Best Time to Call Final Expense Leads: Build Your Own Schedule
The best time to call final expense leads is the time block where your own contact rate is highest, inside the federal calling window of 8am to 9pm in the prospect's local time. No national list knows your leads, your prospects' routines or the time zones on your list. Run a two-week test, log every dial by the hour in the prospect's time, and rebuild your day around the blocks that produce conversations.
Copy this worksheet into a sheet before your next dial session. The blocks below split the federal window into two-hour chunks as an example. Use your own split if it fits your day better.
| Block (prospect's local time) | Dials | Contacts | Contact rate | Presentations | Presentation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8am to 10am | |||||
| 10am to 12pm | |||||
| 12pm to 2pm | |||||
| 2pm to 4pm | |||||
| 4pm to 6pm | |||||
| 6pm to 8pm | |||||
| 8pm to 9pm | |||||
| Total |
The short answer: your best hours are in your own call log
You've seen the lists. Call at this hour, never on that day. The problem is that those lists were built on someone else's leads, if they were built on anything at all. Four things change the answer for you:
- Where and when the lead came in. A prospect who filled out a form at lunch has a different day than one who responded to a mailer at the kitchen table at night.
- The prospect's age and routine. Final expense prospects include retirees, people still working, caregivers, and people with standing doctor visits or church commitments. Their free hours are not the same.
- Time zones. A good hour in Ohio is a bad hour in Oregon. If your list spans the country, a single clock time means four different local times.
- Your own schedule. You have hours when you're sharp on the phone and hours when you're not. Your best block is where their availability and your energy overlap.
So stop guessing and measure. Before you start, lock in three definitions and keep them the same for the whole test:
- Dial: any outbound call you place to a lead.
- Contact: a live conversation with the right person. Voicemails, wrong numbers and a relative who hangs up don't count.
- Presentation: you got far enough to present a plan or book a set time to present one. Pick one meaning and stick to it.
If the definitions drift halfway through, the numbers stop meaning anything.
The two-week time-block test
Two weeks gives you enough dials in each block to see a pattern without waiting a quarter to act. Here's how to run it.
- Pick your blocks. Two hours each is a good default. Shorter blocks need more dials before they tell you anything.
- Set a minimum before you start. Write down the number of dials a block needs before you judge it: [your minimum dials per block]. Decide it now, not after you see results you like.
- Spread your dials across every block. If you only dial the hours you already like, you only learn about those hours. During the test, put roughly the same effort into each block you can cover.
- Log every dial in the prospect's local time. Not your time. A dial at 11am your time to someone two zones west goes in their 9am row.
- Total each block at the end of each day. Five minutes. Don't let it pile up to the end of the week.
- Run the formulas at the end of week two.
The formulas
Contact rate per block = contacts in block ÷ dials in block
Presentation rate per block = presentations in block ÷ contacts in block
One more is worth tracking if your blocks are different lengths:
Contacts per hour per block = contacts in block ÷ hours you dialed in that block
Why small samples lie
A block with a handful of dials can look great or terrible on luck alone. One good afternoon where three people happened to be home makes a block look like gold. One afternoon of voicemails makes it look dead. That's why you set the minimum dials before the test. Until a block hits it, mark it "not enough data" and keep dialing it.
Weekdays and weekends
If you dial weekends, keep a second copy of the worksheet for Saturday and Sunday. Don't mix them in with weekday numbers. A prospect's Saturday morning looks nothing like their Tuesday morning, and blending the two hides both patterns.
Read the results with both numbers
Contact rate tells you when people pick up. Presentation rate tells you when they have time to actually talk. Use both:
| Contact rate | Presentation rate | What the block is for |
|---|---|---|
| High | High | Your prime prospecting block. Protect it. |
| High | Low | People answer but they're busy. Use it to book set times, not to present. |
| Low | High | Few pickups, good conversations. Put scheduled callbacks here. |
| Low | Low | Admin, applications and follow-up emails. |
You decide what counts as high and low. A simple way: rank your blocks and call the top third high and the bottom third low.
Always count in the prospect's time zone, not yours
This is where producers with national lists get burned. If you're on the East Coast and you start dialing at 9am your time, a prospect on the West Coast is at 6am. That dial is outside the federal window, and it's also a terrible first impression.
Before each block, sort the list by time zone:
- In the morning, start with the eastern zones and open each zone to the west as it reaches 8am local time.
- In the evening, close zones from east to west as each one approaches 9pm local time. The western zones are the last ones you can call.
- Use the address on the lead when you have it. People keep their cell numbers when they move, so the area code may not match where the prospect lives now. When the two disagree, stay inside the hours that work for both.
- Watch daylight saving time. A few places, like Hawaii and most of Arizona, don't change their clocks, so their offset from you shifts twice a year.
The federal calling window
As of November 3, 2026, the rules under the TCPA (47 U.S.C. § 227) and the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule (16 CFR Part 310) limit telemarketing calls to between 8am and 9pm in the called party's local time. Some states set narrower rules. As of November 3, 2026, Maryland's Stop the Spam Calls Act limits solicitation calls to 8am to 8pm (Maryland HB 37 (2023), Chapter 414), and Pennsylvania's Act 47 of 2026 limits solicitations to 9am to 7pm with none on Sundays (Pennsylvania SB 992, Act 47 of 2026). Rules differ by state. This is general information, not legal advice.
Nohl's power dialer enforces the federal TCPA calling window (8am to 9pm in the prospect's local time). That covers the federal window only. Narrower state hours, and having valid consent for each call, are still your responsibility. You can see how the calling tools work on the Nohl compliance tools page.
Fresh inquiries, callbacks and no-answers run on three different clocks
Your time-block test tells you when to work the general list. It doesn't apply the same way to every lead. Treat these three differently.
Fresh inquiries: call as soon as you can
A prospect who just asked about coverage remembers asking. Every hour that passes, that memory fades and the call starts to feel cold. Don't hold a fresh inquiry for your best block. Call it as soon as you can, as long as it's inside the calling window in their local time. What you say in the opening matters even more here, so tighten up the first 10 seconds of the call.
Scheduled callbacks: the prospect's time wins
When a prospect picks a time, that time beats anything your test says. They told you when they'd be free. Put it on the contact, set a reminder, and call on the minute. Calling ten minutes late tells them the appointment didn't matter to you.
No-answers: rotate the block
If a lead didn't pick up at 10am Tuesday, calling at 10am Wednesday mostly tests whether they're still busy at 10am. Move the next attempt into a different block. Keep a simple attempt log on each lead:
| Attempt | Day | Block (prospect's time) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 |
Set your own caps before you start: [max attempts per lead per day] and [max total attempts before you move on]. For example, as of November 3, 2026, Maryland's Stop the Spam Calls Act allows no more than 3 solicitations to the same person on the same subject in 24 hours (Maryland HB 37 (2023), Chapter 414). Rules differ by state.
Once you're connected, the next step is the conversation. Use the final expense phone script for the full call, and qualify a final expense lead on the phone before you quote. If you've already quoted and you're calling back, use the follow-up call script after a quote.
Scripts that turn 'call me later' into a set time
The rule is simple: always offer two specific times. Never ask "when's good for you?" An open question gets "whenever" or "I'll call you," and you're back to guessing which block to try. Two times gives them an easy choice and gives you an appointment.
1. You caught them at a bad time
I caught you at a bad time. Is mornings or afternoons better for you, usually?
Then, once they pick:
Would 10:15 or 11:00 tomorrow be easier?
Odd times like 10:15 sound like a real appointment. "Sometime in the morning" sounds like a maybe.
2. A spouse or family member answers
Thanks so much. I'm [your name], and I'm getting back to [prospect's first name] about the information [he/she] asked for. Is [he/she] usually home in the morning or after lunch?
Then:
Would tomorrow at 1:30 or 3:00 be a better time to catch [him/her]?
Then confirm:
Great. I'll call back tomorrow at [time]. Could you let [him/her] know [your name] will be calling?
Note the time and the name of the person you spoke with on the contact.
3. They say 'call me next week'
I can do that. Is early in the week or later in the week better for you?
Then:
Would Tuesday at 10 or Wednesday at 4 work better?
4. They want to talk it over with family first
That makes sense. Would it help if [family member] was on the call too? I can call back when you're both there. Would Thursday at 6 or Saturday at 11 be easier for the two of you?
Make sure any time you offer is inside the calling window in their local time and fits your own state's rules.
The confirmation line
End the first call by saying the time back to them:
I've got you down for Thursday at 2. If anything changes, just tell me then.
Log it before the next dial
- Callback: [day and time they picked, in their time zone]
- Who you spoke with: [name]
- What they said: [their words]
- Opening line for next call: Hi [name], it's [your name]. You asked me to call back around now about [topic].
If you blank on a brush-off mid-call, Nohl's Sales AI suggests the next line or an objection answer during the live call, and the prospect never hears it. You still decide what to say. More on that on the live AI sales coach for individual producers page.
Rebuild your day around the blocks that work
Now you have your own numbers. Put your best work in your best blocks and push everything else to the hours that don't produce conversations.
- Prospecting dials go in your top blocks.
- Booking set times goes in the high-contact, low-presentation blocks.
- Scheduled callbacks go at the exact times you promised, wherever they land.
- Applications, admin and follow-up emails go in your weakest blocks.
Fill in this layout from your test results. Leave a row blank if it doesn't apply to your day.
| Slot | Your local time | Prospect time zones open | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prep | Sort the list by time zone, load today's scheduled callbacks | ||
| Top block #1 | Prospecting dials, fresh inquiries first | ||
| Top block #2 | Prospecting dials | ||
| Booking block | Short calls to set times; no-answer retries rotated in | ||
| Weakest block | Applications, admin, follow-up emails | ||
| Evening block | Remaining western zones, scheduled callbacks | ||
| Close-out | Total the worksheet, log tomorrow's callbacks |
Inside each block, order matters too. Bag Score ranks your leads (Apex, Precision, Oracle) so the best calls come first inside each block.
Once you know your contacts per hour in your top blocks, use them to set a daily dial target from your income goal. The target means more when it's built on your own hours instead of a guess.
Re-run the test
Your best blocks will drift. Run the two-week test again each quarter, and any time you change lead sources or the mix of states on your list. Seasons change routines too, so a block that worked in summer may not hold in winter.
Put your best hours to work
If you want a power dialer that enforces the federal calling window, ranks your leads inside each block, and coaches you on the live call, See Rainmaker.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Laws and regulations about calling, texting, and AI change often and vary by state. Talk to a qualified attorney about your situation. Nohl provides software tools; you are responsible for how you use them, including getting and keeping valid consent. Information current as of November 3, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time of day to call final expense leads?
The best time is the block where your own contact rate is highest, inside the federal calling window of 8am to 9pm in the prospect's local time. Find it with a two-week test: log every dial by block in the prospect's time, divide contacts by dials for each block, and build your day around the top blocks.
Is it better to call final expense leads on weekends?
Only your own log can tell you. If you dial weekends, track Saturday and Sunday on a separate worksheet so they don't blur your weekday numbers. Some states set narrower rules. As of November 3, 2026, Pennsylvania's Act 47 of 2026 limits solicitations to 9am to 7pm with none on Sundays (Pennsylvania SB 992, Act 47 of 2026), and Maryland's Stop the Spam Calls Act limits solicitation calls to 8am to 8pm (Maryland HB 37 (2023), Chapter 414). Rules differ by state.
How soon should I call a new final expense lead?
As soon as you can while the prospect still remembers asking, as long as it's inside the calling window in their local time. Don't hold a fresh inquiry for your best block. Your time-block test is for the general list, not for leads that just came in.
How many times a day should I try the same lead?
Set your own cap before you start and move each retry into a different time block instead of calling at the same hour again. For example, as of November 3, 2026, Maryland's Stop the Spam Calls Act allows no more than 3 solicitations to the same person on the same subject in 24 hours (Maryland HB 37 (2023), Chapter 414). Rules differ by state.
What time can insurance agents legally start calling?
As of November 3, 2026, federal rules under the TCPA and the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule limit telemarketing calls to between 8am and 9pm in the called party's local time. Some states set narrower rules. As of November 3, 2026, Maryland's Stop the Spam Calls Act limits solicitation calls to 8am to 8pm (Maryland HB 37 (2023), Chapter 414), and Pennsylvania's Act 47 of 2026 limits solicitations to 9am to 7pm with none on Sundays (Pennsylvania SB 992, Act 47 of 2026). Rules differ by state. This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state's rules and talk to a qualified attorney about your situation.