The Typical FE Client Demographic

[quackattack99]

I spoke to a Gentleman today who told me the typical FE client is poor, lives in an urban area, and is African American. I think he said this description fits 70% of the FE clientele. Now, I do know from reading multiple posts on this forum that a large portion of FE clients are low income, and, quite often, live in less than desirable (to put it kindly) housing. However, this is the first time I have heard of race or urban vs. rural being such a dominant part of the FE client demographic. If this is the case, I am dead in the water. I live in a rural area, with a predominately white population. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Todd King]

You should be doing Med Supps and cross-selling the FE then.

 

[Josh]

You can sell FE to anyone that is going to die and wants a convenient and/or affordable way to cover it. Most demographics will buy FE, they just buy it for different reasons. For example, a poor client may buy it because they have $50/month, but they don't have the means to prepay for their funeral or fund it any other way. Someone wealthy may purchase a life insurance policy for FE because it can be assigned to the funeral home and it works like a checkbook there so folks don't have to have their families come up with the money AND it's tax free.

 

[WinoBlues]

Not my typical FE clients. But then again that is not who I market to.

I spoke to a Gentleman today who told me the typical FE client is poor, lives in an urban area, and is African American. I think he said this description fits 70% of the FE clientele. Now, I do know from reading multiple posts on this forum that a large portion of FE clients are low income, and, quite often, live in less than desirable (to put it kindly) housing. However, this is the first time I have heard of race or urban vs. rural being such a dominant part of the FE client demographic. If this is the case, I am dead in the water. I live in a rural area, with a predominately white population. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Rearden]

You are fine. Plenty of trailers in the woods...

 

[rousemark]

My average FE client is white, retired and lives in the average middle income (frame 2 or 3 bedroom w 1 bath)home built in the 1940s and 1950s.

 

[jdeasy]

I spoke to a Gentleman today who told me the typical FE client is poor, lives in an urban area, and is African American. I think he said this description fits 70% of the FE clientele. Now, I do know from reading multiple posts on this forum that a large portion of FE clients are low income, and, quite often, live in less than desirable (to put it kindly) housing. However, this is the first time I have heard of race or urban vs. rural being such a dominant part of the FE client demographic. If this is the case, I am dead in the water. I live in a rural area, with a predominately white population. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

While he described a pretty demographic for FE it is not the only one.

The main thing is that they will be poor if you are running typical FE leads. They are also poor planners and world class procrastinators. They did not get to be 65-75 years old and not have their funerals taken care of because they have been good with money or even had money. The ones with the money are the worst because they have been putting it off.

I do love dealing with minority prospects and get far more referrals from them but my client base is more than 50% white. I don't think we even have anything that could be called urban here. Evansville, In is the largest city near me but I've never heard it called urban.

If you are running leads your demographic is the people sending in those reply cards.

 

[nfl72]

I would have to agree with the first assessment of the average FE lead. Many of them are black, low to no income, rent rather than own, very rarely have a computer and their elevator doesn't go to the top floor. If your selliing FE and don't live in an area like that you need to drive to one.

I just spent 2 days in Muskegon, which is two hours from my home. 90% of my leads fit that description to the T. Out of 12 leads, 6 were on Kidney Dialysis.

One of the bigest problems I am having working that area is many of the leads are just too dumb to realize you are saving them money. Like Ron White says, "you can't fix stupid"

 

[Guest]

I guess sometimes "Ignorance is Bliss" I've only been selling FE for a few months and have never even thought about this. I door knock in small towns. Your not dead in the water Quack, Just get out there and see the people in the lower income areas and you'll be fine.

 

[rousemark]

If you choose to work the very bottom income strata, you find it easier to close the sale but you will also experience a much lower persistency. For the most part I avoid public housing with the exception of some very well kept senior housing we have in the area but then, I don't work full time in FE. If I did, I might be a little less discriminating. (but not much)