How to work aged insurance leads: a system that actually gets people on the phone
An aged lead is someone who asked about insurance at least 30 days ago and never bought. Most of them didn’t say no. They got busy, got three calls in ten minutes from agents they didn’t know, or never heard back at all. Working them well comes down to two things: following up longer than anyone else did, and calling fast the moment one of them raises a hand.
Here’s the system, start to finish.
1. Know what you bought before you dial
Open the file and check four things before a single message goes out:
- The consent record. Every lead should come with the date and source of the original quote request, and ideally a TrustedForm or Jornaya certificate. That record is what lets you text and auto-dial. No record, no automated contact. The TCPA guide covers why.
- The age of the lead. A 45-day-old lead and a two-year-old lead are different products. Sort by lead date and work the newest first.
- The product they asked about. “Final expense,” “term,” and “health” leads need different openers. Keep the product on every row so your first text can name it.
- The state. Only work states where you’re licensed, and note the ones with stricter calling rules, like Florida, Oklahoma, and Maryland.
2. Clean the file
Every bad row you remove now is a text you don’t pay for and a complaint you don’t get.
- Remove duplicates by phone number, both inside the file and against leads you already have.
- Scrub against the National Do Not Call Registry, your state lists, and your own internal do-not-contact list. Link Leads has a walkthrough of a DNC scrub.
- Flag landlines. Texts to a landline never arrive, so those rows go to a call-only list. Why the landline scrub matters.
- Check for reassigned numbers on older files. A number that changed hands since the form was filled out belongs to someone who never asked to hear from you.
3. Lead with a text, not a cold dial
Most people don’t answer unknown numbers anymore. A text lets them answer on their own time, and a one-word reply tells you exactly who’s interested before you spend a minute on the phone. Your first text should say who you are, remind them what they asked about, and ask one yes-or-no question.
That’s it. No pitch, no price, no link. The texting guide has a full set of scripts for every step after this one.
4. Run a three-week cadence
One text gets ignored. A planned sequence across texts and email catches people on the day they’re ready. This is the cadence Resurge runs by default:
| Week | Texts | Emails |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Day 1, 3, 5 | Day 2, 4, 6 |
| Week 2 | Day 8, 11 | Day 9, 11, 13 |
| Week 3 | Day 15, 18 | Day 16, 18, 20 |
| After that | One check-in a month | One check-in a month |
Every message goes out between 9 am and 8 pm in the lead’s own time zone. Anyone who replies STOP is removed immediately and for good. The follow-up guide explains how the timing was chosen.
5. Call within minutes of a YES
A YES reply is the most valuable thing in your pipeline, and it cools fast. Someone who answered your text at 2:14 pm is holding their phone at 2:14 pm. By 4:00 they’re driving, cooking, or picking up kids. Treat a YES like an inbound call: drop what you’re doing and dial.
If you can’t be that fast every time, set up a callback text the moment they reply so they know a call is coming, and keep your phone on during working hours. This is the step most agents lose, and it’s the one Resurge was built around: when a lead replies YES, an AI assistant calls them within about two minutes, confirms they still want help, and transfers the live call to your phone.
6. Sort every outcome
| What happened | What you do |
|---|---|
| Replied YES | Call now. Quote on the first call if you can. |
| “Not right now” | Move to the monthly check-in. Many of these come back. |
| “Already covered” | Offer one policy review, then close the file if they pass. |
| Wrong number | Remove the number. Never contact it again. |
| STOP or “don’t contact me” | Suppress permanently, across every channel. |
| No reply after three weeks | Monthly check-in until they reply or opt out. |
7. Track the four numbers that matter
- Reply rate. Replies of any kind, divided by leads texted. If it’s near zero, the file is the problem, not the script.
- YES rate. Interested replies divided by leads texted. This is the number scripts can move.
- Connect rate. YES replies you actually got on the phone. If this is low, you’re calling back too slowly.
- Cost per sale. Everything you spent on the file, texting, and tools, divided by policies written. This is the only number that tells you whether a lead source is worth buying again.
The short version
- Check consent, lead age, product, and state.
- Remove duplicates, DNC numbers, landlines, and reassigned numbers.
- Open with a short text that names you and asks for a YES.
- Follow up for three weeks across text and email, then monthly.
- Call within minutes of a YES.
- Sort every outcome and suppress opt-outs for good.
- Judge each lead source by cost per sale.