- 11,280
Scott is never wrong when it comes to funerals.
New Agents Can Make 100k to 250 in 1st Year Crap
- Thread starter Mark
- Start date
Scott is never wrong when it comes to funerals.
- 17,078
No. That is exactly what you are looking for. One that actively sells preneed insurance.
That first one I sold for had 13 full time agents. About 6 of us did great. 7 others stood around and convinced each other that it can't be done.
When you are new it would be best to work as part of a sales group. Once you have a year or two you can find a funeral home where you are the only agent.
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It would be very rare to find a funeral home that completely ignores preened but there probably is one somewhere.
A lot of funeral homes have a wife or sister or cousin of the owner in that position who has no idea of how to sell or what she should do. Often they have them on a salary which kills all motivation to work.
Every funeral home has their own dynamics and opportunities.
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- 687
Todd,
How do you recommend someone new to the business get out and sell 185 policies the first year? If you had to do this how would you do it knowing what you know now?
For me with my limited knowledge, I guess would be going door to door, and obtaining a cold calling list and calling, calling, and calling. I just cant see the average new agent affording $30 leads consistently enough to have the type of exposure. But I would budget around $300 a month.
Personally, I am looking at obtaining a couple of lists and cold calling a minimum of 50 to 100 a day. Boring and monotonous maybe, but it sure beats the hell out of writing down 100 names in your warm market and pushing insurance to your family and friends.
I do believe in referrals but you still have to get in front of the first person to ask for the referral. Besides cold calling off a list, spending some money on leads, knocking on doors, or the dreaded 100 name list of your warm market, new agents are limited to their target audience.
How do you recommend someone new to the business get out and sell 185 policies the first year? If you had to do this how would you do it knowing what you know now?
For me with my limited knowledge, I guess would be going door to door, and obtaining a cold calling list and calling, calling, and calling. I just cant see the average new agent affording $30 leads consistently enough to have the type of exposure. But I would budget around $300 a month.
Personally, I am looking at obtaining a couple of lists and cold calling a minimum of 50 to 100 a day. Boring and monotonous maybe, but it sure beats the hell out of writing down 100 names in your warm market and pushing insurance to your family and friends.
I do believe in referrals but you still have to get in front of the first person to ask for the referral. Besides cold calling off a list, spending some money on leads, knocking on doors, or the dreaded 100 name list of your warm market, new agents are limited to their target audience.
- 1,953
Something to consider is when throwing other products in the mix it is possible. Do a few FIA's or some SPWL along with other business and it just might be possible. Yet for a new person that kind of business would take some serious hand holding.
Ron,
The biggest problem I do see with agents is what they are willing to do. Most agents don't want to work hard. I mean, who does really? But that's what it takes in this business. Too many times I've seen agents come into the business thinking it's easy work for a bunch of money. Oh how wrong they are!
You have to invest in your business if it's going to work. I've seen agents that say they don't have the money for leads willing to put beer on their credit card, yet they aren't willing to put leads on there! I know! Crazy, isn't it?
There are many different techniques that work, depending on the agent. Those range from cold calling, mailers, flyers, door to door, telemarketed leads, aged leads, and just plain old talking to everyone you run across. Don't fool yourself though, each one takes work and consistency. That's the key, consistency.
Whichever way you do it, do it constantly. You have to get in front of the prospects or you won't sell a thing, right? I've actually seen agents get in this business and sit back, somehow thinking that people are just going to start knocking on their door just because they have an insurance license now! Not going to happen!
In each of the different ways to market though, the agent needs to get really good at getting referrals. That drives the cost of your lead source down no matter which method you use.
Of course the biggest mistake I see agents make in getting referrals is that they simply ask the client, "Who do you know that I could help?". That's it. They don't clarify the question and help the client think of anyone. When you ask the client an open question like that you can expect to get this look
. You've just given them the whole world to think about and so they can't think of anyone!!When you're talking with a client and you've learned a few things about them and their activities, you can then help them to help you by asking them more targeted questions like, "Who do you know in your Sunday School Class...?", or "Who do you know that is in your aerobics class...?", etc.
You will have helped them to narrow down that field just a bit and there's where you get your referrals. You've helped them to help you.
- 687
Todd,
I could not agree with you more. My only hesitation in any business venture when it comes to discussing money potential is "how are you going to get in front of the customer." I have been self employed for the last 25 years and unless you have a clear cut plan on how you "plan" to get in front of the customer, and stick with it by tweaking it you probably won't. I have read the bashing of different lead generation companies on this forum and I have to wonder besides the ones that have blatantly not provided the actual lead for the dollar are there any good ones out here? The only reason I ask is because as a new agent that is one way I plan to market my products. I truly do not have a passion to go door to door selling FE nor do I have a passion for going door to door selling supplemental insurance to business. For that matter, fuel is to expensive. So I plan on obtaining a calling list(s) and buying leads and letting my fingers do the walking for 5-7 hours a day and scheduling appts throughout the day/evening/night. The only problem I have is that I am not closer to picking a list company or lead company than I was 2 weeks ago. Kind of depressing :(.
I could not agree with you more. My only hesitation in any business venture when it comes to discussing money potential is "how are you going to get in front of the customer." I have been self employed for the last 25 years and unless you have a clear cut plan on how you "plan" to get in front of the customer, and stick with it by tweaking it you probably won't. I have read the bashing of different lead generation companies on this forum and I have to wonder besides the ones that have blatantly not provided the actual lead for the dollar are there any good ones out here? The only reason I ask is because as a new agent that is one way I plan to market my products. I truly do not have a passion to go door to door selling FE nor do I have a passion for going door to door selling supplemental insurance to business. For that matter, fuel is to expensive. So I plan on obtaining a calling list(s) and buying leads and letting my fingers do the walking for 5-7 hours a day and scheduling appts throughout the day/evening/night. The only problem I have is that I am not closer to picking a list company or lead company than I was 2 weeks ago. Kind of depressing :(.
- 26,177
Ron,
The biggest problem I do see with agents is what they are willing to do. Most agents don't want to work hard. I mean, who does really? But that's what it takes in this business. Too many times I've seen agents come into the business thinking it's easy work for a bunch of money. Oh how wrong they are!
You have to invest in your business if it's going to work. I've seen agents that say they don't have the money for leads willing to put beer on their credit card, yet they aren't willing to put leads on there! I know! Crazy, isn't it?
There are many different techniques that work, depending on the agent. Those range from cold calling, mailers, flyers, door to door, telemarketed leads, aged leads, and just plain old talking to everyone you run across. Don't fool yourself though, each one takes work and consistency. That's the key, consistency.
Whichever way you do it, do it constantly. You have to get in front of the prospects or you won't sell a thing, right? I've actually seen agents get in this business and sit back, somehow thinking that people are just going to start knocking on their door just because they have an insurance license now! Not going to happen!
In each of the different ways to market though, the agent needs to get really good at getting referrals. That drives the cost of your lead source down no matter which method you use.
Of course the biggest mistake I see agents make in getting referrals is that they simply ask the client, "Who do you know that I could help?". That's it. They don't clarify the question and help the client think of anyone. When you ask the client an open question like that you can expect to get this look
When you're talking with a client and you've learned a few things about them and their activities, you can then help them to help you by asking them more targeted questions like, "Who do you know in your Sunday School Class...?", or "Who do you know that is in your aerobics class...?", etc.
You will have helped them to narrow down that field just a bit and there's where you get your referrals. You've helped them to help you.
That is some good stuff.
- 687
Josh and I have been corresponding since last week and I have assured him that I will be spending some cash with him. Thanks Todd for the recommendation.
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