Help! Why Can't I Close Final Expense

[moonlightandmargaritas]

if they can't open an envelope, fill out a few highlighted lines, and put it in the mail without someone standing over them, so to speak, how could i expect them to work through a detailed app that requires them to gather medical info, be there for a medical exam, etc?

Part of it is your expectations relative to the model/process you're using.

If you get 60% of the ones you send out back...that's excellent.

 

[dgoldenz]

Maybe you should change your target market.....if you're sick of dealing with people who don't have the courtesy to mail back what you've sent them, or even acknowledge your existence, why bother? People also hate filling out paperwork on their own. Offer to walk them through it over the phone and they will be more likely to complete it and send it back, and that way you know exactly what they are going to write down instead of finding out later that they screwed up and it needs to be re-done.

 

[missingbigbad]

Maybe you should change your target market.....if you're sick of dealing with people who don't have the courtesy to mail back what you've sent them, or even acknowledge your existence, why bother? People also hate filling out paperwork on their own. Offer to walk them through it over the phone and they will be more likely to complete it and send it back, and that way you know exactly what they are going to write down instead of finding out later that they screwed up and it needs to be re-done.

i've given some thought to changing markets, which i assume means changing products. i also wonder if using a different lead generating system would attract a more reliable client. i have found that those i've been attempting to sell to have almost no respect for the appointment. if i set a time and ask them to write it down and be sure to be there, they often still are not there at appointment time, whether it's a phone appt or face-to-face. the face-to-face appointments that are set for the same day or next day tend to work out though. problem is...i haven't been able to generate local leads. i put the message out and nothing comes back...except for gma's trying to recruit me.

i'm interested in looking into other lead sources, but i have an upline who has been very dedicated to setting me up. i don't want to and won't drop him to sign up with someone else just to get leads. if i use another lead source, it has to be a "no strings attached" lead purchase agreement.

i've been thinking about looking into simple issue term or mortgage life. based on previous sales experience in another industry, i definitely feel more comfortable selling to middle and working class homeowners.
at the same time, i've only been selling insurance a little over a month. i don't want to be one of those guys who doesn't give fe (or any other line) a fair shake.

 

[dgoldenz]

Do you have some sort of opposition to just selling underwritten term and permanent?

 

[Todd King]

Maybe you should stay with what you're doing and change the companies you write with. There are a few companies that will allow you to write it over the phone without a wet signature.

 

[missingbigbad]

Do you have some sort of opposition to just selling underwritten term and permanent?

not at all. i started with fe because i figured it was an easy way to break into the business. i thought i could be earning while learning other products. there seemed to be so much hype arounf fe. so many people are claiming to be making a substantial amount of money selling fe...at least that's what they claim. i never saw fe as the end game for me.

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

so much hype arounf fe. so many people are claiming to be making a substantial amount of money selling fe

This is usually a sure sign to do something that is 360 degrees opposite....but most people don't have the courage...

 

[dgoldenz]

not at all. i started with fe because i figured it was an easy way to break into the business. i thought i could be earning while learning other products. there seemed to be so much hype arounf fe. so many people are claiming to be making a substantial amount of money selling fe...at least that's what they claim. i never saw fe as the end game for me.

What's the most you can make on a single FE sale? $1500? $2000?

What's the most you can make on a single term/UL/whole life underwritten sale? $10k? $20k? $100k? Keep going......yeah, the answer is, sky's the limit if you're good at what you do and have a good estate planning background.

 

[missingbigbad]

Maybe you should stay with what you're doing and change the companies you write with. There are a few companies that will allow you to write it over the phone without a wet signature.

that seems like a great idea. my upline is looking into setting me up for phone signatures. i seem to do pretty well on the front end and face-to-face.

currently, i'm selling assurity in nc. nc does not allow graded policies, but they do allow gi. i'm in the process of getting appointed for lincoln heritage which has a gi product.

i would be open to other suggestions as well. in co i'm selling assurity and uhl. i can do presidential too, but haven't found a need to use them yet.

one of the problems i've had in nc has been that assurity underwriting has shot down my last 4 deals. that should be less of a problem as i learn what things that aren't asked directly on the app will cause an underwriting issue. they also shot down the last deal i wrote before those 4, but i appealed it all the way to the medical director and won the appeal.

anyway, until i have a gi product for nc, i'm stuck with about a dozen potential clients that i can't write. fyi, nc law dictates that the producer be appointed prior to marketing the product, so i can't write business and send it in with my appointment paperwork.

i think lh does not require a wet signature. i don't know who else doesn't require one...royal neighbors?

 

[briko3]

Yeah, I work with a guy that closed over 200K in COMMISSION...and that's on an 80% contract. I'm not that lucky though