Is it appropriate to speak about this at a funeral?

Question

I am a licensed life insurance agent. I attend so many funerals, where there was no life insurance in place. I love to educate families on the importance of life insurance, but is it appropriate to do at a funeral?

Answer 1

No.

Answer 2

When I was new to life insurance - I accidentally walked into a wake at an insured's house (I was a debit agent collecting her monthly payment)....

She introduced me to her guests as her "life agent".... and after her stories about the cost of the VERY SMALL funeral they'd just attended...and how she couldn't have done it without life insurance...I gotta tell ya - it was free advertising

It was a very UNexpected death of her child - and it got alot of people in the neighborhood thinking about all the people in their lives they did NOT insure - because they were so young & healthy.

I later visited every one of those people who wanted to talk to me about life insurance at their homes - I didn't feel that was the place to do it..

BUT it certainly gave me plenty of referral business! So don't be afraid to go to the funerals and ask them to introduce you around...but I'd save the selling for another setting

Your insured appreciates what your company did for them - but don't sell AT a funeral EVER...offer to visit them another day.

***EDIT*** My answer is based on the ASSUMPTION that if you're a life agent & going to ALOT of funerals...it's because they're your existing client & you were invited because you're like family...that's how it is with MY clients... I would not go to a random funeral - uninvited - searching for clients****

In helping my clients thru their insurance claim for their life insurance - they usually mention the funeral time & place & expect you to be there.... if you're close with your clients - as you should be!

Answer 3

Absolutely not.

In fact, one who does so might be viewed as an ambulance chaser.

Obviously, it's too late for the deceased to purchase life insurance, and it's in poor taste to even broach such a subject around people who are grieving.

Answer 4

I'm a funeral director and a licensed life insurance agent, so I see it daily where people need yet do not have life insurance.  It is not appropriate for you to "educate" at a funeral, and to be honest, if someone were to do that in my funeral home with a grieving family, I would ask them to leave.  It would be like saying "I told you so" and mocking them for not having insurance.  It is better left to be "sold" when people are not grieving and are in their right frame of mind.

Answer 5

No, its not the right place, Instead meet the family members after  a fortnight or so and discuss it.

Answer 6

If I was at a funeral for my loved one I wouldn't want to hear about life insurance.I don't think it's the right place or time to unload all your information at.

Answer 7

NO.  Funerals are the time to share your love and support with the grieving relatives.  Trying to talk about money at this time, in ANY context, is HORRIBLY rude and shows complete disregard for their grief.

It's worse if YOU do it, because you actually SELL this stuff.    You'll be looked at as a vulture.

Answer 8

only a complete Jerk would do that.

Answer 9

No, it is not.

A Funeral is a place for grieving.  Not to attempt to sell a product, when people are weak.  I know you are saying that you are only "educating" them, but it's not the place and/or the time.  Also how do you know that there was no life insurance in place at these funerals ?  Are you also aksing about that ?

most of the time people in this state of mind will tend to over-coverage themselves, because they are not thinking straight.

Answer 10

No. It's utterly inappropriate. It's like at the end of a game show when the host says "... and here's what you COULD have won."