In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers discusses the fundamentals of prospecting and building a successful leads list. Drawing from his own experiences and 20 years in the industry, he emphasizes the importance of starting with a strong foundation and avoiding the temptation to rely too heavily on technology and automated lead-building tools. David also highlights how using underwriter insights and geography-specific databases can unlock hidden opportunities in your market.

The episode provides actionable tips for producers, including how to leverage public records, county databases, and specific industry niches to build a robust prospecting system. David encourages agents to think beyond the typical marketing tools and instead focus on finding unique, untapped business opportunities by using the data available right at their fingertips.

David stresses the importance of demographics and ideal prospect identification when building a leads list, highlighting that the fundamentals haven’t changed in 20 years, no matter how much technology evolves.

David recommends asking underwriters what business classes they’re good at but not receiving many submissions for. This often leads to discovering underutilized niches that can become high-opportunity areas.

David shares how he used local county databases to identify manufacturers who were likely to need insurance, providing a competitive advantage. He encourages producers to research local public databases like property appraisers and occupational licenses.

David highlights the benefits of building a long-term leads list, focusing on sustainability rather than quick wins. His system has led to years of continued success, proving the value of investing the time upfront.

David compares the rise of prospecting software tools like Leo and Buy Edge with traditional methods, warning that while these tools can improve efficiency, the foundation of building a strong prospect list still relies on manual work and research.

David shares his personal story of starting from scratch, building a high-value prospecting list through hard work and research, and how this has continued to pay dividends throughout his career.