When (and Why) Top Producers Should Consider a Change

The most expensive career mistake top producers make?

Staying too long at a firm that's slowly eroding their long-term growth potential.

After 8 years focused exclusively on producer placement, I've noticed a consistent pattern:

Most wait until frustrations become obvious before making a move, missing critical windows of opportunity for strategic growth.

Here are six critical inflection points that demand attention:

1. Post-M&A Transformations

What to watch for:

?? PE acquisition dramatically shifts operational priorities

?? Producer autonomy becomes secondary to standardization and scale

Why this matters: The acquiring firm's track record with previous integrations is your most reliable predictor of future success.

Action steps:

1. Research producer retention rates at firms after acquisition
2. Connect with producers from previously acquired firms
3. Evaluate how closely integration promises match reality

2. Compensation Disconnect

What to watch for:

?? Your comp hasn't increased proportionally to the level of book growth

?? New producers receive more favorable terms

Why this matters:?Being a producer is the hardest job in insurance. Producers deserve compensation that reflects their contribution to growing the firm.

Action steps:

1. Benchmark your comp against market data (I can help ??)
2. Analyze your comp growth rate vs. your book growth rate over the past 3 years
3. Quantify the cumulative impact of even small percentage differences over a 5-10-year horizon

3. Leadership Instability

What to watch for:

?? Multiple senior leadership changes occur within 18 months

?? Your internal advocates and champions begin departing

Why this matters: Leadership turnover can significantly impact producer advocacy and resource allocation.

Action steps:

1. Establish relationships with incoming leadership early
2. Document performance metrics that demonstrate your value
3. Assess how new leadership evaluates and rewards producers

4. Service Team Destabilization

What to watch for:

?? Account manager turnover exceeds 25% annually

?? Response times and client satisfaction metrics decline

Why this matters: Service team quality directly influences client retention and your ability to grow.

Action steps:

1. Create a simple scorecard tracking service metrics to identify concerning trends
2. Document specific instances where service issues impacted client relationships
3. Evaluate whether service challenges are temporary or systemic

5. Market Opportunity Misalignment

What to watch for:

?? Your growth areas outpace firm capabilities

?? Platform limitations prevent you from capitalizing on opportunities

Why this matters: Emerging risks and market cycles create windows of opportunity that require the right platform, resources, and capabilities.

Action steps:

1. Map your growth trajectory against your firm's strategic investments
2. Identify specific business opportunities you've missed due to platform limitations
3. Calculate the potential revenue impact of these missed opportunities

6. Personal Career Evolution

What to watch for:

?? Your professional goals and interests have evolved beyond your current firm

?? Career milestones (partnership track, equity opportunities) no longer align with your timeline

Why this matters: Strategic moves are often driven by personal evolution as much as external factors.

Action steps:

1. Schedule a personal Thinking Day to get introspective
2. Define your ideal career path for the next 5 years
3. Assess whether your current firm can truly support that vision

Producer's Self-Assessment Checklist

If you're even remotely curious about the market, other firms' cultures, resources, capabilities, your upward growth, and comp potential, etc., start thinking about these things to maximize any conversation you have:

[] Ideal career trajectory: define your 5-year career goals. Know the gaps between current and ideal future state

[] Cultural fit: list out cultural non-negotiables to make a move to help vet firms

[] Book & performance analysis: know your #'s (book size, 3-year growth rate, new business, retention rates, cross-selling success, etc.)

[] Comp review & transition impact: know in's & outs of current comp and quantify the financial impact of a transition period

[] Work with a specialist recruiting partner: Click here to see why?Pat Corrigan?is a solid choice.

Conclusion

In my experience placing producers, ranging from just starting out to $8M books of business, those who recognize these warning signs early position themselves for significantly better long-term outcomes. Situational awareness, introspection, and proactive timing often matter most in successful producer transitions.

About the Author:

Patric Corrigan is the Founder & President of Palladium Point, specializing exclusively in strategic career management for commercial insurance producers. With 8 years of experience facilitating high-profile producer placements, Patrick serves as a career fiduciary to top-performing producers across the country.