As an independent agent, you know how hectic running a business can be. You're rekeying client data, putting together proposals for every prospect, and chasing missing documents from clients. It's easy to fall into a routine with your tech stack without exploring what else it can do. You want to dig deeper, but you're not sure where to start.
You're not alone. According to recent research we conducted, agencies of every size say their biggest challenge isn't choosing a tool or getting it installed, it's getting the most out of the technology they've chosen.
To that end, here are a few strategies to help you and your busy team make the most of your current setup.
Revisit Your Why
Before exploring new features or workflows, take a step back and remind your team why the technology you've invested in matters. Your "why" might be that you're losing clients at renewal because your team can't get to everyone in time. Manual processes could be creating errors that expose your agency to E&O claims. Or it might be about creating time for higher-value work — hours freed for digging into coverage reviews and building deeper relationships with clients.
Teams don't resist change so much as they resist change that doesn't make sense to them. Research from Prosci's Best Practices in Change Management report shows that projects with excellent change management are seven times more likely to meet their objectives. When you introduce something, don't just explain what it does. Explain the challenges it will help alleviate.
When your team can see the connection between using their technology better and solving a problem they already feel every day, adoption will feel more like relief rather than extra work.
Start with Tasks You'd Like to Hand Off
The next step is to look for outstanding inefficiencies in your workflows that your management system can fill.
Ask your team a simple question: what part of their day would they hand off tomorrow if they could? The goal is to surface the tedious, admin-heavy work that technology can take off their hands. Whether the answer is repetitive data entry, drafting the same client emails five times a week, or finding account information, these responses will help shape where you focus first.
Email drafting and account retrieval can be a great place to start. A study commissioned by Slack found that 57% of small-business employees feel bogged down at work by menial tasks, with responding to emails (47%) and finding internal information they need to do their jobs (38%) topping the list.
The good news is that AMS technology can handle both. AI tools can generate polished email copy from a simple prompt and pull together summaries of client account history from emails, texts, and agent notes — saving time from reviewing every interaction manually.
These are impactful steps that don't change what your team does but rather give them a more efficient way of doing their work.
Recognize When You're Ready for More
Your team has found their rhythm. The tools you've introduced are working, people are using them, and things feel good. The question now is how to keep building without disrupting what's working.
A few ways to know when your team is ready for more:
- They're using current tools without being reminded.
- You're seeing real results — time back in the day, better client conversations, or fewer things slipping through the cracks.
- They're asking what else the system can do.
When staff start asking, "Can it also help with…?" or "What if we used it for…?" — your team is not only finding true value in the technology, but starting to trust it. That trust makes introducing the next feature or workflow a much easier conversation.
Keep the Momentum Going
Technology adoption has a way of building when you lead with a clear purpose and focus on small wins. Over time, your team stops seeing technology as something they have to use and starts seeing it as something that works for them. That's how you free up the time and headspace for the high-value work that energizes you and your team.
