How to Navigate a Hard Insurance Market (and Still Grow Your Book)

When the insurance market gets hard, average producers panic. They complain about rate increases, blame the carriers, and scramble to hold onto their accounts. But top producers? They keep growing. They take market share. Since they are the obvious choice for their space, clients gravitate more and more toward them in uncertain times.

And that’s exactly what I want to walk you through in this post — the exact strategy I use to thrive in a hard market. If you’re struggling with renewals, retention, or rising premiums, this is how you stay calm, stay focused, and keep building your book.

1. Be the Obvious Choice in a Specific Space

The first key to navigating a hard market is positioning. If you're just “one of many,” you're going to get eaten alive.

But if you're known as the go-to person in your niche — whether that’s electricians, assisted living facilities, or private schools — then you’re no longer fighting for attention. You’re the one people call when things get tough. You’re the one who knows the market, the carriers, and the underwriters. That expertise becomes your differentiator.

Think about it like the stock market. In a recession, the strongest companies get stronger. While smaller players struggle, the giants — the Apples and the Costcos of the world — grab more market share. You can be that giant in your space.

Be the obvious choice.

2. Set Expectations Early

Clients can deal with bad news. What they hate are surprises.

The second key to navigating difficult markets is to set expectations early. I aim to get in front of my clients at least 90 days out from renewal with a line-by-line update on what’s happening in the marketplace. I use the Zywave Market Conditions report to frame those conversations and customize the message for their specific industry.

Here’s what I’ve found: If I can walk into a meeting and say, “Look, for businesses like yours, property is trending +20%, auto is flat, and workers’ comp might be up 5–10%,” the client’s whole posture changes. They feel informed. They feel like I’m looking out for them.

Do they love rate increases? No. But they can handle them — as long as they have time to prepare and it doesn’t feel like they’re being ambushed.

3. Empower the Client with Options

Once you’ve educated the client about what to expect, the next step is to give them options.

A hard market often feels like a trap to the client: rising rates, fewer carriers, more restrictions. But when you give them choice and context, it flips the script. Instead of feeling boxed in, they feel like they’re making empowered decisions.

Here’s what I mean:

• Walk in with multiple options — even if they’re not ideal.

• Explain why coverage is changing.

• Give real-world examples of what other companies are doing to adapt.

When you give your client clarity and control, the conversation becomes collaborative — not adversarial. And when the solution feels like their idea, they’re far more likely to accept it and stay with you.

4. You Lose the Way You Win

This one’s critical — especially in hard markets: You lose the way you win.

If you won a client on price, you're going to lose that client on price.

That’s why I’m a huge believer in leading with relationship and expertise. If your clients hire you because you understand the market better than anyone, because you specialize in their industry, and because you’ve proven you can guide them through tough renewals — then they won’t leave you just because someone else offered to save them 5%.

I’m not saying pricing doesn’t matter. It does. But when a client picks you for your knowledge, your market access, and your ability to solve hard problems, that loyalty runs deeper.

5. Take a Long-Term View

Even if you do everything right, you’re still going to lose clients. That’s just part of the business.

I’ve come to terms with the idea that every year I’m going to lose at least one key account, and in some cases, there’s nothing I could have done differently. Maybe the client was acquired. Maybe their CFO changed. Maybe their brother-in-law got licensed.

If you're playing the long game, you won't be shaken by every setback.

Keep your eye on book appreciation. If you're growing your revenue year over year, even through churn, you're winning. And in a hard market, rate increases often mean you can grow your book faster even with some attrition — as long as you’re adding new clients and keeping your top 20%.

6. Trim the Fat: Focus on the Top 20%

You can’t serve everybody well. And in a hard market, trying to do so will bury you.

That’s why I recommend shedding your bottom 10% of clients and focusing your energy on the top 20% — the ones who generate 80% of your revenue and value your expertise.

Here’s how I evaluate:

• Who takes up the most time for the least revenue?

• Who’s always price-shopping or slow to respond?

• Who trusts my guidance — and who doesn’t?

Trimming your book isn't just about efficiency. It's about strategy. When you're not bogged down with low-margin, high-maintenance accounts, you can go deeper with the clients who actually move the needle.

You’ll feel more focused. You’ll be more profitable. And your clients will get better service.

Final Thought: The Market Is Tough — So Be Tougher

Here’s the truth about hard markets: they separate the average from the elite.

Average producers flail. They panic. They sound the alarm about rate increases and reduced capacity, and hope they can keep their heads above water.

But top producers? They keep sailing. They’ve built better systems, deeper relationships, and a reputation that withstands market turbulence.

So don’t just survive the hard market — use it as a chance to grow. Get sharper. Get leaner. Become the obvious choice in your niche. Empower your clients, cut the dead weight, and stay focused on long-term wins.

Because the producers who win in hard markets don’t win by accident — they win by strategy.

Want More?

If this post helped you think differently about navigating renewals and retaining clients, you’ll love the rest of the content I’m sharing.

• Subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly videos on commercial insurance sales, strategy, and client retention.

• Connect with me on LinkedIn to stay in the loop on what’s happening in the market.

• Drop a comment or send a message if you’ve got a story to share — or a tough renewal coming up you need help with.

  
  

Let’s get after it.

Go build something great.