What is the first step to sell final expense?
The first step is a life insurance license in your resident state. Requirements usually include pre-licensing education, a state exam and a background check, and they vary by state. Your state's department of insurance lists the steps. Without a license you cannot sell final expense insurance.
How do I add other states?
After your resident license, you can apply for non-resident licenses in other states through each state's insurance department. Each adds rules and renewals to manage. Many agents start with one state and add more later. See do you need a license to buy final expense leads.
What are carrier appointments?
A carrier appointment is permission from an insurance company to sell its products. In general terms, you apply through the carrier directly or through an agency or upline, complete contracting paperwork and sometimes product training. Appointments can be state specific. Final expense agents often hold several appointments so they can match callers to fitting products.
Should I join an agency or work alone?
Both are possible. An agency or upline can help with contracting, training and support. Working alone gives more independence but means finding those resources yourself. See final expense leads for captive vs independent agents for how the agent type affects leads.
What training do I need?
You need product training from your carriers and sales training on how to run a final expense conversation. Learn the product types, such as level benefit, graded benefit and guaranteed issue, and how health questions decide which applies. Our phone sales guides start at how to sell final expense over the phone.
How do I learn the phone process?
Learn how each carrier handles phone applications, signatures and first payments, then practice the call flow: opening, needs, health questions, quoting and next steps. See what to say in the first 30 seconds of an inbound final expense call and how to ask final expense health questions on the phone.
How do I get leads?
Leads can come from many sources: live inbound calls, form leads, mail, aged leads or referrals. Compare them by source, billing rule and how much time each takes. Our calls are live from seniors who called about final expense coverage. See inbound final expense leads vs other lead types and how to choose a final expense lead vendor.
How should a new agent buy leads?
Start small, with states you know and hours you can cover. That guidance has its own page: final expense leads for new agents. For sizing an order, see how many final expense leads should you buy to start.
How do I set up to take calls?
Set up a quiet space, phone, quoting tools and a notes template. See the final expense call checklist.
How do I know if it is working?
Track your results from the first call and review after each order. See how to track your final expense lead results. For the steps to start receiving calls, see how inbound final expense leads work, and see pricing on the pricing page.
How long does it take to get started?
It varies. Licensing takes as long as your state's education and exam process, and carrier appointments add more time. Once licensed and appointed, live calls usually start within 3 to 7 business days of an order. Plan time for training in between, so your first calls are not your first practice.
What should my first month focus on?
Focus on process: a consistent opening, needs questions, accurate health questions, clear quotes and good notes. Track every call. Review weekly and improve one step at a time. See how to track your final expense lead results.
What costs should I plan for?
Plan for licensing fees, any training, a phone and headset, quoting tools if not provided, and leads. Leads are usually the largest ongoing cost; see pricing on the pricing page.
What mistakes do new final expense agents make?
Common early mistakes include choosing states before appointments are in place, taking calls before practicing the call flow, listing hours that are hard to cover and not tracking results. See common mistakes agents make with final expense leads.