Does Anyone Have Any Trouble with Potential Uplines Calling Back?

wehotex

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2,359
Houston, Tex
I've called 2 pre-need plans for contracting and 2 FE companies. I've given them professional 24 hour courtesy, but only one has called back. do I have the wrong approach? Are they lazy? Too busy? Are they trying to weed out the ones that ONLY call them once? Is it my last name? Do they have enough producers already? WTH?

It's not like these companies are offering salaries, benefits, etc.

If I could get override on someone else's production, I'd be in a hurry to at least call them back within 1 day's time.
 
Re: Does Anyone Have Any Trouble with Potential Uplines Calling B

I've called 2 pre-need plans for contracting and 2 FE companies. I've given them professional 24 hour courtesy, but only one has called back. do I have the wrong approach? Are they lazy? Too busy? Are they trying to weed out the ones that ONLY call them once? Is it my last name? Do they have enough producers already? WTH?

It's not like these companies are offering salaries, benefits, etc.

If I could get override on someone else's production, I'd be in a hurry to at least call them back within 1 day's time.

Which companies are you trying to contract with and which FMOs if any have you called?

Some companies will only contract you through an FMO. Preneed companies usually contract you only direct.

With Preneed you have a field agent that contracts you and they are usually traveling around two or three states. He will usually meet with you over lunch or dinner to get a feel for you. They don't contract everyone with an insurance license.

With FE, if you can fog a mirror you can get contracts. You may just be calling the wrong FMOs.
 
Re: Does Anyone Have Any Trouble with Potential Uplines Calling B

I have no idea about pre-need. If you need FE, if you call me I'll answer the phone. If I don't, you'll definitely get a call back.
 
Re: Does Anyone Have Any Trouble with Potential Uplines Calling B

My assumption of why you have not heard back from any FMOs is that FE is risky for an FMO. Most FMOs will be leery of an agent that calls them out of the blue and wants two FE contracts unless they are already working with them...but that doesn't mean they shouldn't call you back.

We'd be happy to lend a hand, if ever needed!

Senior Market Design, Inc
402-817-4828
 
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Re: Does Anyone Have Any Trouble with Potential Uplines Calling B

My assumption of why you have not heard back from any FMOs is that FE is risky for an FMO. Most FMOs will be leery of an agent that calls them out of the blue and wants two FE contracts unless they are already working with them...but that doesn't mean they shouldn't call you back.

We'd be happy to lend a hand, if ever needed!

Senior Market Design, Inc
402-817-4828

FE is not risky at all. Hiring every agent that can fog a mirror and giving advances to people who don't have good credit is risky.
 
Re: Does Anyone Have Any Trouble with Potential Uplines Calling B

Which is inherently why FE business is risky for FMO's and why unfortunately, solid agents can be overlooked when a FMO is not familiar with them.

Too many FMO's have been burned by agents rolling FE business after collecting advances, and those that are fortunate enough to have avoided these, certainly know of several FMO's that HAVE been. I'm personally familiar with two FMO's that have been left out to dry on upwards of $100k in advances on just 2-3 agents.

With that being said, I'm sure many more FMO's would be more than happy to work with agents on an as-earned basis, but unfortunately most agents in the FE market demand advances, knowing that if they can't get them through one FMO, they will be able to get them from one somewhere. It is much easier for an FMO to go out on a limb and offer advances to agents that they already have a working relationship with, but it becomes difficult to extend advances to newcomers especially with FE.

Credit/Background checks are great to try and help FMO's screen out the bad apples, unfortunately though, it is too easy for some to slip through at times...

Final Expense in and of itself, is certainly not risky...It's solely the nature of the fly by night agents that tend to bounce in and out of the market for the $'s that screw things up for some of the good agents trying to start into the market.

Still no excuse for an FMO to avoid or simply not return phone calls, that's just bad business practices in general, however I just wanted to throw out a solid reason as to why many FMO's shy away from some FE inquiries.

Senior Market Design, Inc
402.817.4828
 
Re: Does Anyone Have Any Trouble with Potential Uplines Calling B

Which is inherently why FE business is risky for FMO's and why unfortunately, solid agents can be overlooked when a FMO is not familiar with them.

Too many FMO's have been burned by agents rolling FE business after collecting advances, and those that are fortunate enough to have avoided these, certainly know of several FMO's that HAVE been. I'm personally familiar with two FMO's that have been left out to dry on upwards of $100k in advances on just 2-3 agents.

With that being said, I'm sure many more FMO's would be more than happy to work with agents on an as-earned basis, but unfortunately most agents in the FE market demand advances, knowing that if they can't get them through one FMO, they will be able to get them from one somewhere. It is much easier for an FMO to go out on a limb and offer advances to agents that they already have a working relationship with, but it becomes difficult to extend advances to newcomers especially with FE.

Credit/Background checks are great to try and help FMO's screen out the bad apples, unfortunately though, it is too easy for some to slip through at times...

Final Expense in and of itself, is certainly not risky...It's solely the nature of the fly by night agents that tend to bounce in and out of the market for the $'s that screw things up for some of the good agents trying to start into the market.

Still no excuse for an FMO to avoid or simply not return phone calls, that's just bad business practices in general, however I just wanted to throw out a solid reason as to why many FMO's shy away from some FE inquiries.

Senior Market Design, Inc
402.817.4828


I would assume that any FMO that would give top commission contracts but NEVER give any advances would find himself with the cream of the crop FE agents and very few problems very quickly.

If an agent requires advances, just send him elsewhere. Sure you would miss out on some good ones but 100% of yours would be good ones so who cares?

Problem solved.
 

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