How to Build Confidence as a New Insurance Producer: My 6-Part Framework That Actually Works

If you’re a new insurance producer and you’re feeling overwhelmed, nervous, or like maybe you don’t even belong—let me just say this right out of the gate: you’re not alone.

This industry is hard. It asks a lot of you, fast. You’re expected to learn complex coverages, master long-tail sales cycles, build relationships with underwriters, prospect daily, and somehow close business while still figuring out what “additional insured” actually means.

But here’s the thing—confidence isn’t something you just have. It’s something you build. And in this post, I’m walking you through the six-part framework that helped me go from feeling like a fraud to becoming a confident commercial insurance producer.

Let’s get into it.

1. Go Back to the Basics

When you’re overwhelmed, it’s usually because your attention is scattered. There are too many things demanding your energy, and not enough structure to help you sort it all out. That’s why the very first thing I recommend—especially if you’re feeling lost—is to go back to the basics.

Choose One Niche

Trying to write insurance for everybody is the fastest way to feel like an amateur. It’s just too much.

There are too many coverages, too many industries, too many carriers. You can’t learn it all at once. So stop trying.

Choose one niche. Focus on one class of business. Learn it deeply.

When I started focusing on one niche, everything got easier. I knew which markets to approach. I got familiar with the underwriting guidelines. I learned the coverage forms, the exclusions, the endorsements. I knew the objections my prospects were going to have before they even said them.

That kind of focus makes you feel like an expert way faster than trying to be everything to everyone.

Choose One Sales Process

The same goes for your sales process. Pick one system and commit to it.

There are a lot of good ones out there. I’ve learned from Charles Specht, from Max Revenue, from the Dynamics of Selling course, and from Nick Aube’s group. Every one of them teaches you how to walk a prospect through the emotional buying journey.

You don’t need to try all of them at once. Pick one and work it. Get good at the reps. Master it so that your calls, meetings, and proposals are part of a cohesive strategy—not random attempts at closing business.

Practice Like a Pro

Michael Jordan practiced more than everyone else. Kobe did too. That’s not a coincidence. If you want to feel confident in your meetings, you need to put in the reps before you ever walk into the room.

Read sales books. Memorize your scripts. Practice your objections. Role-play with a colleague. Record yourself and watch it back. Confidence doesn’t come from being lucky—it comes from preparation.

2. Remember What You’ve Already Done

Confidence isn’t just about what you will do—it’s about owning what you’ve already done.

I remember listening to David Carothers talk on his Power Producers Podcast. He said something that stuck with me. Before every meeting, he tells himself, “The prospect validated your worth by agreeing to meet with you. So go in there and kill it.”

That pep talk? It works.

You got the job for a reason. Your agency saw potential in you. Your background, your skills, your hustle—something in you stood out. So don’t let imposter syndrome lie to you.

You didn’t get this opportunity by accident. You made the calls. You sent the emails. You showed up.

I’ve walked into major opportunities—some of the biggest of my career—and felt like I didn’t belong. I’d think, “I’m not with a national broker. What am I even doing here?” But the truth is, I was there because of 15 years of work. Of building. Of learning. Of showing up when nobody was watching.

You are where you are because of the work you’ve already done. Trust it.

3. Write Down a Plan

One of the biggest killers of confidence is a lack of direction. When you don’t know where you’re going—or how to get there—fear takes over.

The antidote is a plan.

Start by thinking three years out. Where do you want to be? How much revenue do you want to write? What kind of clients do you want to work with?

Then back into it. Build one-year goals. Twelve-week goals. Weekly targets. Create a weekly structure that keeps your actions aligned with your destination.

This is something I borrowed straight out of the book Traction. It’s about creating an operating system for your life that keeps you focused and executing. I applied it to my career as a producer and it changed everything.

You don’t have to be a “planner” by personality. In fact, if you resist structure, that may be even more reason to lean into it. Winging it only works for so long. Without a roadmap, you’re just driving blind.

4. Execute the Plan with Urgency

A plan is great. But execution is everything.

Bruce Harriman—one of the top producers in my agency—once told me that after every meeting, he completed the paperwork the same day. That way, the next day, he was free to move on to the next thing.

Now look, not every account allows for that kind of speed. Some of mine had 100 vehicles, dozens of locations, complicated exposures. But the principle still holds.

Act with urgency.

Don’t put off what can be done today. Whether it’s follow-ups, paperwork, quotes, or learning a new coverage form—do it now.

Every day stacks. One call leads to one appointment. One appointment leads to one proposal. One proposal leads to one sale. And one sale leads to confidence.

Compound that over a year, and you’ll be shocked at how far you’ve come.

5. Use Nervous Energy as Fuel

Even the most successful people feel nervous. That’s not weakness—it’s human.

Michael Jordan got nervous before every big game. His trainer, Tim Grover, used to tell him, “Just make sure all the butterflies are flying in the same direction.”

You may never fully silence the doubt. That’s okay. Confidence doesn’t mean you don’t feel fear. It means you keep moving in spite of it.

The best performers—athletes, musicians, producers—they all use that nervous energy to sharpen their focus. You can do the same. Let the nerves fuel your preparation. Let them drive your urgency. Let them keep you on your toes.

Just don’t let them paralyze you.

6. Don’t Go It Alone

For the first few years of my career, I tried to figure everything out on my own. No mentors. No peer groups. No coaching. Just me, grinding in isolation.

And guess what? I struggled. I wrote almost no business. And I don’t recommend that path for anyone.

Find people who will help you. Surround yourself with other producers who are building something. Find mentors, even if they’re virtual. Podcasts, YouTube, LinkedIn—if you find the right voices, you can borrow their thinking until you develop your own.

One of the fastest ways to level up is to get around people who have already done what you’re trying to do. Their mindset will change yours. Their insights will save you time. Their support will make you better.

You don’t need to be surrounded by mediocrity. Find a crew that’s one step ahead of you and soak up everything they’re willing to share.

Final Thoughts

Confidence is built brick by brick.

You don’t get it all at once. But if you follow this six-part framework—if you commit to the basics, trust your journey, write down a plan, move with urgency, use nervous energy wisely, and surround yourself with good people—you will build something real.

You’ll stop feeling like an imposter. You’ll stop questioning whether you belong. And you’ll start seeing yourself as the kind of producer you’re trying to become.

So go get it. You’ve already done more than you think. And you’ve got more in you than you realize.

Let’s build something great.

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And if you’re a new producer trying to find your footing—reach out. I’ve been there.