The Old Playbook Doesn’t Work Like It Used To

Here’s what most agencies are still doing in 2025. They hire a new producer. Unvalidated, eager, and loaded with time to produce. They hand them a lead list and say, “Go make 100 calls a day.”

Cold calls. Cold emails. Maybe some networking events if they’re lucky.

And then we wonder why they struggle. Why it takes so long for them to hit profitability. Why some never validate at all, or worse, leave the business before they ever had a real shot.

The math isn’t in our favor anymore. Cold outreach takes more time and effort to get the same results we got five or ten years ago. The response rates are lower. The trust is harder to earn. The sales cycle is longer.

And we’re training Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X producers like it’s still 2002.

We’re Only Teaching Half the Game

Look, cold outreach still has to be part of the equation. I’m not saying ditch the phone or stop sending emails.

But if that’s all you’re teaching them? You’re setting them up to burn out.

The modern insurance sales cycle doesn’t work like it used to. Back when I started in 2002, it was simple. Cold suspects became appointments, appointments became quotes, quotes became closes.

Not anymore.

Today, the sales cycle is longer. There are more brokers than ever. More noise. More competition.

And the first step to winning isn’t getting someone on the phone. It’s building brand awareness.

What You Should Be Teaching

If you have new producers with time on their hands, teach them how to use that time strategically.

Yes, teach them cold outreach. But also teach them how to build warm outreach.

Here’s what that looks like.

Social Media How to use LinkedIn to stay visible with prospects over time, not just when they need something.

Content Creation How to share insights and demonstrate expertise in a way that reaches hundreds of prospects at once.

Email Campaigns How to nurture relationships at scale with valuable, consistent messaging.

Speaking and Webinars How to position themselves as trusted voices in their niche.

The beautiful thing? In 2025, it’s never been easier to build awareness. Social media, podcasting, video, email. These channels are accessible, scalable, and effective.

But you have to teach your producers how to use them.

Why This Matters

When you only train producers to cold call and cold email, you’re asking them to grind through rejection with no momentum. No visibility. No warm pipeline building in the background.

Every day they struggle is a day they’re not profitable. Every month they don’t validate is money out of your pocket. Every producer who leaves is a sunk cost.

But when you teach them how to build brand awareness alongside cold outreach, you give them exponential leverage. They’re not just chasing one prospect at a time. They’re creating visibility with dozens, even hundreds, at once. They’re building credibility while they sleep. They’re warming up prospects before they ever reach out.

That means faster validation. Higher retention. Better results for your agency.