N/A or Phone Call Screenings on the Increase ?

[PaulieD]

It is a dreary and rainy Saturday afternoon about noontime.
I usually try to setup Monday and or Tuesday with appts set over the weekend.
I am finding more and more n/a and call screenings than ever before.

My numbers today were 25 dials/ 4 contacts/ 2 appts

My point is that there were 21 people not answering their phones at all.
That is an incredible 84% unable to reach. It is just the first round of calls for the week.
Of course you mileage may vary.

Are you finding it harder and harder to reach people by phone because hardly anyone picks up their phone anymore?

 

[jacobtn]

They are getting too many calls. Its nuts.

 

[Rearden]

This is the case for most agents, and reason enough for most agents to implement doorknocking along with appointment setting.

 

[goillini52]

It is a dreary and rainy Saturday afternoon about noontime.
I usually try to setup Monday and or Tuesday with appts set over the weekend.
I am finding more and more n/a and call screenings than ever before.

My numbers today were 25 dials/ 4 contacts/ 2 appts

My point is that there were 21 people not answering their phones at all.
That is an incredible 84% unable to reach. It is just the first round of calls for the week.
Of course you mileage may vary.

Are you finding it harder and harder to reach people by phone because hardly anyone picks up their phone anymore?

Yes, more and more people are screening their calls. my mom doesn't answer the phone if she doesn't recognize the #.

I know you said it's raining, but the weather's warming up and a lot of people get out early to go to garage sales. Have you tried calling on Saturday afternoon or evening?

Another thing you might try, if they don't answer call them again as soon as you hang up. Makes it seem urgent and they might answer the 2nd time.

 

[PaulieD]

This is the case for most agents, and reason enough for most agents to implement doorknocking along with appointment setting.

Oh, I definitely door knock out of necessity also. Actually a multi pronged approach, phone calls, door knocks and if necessary delivery notices and even voice mail messages as a last resort. I want to be sure I have tried everything to reach each and every lead.

The point of my post was not that doing other things are not necessary, but more about when I see some of the numbers put up from appt setting alone...I know that will not happen in my neck of the woods...at least not like I see it posted by some people here.

 

[Baseball7]

Called through 20-25 fresh leads, got 3-4 people on the phone. Could just be a nice day out?

 

[PaulieD]

It is a dreary and rainy Saturday afternoon about noontime.

 

[FinalExpenseDojo.com]

Are you using local presence phone numbers? Rotating phone numbers each time you call? Dialing 3 times in a row back to back to back?

It's probably your area as well. I would dial my DM leads 20-30 times each during the first week & would still have 30-35% that never answer. You just have to spend a full 8 hours dialing your tail off to book up a full day of appointments if your in a highly populated area.

 

[FinalExpenseDojo.com]

When I was recruiting F2F agents I would never teach them to set appointments over the phone for the reasons you have shared. It takes A LOT of dials & therefore it's easier to just 100% door knock leads. (In highly populated areas).

 

[PaulieD]

RI is one of the most densely populated areas in the country. (Full of Yankees)
The entire state is one Area code.

2015 Density population rank and land area (states, territories, and DC)
State Pop. dens. Rank 2015 population
District of Columbia 1 672,228
New Jersey 2 8,958,013
Puerto Rico 3 3,680,058
Rhode Island 4 1,056,298

I will continue to pound them as I door knock during the week, that is what I have usually done.
I just wanted to post initial n/a and see if that was "normal"...I guess it is.