The First Minute of a Final Expense Inbound Call

Before you say a word

By the time you hear the caller, a senior has seen a final expense ad on TV, streaming TV or social media and dialed the number in the ad. Nobody cold-called them. A consent notice played before they were connected, and the call is recorded on both sides. Routing sent the call to one agent who is online and licensed in the caller's state, and it rang in that agent's web browser, inside the portal.

Once you answer, the caller is yours. The call isn't shared with other agents, and it isn't resold.

You don't have to explain why you are calling, because they called you.

What the caller already knows

The TV and social calls pages list three things the caller knows when you answer:

1. The call is about final expense coverage. The ad said so.
2. An agent with a life license will pick up.
3. The agent is in their state. Routing only rings agents licensed where the caller lives.

They expect to talk about burial and final expense coverage, and most of them expect a price before the call ends.

TV callers are mostly 60 to 80, retired and at home, with time to talk. Social callers saw the ad in their feed and called from their own phone. Both groups dialed because the ad said a licensed agent in their state would pick up. Your first sentence should tell them they reached that agent.

What the caller doesn't know yet

The caller doesn't know your name. They don't know their price, because the price depends on their age, state and health, and you haven't asked yet. Some callers think the coverage is free, or that it comes from a government program.

You fill those gaps by asking questions.

Your first sentence

Thank them for calling, give your name, and say you are a licensed agent. The TV and social calls pages add your state, so you open with your name, your state and one question. That covers the three things the ad promised and leaves the caller with a question to answer.

Keep it short. Once they hear your name, that you are licensed and that you are in their state, go straight into your opening questions.

Don't wait in silence for the caller to speak first, and don't start by reading out prices. Ask your first question before the caller has a chance to ask theirs.

Your opening questions, in order

Ask the same questions in the same order on every call:

1. Confirm they are calling about final expense coverage, the insurance that pays for a funeral or burial.
2. Ask their age. Callers need to be between 50 and 85.
3. Ask if they have a checking or savings account. The monthly payment comes out of it.
4. Ask who the coverage is for.
5. Then ask what got them thinking about coverage, and let them talk.

The first question catches a wrong product in the first seconds. If someone dialed about a different kind of insurance, you find out before you spend time on a quote.

The age and account questions tell you quickly whether the caller can buy. Final expense plans are paid monthly from a checking or savings account. Without one, the caller can't start a policy.

The last question is the open one, so let them talk.

Using the same opening on every call means you learn fast whether the caller can buy, and the call stays on track because you lead it from the first sentence. The answers also go on the recording, which helps if you ever need to dispute a call.

When the first words are "How much is it?"

Some callers jump straight to "How much is it?" A price question means they are interested.

Answer it in one line: "It depends on your age, state and health. I'll have an exact price for you in a couple of minutes." Then ask your next opening question. You need their answers before you can quote.

Don't read out your cheapest plan and end the call, and don't tell them to call back when they are ready. Neither one gets you to a quote.

When they think it is free or a government program

If a caller thinks the coverage is free or comes from a government program, tell them plainly: "It isn't free, and it isn't a government program. It's life insurance for final expenses, with a monthly payment." Never play along to keep the call going.

Never say you are from a government program either. The compliance page lists that among the things that close an agent's account. If the caller still doesn't want the coverage once they know what it is, believe them and end the call kindly.

When the call starts slowly

If a caller starts slowly, keep leading with your opening questions. Decide whether they are a fit after they answer. If they aren't, end the call kindly.

Don't hang up in the first few seconds

A slow start, a price question or a "free plan" question makes a lot of agents hang up within seconds. A call that ends under the buffer costs nothing, so hanging up early can feel like money saved. But you lose someone who called to talk about coverage. When calls keep ending early, call sources send fewer calls to every agent on InboundHQ.

A call that reaches its buffer is billable even if you decide the caller was not a fit. That is what the dispute process is for. Good reasons to dispute are:

• Not a real caller, such as a wrong number.
• The wrong product, such as someone asking about car insurance.
• The caller lives in a state you are not licensed in.

File a dispute from the call in your Call Center within 48 hours, with a short reason. A team member listens to the recording and replies in writing within one business day. An approved dispute is credited back to your wallet. A caller who wasn't ready, didn't buy or wanted to think it over is not a reason to dispute. Your opening questions help here too, because their answers are on the recording the team member hears.

What the first minute costs

Connected time starts the moment you answer and ends at hangup. Ring time and hold time before you answer don't count. A call is billed once connected time reaches the buffer. A call that ends under the buffer costs nothing and still shows as a line in your log. Your portal shows the buffer for each campaign before you go online.

Once a call reaches the buffer, it is one set price however long it runs. There is no time limit on the call, so take the time the caller needs to answer your questions and hear a quote. Current prices are on the pricing page, and the full measurement rules are in the buffer guidelines.

What not to say or do on the call

These close an agent's account:

• Claiming to be from a government program.
• Quoting a product you are not licensed for.
• Transferring the caller to anyone outside your agency.
• Reselling or sharing the caller's information.
• Calling the person back on a different number without their consent on the recording.

If you need to call someone back, ask for their consent on the recorded call, and only call the number they give you. You are responsible for checking any callback you place against the national Do Not Call registry. This isn't legal advice; talk to your compliance team or attorney.

Be ready before the first minute starts

The first minute goes well only if you are ready when the browser rings. Have Chrome open with a headset and microphone plugged in, and sit somewhere without background noise. Keep your quoting tools and carrier apps open so you can price a policy while the caller is still on the line. Turn on only the states where you hold a life license. The full checklist is in why answering final expense calls fast matters, and the way a call finds you is explained in how final expense calls are routed to agents.

If you run a team, what a final expense agency owner sees covers the report on each agent's calls, and running final expense calls for a team covers wallets for an agency. Agency accounts are described on final expense TV calls for agencies.

More guides for final expense agents

Every guide is listed on final expense calls. The calls themselves are described on final expense TV calls and final expense social calls, and CTV final expense calls covers the same TV call when the ad runs on a streaming screen. Callers use different words for the same coverage, and burial insurance, funeral insurance and final expense explains them.

If you have been dialing leads, read final expense inbound calls and pay per call vs pay per lead. If you have been buying transfers, read live transfers vs inbound calls. Leads, transfers and inbound calls are compared side by side in where final expense agents get business. Billing rules are on pay-per-call final expense. Before you fund any vendor, go through the questions to ask before buying final expense leads and the guide to what final expense leads and calls cost. When you are ready to take calls, apply for final expense calls.

Questions