How to Grow Insurance Agency 2026: Leadership, Sales & Strategy Tips

🎙️ Ridiculously Amazing Insurance Agent Podcast: How to Grow Insurance Agency 2026 | Leadership, Sales & Strategy Tips

Independent insurance agents—are you ready to thrive in 2026? 🚀 In this episode, Kelly Donupiro, your favorite industry BFF, dives into how to grow your insurance agency in 2026 by focusing on leadership, sales strategies, and operational efficiency.

The past five years have been nothing short of chaotic, from COVID disruptions to the hard market that followed. Many agencies struggled with carrier exits, rate increases, team burnout, and operational inefficiencies. Those that thrived shared one thing in common: strong leadership and consistent standards. Now, as we enter a soft market, agencies have a chance to reset, refocus, and grow—but only if they adopt the right strategies.

In this episode, Kelly covers how agencies can improve visibility, implement proactive renewal reviews, build strong client relationships, and optimize team performance. She also shares practical tips for streamlining processes, increasing revenue per team member, and avoiding “time vampires” that drain resources. Whether it’s cross-selling, using integrators/raters, or becoming more “insurance nerdy,” these strategies help agents move from survival mode to growth mode.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

📊 Industry Outlook & Lessons from the Past 5 Years

How COVID and the hard market shaped agency operations

Why leadership and standards determine who thrives

Transitioning into a soft market and what it means for your agency

🛠️ Soft Market Strategy & Key Focus Areas

Proactive renewal reviews for growth and retention

Improving efficiency, time management, and revenue per team member

Building agency identity and role clarity for CSRs and account managers

Implementing strong processes and procedures to avoid “time vampires”

Becoming “insurance nerdy” to understand real client risks

📞 Sales & Client Success

Moving from a quote process to a full sales process

Cross-selling, coverage increases, and “four and score” strategies

First Call Resolution (FCR) and leveraging integrators/raters

🌐 Solutions, Training & Resources

Online store, cheat sheets, and “insurance nerd” swag

Live virtual training, mini-courses, and Agency School subscription

Consulting and coaching programs for agencies of all sizes

Data analytics support to turn management system data into actionable insights

🚀 2026 Theme & Initiatives

Focus on discipline, process, and performance

Upcoming soft market series: grow in a soft market, sell more premium, cross-sell, lead teams, and improve time management

Reminder: you’re not alone—Kelly understands your challenges and is here to help

✨ Why Listen?

Boost agency leadership and operational efficiency

Improve sales strategies and team performance

Prepare for the evolving insurance market in 2026

👉 Resources & Links:

Check out our FREE How to Sell Commercial Insurance - Script Booklet: https://bit.ly/January2026Freemium

Explore our Ridiculously Amazing Insurance Agent Swag Store: https://bit.ly/4aazkY7

Schedule a consultation with Agency Performance Partners: https://bit.ly/meetwithAPP

Learn more about APP: https://bit.ly/APP-Website

👍 Like, subscribe, and share this episode with other independent insurance agents ready to grow in 2026!

🔥 Dive into our latest blog From Novice to Expert: How To Sell Commercial Insurance Effectively https://bit.ly/41W2mWA

🎉 Get our FREE How To Sell Commercial Insurance - Script Booklet https://bit.ly/January2026Freemium

🚀 Ready to elevate your style? 🕶️ Explore our Ridiculously Amazing Insurance Agent Swag Store! https://bit.ly/4aazkY7

📈 Book a meeting with our Agency Performance Partners and unlock tailored strategies for unparalleled success. Elevate your agency's game – schedule your consultation now! https://bit.ly/meetwithAPP

🤝 We’re Agency Performance Partners; APP is your insurance agency’s best friend when it comes to training, strategies, brutal truth & tough love that'll grow your agency with hugs & high fives along the way….just like a BFF. LEARN MORE: https://bit.ly/APP-Website

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