Paying for Leads

[jdeasy]

Nope. .

I'll tell you my Mensa story, I wanted to be a member and took all the tests and passed and was asked to join. Then they spung the dues thing on me.

I had no idea there were dues!!

How dumb is that? Smart enough to pass their tests but too dumb to know there was a cost to maintain membership.

 

[Gooner]

I'll tell you my Mensa story, I wanted to be a member and took all the tests and passed and was asked to join. Then they spung the dues thing on me.

I had no idea there were dues!!

How dumb is that? Smart enough to pass their tests but too dumb to know there was a cost to maintain membership.

Lol. Pretty much same thing with me. Ernst and young paid my dues while I worked with them...when I left...I refused to pay for it.

 

[Jbbarea]

I want to join. But I heard North Georgia is automatic exclusion.......

 

[wynne]

Very well said. It is what it is. Those of us who see it the same way are the successful ones.

 

[Tearmann]

Thanks Captain Obvious, have you seen your sidekick Apparent Boy??

I'm not stupid. If they hang up, they don't answer the phone, don't answer the door, or slam it in your face, what the hell is one to do? Dump more money on leads?

I've spend $400-500/week for leads since July of 2013. Close to $36000 actually. I've made maybe that much, if that. Should I quit?

A business that puts in money and makes it back isn't making money, it's stagnate. I've had great weeks and horrible weeks.

I guess the point of my post is that there is money to be lost in business, and if somethings don't change for the better, you might want to cut your losses and run.

I've done straight door knocking, lead knocking, TM Leads, VM Leads, Press One leads..

What demographic are you mailing too?? If you've been using the same SS$255 leads with the same demographic of 0 to 30k along with the same scripts and are expecting different results week after week then there's your problem. Use your past experiences good and bad and change your presentation, change your lead getting rid of that $255 mailer and change the demographic to $15k to $50k.

The old adage of doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. Your upline should be giving you more direction...have you asked him/her for help??

 

[Rearden]

Thanks Captain Obvious, have you seen your sidekick Apparent Boy??

I'm not stupid. If they hang up, they don't answer the phone, don't answer the door, or slam it in your face, what the hell is one to do? Dump more money on leads?

I've spend $400-500/week for leads since July of 2013. Close to $36000 actually. I've made maybe that much, if that. Should I quit?

A business that puts in money and makes it back isn't making money, it's stagnate. I've had great weeks and horrible weeks.

I guess the point of my post is that there is money to be lost in business, and if somethings don't change for the better, you might want to cut your losses and run.

I've done straight door knocking, lead knocking, TM Leads, VM Leads, Press One leads..

My first question to you is are you targeting the correct demographic?

"Correct" for me is defined as small town and rural areas for new guys, as they have the most success their versus suburban and urban areas, regarding both completed appointments, close rate, and quality of business.

Assuming you are already marketing to the "Correct" area, if you were my agent, I would ask you the following questions:

1) How many leads did you receive this past week?
2) How many sales presentations did you set?
3) How many door knock approaches did you get in?
4) How many appointments did you COMPLETE?
5) How many sales did you make?
6) What was your sales volume?

Quite honestly, the progression of questions almost ALWAYS breaks down at the COMPLETED appointments question.

Meaning, the number one reason MOST agents struggle is that they are NOT completing enough presentations!

Further, many of these agents are doing just fine ratio wise, but just do not have the appointment volume at goal to get the sales volume and income they desire.

...Luckily that's fixable.

Like Travis says, your goal should be COMPLETING 10-12 appointments weekly.

Until you are doing that, you REALLY shouldn't be concerned about ANYTHING else.

Deuce, how many appointments did you complete this week?

Next, only AFTER you are consistently completing 10-12 appointments weekly, would I worry about developing more closely your sales capabilities, assuming you are not a total moron in front of the prospect, and also assuming you are already following the approach, more or less, I gave you.

 

[lifeagent13]

Thanks guys. If someone can show me another business where a guy can invest $3,000 and be realistically pulling out a personal income of $50,000 + in his first year with ZERO business debt at all and huge upside potential after that ...I'd love to see it. Plus what other business can you start where you don't have to hire minimum wage employees and deal with that whole mess (dish washers, waitresses, clerks, etc. )? you don't need to rent office space. You don't pay $10,000 for a sign? You don't need a $500 per month ad in the yellow pages? You can get EVERYONE that wants to buy your product financed with a low monthly payment with no credit check? And you sign up today and commit $50 on the draft date and I (the agent) get paid hundreds of dollars in advance? Am I over selling this? Is this not the greatest business opportunity in America? But you have to realize, it's not a job. It's a business.

EVERYONE should read this. My previous years of sales always involved credit checks! I will take health qualifying over credit qualifying every single time! What a great business to be in.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

A lot of agents who talk to me about getting into Final Expense can't get past the amount of money they will need to spend on leads each week. They take all kinds of horrible deals (free leads, financed leads, chopped commissions, buying lists and cold calling, etc.) and fail out at that and come back a year later after going broker than they started. They just aren't thinking about their business as a business person and that's why they fall for bad deals.

YOU don't buy your leads. Your business buys your leads. Don't mix your personal money with your business money. Don't think of your cash flow as income.

YOU are starting a business. You should put money in your business ONE time. That's your start up seed money. You should never have to pay your business again. Your business should pay you.

To start an FE business the right way you need less than $3,000. You pay for your E&O insurance, name badge, business cards, a tank of gas, and your first month's leads.

Your commissions should all flow into your business checking account. Your business pays for your next orders of leads. You should quickly cash flow and be able to pay yourself a salary AFTER your business costs are paid. The salary will get bigger over time. It starts out small. But YOU should never have to pay for leads ever again, your business does.

Guys who can think this way make it in business. Guys who think like an employee are forever doomed to fail and make scamsters rich. In order to be successful in business you have to think like a successful business person. And that involves planning a successful start up with enough seed money, sacrifice in the beginning, working harder than you've ever worked in your life, acknowledging that you are the worst you will ever be at this in the beginning and you will constantly improve, and the mindset that failure is not an option.

If you go at this the right way and with the right mindset, you will come out the other side with more income and a lifestyle that most people can only dream about.

But if you go in this telling your wife, Hey I'm going to try this Final Expense thing. Guys on the forum are making $5,000 a week doing that. I'm going to give it a try and put a couple of friends under me to get over rides. You and your spouse will not be ready to do what it takes to make it. And you will start looking for things that don't exist.

For more info read the getting started thread at — Your inside track to selling more, making more and working smarter

Incredibly you typed something that I agree with and its what we preach.

The complaints and losers you hear whining all the time jumping from company to company are the people who think with the mind set you described above. As I've often typed here.

PEOPLE ARE INTELLECTUALLY LAZY. They have the mind set of an insurance man instead of a business man.

 

[pcbinsurance]

Wow...loving the kinder, gentler, affable Obi Wan.......

 

[WinoBlues]

I agree, and its what we preach.

The complaints and losers you hear whining all the time jumping from company to company are the people who think with the mind set you described above. As I've often typed here.

PEOPLE ARE INTELLECTUALLY LAZY. They have the mind set of an insurance man instead of a business man.

Here I fixed the post for you.