When a Final Expense Caller Says "I'm Just Checking Prices"

What "checking prices" means on an inbound call

"I'm just checking prices" can sound like a brush-off. What it means depends on how the call started.

• On a lead, you dial the person. They may not remember the form, and the conversation starts with you interrupting their day. "Just checking prices" can be a polite way to end a call they didn't ask for.
• On a live transfer, a screener talked to the caller first and may have asked their age, their state or why they called. By the time they reach you, they may be tired of telling it again.
• On an inbound call, the caller saw a final expense ad and chose to dial the number themselves. Most inbound callers expect a price before the call ends.

Getting them a price that is right means asking your questions first. You don't have to win their attention, because they called you. The differences between the three are laid out in final expense inbound calls and live transfers vs inbound calls.

Why you can't give a price in the first minute

A final expense price depends on the caller's age, state and health. In the first minute you don't know any of those yet. A number you give now is a guess, and if the real quote comes in higher, the caller feels misled.

Don't read out a list of prices either. None of them is the caller's price until you have their answers.

Answer the price question in one line

When the first thing a caller says is "How much is it?", answer in one line and keep going:

"It depends on your age, state and health. I'll have an exact price for you in a couple of minutes."

Then go back to your questions. Ask your prequalifying questions first, inside the buffer time: confirm they called about final expense coverage, ask their age, and ask if they have a checking or savings account. The full order is in the first minute of a final expense inbound call.

Lead from your first sentence. Don't wait in silence for the caller to ask again, and don't start by reading out prices. If they ask again, tell them you have a few more questions and then you will have their price.

Ask what coverage they already have

A caller checking prices may be comparing something. Ask:

• "Do you have any life insurance now?"
• "What is it for, and about how much does it pay?"
• "Is it through a job, or a policy you pay for yourself?"

The answers tell you whether you would be adding coverage or replacing it. Adding a policy to pay for a funeral is a different conversation from replacing one they already pay for. If the caller wants to replace a policy, follow your carrier's rules and your state's rules on replacements before you write anything. This isn't legal advice; talk to your compliance team or attorney.

Some callers have coverage and want to see if they could pay less. A new policy can start a new waiting period, so replacing isn't always better for the caller. Others have nothing and want to know what it would cost. Either way, you need that answer before you quote.

If they heard a lower price somewhere else

Sometimes a caller mentions a price from another call, a letter or an ad. Ask what it was for before you react: the coverage amount, their age at the time, and whether the plan asked health questions.

Compare like with like. A smaller coverage amount or a different kind of plan can cost less, and the caller may not know that.

Don't promise to match or beat another price. You can't change a carrier's rates. Never knock another agent or company. Explain what your quote covers and let the caller decide.

Get to a real quote

Once you have their answers and have asked your carriers' health questions, give the quote in plain words:

• the coverage amount,
• the monthly payment, which comes out of their checking or savings account,
• what happens next if they want to go ahead.

Tie it to what they told you. If the caller said they don't want their kids paying for the funeral, say that back before you give the numbers. The guide to what final expense callers are telling you covers how to listen for that reason and use their words.

Never promise approval. The carrier decides.

When they still want to "think about it"

Some callers hear a real price and still want time. Ask what they would need to decide. It might be a family member, the coverage amount or the payment date. Answer what you can while they are on the line.

If they still want to wait, respect that. A callback needs the caller's consent on the recorded call, and you call only the number they give you. Check any callback against the national Do Not Call registry, and call between 8am and 9pm in the caller's local time. Some states are stricter.

A caller who wasn't ready, didn't buy, or wanted to think it over is not a reason to dispute. Those are the calls you pay for. End the call kindly.

What a price-checking call costs you

A call that ends under the buffer costs nothing. Once a call goes past the buffer, it is one set price however long it runs. A long conversation with a price-checker costs the same as a call that just passed the buffer, so there is no reason to hurry.

Hanging up on a price-checker in the first few seconds can feel like money saved, but you lose someone who called to talk about coverage. When calls keep ending early, call sources also send fewer calls to every agent on InboundHQ.

Current prices are on the pricing page, and the measurement rules are in the buffer guidelines. To compare what calls and leads cost you per policy written, see what final expense leads and calls cost.

What not to do on the call

• Don't give a price before you have their age, state and health.
• Don't promise approval, and don't promise to match or beat another price. You can't change a carrier's rates.
• Don't go along with a caller who thinks the coverage is free or comes from a government program. Say plainly that it is life insurance for final expenses, with a monthly payment.
• Don't push, rush or use fear to get a decision today.
• Don't knock another agent, carrier or company.

Claiming to be from a government program closes an agent's account, and so does calling someone back on a different number without their consent on the recorded call. The full list is on the compliance page. This isn't legal advice; talk to your compliance team or attorney.

More guides for final expense agents

Every guide is listed on final expense calls. For why callers dialed and what to ask next, read what final expense callers are telling you, and for the opening questions in order, read the first minute of a final expense inbound call.

Questions