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If you want to make more money (let's talk door knocking)
- Thread starter DayTimer
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I have a friend who got his insurance license last spring and went to work for Globe Life (American Income) doing telesales. You can probably guess how that turned out for him. He gave it a solid three months, full-time, from sunup to dark-thirty effort and made about $300 by the end of July.
I told him that I could help him if he'd be willing to sell face to face, and I was going to start back up again in FE to help him get up and running. He then decided to go back to the car business, so I shelved the idea.
But that little flirtation with the idea of going back out and door knocking FE folks seems to have really taken root. I really have the urge to drop 1000 pieces of mail, knock the few responders, and then door knock the data list. That had become my modus operandi for much of my last year as a full time FE only agent.
I think I'm going to do it. I need some contracts. Most of my FE contracts have been termed for lack of production. I do still have LBL, both the FE product and the Home Service product, so that would probably be enough to get me going.
I told him that I could help him if he'd be willing to sell face to face, and I was going to start back up again in FE to help him get up and running. He then decided to go back to the car business, so I shelved the idea.
But that little flirtation with the idea of going back out and door knocking FE folks seems to have really taken root. I really have the urge to drop 1000 pieces of mail, knock the few responders, and then door knock the data list. That had become my modus operandi for much of my last year as a full time FE only agent.
I think I'm going to do it. I need some contracts. Most of my FE contracts have been termed for lack of production. I do still have LBL, both the FE product and the Home Service product, so that would probably be enough to get me going.
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Damm! I thought you have already been selling FE for several years now. Your post makes it sound like you are getting ready to get ready.
Don't overthink it. Do it. Or don't do it.
But if you don't you have to begin every post in here with: caviat, NOT an agent.
Don't overthink it. Do it. Or don't do it.
But if you don't you have to begin every post in here with: caviat, NOT an agent.
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- #4
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Licensed agent here. I sold FE only from 2016 to 2020. I door knock an average of four hours per day 6 days per week since the state opened up after covid. Selling mostly traditional whole life and annuities since 2020, as well as some other products.
I did a few months of FE telesales in 2023 but otherwise primarily working with the middle and upper middle-income market.
I miss the FE folks, and I'm thinking of making it part of my business again. I haven't worked FE as a primary market though since covid started.
Don't be an a$$, newby. Get yourself some reading comprehension skills. I'd bet the only reason JD works with you is because you somehow tricked Travis into partnering with you.
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OK I thought you were saying you hadn't been selling insurance at all.
Yes. JD is a Travis fan.
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I've gotten down to just a few carriers. Mostly writing LBL home service, but also LBL FE. Occasionally I write a Gerber GI. But I can handle most prospects with the LBL products.
BTW, the home service division is now called American Benefit Life. You should make sure you're using ABL apps if you're writing home service. (FWIW, they're rolling out a new E-app for home service this Friday.)
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Costco microwave popcorn.
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- #8
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That's good info there, shonceman. I was thinking not to overcomplicate things with 72 contracts. For what I want to do, I may just go ahead and run with the LBL products. I usually just refer the GI folks to MOO, so no need for Gerber or AIG. I'll write who I can write, and anyone I can't write with the products I have I'll just send to Nick Frumkin.
I tried the FE telesales for a while and did ok. I've considered a return to it, so I would like to keep my contracting as clear as possible so if I do pair up with a telesales IMO I can place some contracts with them.
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You don't need a bunch of companies. I've always been a one company person as a goto. I just had this conversation with an agent new to FEX on what "2-3 companies?" to use as goto. I told him the same thing. I never had but one goto company for my first 20 years in this business. I do carry several. Whenever I was asked who my number 2 was always told people I didn't have a number 2. I have a number 1. If I can't write my number 1 then number 2 or 3 for that person is based on why I couldn't write my number 1. When KSKJ was number 1 the reason I had to go elsewhere in most cases was the DE card.
Having one company you learn that company inside out. And just as importantly, they learn you. You will get things issued that others don't.
That number one needs to be well priced though. LBL is not that.
Having said all that, it's different for me now. 2024 was my first full year in the business that I did not have a goto. And entering 2025 I still don't.
I would like to change that but so far there's no one out there in my state that could even be considered a goto. I'm writing quite a bit of IM. But almost always smokers. They are just not well priced for non smokers. I write CICA for smokers too. Especially smokers with the DE card and also for COPD. I write SBLI more than I want to.
You have far more choices in your state than I do. Without question if I were in your state I would have a goto and it would be PFA.
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- #10
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I never wrote much LBL and it was for the reason you cite: Their prices were higher than many of the other companies I could write.
However, LBL has a special place in my heart. I've not had many contestable claims, but I had three with LBL, and all three were for $25K which I believe was the max for the product when I wrote them. In all three cases the policy was for the benefit of a loved one who was particularly vulnerable financially. While it did take LBL 3 to 6 months in each case finally to pay out the death benefit, to their credit, they paid out each of the three.
I pulled my NIPR PDB report this afternoon and as it turns out, LBL did term me for lack of production, though it looks like I'm still active with the Home Service division.
Polish Falcons is headquartered in PA. I'll look into them. Thanks for the suggestion, JD!
I just checked and Rob Koob did send me updated paper apps to reflect the change to American Benefit Life. Having an E-app for the home service product is a great upgrade!
I just saw today that Combined Insurance has a new FE product called Generational Life. I don't know anything about it other than it exists. Allegedly they have opend the product to independent agents.
