EP.32 How to Write Business that Actually Sticks w Matt Ross

Why do some life insurance agents submit thousands of dollars in annual premium, only to watch that business cancel and turn into chargebacks? And what can you do to make more of the business you write actually stick? On this episode of the **Dialing for Dollars Podcast**, Corey Mitchell sits down with Matt Ross of Whitestone Financial and Empower Life Group to discuss persistency, client relationships, sales skills, and the habits that help life insurance agents build a more sustainable business. Matt shares his journey from in-home final expense sales to telesales and explains why his approach centers on building trust, asking deeper discovery questions, understanding a client's financial situation, and making sure the coverage they choose is genuinely affordable. The conversation gets into what happens after the application is submitted, why the first few minutes after an approval matter, how to reinforce a client's decision, and why agents should focus on protecting families rather than simply maximizing annual premium. Corey and Matt also discuss inbound versus outbound sales, emotional discovery, handling objections, learning through repetition, working with an upline, and building a team without losing sight of personal production. Matt shares his perspective on chargebacks, carrier selection, long-term investing, and why new agents need to master their craft before chasing the lifestyle often promoted on social media. *IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:* What persistency means and why submitted premium doesn't tell the whole story How in-home sales experience can improve telesales Building trust and genuine relationships with prospects Asking better discovery questions and understanding the client's needs Why affordability matters more than writing a bigger policy Post-sale follow-up and reinforcing the client's decision The differences between inbound and outbound insurance leads Handling emotional conversations with empathy Balancing production with training and mentorship How repetition helps agents become more confident handling objections Why chargebacks are inevitable—and how consistent production can help manage their impact Choosing carriers based on the client's needs and eligibility Building a team, investing for the future, and avoiding lifestyle inflation If you're a new life insurance agent, a telesales producer, or an agency owner who wants to improve placement and persistency, this episode offers practical lessons you can apply to your sales process. *CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS* 00:08 – Introducing Matt Ross and the importance of persistency 00:56 – How Matt got started in life insurance 02:02 – Starting in the field and door-to-door sales 03:07 – Moving from in-home sales to telesales 04:55 – Comparing field sales with phone sales 07:38 – The keys to writing business that sticks 08:30 – Building relationships and emotional connection 09:32 – Avoiding overselling and unaffordable coverage 10:39 – Treating clients like family 11:13 – Why the sale doesn't end with the application 11:48 – Post-sale follow-up and reinforcing the decision 12:52 – Protecting clients from misleading insurance practices 15:35 – When a client changes their mind after the sale 16:23 – Inbound vs. outbound leads 18:26 – How much time should a sales call take? 18:47 – Deep discovery and understanding the client's world 20:25 – Handling emotional conversations with empathy 21:25 – Building a team while maintaining production 29:20 – Why you're still learning in your first years 31:03 – Accelerating experience through consistent activity 31:33 – Balancing practice with training 32:34 – Matt's goals for the future 33:55 – Using AI as a sales coach 35:39 – Delayed gratification and long-term goals 36:37 – Investing beyond insurance commissions 38:38 – Teaching agents to build financial stability 39:48 – Why agents run out of money 40:18 – Mastering the sales process before scaling 41:37 – Learning objections through repetition 42:55 – Final tips for improving persistency 43:29 – Staying on offense despite chargebacks 44:15 – Smaller policies, more applications, and risk management 44:48 – Choosing the right carrier for the client 45:43 – Incentive trips and carrier production 48:36 – Final advice and where to find Matt 49:07 – Closing the episode Follow us on Social Media! *@DialingForDollarsPodcast* on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Episodes available on Apple | Spotify | Amazon Music | PodBean | CastBox | iHeartRadio | GoodPods *Corey Mitchell* Instagram: @VictoryLifeWithCorey Facebook: @VictoryLifeWithCorey TikTok: @VictoryLifeWithCorey YouTube: @VictoryLifeWithCorey *Guest Name* Instagram: @MattRoss3_ Phone: 270.779.0422