Increasingly more difficult to book f2f appointments in urban and even suburban areas.

[Stay100]

I live in Boston and work all over eastern MA. I don’t care what anyone says it’s getting increasingly more difficult to get people to answer the phone and book appointments. It’s got so difficult for me to book appointments over the phone that I depend mostly on doorknocking and the Calendly appointments at this point. The doorknocking is really starting to burn me out and I’m working way too hard for the number of appointments/ applications I'm getting. The calendly appointments have been huge for me lately.

I know some of you are going to read this and be like well maybe you just suck at your job. I don’t, and I’m not a new agent. I can feel that it’s just harder, seniors are so skeptical and guarded especially in my neck of the woods. This is not new I just feel like seniors are taught to trust no one these days. Anyone else feels this way? I’m thinking that I need to start working in western mass in more laid back rural towns. I have a couple of agents in Maine and they still live in the days where they can get a stack of DM leads and book their whole week up in a couple of hours on the phone. Those days are long gone in my area. Sad but true. I need to get a badass appointment setter or work in a rural area. For me, that’s a 2-hour drive. Any other ideas?

 

[Todd King]

Rural is probably your best bet. One other thing that might help if you can do it. Figure out how to increase the amount of referrals you are getting.

 

[mickeyma]

The IRS lists Southern California as the scam capital of the world. TV stations have their "very own" investigative reporter uncovering scrupulous people.

The construction companies call and claim they talked to me 5 months ago and I was interested in remodeling my home but asked them to get back to me. I call them liars and tell the telemarketers that both my son and I are general contractors so why would I let them do my remodeling.

Anyway, I echo your sentiments that it's so hard to get people to answer the phone. I get @ 7 robo calls daily. Technology is killing sales people.

1. Caller ID so they don't recognize our names
2. Software that allows companies to do robo calls
3. The internet. When I arrive at a house for a life insurance appointment, the prospects have a list of prices from 20-30 companies which they got from the internet. Can you beat this price, they ask?

What's left to do? Robbing banks gets you 20-30 years in prison Just hang in there.

 

[Manuel Ramirez]

Why dont you look into telesales

 

[axeman462]

I hear ya, I have noticed the Florida market getting saturated with agents over the past 2 years, and marketing efforts have become less effective.
This is why though it is important to stay diversified, not only in the products you sell, but your marketing efforts also.

Always have more than one line in the water.

 

[Travis Price]

Personally, I believe the role of the agent is changing. Push marketing will continue to be more challenging.

You should develop more pull methods. Referrals, Facebook ads, website traffic, Direct Mail.

However, what we’ll also see is that a lot of established agents will be leaving the marketplace over the next few years due to retirement.

 

[Tothetop]

Why dont you look into telesales

Way of the future depending on where you live

 

[Tothetop]

I worked Final Expense for three years here in NYC before I decided to call it quits. I would read about the amazing results agents on the forum were having and I for some reason could not replicate it without three times as much effort and, more importantly, dollars.

I finally realized my location was the problem when I stopped. New Yorkers are skeptical as it is, now add being a senior in NY into the mix. I would do mailers, internet leads & door knock & call them. Yet I could not get the results as easily as others in different states and different geographies.

There are successful Final expense agents here but they are very very few especially since there are only about two or three companies. One thing they all had in common was they were a jack of all trades, at least the ones I know of. They either do auto home and life or they help people get out of debt and credit repair while selling final expense insurance. That is the reality of the matter.

I would suggest creating more inbound leads like a website and telesales

 

[somarco]

Push marketing will continue to be more challenging.

You should develop more pull methods. Referrals, Facebook ads, website traffic, Direct Mail.

Effective marketing is like fishing.

Go where the fish are.

Choose the right bait.

Wait on them to come to you.

Kind of like trapline fishing.

 

[Life Hawk]

Way of the future depending on where you love

I can love anywhere. I work at loving everyone no matter where they live.

I live in rural IL, so my ability to approach folks is much simpler. There is much to be said about "location,location,location ". However; we have to be careful that we view our market as it is and not what we perceive it to be. How often have I been in the old slump mode, thinking people where just getting extra difficult, only to discover that "stink`n think`n" was the issue I was really faced with.