By David Stuart, Southwestern Insurance Group
Executive Summary
Many P&C agencies focus almost exclusively on home and auto, often overlooking the long-term value of life insurance. In this article, David Stuart shares how intentionally integrating life insurance into a P&C agency can deepen client relationships, increase retention, and create sustainable revenue.
By building a simple, repeatable process—centered on client care rather than sales—agencies can expand their value, strengthen loyalty, and better protect the families they serve.
Key Takeaways for P&C Agencies
- Life insurance strengthens client relationships and trust
- It significantly improves long-term retention
- A simple handoff model keeps producers focused
- Intentional processes turn life insurance into steady revenue
Why Life Insurance Matters More Than You May Realize
For many independent agencies, home and auto account for the majority of revenue. It was true for me, and if your focus is on personal lines, it’s probably true for you. But over the past few years, one product line has transformed the depth of our client relationships, boosted retention, increased revenue, and strengthened the way we show up for the people we serve.
That product is life insurance.
Life insurance deepens relationships and elevates our value.
Most clients only interact with the insurance agent when they buy a home, change cars, or get a renewal notice. Life insurance changes this dynamic. It opens the door to meaningful conversations about your clients’ families, their future and what truly matters to them.
When you offer life insurance, you’re telling your clients that you see them, you care about them, and you’re there for more than just a fast transaction.
Life insurance protects your clients’ long-term financial health.
Your clients are turning to you for protection for their biggest assets, so it only makes sense that you help them protect what really matters. Life insurance shields families against unexpected income loss, helping to preserve homes and futures.
Life insurance isn’t just a cross-sell tactic. It’s responsible advising.
Life insurance increases retention significantly.
A home or auto policy may last a few years. A life insurance policy often lasts 20 years or more.
When you sell life insurance to a client, that client is less likely to shop around just to save a few bucks. You’re building loyal relationships and creating a solid, sustainable base for your agency.
Life insurance sales drive meaningful revenue.
Adding new revenue isn’t the only reason to offer life insurance, but it is an important factor. Life commissions can provide significant income. When structured correctly, they can create a solid revenue stream that rewards both the agency and agents for bringing value to clients.
How We Built a System That Works
At our agency, creating a strong life pipeline doesn’t happen by accident. We intentionally designed a system that fits naturally into our daily workflow and rewards our team for doing the right activities.
Here’s how we did it:
- Hire a dedicated life insurance specialist.
Early on, we made the decision to hire one person whose sole focus is life insurance. This allows our P&C agents to stay in their lane and avoids overburdening them. It also gives our team a go-to expert and ensures our clients get high-quality consultations.
Your agents no longer need extra time to sell life insurance. They just need to hand off the opportunity.
- Incentive tee-ups at every client touchpoint.
To ensure that life insurance became a part of our processes, we created a system to reward our sales agents and client care representatives for creating life insurance conversations, setting appointments, or live transferring to our life specialist.
This keeps life top-of-mind without burdening the team, and it’s what made everything truly click into place.
- Create a simple talk track that sparks interest.
We don’t teach our P&C team to sell life. We teach them to open the door. A short, scripted talk track helps them naturally mention life insurance during the conversation—just enough to pique interest and justify an introduction to our specialist.
From there, the specialist takes over entirely.
- Make appointments easy.
We use scheduling links when appropriate, but the best outcomes have come from human-set appointments. We achieve this through direct live transfers when possible, or with warm appointments set by our agents and client care representatives.
The more seamless we make it, the more likely the client is to follow through.
- Foster a culture of always looking out for the client.
We don’t frame life insurance as a sales initiative. We frame it as a way to achieve our mission of taking care of the families who trust us to protect them. When the team believes this, everything becomes easier.
The Result
The answer: A resounding YES.
- Our clients feel more supported.
- Our team feels more empowered.
- Our retention is stronger.
- Our revenue is healthier.
- Most importantly, we’re protecting families at a level that most P&C agencies overlook.
Life insurance isn’t just a product. It’s a service, it’s a responsibility, and it’s become one of the most meaningful parts of our agency.
If your agency hasn’t built a repeatable process around life insurance yet, consider this your sign. Start simple. Start small. Start with conversations. The impact for your clients, your team, and your business might surprise you.
About the Author
David Stuart, MBA is the Founder and President of Southwestern Insurance Group, a fast-growing independent insurance agency based in Nashville. Since founding the firm in 2018, David has led consistent double-digit year-over-year growth, including 53% growth in 2024 and 25% in 2025.
For more information, visit swinsurancegroup.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click a question below to view the answer.
Why should P&C agencies prioritize life insurance?
Life insurance helps agencies deepen client relationships, protect clients’ long-term financial well-being, and significantly improve retention. Unlike short-term policies, life insurance often spans decades, creating lasting loyalty and stability.
Do P&C producers need to sell life insurance themselves?
No. A successful approach is to train producers to identify opportunities and hand off conversations to a dedicated life insurance specialist.
Is life insurance really worth the effort for a busy agency?
Yes. With a clear, repeatable process, life insurance can become a reliable revenue stream while enhancing client trust and satisfaction.
What is the biggest mistake agencies make with life insurance?
Many agencies intend to “get to it later” but never build a structured process. Without a system, life insurance remains underutilized.
How does life insurance improve client retention?
Clients with life insurance policies are less likely to shop around for coverage. The long-term nature of life insurance creates deeper loyalty and positions the agency as a trusted advisor.