An Example of a Life Insurance Call Center Script

Kevin V. Nguyen

March 19, 2019

Clear communication is a critical ingredient in the relationship between company and customer — and life insurance companies are no exception. The ability to communicate a clear, consistent message that’s on brand and delivered with a positive tone of voice is often the difference between a successful call and the customer choosing another company.

This is where call center scripts can help. That is assuming the delivery of the message is less like a robot and more like this flight attendant on Southwest Airlines who chose to rap the preflight safety message.

In this article we’ll share a call center script specifically crafted for contact centers selling life insurance. As you take this script and tailor it for your specific use case, remember that how the message is delivered is just as important as what is delivered.

What Should a Life Insurance Call Center Script Look Like?

Here’s the initial two-step flow of a typical life insurance call center conversation.

Step 1 - When the prospect answers the phone, start by introducing yourself and sharing the name of the insurance company you represent:

Hi, May I speak with [PROSPECT NAME]?

(Pause for them to identify themselves or get the prospect on the phone)

Hi, [PROSPECT NAME]! My name is [YOUR NAME] and I'm calling from [COMPANY NAME]. How are you today?

Before moving to step two, remember that you asked “How are you today?” and it’s perfectly acceptable to converse with the prospect and build rapport with them. By listening to them and responding as a human, it makes them more open and receptive to the rest of the message.

Step 2 - Tell the prospect why you're calling and how you can help. Find out how interested they are in purchasing life insurance by offering to have them speak with a representative or having your company call them back tomorrow.

The reason I'm calling is to let you know that we have local agents offering free, no-obligation life insurance quotes to residents of [CITY/COMMUNITY NAME]. Are you interested in learning more and seeing if you qualify?

(Pause to allow the prospect to respond)

When is a good time tomorrow for one of our agents to give you a call?

While we’d all love an enthusiastic “Yes!” from the prospect, we must be prepared with responses to any objections that will inevitably arise.

Objection Handling

Here’s a short list to common objections and rebuttals. It’s a great idea to build a running list of these, so agents are always prepared with an appropriate response. This list can help you get started.

Objection #1 - I’m too young/old to think about life insurance.

Rebuttal - It’s never too early/too late to plan for the future for you and your family.

Objection #2 - I’m too busy right now to concern myself with this.

Rebuttal - I promise you that this is a short call and you’re not obligated to buy anything.

Objection #3 - I already have life insurance with another company.

Rebuttal - Even if you already have insurance with another company, it doesn’t hurt to get quotes from other companies. By comparing rates you may ultimately get a better deal on life insurance.

Hopefully you were successful in overcoming the customer’s objections. Next, it’s time to ask your own questions to qualify them for a quote.

Collecting Information and Qualifying Questions

Here’s the initial request to collect information.

I just need to ask you a few questions to see if you qualify for a free quote from us. After that, I can either transfer you to one of our agents or we can set up an appointment to have them call you back when it's convenient for you. Does that sound good?

Assuming they say yes, here are the questions to ask.

May I know your age?
What's your approximate annual income?
Have you ever been sick with a serious illness such as cancer, heart attack or stroke? If yes, please explain.
Are you currently taking any prescription medications? If yes, which ones?
Do you already have a life insurance policy? If yes, with what company?
Is there anything else I should let the agent know?

Once these questions have been answered here are scripts for transferring the customer to an agent and scheduling an appointment. Wherever possible we recommend a warm transfer to the agent for the best customer experience.

Live Transfer - Thank you so much for answering these questions. Please hold for a few moments while I connect you with a life insurance agent. If you have any additional questions, they'll be happy to help you out.

Next Day Appointment - Thank you so much for answering these questions. When is a good time tomorrow for an insurance agent to give you a call?

Finally, if you scheduled a call as opposed to a transfer, here’s a script for concluding the call.

Thank you. Before I let you go I just want to confirm one more time your appoint for [TIME] tomorrow. It’s not a bad idea between now and then to prepare a list of questions you might have and our agent will be happy to answer them for you at your appointment. Have a great day!

As discussed earlier, this script is a template to help create better, more successful interactions between agents and life insurance prospects. For maximum impact, be sure to focus both on the message itself and how they deliver it.

How can Call Center/Contact Center Software Help?

Finally, it goes without saying that successfully calling prospects in the first place and warm transferring them to the right agent requires a collaborative contact center solution.

8x8 Contact Center is a collaborative cloud contact center solution that enables businesses to connect and collaborate internally and externally to excel in the experience economy. This solution is built on a future-proof, AI-centric, secure platform to help contact centers drive customer loyalty by supporting every touchpoint throughout the customer journey. Unlike providers that present a disjointed user experience and cannot support native collaboration, 8x8 has cloud-hosted telephony, unified team messaging, one-to-one messaging, video conferencing, analytics, quality management, speech and customer experience analytics, and digital channels to simplify the user experience. Paired with the inclusion of usage minutes with very license, 8x8 Contact Center delivers rapid time to value while driving your business forward.

We recognize that insurance companies have enough on their plate. Choose 8x8 so you can focus on what's important: your prospects and customers. Call 1-866-498-2316 or complete the form below to request a no-obligation quote from an 8x8 product specialist.