Breaking Old Playbooks:
How Consistency, Brand, and AI Are Redefining Broker Growth

‍Executive Summary

In this episode, Plansight CMO Adam Smith hosts Andy Neary, former pro pitcher, founder of Complete Game Consulting, and one of the most respected voices on social selling in the insurance industry.

Andy shares how years of athletic discipline have shaped his approach to business, why most producers still use prospecting strategies that stopped working years ago, and how personal branding, accountability, and AI are reshaping what it takes to grow a book of business in 2025.

His message is simple and sharp. There is no silver bullet. There is no hack that replaces consistent effort. As Andy puts it, "There is no secret bullet to sales except putting in the consistent work every day."

This episode is packed with tactics brokers can apply immediately, along with mindset shifts that are becoming the new baseline for sustained success.

The Problem: Old Playbooks Are Failing New Producers

For decades, new producers were trained using the same formula. Hammer the phones. Hammer the inbox. Hammer harder.

Today, that formula creates burnout instead of results.

Andy put it plainly. "We are trying to raise producers in the insurance industry using strategies that worked for us 30 years ago."

The modern buyer behaves differently. The modern broker has more competition. And the modern attention span rewards brand over brute force.

What producers need now is:

• Awareness before outreach
• Relevance before requests
• Brand before pitch

As Andy explained, the shift is unavoidable. "Before you can ever turn a suspect into an appointment, you have to build awareness, brand awareness."

The brokers who understand that are becoming top performers. The ones who ignore it are quietly falling behind.

The Blueprint: How to Build a Modern Personal Brand

Andy teaches four pillars for building a presence that drives real pipeline, and Adam reinforces why this matters so much today.

Adam put it, "People are buying you as a broker. You have to build a personal brand if you want to stand out today."

That is the shift many agencies are still adjusting to. They sound simple, but most producers skip at least one, usually the one that matters most. Here are the four pillars Andy uses to help producers break through.

1. Fix Your Profile

Treat your LinkedIn profile like a personal website. It should speak to prospects, not peers.

2. Grow the Right Network

Send connection requests daily to the exact buyers you want to serve.

3. Create Content for Your ICP

Not for your friends. Not for other brokers. Not for clout.

Andy's rule stays the same: "Would my ideal client find this useful? If the answer is yes, you post it."

But Adam added something that every producer should tattoo on their brain: "If your audience is not seeing your profile or your posts, you cannot just post and hope. You have to go connect with them."

This is the missing link for most producers. Posting without connecting is like speaking to an empty room. Once connections grow, content finally starts doing the heavy lifting.

4. Take Conversations Offline

Connections are not conversations. Comments are not opportunities.

Producers must engage, message, and ask for meetings.

As Andy summed up, "If you do those four things consistently, you're going to generate activity."

Consistency Beats Talent Every Time

One of the strongest themes in this episode is that consistent habits create success long before breakthroughs appear.

Andy learned this in baseball long before he learned it in insurance.

He said, "God didn't give me an arm that threw 97 miles an hour. So I had to have that work ethic off the field that allowed me to have success on it."

When he lost that consistency, his confidence suffered.

When he regained it, everything changed.

That same pattern repeated in his insurance career. When he tried to mimic others, he struggled. When he leaned into his own process, he grew.

His advice is blunt and refreshing. "If you're trying to copy what others are doing, that will not lead to success. You have to design a strategy that fits who you are."

AI as a Thought Partner, Not a Replacement

Producers are drowning in noise around AI. Is it the magic solution? Is it coming for everyone's jobs?

Andy has a more grounded take." AI should not be the thought leader. It is the thought partner."

His team now automates time-consuming prep work that used to take hours. That saved time lets producers focus on what matters.

As Andy put it, "The purpose of AI is to automate the mundane so you can focus on the meaningful." Choosing the right AI for your brokerage doesn't have to be difficult if you know what to look for and how to balance AI and human capital.

This aligns perfectly with what Plansight and PlansightAI were built for. Remove manual layers and elevate high-value work.

Producers are not being replaced. They are being freed up. What they do with that time is the real differentiator.

Going All In: The Turning Point That Changed Everything

One decisive moment in the episode comes when Andy describes September 2020. He had lost clients. His coaching business felt like it might not work. He was ready to quit.

Then he chose the more challenging path." I made the decision that not only am I not giving up on this, I am actually getting rid of my book and going all in."

He invested in a coach. He joined a mastermind. He bet on himself before it made sense. It became the catalyst for everything that followed.

His advice to new and seasoned producers is the same." Invest in yourself. Own your results. If you are not committed, you are playing half pregnant."

What Has Andy Most Excited About 2026

It is simple. Change.

He sees the industry finally embracing brand, technology, and new training approaches that actually match the modern sales environment.

"We are starting to see agencies of all sizes realize we have to change the way we train our producers. They are having a harder time getting at bats."

Producers who embrace these changes are gaining an edge. Agencies that support them are scaling faster than ever.

And those who resist? They are already behind.

Final Thought: Show Up Like the News

Andy shared one of the best analogies of the entire episode.

"If you want to build credibility, think of yourself like the news. You need to show up every day, whether you have news or not."

Producers who show up consistently build trust.

Producers who disappear between renewals lose it.

The modern buyer wants to know you before they ever meet you.

Your content does not replace your sales process.

It enhances every step of it.

Next Step for Brokers

Growing a book today requires:

• Consistency
• A personal brand
• Better process
• The right tools

Plansight accelerates the last part so you can invest your time in the others.

👉 Schedule a discovery call with us and see how Plansight can help you create more at-bats and win more business.

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