While the majority of producers appear to be basically satisfied with many key aspects of their dealings with carriers, there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Producers are feeling the heat in this tough economy, expecting buyers to cut back on coverage, push harder for the best price and go bare in some areas, according to a new Producer Satisfaction Survey.

"What we have here is a failure to communicate."

While producer priorities and perceptions of how well insurers are fulfilling their needs are often alike no matter the age, gender or race of respondents, there are some significant differences carriers should be aware of.