In today's rapidly evolving economic landscape, navigating the complexities of a hard insurance market continues to be a challenge for independent insurance agents. To help them overcome these challenges and thrive, the Big “I" has expanded its Trusted Choice® Hard Market Toolkit.

The newly expanded resource—which builds upon the toolkit first published in July 2023—covers a wide range of updates and strategies for navigating the challenges posed by the hard market.

The toolkit will help agents gain a greater understanding of overall trends impacting the hard market by offering the latest updates on market trends, economic indicators and strategic insights.

The expansion includes more practical strategies for selling and advising clients amid tough market conditions to ensure agents remain competitive. Further, the toolkit expands on previous advice for enhancing communication strategies to build stronger client relationships, as well as advice for continuing community involvement initiatives to strengthen local presence and trust.

“As the insurance industry continues to deal with these difficult conditions, independent insurance agents are faced with both obstacles and potential opportunities for growth and adaptation," said Charles Symington, Big “I" president & CEO. “Our goal is to empower independent agents with the insights and tools they need to confidently navigate the current market, support their clients, and drive sustainable business growth."

The expanded toolkit also focuses on communicating with commercial clients, providing tools to tailor messages that resonate with businesses whose insurance has been impacted by the hard market.

Additionally, the sections “Increasing Your Retention to 96%" and “How to Stop a Cancellation" offer actionable steps to keep clients loyal as many agents pivot to retain business rather than sourcing new clients. Like the first iteration of the toolkit, the expansion includes ready-to-use email and digital templates that simplify and streamline communication, which save time while maintaining professionalism.

“We understand that each agent-client relationship is unique, and our toolkit is designed to offer flexible, actionable insights that agents can tailor to their specific business and clients' needs," said Kevin Brandt, executive director of Trusted Choice. “For independent agents, effectively communicating with clients is paramount to navigating the hard market. This updated guide will help agents stay proactive, informed and agile."

Kasey Connors is Big “I" vice president of marketing operations at Trusted Choice.

This guide is free to Big "I" member agencies and their staff, courtesy of Trusted Choice, the national brand for independent insurance agents. Download the free Trusted Choice Hard Market Toolkit Expansion today.