Producer and Account Manager Training
Build coverage knowledge.
At every experience level.
Live, instructor-led commercial insurance training for producers, account managers, and CSRs. Foundational, intermediate, and custom advanced instruction, built around your people and the work they do.
Request a Training ProposalProducer and Account Manager Training
The right starting point.
The right level of challenge.
Experience levels vary, even within the same team. PIF can build foundational, intermediate, or advanced instruction around demonstrated knowledge, role responsibilities, client segments, and your agency’s priorities.
Build the starting skills.
For people new to insurance or moving into a commercial role. Develop vocabulary, recognize exposures, and learn how policy provisions work together. No prior insurance experience is required for foundational training.
Being licensed is helpful, but this is practical coverage education, not licensing-exam preparation.
Strengthen coverage analysis.
For professionals ready to go beyond introductory concepts. Compare policy provisions, examine endorsements, identify potential gaps, and explain coverage reasoning through more involved account and claim scenarios.
Work through complexity.
Build advanced material around your team’s technical questions, complex coverage issues, and client exposures. Depth, scenarios, and expectations are developed for the participants and the engagement.
Training is delivered exclusively to private groups, virtually or in person. Our target class size is 10–25 participants. Smaller private groups may be considered based on calendar availability. Contact us to discuss your group size and preferred dates. An individual from another agency may join a cohort only with the host agency’s agreement.
Know The Person™ · Assessments that guide development
Find the gaps. Focus the training.
Know The Person™ assessments can evaluate an individual, a team, or an entire organization to identify demonstrated strengths and gaps in insurance knowledge.
The results help PIF recommend an appropriate starting level and focus instruction on the subjects that need attention. Assessments can also help distinguish who needs foundational instruction from those ready for intermediate or advanced development.
Assessment scope, reporting, and pricing are established separately unless included in the training proposal. An assessment is an available planning tool, not a requirement for every training engagement.
Explore Know The Person AssessmentsOne example: foundational development
The two-week commercial lines program.
A concrete starting point for new producers, account managers, and CSRs. This example shows how a foundational program can be delivered. Intermediate and custom advanced engagements have their own scope, duration, and learning plan.
- Baseline format
- The two-week commercial lines program builds core coverage knowledge through live instruction and guided application. The schedule differs by delivery format.
- Typical virtual schedule
- Ten class days over two weeks, totaling 40 live instruction hours. Each day includes two two-hour sessions, with a 90-minute break between morning and afternoon sessions. Virtual participants complete mid-day and nightly homework.
- Typical in-person schedule
- Four class days per week for two weeks, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. No homework is assigned for the in-person format.
- Delivery
- Live virtual or in-person instruction, with questions, discussion, realistic scenarios, collaborative exercises, and knowledge checks.
- Enrollment & group size
- Training is delivered exclusively to private groups. Our target class size is 10–25 participants. Smaller private groups may be considered based on calendar availability. Contact us to discuss your group size and preferred dates. An individual from another agency may join only when the host agency welcomes an outside participant.
- Prerequisites & completion
- Participants may begin with zero insurance experience. Attendance is expected at every session. Daily assessment exercises and case-study table-group discussions support application. Two exams are offered, one each week. PIF encourages students to take them to check understanding and identify areas for further development. Exam participation is required unless agency management indicates otherwise. Agency expectations should be agreed during engagement planning.
A sample learning progression
Structure. Coverage. Application.
This illustrative sequence shows the progression within a foundational program, rather than a fixed daily timetable. The final curriculum identifies the subjects, depth, hours, and order selected for your team.
Policy foundations
Connect declarations, insuring agreements, definitions, exclusions, conditions, limits, and endorsements. Use ISO and NCCI fundamentals as a framework for reading coverage forms.
Commercial lines
Build an introduction around commercial property, business income, general liability, commercial auto, and workers compensation/employers liability. Umbrella/excess and other subjects can be scoped to the program.
Guided application
Work through fictional accounts and coverage questions. Compare provisions, identify missing facts, and explain conclusions using the language being reviewed.
Scenarios, pacing, coverage emphasis, and scheduling can reflect your agency. Locating the relevant language, reading provisions together, checking endorsements, and recognizing uncertainty remain foundational skills.
View the existing sample two-week commercial lines program (PDF)
Observable learning objectives
See how participants reach an answer.
Across experience levels, guided exercises and discussion emphasize observable skills. The complexity of the language, scenarios, and expected reasoning increases with the level of instruction.
- Locate controlling language: find the coverage grant, relevant definitions, exclusions, conditions, and endorsements.
- Recognize potential gaps: connect a client’s operations and exposures to questions requiring further review.
- Compare provisions: explain how a change in wording may affect a particular scenario.
- Support a conclusion: distinguish the facts provided from assumptions and cite the language supporting the reasoning.
- Communicate clearly: explain a coverage issue in language a client or colleague can follow.
- Know when to ask: identify missing information and seek appropriate technical, underwriting, or claims guidance.
Classroom learning continues through workplace application, agency procedures, carrier-specific resources, and coaching. Instruction builds capability at the selected level; a short course does not establish independent mastery.
Sales application · Live, in-person classes
Connect coverage knowledge with account development.
In his live, in-person classes, Erik integrates practical sales instruction drawn from his commercial producer experience. It connects coverage knowledge with the work of preparing for client conversations, going to market, and presenting a proposal.
From appointment to proposal
- Pre-appointment planning.
- Planning the meeting and setting an agenda.
- Following up after the appointment.
- Going to market.
- Developing a proposal presentation strategy.
A role-play example
A different buyer. A different conversation.
At the proposal presentation, Erik swaps out the insured buyer. Participants must adapt to a different decision-maker rather than simply deliver the presentation they rehearsed.
The exercise gives participants an opportunity to practice adjusting their proposal presentation to the person making the decision.
This sales instruction is part of Erik’s live, in-person classes. It should not be assumed to be included in virtual instruction, every workshop, or every engagement; the applicable scope is established during engagement planning.
Inside the learning experience
“Does our policy cover that?”
Start with better questions.
Illustrative exercise · Fictional client
Desert Trail Catering adds deliveries.
A small catering business owns a van. During busy periods, employees also use their personal cars to deliver orders. The owner asks whether the business auto policy protects the company when an employee causes an accident during a delivery.
The participant’s task
- Identify who owns each vehicle, who is driving, and the purpose of the trip.
- Locate the applicable covered auto designations and liability provisions in the instructor-provided materials.
- Review relevant definitions, exclusions, and endorsements. Identify what additional information is needed.
- Explain a preliminary conclusion and the questions to take to a supervisor or underwriter.
How reasoning would be assessed
The discussion would examine whether the participant identified the exposure, selected relevant language, read provisions together, and separated verified facts from assumptions.
A supported explanation matters more than an unsupported yes or no. Recognizing that the available materials do not establish an answer is part of the exercise.
This example illustrates the proposed learning approach. It is not a real claim, a coverage opinion, or a promise that a particular policy responds. No policy text is reproduced here.
Assessment & reinforcement
Practice daily. Check understanding weekly.
During instruction
Students complete daily assessment exercises and participate in case-study table-group discussions. The two-week class offers two exams, one each week; PIF’s separate one-week Small Commercial class offers one exam. Attendance is expected at every session.
PIF encourages students to take the exams to check understanding and identify areas for further development. Exam participation is required unless agency management indicates otherwise. Agency expectations for exam participation should be agreed during engagement planning. Managers receive scores for exams their participants complete.
Exam participation, course completion, and earning PCCS are separate matters. The foundational program does not confer PCCS; PCCS has separate advanced instruction and examination requirements.
Certificates of completion can be issued by PIF or co-branded with the agency to reflect the training partnership.
Beyond the classroom
Virtual students receive the PowerPoint presentations as a student guide to follow along. In-person students receive printed Field Guides. Classes are not recorded.
After class, students are welcome to contact Erik with additional questions.
The experience behind the instruction
Practical teaching, grounded in the policy.
PIF founder Erik Leeming brings more than 30 years of insurance experience and eight years of teaching at The Hartford School of Insurance.
Erik personally teaches every PIF program. His earlier teaching at The Hartford School of Insurance informs PIF’s live, discussion-driven approach and is distinct from engagements delivered through PIF.
Student perspectives
What students say about Erik’s teaching.
Feedback previously published on the PIF website, reflecting students’ experiences with Erik’s instruction. These comments may relate to his earlier teaching engagements and are not presented as measured outcomes from PIF programs.
“I am one month into insurance and Erik made it very easy to learn and follow along.”
Tripp H., former student
“I thought the games/group exercises made the class extremely interactive. Having multiple breaks during the day was a great learning structure.”
Ellie J., former student
A development path
A path for continued development.
Foundational training
Begin with policy structure, commercial coverage fundamentals, and guided application.
Practice with support
Apply learning to agency accounts with supervision, carrier resources, coaching, and targeted reinforcement.
Consider PCCS
PCCS assumes prior industry exposure and addresses intermediate and advanced coverage analysis. It has its own instruction and examination requirements.
The two-week program provides the basis and foundation for advanced PCCS study. It does not itself confer the designation. PCCS has separate advanced instruction and examination requirements. Explore PCCS →
Investment & scheduling
A proposal you can evaluate.
Our goal is to make practical, live insurance education a strong value for your agency. Request a customized proposal to compare the program, instruction, and total investment. Fees and commercial terms are quoted individually for each engagement.
Your learning plan
- Subjects, sequence, and intended starting level
- Live hours, overall duration, daily schedule, preparation, and assignments
- Group size and enrollment arrangements
- Assessments, completion criteria, and manager visibility
- Materials, access periods, and follow-up support
Your customized proposal
- Total fee and whether charged per person, group, or engagement
- What is included and what carries an additional charge
- PIF does not coordinate or handle travel
- Available dates, booking lead time, and instructor arrangements
- Cancellation terms are established in each contract
- Scheduling and applicable CE arrangements
CE is available. Additional lead time is needed for a state where PIF is not already approved. Share participants’ licensing states early so applicable approval and credit arrangements can be addressed in the proposal.
Practical questions
Before you choose a program.
Do you teach beginners as well as experienced professionals?
Yes. Foundational programs welcome participants with no insurance experience. Intermediate instruction and custom advanced material serve professionals with existing knowledge. Being licensed helps with the foundational starting point; these programs are not licensing-exam preparation.
Is this licensing-exam preparation?
No. These programs develop commercial insurance coverage knowledge and practical policy analysis. They are not preparation for a licensing exam.
Do the classes include sales instruction?
Erik integrates practical sales instruction into his live, in-person classes, drawing on his commercial producer experience. Topics include pre-appointment planning, meeting planning and agendas, post-appointment follow-up, going to market, and proposal presentation strategy. This capability is scoped to live, in-person classes and should not be assumed to be included in virtual instruction, every workshop, or every engagement. The applicable scope is established during engagement planning.
Are students required to take the exams?
PIF encourages students to take the exams to check understanding and identify areas for further development. Exam participation is required unless agency management indicates otherwise. Agency expectations should be agreed during engagement planning. Managers receive scores for exams their participants complete. Exam participation, course completion, and earning PCCS are separate matters.
Can an individual join a class?
PIF provides private-group training. An individual may join another agency’s cohort only with that agency’s agreement. Our target class size is 10–25 participants. Smaller private groups may be considered based on calendar availability. Contact us to discuss your group size and preferred dates.
Will the course fit our agency’s accounts?
Scenarios, pace, coverage emphasis, and scheduling can be adapted to your roles and client segments. The final scope balances those priorities with the foundational skills participants need.
What will my agency receive after class?
Students receive presentation guides for virtual classes or printed Field Guides for in-person classes. Completion certificates can be PIF-branded or co-branded with your agency. Students may reach out to Erik with questions after class.
Will participants earn PCCS?
The two-week foundational program provides a foundation for advanced PCCS study; it does not confer the designation. PCCS assumes prior industry exposure and has separate advanced instruction and examination requirements.
Plan your team’s next step
Let’s build the right training.
Tell us who you are developing, what they already know, and which coverage skills you want to strengthen.
Use our contact form with the subject “Producer and Account Manager Training.” Include participant count, experience, preferred delivery format, timing, and your priority learning needs.
Request a Training Proposal