Best time to call insurance leads? Right after they ask.
The best time to call insurance leads is in the first few minutes after they ask for a quote. Timing by the clock matters much less than that. For leads you could not reach right away, late afternoon and mid-morning are the usual places to start, and your own numbers should decide from there.
- First five minutes win
- Late afternoon next
- Test your own list
The short answer.
Call a new lead within five minutes. A person who just filled out a quote form is holding the phone and thinking about insurance. An hour later they are at dinner, or talking to another agent. If you cannot call that fast, send an automatic text and email in the first minute so they know who will be calling.
What the research says.
Minutes matter more than hours
A 2007 study tied to MIT and InsideSales.com found the odds of reaching a lead were far lower at 30 minutes than at 5. I walk through it in speed to lead statistics.
Late afternoon and mid-morning
Descriptions of the same study say 4 to 6 pm was the best window to reach a lead, with 8 to 10 am next. Lunch hours were the weakest.
Midweek
The same descriptions put Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the other weekdays.
It was not about insurance
That study looked at sales leads in general, years ago. Treat it as a starting point. A Medicare client and a 30 year old buying term life do not keep the same hours.
How I would schedule calls.
New leads: now
Whatever time it is, inside legal calling hours. Do not save a fresh lead for the perfect window.
Unreached leads: rotate the time
If you called at 10 am and got voicemail, try 5 pm next, then a Saturday morning. Calling at the same hour every day reaches the same empty house.
Text first, then call
A short text that says who you are and that you will call makes people more willing to pick up an unknown number. See how to text insurance leads.
Ask them
The simplest fix is a text that asks, "What time is good for a quick call?" People answer that more often than they answer the phone.
Keep score
Log the hour of every call that connects. After a month you will have your own best time, and it beats any study.
When not to call.
Federal telemarketing rules allow calls only between 8 am and 9 pm in the time zone of the person you are calling, and some states set tighter hours. Go by where the lead lives, not where you sit. Honor the Do Not Call list and your own do-not-call requests. This is general information, not legal advice, so check with your compliance contact before you send anything.
How I do it.
My Instant Lead Response sends a text and an email within seconds of every new lead, at any hour, so the lead hears from you before you can pick up the phone. It is $297 a month, and texts are about 2 cents each at cost. For leads that went quiet, Cold Lead Reactivation runs the follow-up for you.
You can call or text me at (561) 287-3456. That reaches me, Corey Gray, the owner.
Questions you may be asking.
What is the best time to call insurance leads?
Within five minutes of the inquiry. For leads you missed, start with 4 to 6 pm and 8 to 10 am, then let your own results decide.
What is the best day to call insurance leads?
Research on sales leads in general points to Wednesday and Thursday. It was not specific to insurance, so track your own connects by day.
Is it OK to call insurance leads on weekends?
It can be, inside legal calling hours and if the lead has not asked you to stop. Saturday mornings reach people who never answer during work.
How late can I call an insurance lead?
Federal rules stop telemarketing calls at 9 pm in the lead's time zone and do not allow them before 8 am. Some states are stricter, so check yours.
Should I text before I call?
Yes, if you have permission to text. A short text that says who you are makes people more likely to answer the call that follows.
Leads going cold before you can call?
Tell me where your leads come from and I will show you how the first minute gets handled.