Love This Blog? Sign Up for Our Newsletter for More
SignupNo items found.
Summary:
Selling life insurance depends on live conversations. Teams using the phone for outreach should verify their number reputation to prevent caller ID problems, keep organized lead lists, and create efficient follow-up sequences. Reps also need the ability to build rapport by establishing context quickly, use permission-based framing, and handle common objections to help prospects feel understood while moving them toward informed decisions. When outreach flows smoothly, more conversations turn into quoted and closed policies.
Sell More Life Insurance: A How-To Guide for Phone Sales Teams
Selling life insurance has always required three things: personal connection, trust, and integrity. The people you talk to are letting you into the most sensitive parts of their life: their finances, their future, and their family.
But before you can build the rapport you need to sell a policy, you need to reach your insurance prospects. The easiest way to make a prospect feel safe, heard, or respected is with a live conversation.
That’s why the phone remains one of the best outreach tools. And teams that proactively take steps to make sure their calls connect set themselves up for even more success. That means intelligently filtering leads to prioritize dialing the right prospects, and proactively monitoring number reputation to prevent false spam flags that could prevent prospects from answering.
This guide breaks down the biggest obstacles life insurance sales teams face, how to overcome them, and where PhoneBurner fits into the workflow.
The Top Challenges for Phone Outreach in Life Insurance
It’s not enough to simply make phone calls. Your calls have to lead to conversations. Your conversations have to build relationships. And eventually, those relationships have to culminate in closed deals.
But low answer rates, messy workflows, and repetitive admin tasks make it harder to have enough of those conversations in a given day. So the goal can’t just be to “dial faster”.
Instead, focus on:
- Creating an efficient calling cadence
- Building and maintaining trusted numbers
- Prioritizing the right leads
- Following up effectively after calls
Below, you’ll learn how to tailor each of these steps for the insurance industry, and how you can use our power dialing platform to remove friction throughout the process.
Problem #1: You’re not getting enough live conversations to hit your quote targets
What’s really happening
Losing time to the steps around each conversation means reaching fewer leads. Dialing manually, writing manual follow-up emails, and switching tabs to update your CRM might all seem like small tasks, but together they cost you hours and drain your momentum.
That can make you frazzled and unfocused instead of fresh when you talk to prospects. But you can’t afford to sound tired or distracted when you’re trying to show someone they should trust you with their life insurance policy.
How to approach it differently
Removing every micro-delay between and after calls helps you stay in a consistent rhythm. When you sit down for a call block, you want to:
- Load your list once
- Move from call to call seamlessly
- Know what to do immediately if a call goes to voicemail
- Stay mentally fresh so you can actually sell when someone picks up
Manual dialing is a non-starter here; it’s painfully slow and offers no support for following up. Modern dialing software can speed up your call cadence exponentially, but not all dialers are created equal.
Multi-line dialers (like auto dialers and predictive dialers) may help you move through lists quickly, but they also come with drawbacks. Prospects who answer the phone hear awkward pauses or beeping sounds that can put them on the defensive or cause them to hang up before you even start your opening statement. And because these dialers are calling multiple numbers at once, they come with a higher risk of dropping calls. This can lead to compliance issues and increased risk of spam flags.
Related: Auto Dialer vs Power Dialer: The Difference and Obvious Choice
Power dialing platforms solve this problem by allowing you to dial faster but still calling one number at a time. With PhoneBurner, you’re there on the line whenever a call is answered, and the connection is instant. You can call up to 4x faster than with manual dialing while avoiding the risks of multi-line dialers.
Remember: the fewer interruptions your calling block has, the more conversations you’ll have, and the calmer and more confident you’ll sound in each one.
Example workflow
- Start with a filtered list. PhoneBurner lets you use custom filters to create smart lists based on your strategic goals (for example, new life leads from the past two days who you haven’t connected with).
- You launch a dial session. Your next contact appears immediately and you click a button to call them. There’s no need to dial manually.
- When someone answers, you’re in a live conversation instantly. There’s no pause to annoy the prospect or give them a window to disconnect.
- If no one answers, you can tap a single button to leave a pre-recorded voicemail or leave one manually. For more on when to choose either option, see our guide to 1-Click Voicemail vs. Ringless Voicemail Drops.
- Customizable buttons let you log call outcomes in moments, and even send instant emails based on each outcome. By the time you reach the end of the block, your CRM already has updated notes, tags, and next steps, and follow-up emails have been sent.
You’ve spent nearly all your time talking instead of prepping, dialing, and typing.
Problem #2: Prospects don’t trust unknown numbers enough to pick up
What’s really happening
People who are in the market for life insurance tend to vet their options carefully. They’re genuinely interested in potential solutions, but they don’t want their time to be wasted. So anything that makes your call look less trustworthy can make them much less likely to pick up the phone.
That means you have to pay attention to the way your calls are being displayed for prospects. If your calls are showing up on their screens with labels like “spam risk” or “scam likely”, your answer rates are going to suffer, and the rare prospects who do pick up will be highly skeptical. Every call you make will be an uphill battle.
“But I don’t make spam calls,” I hear you saying. “Why would my number be flagged?” Unfortunately, this happens more than you might think. Carriers have complex algorithms that determine when flags are applied, and your numbers can get mislabeled even if your calls are wanted and expected.
Related: Scam Likely vs Potential Spam vs Spam Risk: Flags Explained
CNAM registration problems and errors can also cause your calls to display with the wrong name. This can make prospects less likely to answer, and can indirectly hurt your number reputation over time if your answer rates drop low enough.
Bottom line: when your caller ID looks suspicious, the conversation is often over before it ever starts.
How to approach it differently
You should treat number reputation as part of your sales process instead of an afterthought. Safeguarding the reputation of your numbers and verifying your CNAM information directly help life insurance prospects feel safe answering your calls.
PhoneBurner’s ARMOR® service monitors your verified numbers for spam flags, alerts you when flags appear, and remediates with carriers to remove false flags on your behalf. The analytics we provide can also help you improve your dialing practices and strengthen your number reputation over time, so that your calls face fewer deliverability risks.
Our team can also register your numbers with CNAM and verify that they’re displaying accurately. All of this helps ensure that your insurance calls don’t get misidentified when you call people who might be interested in securing coverage.
The key thing to understand is that trust isn’t something you start building with life insurance prospects after you get them on the line. Building trust has to begin before you say a word.
What this looks like in your workflow
- You use ARMOR® data to keep an eye on your answer rates and call performance trends.
- Meanwhile, ARMOR® experts perform ongoing monitoring and alert you if flags appear on your numbers.
- When flags are detected, we perform data-backed remediation with the impacted carrier(s) to clear false flags on your behalf.
- Your ARMOR® data helps you continually optimize your call patterns to improve answer rates, reduce flag risk, and connect with more contacts.
Your outbound strategy stays stable and predictable, even if carrier algorithms aren’t.
Problem #3: You’re calling the wrong people with the wrong message
What’s really happening
You’re probably juggling many different types of contacts:
- Fresh life leads
- Older leads that still need attention
- Cross-sell opportunities from home or auto
- Renewal lists
- Vendor-specific batches
If all of these live in one giant list, you may waste valuable time figuring out who you should call next. Or, lose focus or momentum switching between different prospects profiles from one call to the next. You might even end up using the wrong script or follow-up message.
Speed-to-lead matters for all sales calls, but especially when it comes to insurance. A prospect who has opted-in to learn more about life insurance and demonstrated their intent to buy is unlikely to wait for weeks while you get back to them. They’re also unlikely to request info from just one provider. If you don’t reach them quickly, someone else will beat you to it.
Learn more about the importance of speed-to-lead with our guide on Nailing the First Call in Your Sales Process.
How to approach it differently
Build specific call lists that match specific sales motions. Instead of treating all leads equally, structure your day around:
- Who’s most likely to answer
- Who’s closest to making a decision
- Who needs a quote review vs. a qualification call
- Who’s up for renewal soon
- Who needs a cross-sell conversation
PhoneBurner’s smart filters make it easy to organize contacts into lists according to any of these criteria and more. Our platform’s LeadStream feature also lets you create custom rules that route incoming leads to appropriate agents before they go cold. And with Connect Scores, you know which contacts are most likely to answer before you call.
But the real win here is clarity:
When you’re able to call specific prospects with specific intentions, the entire conversation improves.
What this workflow looks like for you
- You use filters to create a list (say, “Life Hot Leads.”)
- You begin a dial session specific to these numbers.
- If you’ve created custom scripts or follow-ups for these numbers, you’ll have access to them in the dialer.
- After each call, you’ll be able to log the outcome and trigger the right follow-up: sending quotes via email, reminders via SMS (with A2P 10DLC approval), etc.
Instead of chasing leads at random, you’re working cleanly through the people most likely to move forward.
Now let’s talk about those follow-ups.
Problem #4: Your follow-through slips when you get tired
What’s really happening
Even great reps lose discipline after enough calls. By mid-afternoon:
- Voicemails get rushed or skipped
- Follow-up emails get postponed
- Notes get thin or unclear
- Callbacks get forgotten
Unfortunately, many life insurance sales live and die on follow-up. A missed step often equals a missed policy.
How to approach it differently
Build your follow-up process into your dialing flow so the right actions take moments instead of minutes. Let your system handle the repetitive work so you can save your focus for the conversations that matter.
PhoneBurner makes this possible with workflow automations triggered by customizable disposition buttons. Once you tie them to specific call outcomes, your next steps are as simple as a single click.
Your call went to voicemail? Create a “Voicemail” button that leaves a pre-recorded voicemail in one click, saving you 30-60 seconds per call.
The prospect answered and wants a quote? Create a “Quote Requested” button that sends an email with the form they need to fill out.
The ways to use this feature are practically endless, but the underlying mindset is simple:
Save yourself the mental effort of doing tedious tasks manually, and your consistency goes way up.
What this workflow looks like for you
- A call goes to voicemail → you hit a single outcome button.
- Your polished voicemail is left automatically.
- Your branded follow-up email sends immediately.
- A callback reminder is added to your schedule.
- All notes and tags update without you doing extra work.
Here’s a video that shows you how to set up disposition buttons within the dialer so that you can do all this and more:
Building Rapport in Life Insurance Sales
Even with a clean workflow and strong outreach strategy, the conversation itself is where life insurance sales are won. These aren’t transactional calls; they’re discussions about risk, income, family dynamics, and long-term security. Prospects bring emotions, assumptions, and sometimes fear into the call.
Your job in the first 60–90 seconds is to lower the cognitive load for the person on the other end of the line and guide them into a conversation where they feel informed, not pressured.
Below are advanced rapport techniques used by top-performing life insurance agents and why they work.
1. Establish context and control the “threat response”
Most people tense up when they don’t know why a number is calling them. A clear, calm opener diffuses that instinct quickly.
Example:
“Hi Sarah, it’s David from Evergreen Insurance. You’d asked for information about income protection last week, and I said I’d call this afternoon to walk through a couple options with you. Is this still a good time?”
Why it works:
- It confirms your identity
- It confirms the prospect’s own prior action
- It positions the call as a continuation of their request, not your pitch
- It invites them into a micro-yes without pressure
This sets the tone for a collaborative conversation rather than a defensive one.
2. Match their pace, but lead their emotional direction
Mirroring pace, tone, and energy isn’t about mimicry; it’s about attunement. In life insurance calls, you don’t want to mirror their anxiety, but you also don’t want to bulldoze over it.
Start where they are, then guide the tone where you need it to go.
If they’re cautious: slow your pace, lower your tone, and stay matter-of-fact.
If they’re chatty: match their warmth, then gently move toward structure.
Why it works:
People subconsciously trust people who sound like they understand them. By aligning first, then leading, you stay in rapport while still moving the conversation forward.
3. Use permission-based transitions to avoid resistance
Every transition in a life insurance conversation can either create friction or eliminate it. Permission questions smooth those transitions while giving prospects the feeling of control.
Examples:
- “Before I make a recommendation, would you mind if I ask a couple quick questions about your family situation?”
- “Would it be okay if I share what other people in your situation typically do?”
Why it works:
- Avoids triggering reactance (“don’t tell me what to do”)
- Makes next steps feel cooperative
- Creates micro-commitments that build momentum toward the quote
Prospects say yes far more often when they feel involved in the direction of the call.
4. Anchor the conversation in outcomes, not insurance jargon
Life insurance sells when you focus on its purpose instead of getting hung up on technical details. People don’t buy “coverage.” They buy stability, options, and time for their families.
Replace “policy” language with outcome language.
Instead of:
“This policy offers $500,000 of coverage and accelerates at X rate.”
Try:
“This option gives your family six to twelve years of financial breathing room if anything ever happened to you.”
Why it works:
- Shifts the conversation from abstract numbers to real-life impact
- Helps prospects visualize the value rather than analyze the technicals
- Builds emotional clarity without emotional manipulation
When the outcomes are clear, price becomes easier to contextualize later.
5. Use reflective statements to surface the real motivators
People often reveal the “why” behind their insurance decisions indirectly. Reflective statements help draw that out.
Examples:
- “It sounds like protecting your kids’ stability is the big priority here.”
- “It seems like you’re weighing cost with getting enough runway for your family if something happened.”
Why it works:
Reflection shows you’re listening. When people feel understood, they open up more quickly about fears, goals, and motivations.
That depth makes your recommendation feel personalized rather than scripted.
6. Narrate the process so the call feels safer and more predictable
Uncertainty creates resistance. A simple roadmap removes it.
Example:
“Here’s what we’ll do: a couple quick questions so I understand your situation, then I’ll walk you through the options that fit, and you can decide what makes sense. Sound good?”
Why it works:
- Gives prospects clarity about what comes next
- Lowers anxiety
- Prevents interruptions and sidetracks
People relax when they know the structure of the conversation.
7. End each segment with a confirmation
Small confirmations keep you aligned and avoid misunderstandings that derail the close later.
Examples:
- “Does that match what you’re looking for?”
- “Is that the direction you were thinking?”
Why it works:
The prospect consistently feels like the plan is being built with them, not for them. This way, you also avoid late-stage objections caused by misalignment.
Learn more: Make the Sale: How to Prime Prospects with the "Yes" Ladder
Objection Handling
Even the best conversations can still be derailed by objections. Here are a few of the most common that come up for life insurance sales.
Click on any of the objections below to see quick tips on how to pivot, along with an example you can use to inspire your own responses.
Objection 1: “It’s too expensive.”
Coaching: Tie the cost to value and future stability.
Example response:
“I completely understand. Most families I speak with want to protect their income but also stay within a budget. If we found an option that fits comfortably month-to-month and supports your long-term plans, would that be worth exploring together?”
Objection 2: “I need to think about it.”
Coaching: Clarify what they need to think about; don’t pressure.
Example response:
“Of course. Most of the time, when people tell me that, it’s because one or two parts of the plan feel unclear to them. Is it the coverage amount you’re not certain about, the rate, or something else?”
Objection 3: “I already have coverage.”
Coaching: Position yourself as a second opinion, not a replacement.
Example response:
“That’s great! You’ve already started protecting your family, which puts you ahead of most people. A lot of my clients still compare options periodically to make sure they’re getting the right value. Would you be open to a quick review to make sure your current coverage still matches your needs?”
Objection 4: “I don’t make decisions over the phone.”
Coaching: Normalize caution and offer a low-pressure next step.
Example response:
“I completely understand. Most people I talk to don’t make decisions on the spot either, especially about something this important. My role here isn’t actually to get a commitment from you; I just want to let you know about your options and give you some numbers so you don’t have to fly blind or keep putting off coverage.”
Objection 5: “I’m not interested.”
Coaching: Use gentle curiosity to reopen the conversation.
Example response:
“No problem. Just so I can stay respectful of your time in the future: are you not interested in life insurance in general, or is it just not the right timing for you currently?”
Set Yourself Up for Better Life Insurance Prospecting
Life insurance sales will always hinge on trust, empathy, and clear communication. That means the phone is still extraordinarily effective as an outbound tool for insurance callers. But modern dialing challenges require modern solutions to make the most of its potential.
PhoneBurner gives life insurance teams the ability to:
- Reach 4x more contacts per hour
- Start calls with a natural, human connection
- Use ARMOR® service to safeguard your caller ID reputation
- Build organized, product-specific lists
- Automate follow-ups without losing personalization
When your tools support the integrity of your process, you sell more without feeling like you’re selling harder.
Transform your life insurance sales process with PhoneBurner.
Start your free trial today.
.jpg)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
