The reliance on existing customers came through loud and clear when the survey posed questions about agents' use of their time to either maintain or build their businesses.

"Agents place a higher priority on keeping and servicing existing customers than on finding new business," the survey said, noting that the agents ranked retaining customers as their No. 1 operational priority, following by servicing existing customers and, third, attracting new business.

The same trend showed up when agents were asked to rate data available to them. Their top priority was any data related to insights into their existing customers that would lead to retaining them. Dead last on their list: qualified lead lists.

However, most agents said that, if they had larger staffs, they would chase new business more proactively.

The survey also found that agents do not see themselves as advisors to their customers, but rather as a resource for the coverage their customers are seeking.

"Despite their strong focus on customers, agents downplayed their ability to provide differentiated and superior advisory services as a competitive advantage. Access to competitive products, improved customer experience and better brand recognition were viewed as more important sources of competitive advantage than the superior advisory services they could offer to their customers," the survey said.

"According to a recent personal lines consumer survey we conducted, independent agents have been surpassed by insurance company websites and web search engines as consumers' preferred source of information about insurance products and prices," Sandquist said.

"However, insurance consumers trust the advice provided by independent agents more than any other source. Independent agents are well positioned to understand customer needs, provide risk management advice, and recommend personalized and tailored solutions. Serving as an effective risk manager will increasingly require insights derived from the Internet of Things and big data."