The Future of Broker Growth

Executive Summary

The brokerage world is under pressure. Renewals, RFPs, and proposals consume hours of manual work, pulling teams away from clients and strategy. AI has emerged as a hot topic, but many worry it will replace the people who make the client relationship possible.

In a recent episode of Vertafore’s VIP Podcast, Weston Lunsford, CEO of Plansight (a Vertafore Orange Partner), shared why the future of broker growth isn’t about choosing between people and technology, it’s about combining them. By striking the right balance between human capital and intelligent automation, brokers can grow more rapidly, serve clients more effectively, and reclaim time for strategy and relationship-building.

The Challenge

Brokerage teams face two competing realities:

• Manual tasks like RFP creation, data entry, and proposal management can be overwhelming.
• Clients expect more transparency, faster turnarounds, and stronger relationships than ever before.

Traditionally, solving this meant hiring more staff. But scaling people without modern tools comes with rising costs and limited efficiency.

As Weston put it, “The broker of the future is not the one that ignores technology. It’s the one that finds ways to use technology to make their people more valuable.”

5 Keys to Balancing AI and Human Capital

1. Automate the busy work

Let technology handle repetitive tasks, such as RFP creation, formatting, and quote tracking, so your team has more time for what matters most: strategy and advising.

Weston explained, “If you’re spending hours rekeying numbers into spreadsheets, you’re not in the room with your client. That’s where AI has to step in.”

2. Keep humans in the decision-making role

Automation can surface the data, but it’s your benefits team that adds context and insight. Clients still want trusted human advisors guiding them.

“AI can tell you the what, but only people can explain the why,” Weston noted.

3. Flag deviations early

AI can instantly highlight outliers in pricing, proposals, or plan details. That way, your team enters every client conversation armed with clarity and foresight.

4. Free up time to grow the business

Every hour saved with automation is an hour you can invest in client relationships, exploring new voluntary benefits, or strategically expanding your block of business.

Weston shared, “I’ve seen firms literally double the number of groups they can manage without hiring more staff just by cutting out manual steps.”

5. Position AI as an assistant

The language matters. When teams view AI as a supportive tool, rather than a replacement, they feel empowered. Technology takes the tedious out of the work, and people stay at the center.

Why PlansightAI Matters Now

During the conversation, Weston explained that PlansightAI is purpose-built for benefits brokerages. Unlike generic AI tools, it’s walled and guarded, keeping data secure while taking on the heavy lifting of data entry and document processing.

That means:

• No liability risk from manual data entry errors.
• No more endless spreadsheets slowing teams down.
• More scalability without needing to add headcount.

As Weston put it, “PlansightAI isn’t here to replace humans. It’s here to take the liability off their shoulders, remove the tedious work, and let them shine with clients.”

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