Is Final Expense Telesales For You?

Do you love the crazy cat ladies? Maybe you’re into chain-smokers blowing cancer in your face? Or are creepy crawly critters your thing?

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the vast majority of you said NO to all of the above. For those of you that said yes with wide eyes of excitement…well let’s just say you have a bright future with plenty of guys in white coats asking you lots and lots of questions.

Most financial service professionals will never encounter the circus that face to face final expense agents come across every single day. I know the horror stories are true. I know because I too have sold final expense face to face for years. I’ve felt the warm wet sensation seeping through my pants as I sat on my prospects couch! I know the mysterious, phantom itching sensations you feel for hours after you leave “THAT” house. This is your idea of a good time? If so, then Final Expense telesales is probably not for you.

It takes a special person to be successful selling FE 100% over the phone. I would wager that very few have any clue what type of personality it takes to be successful selling over the phone. My guess is you have no idea what type of person that is. But don’t worry…I do!

First and foremost I want to point out that you don’t have to be a seasoned Final Expense expert to be successful selling over the phone. In fact, I started my first Final Expense call center with two people that had ZERO experience in sales or in the insurance industry. These kids were not even licensed when I approached them about the opportunity. In less than a month they were closing huge numbers and seeing massive success.

POP QUIZ!

Five questions to find out if you would be a good fit selling FE over the phone. Please be honest with yourself as you take this assessment! It’s a psychology test to gauge your ability to withstand years of success selling over the phone.

1. Can you sit at a desk talking on the phone all day long everyday?

I know what your thinking and yes this is a serious question. I have personally witnessed a superstar agent that simply got tired of sitting at a desk day after day. He was MISERABLE! He could not stay in his chair. He drove himself crazy looking at the clock. I am happy to report that he is having massive success selling face to face and is extremely happy with his life. What changed? He got his sanity back.

2. Can you step outside of your comfort zone?

I mean can you open up and share personal information with a complete stranger on the phone? Can you be assertive when you need to be? Everyone thinks they can, but in reality, many people have a mental roadblock that holds them back. I do NOT believe for one second that these people can’t do it. I believe it is 100% in their mind. They have a deep seeded fear of rejection and failure to the point it stops them from closing sales and reaching their full potential. (Watch for a future deep dive into this very topic.)

3. Can you be charismatic?

NO? I bet you have before. I bet you have read a book to a small child at some point in your life. Think about how you use proper tonality to make the story come alive. That’s being charismatic. Can you do that with your client day in and day out? I struggled with this very issue. I am soft spoken, monotone person by nature. It wasn’t until I acknowledged my shortcoming that I was able to overcome it. Now just put me on the phone and listen to my alter ego come alive.

4. Are you willing to forget what you know and follow a proven system?

I don’t care how great you are selling face to face! Final Expense telesales is a completely different animal. You’ve got to learn to GIVE GOOD PHONE! And not just a 60 second quickie that you’ve been getting by with for years. We are not setting appointments here folks. We are closing sales! Sales calls will likely be more than 60 minutes. HUGE DIFFERENCE.

5. Are you willing and able to give it an honest shot?

First, you must believe it's possible and believe in yourself. Don’t go in thinking of all the negatives you have heard from ignorant people. Second, you must be committed to give it an honest shot. Commitment is key to success in life. I am committed to my marriage and being the perfect husband so my marriage is successful. (Note to reader….Please don’t ask my wife’s opinion on this one!) You have to be 100% fully committed to your plan to make this work. No plan B. I am not saying you have to abandon everything else to be successful. I am saying you need to start with a winning plan.

You have to SKILL UP! Set aside time to get trained properly then spend some time on the phone. Hone your skills. Then you can dial down your work hours to fit the lifestyle you desire. Need more money…no problem just spend more time on the phone. Want some time off? Enjoy it.

Being honest with yourself means recognizing you will get out what you put in. Some people simply don’t have the time to invest in learning the craft. If all the time you have is a few hours every other weekend, then you need to look elsewhere. I can promise you that you will fail if you don’t spend time learning the skill of selling over the phone.

Think you have what it takes?