Since the COVID lockdowns started in 2020, the interest in selling remotely is through the roof. Where effectively zero percent of my final expense sales force was telesales, around 40% to 50% of our new agents choose the telesales route.

However, while telesales offers great advantages, there are definitely drawbacks, and in your decision to sell final expense, you need to understand both the good and the bad.

Pros Of Selling Final Expense Remotely:

1. More time talking to prospects. With the right lead system, work ethic, and skillset, a good agent can talk to many more prospects than the face-to-face agent, since there is no drive-time between presentations. And talking to more prospects has the potential of closing more sales.
2. Convenience & Efficiency. Prior to transitioning full-time to agency building, I’d sell final expense on an in-person basis within a 90 minute radius around my home in Chattanooga. That means I had approximately 90 minutes of drive time before I began my day. In my later time as an agent doing some telesales, I’d be at my desk and ready to sell in minutes. Then, once the day is over, I’m sitting down to dinner with my family within minutes, not fighting traffic and getting back home late at night.
3. More lifestyle orientation. In most cases, you can sell final expense from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a non-resident license in the state your prospect resides in. For example, one of my telesales agents is moving to Argentina and plans to continue selling final expense by phone. I’ve talked to agents residing and selling final expense in Europe and the Far East, making good money while having the time of their lives.

Now, let’s discuss the drawbacks of selling final expense by phone:

1. Overall, more difficult. Everything about selling final expense over the phone is more difficult. Lacking the in-person advantages of building rapport and trust, a new agent must focus on developing tonality and presence to make up for the disadvantage. Do you sound monotonous and boring? Forget it! You WILL fail at telesales. In fact, all great telesales agents are excellent actors and talented at not just reading but PERFORMING the script. And learning how to perform while developing the nuances of tonality takes more skill than the face-to-face agent, who can get away with being a little dull in the home and still do well.
2. More Objections. Most seniors have been told not to buy anything over the phone from a stranger, so expect more pushback throughout the presentation. Most commonly, expect resistance in the beginning during the first 30 seconds of your presentation, and especially at the close, as you request the Social Security number and banking information. Of course, a good telesales agency will give you an objection overcome script to handle it, but you must practice practice practice to ensure you object confidently without hesitation.
3. You’re at home all the time. If you’re an introvert like me, this probably won’t bother you. But if you thrive on some level being around people, staying at your house at all hours will eventually grind your gears. Add to that the many distractions that come from selling at home like your spouse, children, and chores, remote selling can become challenging in unexpected ways. One agent of mine, frustrated by the at-home distractions, got space at a co-op business office. Her sales immediately increased, as being at the office put her more in the zone than staying at home.