Want to get started the right way in Final Expense?
First, get contracted. We have great contracts with United Home Life and Foresters for Final Expense. Then after contracting, you have to prime the pump.
This means ordering an initial batch of leads (preferably 2,000 or 3,000 mailers) and once that pump is primed (with an initial order) continuing the pump with consistent lead orders every week of 1,500 to 3,000 mailers. It all depends on how much you want to make.
If you order a mere 1,000 mailers to start, then wait two weeks until they arrive.. then sell those 2 or 3 cases, get paid, then order just another 1,000 to repeat that small cycle, you'll only be working final expense on a very small, part-time basis. You have to check your faith level and jump in with both feet. It is very hard to lose money in final expense!
You have to step out in faith.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Final Expense Sales - A Day in the Life
Today is Friday and, like most final expense agents, we're vacationing Friday through Sunday. Yes, I should be out in the pool with the family. I really felt, though, like writing down the events that have brought me to an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness for my life and the events that have brought me here.
Recently, I watched a video that I just HAD to share. It's about breaking out of the box we are used to and getting out there and doing that 10% of activity that brings us success.
In Final Expense, it's all just about getting in front of people that need our help. As Zig Ziglar states so eloquently, "Nothing happens in this world without a salesperson." That salesperson, though, needs someone to talk to on a regular basis. Doing just that means the difference between mediocrity/failure or overwhelming success in this industry.
Here's the video I'm talking about..
This weekend we find ourselves in Fort Pierce, FL. The water is beautiful, as we're staying in a suite right on the river at the Dockside Inn. I had often heard that most final expense agents liked to work three - maybe four days a week and then take Friday's off. Well, now we're doing just that. Although working with other agents around the country sometimes causes a little frustration when I'm semi-out of touch (love the Blackberry), it's still enough time in the week to get most everything done.
Well, I wanted to document a snapshot of what yesterday was like - in the field in Deltona, FL. I had made seven appointments the night before for the next day. I made calls between 5:30pm - 6:30pm making those appointments from 10am through 4pm. I always like to schedule them on the hour, by telling the clients "approximately 3:30pm - 4pm". This way, if I get stood up or a quick realization that I'm there for the wrong reason (in their mind), I can move on to the next one before the exact appointed hour. I can also squeeze in a few folks that hadn't answered the phone but happen to be in that same city.
Well, seven appointments were set and at 10am Thursday I set out. Arrived a little late for my 10am, but seniors are usually very flexible, as mentioned above. A very nice couple, they faced their own mortality recently when the husband was diagnosed with a rare lung disease. He is now uninsurable and on oxygen. Guaranteed issue final expense plans would be too expensive for what they would pay for after the waiting period, which he may or may not ever reach. The wife, though, wanted coverage NOW. Wrote that one up and did the personal health interview with United Home Life on the phone. Very quick and easy, the pre-approval was obtained from the person on the other end of the phone.
After that, went to another appointment where the 79 year old guy apparently just wanted someone to talk to. He had absolutely no idea why he sent in the card. This would be quick and easy - "Here's my card. Call me if you ever need life insurance or someone you know needs protection." The next appointment was another couple where the husband had a chronic disease and already had coverage from a plan requiring a two year wait; he was almost through that company's waiting period for full coverage. He was all set. The wife, though, had no protection on her and now wanted to take action.
She was a smoker, and said she smokes one carton of cigarettes every month. I asked her how much this was costing for that one carton. She said, "$35, but I'm going to quit!". Her husband had already lost half of his lung because of having smoked for 20 years; she definitely had the motivation. I showed them a plan where, for $30 a month with Foresters, she could get enough coverage to provide for her burial. There was no way they could say "No" to paying LESS than a carton of cig's per month to have her total burial paid for. Wrote that one up and did the personal health interview with Foresters. Very easy and pre-approved immediately.
The next call was on a lady across town and I was now one hour late because of the last one taking longer than expected. I arrived to find no car in the driveway and no one answering the front door. Missed them, I guess. Onward and upward!
The next appointment was a lady who had just retired from the school system, driving buses for 30 years. She was under the impression that I was there to school her on a government benefit plan - she had not read the card she got. She quickly informed me that she had all the money she needed to leave behind and had no need for insurance. So on to the next one I went.
At the next appointment was a couple in their 70's. After I got out of my car and walked up to the door, the gentleman asked me to move my car as I had parked on the sidewalk in his driveway. I said, "Sure!" and went to move the car. When I came back, he motioned for me to come in. I went inside and then he asked me to go back and close the big front door - the smaller glass door was already shut. I said, "Sure!" and went to close the door. He then told me that he had worked as a unit manager for a major life insurance company for 20 years, so he knew everything there is to know about insurance. He said he's been needing it for a long time and has priced all of the companies out there. He wanted to know what the "catch" was with the company I would show him.
Pulling out my Foresters application, I told him that before I could give him any kind of idea, I would have to go through the health questions to see what kind of benefit -if any- he would qualify for. He qualified for the level plan - excellent. His wife, though, only qualified for the Graded plan (30% 1st, 70% 2nd, 100% 3rd year) because of a chronic condition clearly spelled out on the application. I wrote up both of them and did the PHI on both. I got instant approvals for both of them and spent more time with them discussing his old days in the insurance business and how crooked some of his agents were before he fired them! His wife, a very sweet lady, then went to their freezer and pulled out two loaves of Banana Bread for me to take home. How did she know that was my favorite!?!
I left there and had to go pick up a prescription for my wife, who was in severe back pain at the time from doing too much around the house in preparation for our Friday trip. I was done for the day.. four applications from seven appointments and right at $2,000 in premiums. I also added about $300 to my renewals for next year, just from this one day's worth of work. I'm hoping for two referrals to ultimately come out of those contacts and one of the uninsurable husbands wants a funeral trust to shelter money for just that purpose. He indicated he wants about a $5,000 funeral trust set up. That will be the equivalent of another decent final expense transaction.
There are plenty of leads left out of this 2,000 count lead mailer (sent for $800 through Mainstreet Powermail) and will likely result in a 3, almost 4 time return on my investment there.
When I got home, I shared with my wife just how thankful I am to be in an industry where I have really and truly helped people all day and, through that activity, have been able to provide for my family.
This morning we took off for our weekend in Ft. Pierce. It's beautiful here and we're taking lots of pictures. The kids took right to the pool, which is right in front of the docks out on the beautiful river. It's amazing how much clearer and brighter the water is here than up in Daytona Beach!
Recently, I watched a video that I just HAD to share. It's about breaking out of the box we are used to and getting out there and doing that 10% of activity that brings us success.
In Final Expense, it's all just about getting in front of people that need our help. As Zig Ziglar states so eloquently, "Nothing happens in this world without a salesperson." That salesperson, though, needs someone to talk to on a regular basis. Doing just that means the difference between mediocrity/failure or overwhelming success in this industry.
Here's the video I'm talking about..
This weekend we find ourselves in Fort Pierce, FL. The water is beautiful, as we're staying in a suite right on the river at the Dockside Inn. I had often heard that most final expense agents liked to work three - maybe four days a week and then take Friday's off. Well, now we're doing just that. Although working with other agents around the country sometimes causes a little frustration when I'm semi-out of touch (love the Blackberry), it's still enough time in the week to get most everything done.
Well, I wanted to document a snapshot of what yesterday was like - in the field in Deltona, FL. I had made seven appointments the night before for the next day. I made calls between 5:30pm - 6:30pm making those appointments from 10am through 4pm. I always like to schedule them on the hour, by telling the clients "approximately 3:30pm - 4pm". This way, if I get stood up or a quick realization that I'm there for the wrong reason (in their mind), I can move on to the next one before the exact appointed hour. I can also squeeze in a few folks that hadn't answered the phone but happen to be in that same city.
Well, seven appointments were set and at 10am Thursday I set out. Arrived a little late for my 10am, but seniors are usually very flexible, as mentioned above. A very nice couple, they faced their own mortality recently when the husband was diagnosed with a rare lung disease. He is now uninsurable and on oxygen. Guaranteed issue final expense plans would be too expensive for what they would pay for after the waiting period, which he may or may not ever reach. The wife, though, wanted coverage NOW. Wrote that one up and did the personal health interview with United Home Life on the phone. Very quick and easy, the pre-approval was obtained from the person on the other end of the phone.
After that, went to another appointment where the 79 year old guy apparently just wanted someone to talk to. He had absolutely no idea why he sent in the card. This would be quick and easy - "Here's my card. Call me if you ever need life insurance or someone you know needs protection." The next appointment was another couple where the husband had a chronic disease and already had coverage from a plan requiring a two year wait; he was almost through that company's waiting period for full coverage. He was all set. The wife, though, had no protection on her and now wanted to take action.
She was a smoker, and said she smokes one carton of cigarettes every month. I asked her how much this was costing for that one carton. She said, "$35, but I'm going to quit!". Her husband had already lost half of his lung because of having smoked for 20 years; she definitely had the motivation. I showed them a plan where, for $30 a month with Foresters, she could get enough coverage to provide for her burial. There was no way they could say "No" to paying LESS than a carton of cig's per month to have her total burial paid for. Wrote that one up and did the personal health interview with Foresters. Very easy and pre-approved immediately.
The next call was on a lady across town and I was now one hour late because of the last one taking longer than expected. I arrived to find no car in the driveway and no one answering the front door. Missed them, I guess. Onward and upward!
The next appointment was a lady who had just retired from the school system, driving buses for 30 years. She was under the impression that I was there to school her on a government benefit plan - she had not read the card she got. She quickly informed me that she had all the money she needed to leave behind and had no need for insurance. So on to the next one I went.
At the next appointment was a couple in their 70's. After I got out of my car and walked up to the door, the gentleman asked me to move my car as I had parked on the sidewalk in his driveway. I said, "Sure!" and went to move the car. When I came back, he motioned for me to come in. I went inside and then he asked me to go back and close the big front door - the smaller glass door was already shut. I said, "Sure!" and went to close the door. He then told me that he had worked as a unit manager for a major life insurance company for 20 years, so he knew everything there is to know about insurance. He said he's been needing it for a long time and has priced all of the companies out there. He wanted to know what the "catch" was with the company I would show him.
Pulling out my Foresters application, I told him that before I could give him any kind of idea, I would have to go through the health questions to see what kind of benefit -if any- he would qualify for. He qualified for the level plan - excellent. His wife, though, only qualified for the Graded plan (30% 1st, 70% 2nd, 100% 3rd year) because of a chronic condition clearly spelled out on the application. I wrote up both of them and did the PHI on both. I got instant approvals for both of them and spent more time with them discussing his old days in the insurance business and how crooked some of his agents were before he fired them! His wife, a very sweet lady, then went to their freezer and pulled out two loaves of Banana Bread for me to take home. How did she know that was my favorite!?!
I left there and had to go pick up a prescription for my wife, who was in severe back pain at the time from doing too much around the house in preparation for our Friday trip. I was done for the day.. four applications from seven appointments and right at $2,000 in premiums. I also added about $300 to my renewals for next year, just from this one day's worth of work. I'm hoping for two referrals to ultimately come out of those contacts and one of the uninsurable husbands wants a funeral trust to shelter money for just that purpose. He indicated he wants about a $5,000 funeral trust set up. That will be the equivalent of another decent final expense transaction.
There are plenty of leads left out of this 2,000 count lead mailer (sent for $800 through Mainstreet Powermail) and will likely result in a 3, almost 4 time return on my investment there.
When I got home, I shared with my wife just how thankful I am to be in an industry where I have really and truly helped people all day and, through that activity, have been able to provide for my family.
This morning we took off for our weekend in Ft. Pierce. It's beautiful here and we're taking lots of pictures. The kids took right to the pool, which is right in front of the docks out on the beautiful river. It's amazing how much clearer and brighter the water is here than up in Daytona Beach!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
