I'm Suddenly Getting Porched. A Lot. What Am I Doing Wrong?

[AfroPope]

Hi all,

Having a really bad streak the past couple of weeks. I've had a little over a dozen appointments, about 14-15. Of these, two have called me to reschedule or cancel before I showed up, the others just haven't shown. This is just for my in-person appointments, phone appointments are a different issue for a different thread. I am mostly doing senior final expense and Med Supps.

I'm booking these off of referrals, door knocks, and just calling leads. I tell the client what my schedule is like and where I will be geographically. For example, if I'm going to be in Southwest Portland, I'll try to book my appointments in Southwest Portland, and I'll say something like,

"Well, Bob, I'm going to be meeting with another client in Southwest Portland on Thursday morning, after that I've got time around noon or two, which of those works better for you?"

and after they answer and give me a time, I confirm their address and ask them to put me on their calendar/schedule/whatever they use. "Okay, you've got me on your schedule?"
"Yup!"
"Great, I'll see you at noon on Thursday." and wrap up the call.

Or if it's a door knock, "hey, I'm going to be back in this area on Thursday," etc etc and then I make sure I see them put it on their calendar/schedule or write it down somewhere.

I've been doing it this way since I started a few months ago and it was working until about two weeks ago. Am I just having bad luck or am I doing anything glaringly wrong? Not only am I having a hard time not taking this personally (some of these folks have been REALLY disrespectful) but worse - I'm not making any money

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Gooner]

Hi all,

Having a really bad streak the past couple of weeks. I've had a little over a dozen appointments, about 14-15. Of these, two have called me to reschedule or cancel before I showed up, the others just haven't shown. This is just for my in-person appointments, phone appointments are a different issue for a different thread. I am mostly doing senior final expense and Med Supps.

I'm booking these off of referrals, door knocks, and just calling leads. I tell the client what my schedule is like and where I will be geographically. For example, if I'm going to be in Southwest Portland, I'll try to book my appointments in Southwest Portland, and I'll say something like,

"Well, Bob, I'm going to be meeting with another client in Southwest Portland on Thursday morning, after that I've got time around noon or two, which of those works better for you?"

and after they answer and give me a time, I confirm their address and ask them to put me on their calendar/schedule/whatever they use. "Okay, you've got me on your schedule?"
"Yup!"
"Great, I'll see you at noon on Thursday." and wrap up the call.

Or if it's a door knock, "hey, I'm going to be back in this area on Thursday," etc etc and then I make sure I see them put it on their calendar/schedule or write it down somewhere.

I've been doing it this way since I started a few months ago and it was working until about two weeks ago. Am I just having bad luck or am I doing anything glaringly wrong? Not only am I having a hard time not taking this personally (some of these folks have been REALLY disrespectful) but worse - I'm not making any money

Thanks in advance for the help.

Just curious...how many days out are you setting these appointments. The I'll be in your area Thursday makes it sound like it a day or 2 out. I would only set appointments for 1 day if dealing with typical FE clientele.

Good luck

 

[AfroPope]

Just curious...how many days out are you setting these appointments. The I'll be in your area Thursday makes it sound like it a day or 2 out. I would only set appointments for 1 day if dealing with typical FE clientele.

Good luck

One to two days out, it's usually "tomorrow" but sometimes I'll have a day already booked and need to book for the one after.

Or, in my case, "booked."

And when I talk about disrespect, I'm talking like, I booked one yesterday for this morning. It was on the Oregon Coast, about ninety minutes away, for final expense. Quoted him over the phone and he said "sounds great, let's do it." as I set up the appointment. So like, if I sell it, the long trip pays for itself. But I called this morning before I left just to make sure the guy was home. Son picks up.

"Yeah, no, I see you right here on the calendar but I guess he forgot or something. He's not gonna be home all day."

Good thing I didn't drive all the way out there, I guess, but what if I had?

----------

So this morning was typical.

My second today was also final expense. Someone who's called to reschedule once before (I spoke to him on Wednesday night this time. Told me his schedule was wide open today and I told him I'd be there at 1pm. We agreed and he said he'd write it down. He's not home.

Number three was a Med Supp, possible LTC lead, someone who porched me on Monday and I got back in contact with for today. Very nice and apologetic, asked if I could come back today at the same time. She said she'd make sure to write it down and continued to apologize profusely. Got to her place again, no answer. No car in the driveway. Dog is barking up a storm, phone is turned off.

Last one is a Med Supp and calls while I'm on my way and says he forgot he had a prior commitment and wants to reschedule. At this point I know I will never hear from this guy again no matter how many times I call him.

That was today, but it's been like this every day for the past two weeks. I'm exhausted and I'm running out of money. I haven't been doing this long enough to have built up a big reserve of cash that I can use as a cushion.

Tell me it's just bad luck, y'all.

 

[goillini52]

One to two days out, it's usually "tomorrow" but sometimes I'll have a day already booked and need to book for the one after.

Or, in my case, "booked."

And when I talk about disrespect, I'm talking like, I booked one yesterday for this morning. It was on the Oregon Coast, about ninety minutes away, for final expense. Quoted him over the phone and he said "sounds great, let's do it." as I set up the appointment. So like, if I sell it, the long trip pays for itself. But I called this morning before I left just to make sure the guy was home. Son picks up.

"Yeah, no, I see you right here on the calendar but I guess he forgot or something. He's not gonna be home all day."

Good thing I didn't drive all the way out there, I guess, but what if I had?

----------

So this morning was typical.

My second today was also final expense. Someone who's called to reschedule once before (I spoke to him on Wednesday night this time. Told me his schedule was wide open today and I told him I'd be there at 1pm. We agreed and he said he'd write it down. He's not home.

Number three was a Med Supp, possible LTC lead, someone who porched me on Monday and I got back in contact with for today. Very nice and apologetic, asked if I could come back today at the same time. She said she'd make sure to write it down and continued to apologize profusely. Got to her place again, no answer. No car in the driveway. Dog is barking up a storm, phone is turned off.

Last one is a Med Supp and calls while I'm on my way and says he forgot he had a prior commitment and wants to reschedule. At this point I know I will never hear from this guy again no matter how many times I call him.

That was today, but it's been like this every day for the past two weeks. I'm exhausted and I'm running out of money. I haven't been doing this long enough to have built up a big reserve of cash that I can use as a cushion.

Tell me it's just bad luck, y'all.

Try not calling them...just go by unannounced and door knock them. You sure couldn't do any worse.

 

[AfroPope]

Try not calling them...just go by unannounced and door knock them. You sure couldn't do any worse.

Haha! I did knock on a random door earlier in the month, walked in and sold a decent FE Plan and a Med Supp.

I do try to use my time wisely.

 

[FinalExpenseDojo.com]

1. When you set the appt don't give your phone number.

If they ask say listen I'll be in and out of appts all day so it'll be impossible to reach me! As far as you know you will be there Monday at 2 right? Great you don't let anything interfere I won't let anything interfere and I'll see you Monday at 2 CLICK

Every time I give a phone number out they cancel.

If you're calling off leads and they call back & cancel show up anyway. Act like you didn't get the message and say well I'm already here! I told you I was coming from a LONG WAY! I've gotten so many sales that way

2. Right at the end of the call...Tell them you're coming from a REALLY long way on that day so if you can't make it to the appt it will REALLY mess up my schedule!! So let nothing interfere with our appointment and I'll see you Monday at 2! CLICK!

3. This establishes you're the businessman not the salesman. Business men tell people what to do. Salesman ask and are polite. If you start out bring polite and bending over people will always expect you to bend over!!! I've had people say well if you won't do this I'll go with another agent! I'm like fine have a nice day! Every time I used to bend over for people I'd end up with a charge back or a bunch of dodged calls! Or worse half a day wasted driving out there when they weren't home.

 

[AfroPope]

1. When you set the appt don't give your phone number.

If they ask say listen I'll be in and out of appts all day so it'll be impossible to reach me! As far as you know you will be there Monday at 2 right? Great you don't let anything interfere I won't let anything interfere and I'll see you Monday at 2 CLICK

Every time I give a phone number out they cancel.

If you're calling off leads and they call back & cancel show up anyway. Act like you didn't get the message and say well I'm already here! I told you I was coming from a LONG WAY! I've gotten so many sales that way

2. Right at the end of the call...Tell them you're coming from a REALLY long way on that day so if you can't make it to the appt it will REALLY mess up my schedule!! So let nothing interfere with our appointment and I'll see you Monday at 2! CLICK!

3. This establishes you're the businessman not the salesman. Business men tell people what to do. Salesman ask and are polite. If you start out bring polite and bending over people will always expect you to bend over!!! I've had people say well if you won't do this I'll go with another agent! I'm like fine have a nice day! Every time I used to bend over for people I'd end up with a charge back or a bunch of dodged calls! Or worse half a day wasted driving out there when they weren't home.

Yeah, I never give out my phone number exclusively, the only times people call to cancel are if I've booked them off a door knock or a referral and they already have my business card, which of course has my number on it. I've definitely done the "I didn't get the message" thing before and walked in and sold it, learned that one my first week in the field with another agent

I'll try being a little pushier on numbers two and three. I've started to adopt this approach and even used it on the guy on the coast who blew me off on Friday morning, so I guess I know it at least worked insofar as he had put me on his calendar.

Thanks to everyone so far for all their advice.

 

[Baseball7]

Sounds like your handing people a way out.

 

[tesflex]

Got an idea - sell over the phone. I have been on one appointment all year. That was just to get a signature.

 

[Chazm]

I never say, "I'll be in the area". It makes it seem like if they just porch you it's not a big deal because you were close anyways. I say something like, "ok so tomorrow at 2 right? Im very busy and just to make sure that time works ".