Let’s Be Real: The Lead Game is Changing (And It Could Cost You BIG)

If you’re selling final expense in 2025, one thing is clear: your lead strategy can make or break your business. And not just financially—we’re talking legal risk too.

In this breakdown, I’m giving you the unfiltered truth about what’s working, what’s not, and what could get you sued. I’m talking about an actual agent being sued for $25,000 over a single call—just one bad lead. If that doesn’t get your attention, nothing will.

By the end, you’ll know:

• Which leads are worth your time (and money) 
• Which leads to avoid like the plague 
• What legal landmines are lurking out there 
• How to stay compliant while still closing big 

Let’s dive in.

Direct Mail: Old School, Still Powerful—But ONLY If You’re Doing This

Direct mail is still king if you’re selling face-to-face. But if you’re doing telesales? Don’t waste a single dollar on it.

Here’s why:

• Expensive: $45–$65 per lead is the going rate. And if there’s no phone number on the card? That cost just shot up even higher. 
• Compliance Nightmares: You cannot legally text these leads. Often you can’t even call them safely without risking TCPA violations. 
• Telesales = Terrible Fit: There’s no express written consent, no call history, and no real way to prove your outreach was legal. 

But…

If you’re doing in-person sales, direct mail can crush it. These people physically filled out a card, signed it, and mailed it back. That’s commitment. You can door-knock, book appointments, or show up with the card in hand and say, “Hey, you requested this.”

Pro Tip: Stick with the old-school, more specific lead cards over those new “survey style” cards. The latter may get you more responses but lower quality.

If you’re in face-to-face sales and can afford it, direct mail is still one of the best bets. But for telesales? Run far, far away.

Facebook Leads for Telesales: The New Gold Standard (If You Do It Right)

If you’re selling over the phone in 2025 and not using Facebook leads, you’re either a unicorn… or you’re losing money.

Here’s why Facebook leads are your best bet:

• They Give You Consent: Real, documentable, time-stamped consent. That’s gold in a TCPA world. 
• Lower Cost: Generally cheaper than direct mail or TV. 
• Highly Targetable: You control who sees the ad—age, income, health status, etc. 

But not all Facebook leads are created equal. Here’s what actually works:

✅ Use Video Ads: They tend to generate higher-quality prospects than static image ads.

✅ Include Live Transfers: Instead of setting appointments, let people call you immediately after opting in. These folks are ready to talk.

✅ Vet Your Vendor: Don’t just go with any marketer who “does Facebook ads.” Most of them suck. I personally recommend TTCLeads.com, or use my own system at GetFELeads.com—a lead service built from the same strategy that helped close nearly $8M in final expense business.

If you want to play it smart in telesales, Facebook leads are the way forward.

TV Leads: The Cadillac of Inbound Leads—But You’ll Pay For It

Let’s talk TV leads. These are technically “live transfers,” but they’re in a class of their own.

Here’s how it works:

• Prospect sees a final expense ad on TV 
• They call a number (often a third-party call center) 
• The call is transferred to you 

These leads are inbound, meaning they initiated the contact—that’s huge for compliance.

✅ Great Lead Quality: These people saw a commercial, picked up the phone, and called in. They’re typically older, lower-income, and exactly who you want for final expense.

❌ Downside: They’re not cheap. But you get what you pay for. If you can afford it, TV leads are a fantastic option.

Look into vendors like Digital BGA, who’ve been in the game for years.

Red Alert: The Overseas Call Center Scam That’s Burning Agents

Now let’s talk about the elephant in the room: live transfer leads from overseas call centers.

These are being run out of the Philippines, India, and Pakistan. And I’ll say this as clearly as I can:

🚨 STAY AWAY FROM THESE LEADS 🚨

Here’s why:

• Many violate the Do Not Call list. 
• They often lie about consent and data origin. 
• Some are outright stealing and reselling data. 
• And worst of all: they are getting agents sued. 

I know of a real case—an agent getting sued for $25,000 over one call. He didn’t even make the call himself. The center did. And still, he’s on the hook.

Why? Because professional litigants know U.S. agents have assets and visibility. The offshore call center? They’re untouchable. So you take the fall.

Bottom Line: If your live transfer leads are coming from an overseas call center, you are playing with fire. And you will get burned.

The Most Dangerous Scam: “Pre-Sold” Final Expense Leads

The hottest scam right now?

Pre-sold final expense leads.

Here’s how the pitch sounds:

“This client has already been qualified. We got their budget, health info, and banking. They’re ready to buy. You just have to call.”

Sounds amazing, right?

It’s BS.

Think about it—if they really had all that info, why wouldn’t they just close the sale themselves and make the commission?

These leads are often manufactured in offshore call centers. They violate TCPA, are sold illegally, and are a lawsuit waiting to happen.

You are NOT buying a shortcut. You’re buying a trap.

If you value your career, skip anything labeled “pre-sold” or “pre-qualified.” You’re not getting a hot lead. You’re getting legal exposure.

Shared Leads: Maybe Worth It… IF You Know the Source

Shared leads get a bad rap, and rightly so in many cases. But not all shared leads are garbage.

Here’s what you need to know:

• What’s a Shared Lead? A lead that’s been worked by someone else. Maybe more than once. 
• Are They All Bad? No. But you have to know where they came from and how they’ve been managed. 

The worst kind? Leads sold as “exclusive” when they’ve been passed around more than a flyer on a college campus. MLMs do this all the time—buy data for pennies, resell it for $10–$12 each, and call it a lead.

At The DIG Agency, we share leads—but with full transparency. We track when a lead has been worked, how many times it’s been called, and when it’s truly dead. That’s how you do it right.

If you’re going to use shared leads, make sure:

• You’re not paying full price. 
• You know exactly how many agents have worked it. 
• The system managing them is airtight. 

If you can’t verify all that? Walk away.

TCPA: The Legal Sword Hanging Over Your Head

If there’s one thing that should keep agents up at night in 2025, it’s TCPA compliance.

The TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) isn’t new, but it’s being weaponized more aggressively than ever. Professional litigants make a living suing agents over one or two phone calls.

Let me repeat that: You can get sued for a single call.

It doesn’t matter if:

• You didn’t place the call. 
• It came from a third party. 
• The lead seemed legit. 

If you can’t prove express written consent, you’re exposed. That’s why we screen out litigants, DNC violators, and scrub every list multiple times before handing a lead to an agent.

If you’re not doing that… your days are numbered.

The Safe, Smart, Profitable Path Forward

Here’s the bottom line:

• If you’re selling face-to-face: Use direct mail. Budget for it or find an organization that subsidizes it. It works. 
• If you’re doing telesales: Stick with Facebook leads or TV leads. Facebook is affordable and scalable. TV is premium and powerful. 

Never touch:

• Overseas live transfers 
• Pre-sold/pre-qualified leads 
• “Exclusive” shared leads from sketchy sources 

And if you want no-cost, compliant Facebook leads? Come work with us. At The DIG Agency, we generate them in-house, get express consent, remove litigants, and protect our agents from the legal mess that others ignore.

Or if you’re not ready to join, check out GetFELeads.com. That’s our standalone service where you can leverage the same tools we use—on your own ad account, with full transparency, at wholesale pricing.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Be Cheap. Don’t Be Stupid.

Yes, I said it.

Stop trying to shortcut your way to success. Bad leads will burn your wallet and your reputation. Worse, they’ll get you sued.

If you want to win in final expense sales, the formula is simple:

• Get quality, compliant leads. 
• Follow a proven system. 
• Stay legally protected. 
• Work your butt off. 

Everything else? It’s noise.

If you’re curious about working with us, visit DavidDuford.com and watch the overview video. It’ll tell you everything you need to know about how we help agents win—and how we protect them from getting buried by legal landmines.

Now go sell something—the right way.

Thank You For Reading

Thank you for reading. In addition to growing our team, my company also offers products and services to help independent insurance agents increase their production and profitability.

If You’re Looking to Join an Agency

The DIG Agency specializes in helping agents become top producers selling final expense life insurance 100% from home using our free lead system. We provide high-quality training, expert coaching, and the technology tools you need to succeed — whether you want to work part-time or build a full-time career.

As your skills grow, you’ll have the option to transition into a broker role, where you can buy your own leads, earn higher commissions, and even build your own team — all without any forced recruiting or MLM gimmicks.

If you’re serious about building a real career in final expense sales, visit https://www.davidduford.com to learn more. Watch the Overview Video on the homepage to see exactly how our system works.

If You’re Already an Agent and Want Better Leads and Tools

Whether you’re independent or already working with another agency, we can help you get more high-quality leads and streamline your sales process. Here’s what we offer:

• FE Leads Direct
  Order exclusive final expense leads at wholesale pricing through our done-for-you lead management system. These are the same leads our top producers work every day. Learn more at https://www.GetFELeads.com. 
• DIG Dialer
  Designed for insurance agents selling any product, the DIG Dialer helps maximize your calling efforts. It’s the same dialer we use at The DIG Agency and has boosted our presentation rate by up to 300% compared to other dialers. If you want more presentations and more sales, visit https://www.digdialer.com for details. 
• Final Expense CRM
  If you’re a final expense agent looking for a field-tested CRM to manage your leads and clients, check out Final Expense CRM. Designed specifically for remote sales, it features Grace AI to help pre-set appointments and automate follow-ups to increase your sales opportunities. Try it for free for 14 days at https://www.finalexpensecrm.com. 

Wherever you are in your career — new agent, experienced producer, or independent broker — we’ve got the tools, training, and resources to help you sell more, earn more, and build the business you want.