Final expense script for inbound calls

How is an inbound call different from calling a lead?

When you dial a web lead, you interrupt their day and have to remind them why you are calling. On an inbound call, the prospect picked up the phone and called. They want something: a price, an answer, or to find out whether they can get covered at all.

That changes the script in three ways:

• Don’t pitch the reason for the call. Ask what prompted them to call, then listen.
• They don’t know you yet. They called a number, not you. Say your name, that you are a licensed agent, and that you are not with the government.
• Nobody screened them. On a call with no warm-up, you do all the qualifying yourself: who the coverage is for, age, state, health and budget.

On our inbound calls, the caller hears a short greeting that says the call may be recorded, then your phone rings with their number showing. You hear their state and press 1 to take it. A call costs 10 tokens ($60 to $80) only if it lasts 90 seconds or more from when you press 1.

What to say in the first 90 seconds

The first minute and a half has four jobs. Do them in this order and keep each one short.

1. Greet and name yourself. Your first name, that you are a licensed insurance agent, and the state you are licensed in if it helps.
2. Ask why they called. “What made you call today?” Then stop talking.
3. Confirm who the coverage is for. Many callers are asking for a parent or a spouse. The person on the application has to be part of the conversation.
4. Ask for a few minutes. Tell them what happens next: a few questions, then prices. Ask if now works.

If the caller is in a state where you aren’t licensed, say so in this window and end the call politely. Don’t quote or give advice in a state where you can’t sell.

A full sample final expense phone script

Change the words to sound like you. Keep the order. Brackets are for you to fill in. This is a sample, not a carrier-approved script; if a carrier gives you required wording, use theirs.

1. Opening

You: Hi, this is [first name]. I’m a licensed insurance agent, and I help people with final expense coverage. Who am I speaking with?

You: Thanks, [name]. What made you call today?

2. Who it is for

You: Is the coverage for you, or for someone else?

You: [If for someone else] That’s common. To get a real price and apply, I’ll need to talk with [them] too. Are they with you, or is there a better time when they are?

3. Set the plan

You: Here’s how this works. I’ll ask a few questions about age, health and what you want the coverage to do. Then I’ll show you a couple of options with real prices. If one fits, we can apply over the phone. If not, that’s fine. Do you have about 15 minutes now?

4. Qualifying

You: What state do you live in, and what’s your date of birth?

You: Have you used any tobacco or nicotine in the last 12 months?

You: What would you want this to take care of? Funeral costs, a few bills, something left for family?

You: Do you have any life insurance now, including through work or a union?

You: I’m going to ask some health questions the insurance companies ask. There are no wrong answers; they just tell me which companies fit.

[Ask the health questions from the carrier’s application you expect to use.]

You: Last one: if the right coverage were in place, what monthly amount would be comfortable, without cutting into groceries or medicine?

5. The quote

You: Based on what you told me, here are two options. [Option A]: [face amount] for [monthly premium] a month. [Option B]: [face amount] for [monthly premium]. [If a policy has a waiting period or graded benefit, explain it now in plain words.] Which one feels closer to what you had in mind?

6. Application

You: Great. The application takes about [time]. I’ll read each question word for word from the insurance company’s form, and you answer. Before we start, is this a good time to finish it?

7. Wrap-up

You: You’ll get [the policy / a confirmation] from [carrier]. The first payment comes out on [date]. Here’s my direct number: [number]. Call me with any question. Is there anything I didn’t explain clearly?

If they don’t want to go ahead, thank them and ask one question: “Would it be OK if I called you back on [day], or would you rather I didn’t?” Then do what they say. Answers for common objections are in our final expense rebuttals.

Qualifying questions to ask on every call

• Who is the coverage for, and are they on the line or available?
• What state do they live in? (You must be licensed there.)
• Date of birth.
• Tobacco or nicotine use.
• Height and weight, if the carrier asks.
• The carrier’s health questions: recent hospital stays, major conditions, prescriptions.
• Any coverage they have now, and whether they plan to keep it.
• What they want the money to cover, and a comfortable monthly amount.
• How they plan to pay (bank draft or other options the carrier offers) and which day of the month works.

Moving from questions to the quote

Quote once you know enough to be accurate. A price you have to raise later costs more trust than a quote that takes two more minutes.

• Show two options, not six. Tie each one back to what they said they want covered.
• Say the monthly premium out loud, and the face amount.
• If a policy has a waiting period or a graded benefit in the first years, explain it before they choose, in plain words, the way the carrier describes it.
• Ask which option feels closer. Don’t ask “are you ready to buy?”
• If they say no, take the no. You can offer a smaller amount once; don’t keep lowering the number to wear them down.

How to run the whole call through to a submitted application is in final expense telesales: how to sell over the phone.

Compliance notes for phone sales

This is a plain summary, not legal advice. Your carriers, your IMO and your state set the rules you follow.

• Licensing. You need a license in the state where the caller lives. A producer licensed in one state generally has to meet nonresident licensing requirements to sell in another (NAIC). You also need to be appointed with the carrier before you submit business, per that carrier’s rules.
• Recording. Our line tells every caller the call may be recorded before it rings you. If you record calls on your own system, or call the person back, check your state’s law. Some states require every party’s consent; California, for example, bars recording a confidential call without the consent of all parties (Cal. Penal Code 632).
• No misleading statements. The NAIC’s model Unfair Trade Practices Act, which states base their own laws on, bans any sales presentation, statement or omission that misrepresents a policy’s benefits, advantages, conditions or terms (NAIC Model 880). Don’t say or imply you are with the government, and don’t promise coverage before the carrier approves it.
• Replacing a policy. If the caller would drop or change coverage they have, your state’s replacement rules apply. The NAIC’s model regulation requires a notice regarding replacements, and aims to reduce misrepresentation and incomplete disclosure in these sales (NAIC Model 613).
• Follow-up calls and Do Not Call. Federal rules treat an inquiry as an established business relationship for three months, so you can generally call back someone who asked about coverage in that window even if their number is on the national registry (47 CFR 64.1200(f)(5); FTC). If they ask you not to call, you must honor it, within 10 business days at most under 64.1200(d)(3). Autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts have their own consent rules; see our TCPA consent guide. Our callers have no consent certificate, so don’t treat a call as consent for automated texts.

All sources checked September 29, 2026.