, and help preparing an appropriate first case. Experienced producers may need faster access to underwriting expertise or assistance integrating insurance into their existing practice.
Segment support accordingly. New entrants, occasional writers, and established producers should receive help matched to their opportunity and commitment. Offering everyone the same webinar schedule may be convenient, but leaders should test whether that approach addresses the barriers each group faces.
Carrier and intermediary responsibilities also need definition. If both assume the other handles training or case followup, producers can lose momentum. Agree on service expectations and escalation paths before expanding recruiting commitments. Review the handoffs from the producer’s perspective.
For example, a pilot could pair newly contracted producers with a case specialist through their first two placements. Compare the results and support costs with the existing approach before extending the program across the organization broadly.
Measure Where Production Breaks Down
Review the percentage of contracted producers who become active, time to first submission, placement rates, and the share who write again. Define an active producer consistently and compare groups recruited during similar periods. Separate life insurance and annuity results when their sales cycles differ.
Pair activity measures with business quality. Early production has limited value if policies lapse, clients receive unsuitable recommendations, or service problems consume the expected return. Include persistency, compliance, and producer retention in the review.
These measures reveal where leaders should investigate. Slow first submissions may point to unclear expectations or weak prospecting support. Low placement may reflect underwriting surprises or application problems. Limited repeat production may indicate that the first case required too much effort. Validate the cause with producers before choosing a remedy.
Make Field Leadership Responsible
Wholesalers and field leaders need explicit responsibility for producer development. Their conversations should establish the next client opportunity, the obstacle preventing progress, and the support required to move forward.
Compensation should reinforce that responsibility. Leaders can consider activation and repeat production alongside recruiting and premium, with appropriate quality measures. Any change should account for the leader’s actual influence and avoid rewarding activity that creates little customer or business value.
Reflection belongs in this operating rhythm. A monthly review should ask which producer groups are progressing, which support investments appear useful, and which assumptions need testing. That pause gives leaders a chance to redirect resources before another recruiting cycle repeats the same results.
A Practical Starting Point
Over the next ninety days, select one producer cohort, document its current results, and identify the largest obstacle between contracting and repeat production. Assign an owner, improve one part of the process, and review outcomes against comparable producers where possible.
Continue recruiting where the opportunity supports it. Give existing relationships the same disciplined attention. The executive question is straightforward: how much growth could we earn by helping more of our contracted producers succeed?
Source
LIMRA and NAILBA. “Growth Drives Intermediaries’ Priorities in 2024.” March 3, 2025. Findings from Inside the Intermediary 4.0.
