What is a direct mail final expense lead?
A direct mail final expense lead comes from a printed mailer sent to seniors. The mailer explains final expense coverage and asks the reader to return a reply card or respond another way. When a card comes back, it becomes a lead: a name, address, phone number and sometimes a few answers, such as age or beneficiary.
Direct mail has a long history in final expense sales, especially with agents who meet clients in their homes. The returned card is physical proof that a senior read the mailer and responded.
What is an inbound final expense call?
An inbound final expense call starts with a senior who chose to ask about coverage. With Inbound Final Expense Leads, you talk live in your chosen states and hours and pay only at 90 seconds or longer. For the service definition, see inbound final expense calls; for the broader record-versus-call distinction, see final expense leads.
How does the timing differ?
Timing is the biggest difference. A mailer has to be printed, mailed, read, filled out and mailed back, and then the card has to reach the agent. By the time you call or knock, days or weeks may have passed since the senior responded. Their interest may still be there, but the moment of decision has passed.
An inbound call has no gap. The senior decides to call and you are talking within the same minute. You meet the interest at its freshest point instead of trying to rebuild it later.
Who starts the contact with each lead type?
In both cases the senior responds first, which is good. The difference is what happens next. With mail, the senior returns a card and then waits for someone to reach out, so the agent still starts the conversation. With inbound calls, the senior starts the conversation directly by dialing. You do not need to track them down, leave messages or explain why you are calling.
Does direct mail fit a kitchen-table sales style?
Yes, direct mail has long fit agents who sell in person, because the reply card includes an address and the agent can plan appointments by area. That is a real strength. Inbound calls fit agents who sell by phone, since the conversation starts live on the line and can move forward on that same call.
If you sell in person, you can still take inbound calls and set appointments from them. Just be honest with yourself about how much driving time your schedule allows.
How much follow up does each require?
Direct mail leads often require several attempts: calls, voicemails, and sometimes a visit. Some seniors moved on, some forgot the card, and some are hard to reach. Inbound calls need no follow up to start, because the senior is already on the line. You may still follow up after the call, for example to finish an application or answer a family member's question, but the first conversation is already done.
How should I compare the cost?
Compare total cost per conversation, including your time, postage delays and travel if you sell in homes. A mail lead may look affordable, but the time spent reaching the senior is part of the price. An inbound call is billed only when it lasts 90 seconds or longer, so short calls cost nothing. See pricing on the pricing page, and read what happens if a final expense call is under 90 seconds.
Which should I choose?
Choose direct mail if you want physical reply cards and plan to work leads in person over days or weeks. Choose inbound calls if you want to talk with seniors at the moment they decide to call, by phone, in the states and hours you pick. Other comparisons may help: Inbound leads vs aged final expense leads and Inbound Calls vs Facebook final expense leads. To start, see how inbound final expense leads work.