Door knocking Face to Face in 2024

[shonceman]

For some reason I can not get the sound on videos posted to the forum.

Have you checked the speaker icon (near the bottom left corner of the video frame) to make sure it's on?

 

[jdeasy]

Have you checked the speaker icon (near the bottom left corner of the video frame) to make sure it's on?

And maybe turn the hearing aids to on?

 

[Rearden]

90%+ of our new agent applications are for telesales only.

I'd love to have more face-to-face agents on our team, but it's undeniable that the industry and demand from agents has shifted away from the traditional in-person model.

 

[shonceman]

Hi guys. I have a question. I know this has probably been talked about ad nauseum, but upon searching this topic, those posts are old. So I have questions about face to face door knocking in 2024 given the climate we are in.

I am trying to decide if I want to do telesales or face to face. I don't mind telesales, I did it for 3 years selling Home, auto and term/whole life for a popular insurance company. Now I'm going independent. My problem is possibly getting bored staying at home doing 300 calls a day or waiting for the phone to ring on incoming calls, don't know if I'm disciplined. I am a social person, and like to go where the action may possibly be instead of waiting. So I'm thinking face to face may be quicker and easier than telesales starting out. Need opinions on that?

However, I've been told that my city (Dallas) is saturated with insurance agents selling. I've been told by one imo that I should consider areas that may be one hour and 30 minutes out from where I'm at. This imo often encourages their team to go out of town alot as they are getting more leads in certain states and cities than others in the county. I also looked at a YouTube video by Doug Massi in which he said the leads are starting to get bad in alot of areas unless you know the holes, spots or rural areas that are in demand, therefore he was saying face to face is becoming dead and he promoted the telesales.

So are any of you that are doing face to face having to go out of town alot or travel an hour or further away? Dallas traffic is brutal coming in and going out, so I don't know if I want to be traveling over an hour and 30 minutes everyday to door knock, if I have an appointment I don't mind. I have to give this imo 10 to 15 zip codes, and give them the money and I don't know what zip codes to start with. But they are telling me it may be best to go a hour or two out. I don't mind some days but don't know if I want the wear and tear everyday on my car. I also don't want to waste money giving them zip codes near me with a bad lead return. So how far are y'all traveling for face to face and is true that certain areas or cities don't have good leads?

Secondly, my next question is how safe is face to face in 2024. I know in the past it has been pretty safe for you guys. But I'm seen alot of incidences in this month alone of mistaken identity, people shooting even kids knocking on their front door. I think it's been three cases alone for the month of May, where someone goes crazy shooting because someone's kicking in their door. That's why I wanted to bring this topic up for 2024.

I've been working in Dallas for almost 20 years. Funny - I drive INTO Dallas every day from McKinney which takes an hour or more in traffic.

I started my career running a home service debit in southeastern Virginia. I transitioned to FE after a few years and did very well with DM face to face. I moved to DFW in 2005 and tried to replicate what I was doing back east. I found it much more difficult here!

I was told the same thing about saturation by my IMO as well as a rep from one of the big lead houses and a top local producer. They all recommended driving over to East Texas and Louisiana and staying in a motel for a couple nights per week. My home situation wasn't going to allow for that.

So, long story, but I ended up back in home service (debit) insurance, working mostly South Dallas/Oak Cliff. When I run into FE agents in those neighborhoods, I tell them truthfully that they need to get out of Dallas proper and work smaller towns and rural areas away from the Metroplex.

But @Newby posted above that he might be able to find a closer area for you to work. I definitely recommend taking him up on it. (If that doesn't work out, PM me and I'll tell you how to become a home service agent!)

 

[rousemark]

Did you make sure the speaker is on and the volume up?

Yes... And I get sound on everything but the videos posted on the forum.

 

[jdeasy]

90%+ of our new agent applications are for telesales only.

I'd love to have more face-to-face agents on our team, but it's undeniable that the industry and demand from agents has shifted away from the traditional in-person model.

It is deniable. You are speaking from the top of the pyramid. Not the foundation.

I do agree that new agents are buying the dream. They don't know it's a nightmare until it's too late.

 

[noah]

90%+ of our new agent applications are for telesales only.

I'd love to have more face-to-face agents on our team, but it's undeniable that the industry and demand from agents has shifted away from the traditional in-person model.

It is deniable. You are speaking from the top of the pyramid. Not the foundation.

I do agree that new agents are buying the dream. They don't know it's a nightmare until it's too late.

How many states does a telesales IMO want an agent to buy non resident license in to get started ?

How does the agent spend his day ?

Can a telesales agent build his own agency,recruit with success?

What's the failure rate for a brand new telesales agent vs. a new face to face agent ?

What about persistency for telesales vs. face to face ?

Do telesales agents deliver their policies?

 

[Rearden]

It is deniable. You are speaking from the top of the pyramid. Not the foundation.

I do agree that new agents are buying the dream. They don't know it's a nightmare until it's too late.

I know you're a permabear on telesales, but we are up 325%+ in year-over-year production comparing 4/2023 and 4/2024.

I'd comfortably estimate 95%+ of that increase is directly attributable to telesales (and offering a free lead/lower commission telesales program as well).

FYI - YTD persistency on Trinity/Family Benefit was 99% in April - probably 75% of that business is telesales. Placement was 87%. Obviously, that number will decrease over the remainder of the year.

Even if it ends up in the 80s (the last few years it's been low 90s) with the ramp-up in telesales production, I'd still consider that a win.

 

[Rearden]

How many states does a telesales IMO want an agent to buy non resident license in to get started ?

How does the agent spend his day ?

Can a telesales agent build his own agency,recruit with success?

What's the failure rate for a brand new telesales agent vs. a new face to face agent ?

What about persistency for telesales vs. face to face ?

Do telesales agents deliver their policies?

1. For agents buying leads, 5+. For agents on free leads, ten. Most likely we'll require them to have more to start in the near future. More states = lower cost per lead.
2. Agents are trained to do outbound in both our free lead and broker program. However, our top 10% free lead agents get 80-100 pre-set appointments weekly, and some brokers have pre-set appointments set up as an option as well.
3. I don't push recruiting at all on my agents. The major issues with sub agency recruitment is breakdown in quality control and experience. Our managers are employees of the company and carry out our initiatives first and foremost, with the goal of homogenizing the experience for all agents who join.
4. See last post. I don't see much of a difference. Persistency is an issue of how and what you sell. Added, long-term agencies know that the biggest chargeback risk is in fraud.
5. No.

 

[jdeasy]

I know you're a permabear on telesales, but we are up 325%+ in year-over-year production comparing 4/2023 and 4/2024.

I'd comfortably estimate 95%+ of that increase is directly attributable to telesales (and offering a free lead/lower commission telesales program as well).

FYI - YTD persistency on Trinity/Family Benefit was 99% in April - probably 75% of that business is telesales. Placement was 87%. Obviously, that number will decrease over the remainder of the year.

Even if it ends up in the 80s (the last few years it's been low 90s) with the ramp-up in telesales production, I'd still consider that a win.

I don't doubt that. You guys at the top are making a killing.

I'm talking about the producer.

Spin it anyway you want.

It's a bad deal for the producer.