Maximizing Your Commercial Lines Strategy for 2026

• January 21, 2026

By Brenna Johnson

The start of a new year is a chance to refocus on essential agency goals, such as growing revenue, strengthening client relationships and diversifying your book of business. Commercial lines can be a great way to achieve this. But let’s be honest, these accounts often feel more intimidating than exciting.

You’ve likely experienced the challenges firsthand—ones like complex submissions, inconsistent carrier requirements and workflows that consume far more time than they should. Meanwhile, clients expect faster turnaround and a higher level of service than ever before.

The problem isn’t your ambition. It’s that commercial lines haven’t evolved operationally at the same pace as client expectations. Fortunately, technology is beginning to change that.

Expanding your commercial insurance book offers independent agents several strategic opportunities to grow their business and strengthen client relationships.

Nearly 4 in 5—77%—of U.S. small businesses remain underinsured or lack adequate commercial coverage, according to the “2025 Hiscox Underinsurance in Small Business Report.” Many mistakenly believe their personal insurance policies, such as homeowners or auto, extend to their business risks—but they usually do not. This coverage gap presents a major opportunity for independent agents to become trusted advisors by educating clients, addressing overlooked risks, and building long-term relationships.

Agents who strengthen their commercial offerings can also maximize revenue with cross-selling opportunities. Commercial insurance policies typically carry higher premiums than personal lines, resulting in larger commissions per policy. As businesses grow, they often need multiple types of coverage, creating natural opportunities for independent agents to build deeper relationships with clients and offer bundled packages and cross-sell additional policies.

Easing the Commercial Burden with Technology

If you’re looking for an avenue to maximize revenue and build long-term client relationships, here are four technology capabilities that can help you save time and expand your commercial insurance book:

1) Save time with single-entry workflows. Re-entering data across systems not only slows you down but also steals time from selling and servicing accounts—time you can’t afford to lose when expanding into new lines of business.

Single-entry systems let you enter client information once and leverage it across multiple daily workflows, including claims management, billing and invoicing, policy applications, and even generating commercial quotes from multiple carriers at the same time. This streamlines your day, reduces errors and eliminates the friction of jumping between systems.

2) Win clients with branded proposals. Once you’ve secured quotes, presenting them to clients clearly and professionally can be just as challenging. Automated template tools can help you generate professional, agency-branded email proposals in seconds. Commercial clients can easily see and understand the options you’ve gathered for them and compare key information, such as policy type, carrier, and premium, at a glance.

3) Boost efficiency with automated workflows. You can also leverage automation to set up workflows in your agency management system (AMS) that trigger follow-ups, renewal reminders and document requests. This keeps your commercial book organized and ensures no client ever gets overlooked, helping you manage a growing line while boosting retention.

4) Impress clients with service portals. Staying competitive means meeting clients’ expectations for immediate service. But managing growing demands can be tough. A self-service portal provides clients with 24/7 access to the documents and information they request most frequently, such as certificates of insurance, ID cards, and policy documents, reducing service calls and freeing you to focus on higher-value tasks.

Expanding your business with technology doesn’t mean less face-to-face time. In fact, it often gives you more opportunities to advise and build stronger connections with your clients.

Brenna Johnson is senior vice president of product management at EZLynx.