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Buying more insurance leads won't fix a broken sales process.

If your producers call a lead once, forget to follow up after a quote, take too long to make first contact, or let old opportunities sit untouched in the CRM… more leads may just mean more wasted money.

In this episode of The Modern Insurance Agent Podcast, David Denning sits down with Kenzie Scott, National Business Development Manager at Ricochet 360, to break down how modern insurance agencies are using CRMs, dialers, automation, workflows, and better processes to get more value from the leads they already have.

And one of the biggest takeaways?

Sometimes the lead isn't the problem. The system around the lead is.

Kenzie shares what she's seeing inside insurance agencies across the country and why the agencies growing fastest aren't simply telling producers to "make more calls."

They're building systems that make it easier for their teams to do the RIGHT activity at the RIGHT time.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why insurance agencies may be blaming their leads for a process problem
• What speed-to-contact means and why it matters
• Why calling an insurance lead once isn't enough
• How a CRM + dialer can remove dozens of tiny decisions from a producer's day
• How Ricochet 360's "Shark Tank" approach keeps leads from sitting untouched
• Why old leads, requotes, recycled leads, and win-backs shouldn't disappear into your CRM
• How automation can help producers consistently follow up after a quote
• Why dedicated sales producers can outperform hybrid sales/service roles
• How agencies can use technology without turning producers into automation experts
• Why buying the right software isn't enough if your team doesn't actually use it
• How gamification can help create team buy-in around new technology
• Why service workflows may be one of the most overlooked growth opportunities in an insurance agency
• How AI could change service, reporting, certificates, and other repetitive agency tasks
• Why technology should give insurance agents MORE time for human conversations not replace them
• What insurance agencies need to do now to stay competitive in 2026

Kenzie shares some eye-opening observations about follow-up.

According to the data she discusses in the episode, 41% of producers call a lead only once, while 48% don't follow up after providing a quote.

That's a huge problem when agencies are spending thousands of dollars generating opportunities.

Instead of constantly feeding producers new leads, Kenzie explains how the right system can continually prioritize new leads, recycled leads, requotes, and win-backs so producers always know who they should contact next.

But there's another important lesson:

Technology alone won't fix your agency.

You can buy an incredible CRM, dialer, or automation platform, but if your team doesn't learn the system and change its habits, you're essentially putting an inexperienced driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini.

The tool AND the behavior around the tool have to work together.

And this isn't only about sales.

Kenzie believes service automation and workflows are a major untapped opportunity for growing insurance agencies. The right systems can help service teams manage follow-ups and repetitive tasks while freeing humans to spend more time doing what technology can't replace: taking care of clients.

If you're an insurance agent, agency owner, producer, or sales manager trying to close more business without simply working more hours, this episode will make you rethink how leads move through your agency.

Connect with Us:

🔗Download the resources & access the full podcast library – jumpstartgonow.com/podcast

Join the Movement of Modern Insurance Agents!

Ready to become the agent clients trust and refer to their friends? Start by building your personal brand, using social media effectively, and prioritizing relationships over transactions. Let’s change the way people see insurance one client at a time! 🚀

📢 Join the discussion! Connect with like-minded agents and get exclusive marketing tips in the Marketing for Insurance Agents Facebook Group. jumpstartgonow.com/join-group

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What does it actually take to build an insurance business from $0 to more than $2 million in premium in just four years?

For Stacie Warner, it wasn't buying leads.

It wasn't spending hours every day cold calling.

And it definitely wasn't constantly pitching insurance on social media.

In this episode of The Modern Insurance Agent Podcast, David Denning sits down with Stacie Warner, owner of Warner Twins Insurance Services, to break down how she built a thriving commercial insurance business by choosing a niche, building genuine relationships, using social media consistently, and turning happy clients into a powerful source of referrals.

Stacie specializes in helping contractors with their commercial insurance needs and she built her practice almost entirely through relationships, referrals, and social media.

You'll discover:

• How Stacie went from the restaurant industry to owning an insurance business
• Why she chose contractors as her insurance niche
• The two major insurance problems she sees contractors struggle with
• How she grew from $0 to $2M+ in premium in four years
• Why buying leads never felt right for the way she wanted to build her business
• What changed when she started intentionally using social media
• How she went from HATING being on camera to consistently showing up online
• Why she focuses on relationships instead of pitching people in the DMs
• How contractors started finding her through Facebook
• Why roughly 50% of her book of business now comes from referrals
• How Centers of Influence and strategic referral partners accelerated her growth
• Why Facebook groups became one of her biggest opportunities
• How she manages her social media in roughly 25 minutes a day
• Why personal content is an important part of her insurance marketing strategy
• How clients started tagging and recommending her even when she wasn't actively marketing
• Why AI won't eliminate the need for a knowledgeable insurance agent
• How Stacie balances building a growing agency while raising twin boys
• Her vision for eventually building a $1 million revenue insurance agency

One of the biggest turning points came when Stacie stopped wondering where her next lead would come from and started building a system around relationships and visibility.

After implementing the strategy, contractors began reaching out to her on Facebook. Then those contractors referred other contractors. Eventually, clients started tagging her whenever someone in their communities asked for commercial insurance recommendations.

Today, Stacie estimates approximately 50% of her book comes from referrals including referrals that originated from relationships she initially built through social media.

And here's what makes her social strategy especially interesting:

She's not spending all day creating content.

Stacie says she spends about 25 minutes at most on Facebook, sharing a mix of her personal life, helpful content, and occasional educational business posts. Instead of constantly saying, "Buy insurance from me," she lets people get to know her and understand what she does over time.

That consistency has created something even more valuable than another lead source:

A community of people willing to advocate for her.

Her clients and sometimes people who haven't even worked with her yet tag Stacie when contractors ask for insurance recommendations inside Facebook groups.

If you're an insurance agent who's tired of transactional lead generation and wants to build a business around relationships, referrals, social media, and becoming the go-to agent in your niche, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

Connect with Us:

🔗Download the resources & access the full podcast library – jumpstartgonow.com/podcast

Join the Movement of Modern Insurance Agents!

Ready to become the agent clients trust and refer to their friends? Start by building your personal brand, using social media effectively, and prioritizing relationships over transactions. Let’s change the way people see insurance one client at a time! 🚀

📢 Join the discussion! Connect with like-minded agents and get exclusive marketing tips in the Marketing for Insurance Agents Facebook Group. jumpstartgonow.com/join-group

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Tired of buying leads, cold calling, and competing with every other insurance agent for the exact same prospects?

Maybe it’s time to get a little weird.

In this episode of The Modern Insurance Agent Podcast, David and Elle Denning count down 10 unconventional ways insurance agents are getting clients—without relying on the same tired lead-generation strategies everyone else is using.

And these aren't gimmicks.

They're practical ways to become useful, memorable, and trusted BEFORE someone needs insurance.

We’re counting down all 10, including:

#10 — Create a resource people keep for YEARS
Think new homeowner manuals, Turning 65 cheat sheets, new parent checklists, and other genuinely useful resources.

#9 — Sponsor the pain, not the game
Forget another banner at the little league field. Sponsor the annoying things people actually want help with.

#8 — Become the helpful neighbor online
Instead of advertising to your community, become the person everyone already trusts for recommendations and answers.

#7 — Make insurance entertaining
Turn crazy real-world insurance situations into recurring content people actually WANT to watch.

#6 — Give referrals before asking for them
Become the person who knows the roofer, CPA, realtor, plumber, attorney, and other professionals your clients need.

#5 — Teach where your prospects already gather
Libraries, employers, community organizations, churches, and other trusted spaces can put you in front of an entire room of the right people.

#4 — Find referral partners at overlooked trigger moments
New babies. Retirement. Moving. Divorce. Tax season. Open enrollment. Find the professionals already present when someone's insurance needs change.

#3 — Give gifts that actually DO something
A great client gift can strengthen your relationship, keep your name around, AND help your client.

#2 — Adopt the chaos season
Instead of trying to sell when everyone is overwhelmed, become the person who helps them prepare BEFORE the chaos begins.

And finally...

#1 might sound ridiculous at first but it could be one of the most powerful organic marketing strategies an insurance agent can use.

Own a weird, hyper-specific micro niche.

Night-shift nurses. Food truck owners. Tattoo artists. CrossFit gym owners. Classic car enthusiasts. Teachers approaching retirement.

Heck... even people with backyard chickens.

Small communities talk. And when you're the ONLY insurance agent who understands their world, your name can spread quickly.

The big lesson behind all 10 strategies is simple:

Become useful or memorable before you ever have something to sell.

You don't need to try all 10, either. Pick ONE idea that fits your personality, audience, and business and start there.

Whether you sell life insurance, Medicare, health insurance, annuities, P&C, or employee benefits, you'll walk away from this episode with ideas you can actually put into action.

Connect with Us:

🔗Download the resources & access the full podcast library – jumpstartgonow.com/podcast

Join the Movement of Modern Insurance Agents!

Ready to become the agent clients trust and refer to their friends? Start by building your personal brand, using social media effectively, and prioritizing relationships over transactions. Let’s change the way people see insurance one client at a time! 🚀

📢 Join the discussion! Connect with like-minded agents and get exclusive marketing tips in the Marketing for Insurance Agents Facebook Group. jumpstartgonow.com/join-group