How to Sell Life Insurance: Build a 2026 Plan You Can Actually Execute

What if 2026 isn't just "new year hype"… but the year you build a system that forces results? In this Life Insurance Academy episode, Roger, Chris, and Zach recap the lessons of 2025 and map out a clear, executable game plan for 2026—starting with a story from the 2008 USA "Redeem Team" that every agent needs to hear: Kobe Bryant, 4:45 AM, and four words that change everything: "I got goals." Inside this episode, you'll learn: Why most goals fail (they're vague, vanity, and unsupported) The difference between dreaming and goal-setting (hint: a plan + daily action) A simple framework to build your 2026 plan: Vision → Math → Method → Metrics How to reverse-engineer your income/production goal into monthly, weekly, and daily targets The key inputs to track so you can control your outcome: dials, contacts, conversations, presentations, apps, premium, placement rate The 3 goals every agent needs: Production goal Process goal Personal development goal (pick skills that make you dangerous in 2026) A practical 30-day execution checklist to start strong and stay consistent 🔥 Free Resource: We also mention a Goal Setting Calculator you can download for free at https://lifeinsuranceacademy.org/agent-financial-journey-calculator/  to help you run the math and build your plan. ✅ Ready to stop "hoping" and start executing? Join the Life Insurance Academy coaching calls + get plugged into the community. 👉 Learn more at: LifeInsuranceAcademy.org CTA: If this episode helped you, like, subscribe, and comment "I GOT GOALS"—and tell us your #1 target for 2026.  

If you've ever felt like you're "winging it" on the phone, this episode is for you. In this Life Insurance Academy Podcast interview, Sydney Deshotel shares her journey from serving/bartending and working in a hospital to becoming a top-producing independent agent—and how everything changed when she discovered what most agents are missing: a repeatable sales process. Sydney opens up about: Walking into her first bootcamp feeling nervous, intimidated, and behind The "aha" moment when she learned to focus on who the client is protecting + why they filled out the form Why selling off "personality" alone is exhausting—and how structure creates confidence How community, daily training, and live dials help agents stop feeling alone and start thriving Her heart for helping new agents (especially women) find a culture that's healthy, supportive, and built to develop people If you're a newer agent, rebuilding, or ready to stop guessing and start improving your consistency—this conversation will hit home. Connect with Sydney: Instagram: sydney_deshotel Facebook: Sydney Kate Deshotel 👉  If this episode encouraged you, drop a comment to cheer Sydney on, like, subscribe, and share it with an agent who needs a better process (and a better room).

Families are depending on you—and the only thing standing between them and financial disaster is your ability to help them make a decision. In this episode, Chris and Roger break down the 5 real reasons people don't buy (and why "I want to think about it" is usually a smokescreen). If you're hearing the same objections over and over, this framework will help you identify what's actually happening, remove the barrier, and confidently guide clients to protect the people they love. In this episode, you'll learn: The 5 barriers behind almost every objection: No Trust, No Need, No Want, No Urgency, No Money How to build trust fast using authority + empathy (especially in telesales) Why "need" can't be created—only discovered and uncovered The 4 stakes questions that move a client from "need" to "want" (and "want" to urgency) How to avoid killing the close by making the end confusing or transactional How to handle affordability with dignity and still get the application Quick CTAs ✅ Drop a comment: Which barrier do you see most often—trust, need, want, urgency, or money? ✅ Share this episode with an agent who keeps hearing "Let me think about it." ✅ Subscribe for more training that helps you sell with clarity and confidence. https://lifeinsuranceacademy.org/   

Objections aren't killing your sales — misunderstanding them is. In this episode of the Life Insurance Academy Podcast, Roger Short breaks down why objections are not rejection, but signals of uncertainty, fear, and missing clarity. Top producers don't fear objections — they welcome them, because they know objections are part of the process, not a disruption to it. You'll learn: Why objections are emotional, not logical The three most common objections in life insurance sales — and what they really mean How to use internal-based questioning to guide prospects instead of pushing them How to reframe "no" into "not yet" — and lead it to a confident yes Why your role isn't to overcome objections, but to dissolve them through clarity and empathy This episode will change how you hear "I need to think about it," "It's too expensive," and "I already have coverage." If you want calmer conversations, higher trust, and more applications written — this is a must-watch. 🎧 Listen. Learn. Lead with confidence. 👉 Subscribe for more sales psychology, principled selling, and agent development 👉 Share this episode with an agent who struggles with objections

Our mind is STILL blown. 😳 In just 2.5 days, Elvir Bazdarevic from Modern Financial wrote $39,846 in annual premium, became the 2025 Ultimate Telesales Showdown Champion, and walked away with the belt 🏆 In this episode of the Life Insurance Academy Podcast, we unpack exactly how he did it — and how you can level up your telesales game without becoming a pushy, high-pressure closer. In this episode, you'll discover: How Elvir prepared a week in advance to hit the Showdown with insane momentum What it's like to compete in a room full of top telesales agents ringing the bell all day Why community and competition can help you shatter your own production ceilings The principled sales process Elvir uses to ethically move clients to a better place How he wrote 19 applications / 19 families in 2.5 days The mindset shifts that took him from emotional, frustrated agent… to calm, consistent, half-million-dollar producer 💰 How he helps agents go from struggling to keep anything on the books… to $40K–$50K+ a month issue paid Why "all leads suck" (and why that truth will actually set you free) How to use scripts, frameworks, and bootcamps to turn your own voice into a killer sales tool This isn't just about a belt. It's about: Serving families at the highest level Selling ethically with a principle-based process Plugging into a community that raises your standards, your activity, and your income   If you're a life insurance agent, watch this if: You feel stuck blaming leads, vendors, or markets You're tired of inconsistent weeks and emotional roller-coasters You want to learn telesales from someone quietly writing $500K+ in a year You're craving a proven framework, real coaching, and a room of people who actually push you higher   Work with Elvir / Modern Financial Want to connect with Elvir and learn more about his team, culture, and live coaching? 👉 Connect with Elvir on Facebook: Elvir Bazdarevic (you can also find him as "Elvis") 👉 Send him a DM and let him know you came from the Life Insurance Academy Podcast     Learn the Life Insurance Academy Sales Process Ready to plug into the principled sales process and community Elvir keeps talking about? 👉 Join Life Insurance Academy coaching & training: https://lifeinsuranceacademy.org/enroll/ 👉 Learn more about our Telesales Bootcamps & Ultimate Telesales Showdown: https://lifeinsuranceacademy.org/bootcamps/      👍 If this episode helped you: Hit LIKE SUBSCRIBE to the channel Drop a COMMENT with: "I'm in for that" if you'd come see Elvir train live at a future bootcamp Thanks for watching the Life Insurance Academy Podcast. Let's protect more families, build real businesses, and change legacies together. 💪

What would happen if you actually bet on yourself for one month? In this episode of the Life Insurance Academy Podcast, Roger sits down with Clark Stanley of Anchor Point – a brand-new dad and former corporate sales manager who just wrapped up the biggest month of his life: $101,000 in final expense AP 71 applications 25 days All while still making time for faith, family, and community But this conversation isn't just about big numbers. It's about the Principled Sales Process, the power of framework over scripts, and how the right community can completely change your life and your family's future. Clark embraced the Life Insurance Academy system, coaching, and became one of our best students. We watched him steadily grow his game from a struggling start to an industry top producer in less than 12 months.   In this episode, you'll hear: How Clark went from a safe corporate job with a newborn at home… to betting on himself and going all-in on life insurance Why his first few months were full of chargebacks, self-doubt, and "just trying to write anything" The principled sales framework that helped him: Stop chasing "perfect scripts" Find his own voice Raise his placement and persistency The story of Miss Shirley, an 86-year-old client whose day-one coverage paid out just days after Clark wrote the policy How one persistently called lead turned into more coverage and $200+/mo in savings for a family Why mindset, consistency, and community mattered more than any lead vendor or contract The real math behind: Leads (Caboom Leads) Investment (~347 leads) 12+ hour days 100k in a holiday month How Clark balances building a team, being a husband and dad, and staying in the trenches producing You'll also hear Clark shout out the people and organizations that shaped his journey: True Wealth (Mike & Jalen), Lasting Mark, Dana Nesen, Elvir Bazdarevic, Anchor Point, his brother Jack, his parents, and his faith in Jesus. If you're a new or struggling agent, or someone sitting in a corporate job wondering if there's more – this episode will challenge your beliefs, your goals, and your excuses.   🔔 If you're an agent, don't miss: Live training & bootcamps: https://lifeinsuranceacademy.org/bootcamps/ Learn the principled sales framework: https://lifeinsuranceacademy.org/ Connect with our community: https://lifeinsuranceacademy.org/enroll/   👉 Connect with Clark: YouTube: Life with Clark Stanley Email: [email protected] Instagram: @clarkstanley_    @theanchorpointgroup If this episode encouraged you, drop a comment with your next big goal and share this with another agent who needs to hear it.

What happens when you stop chasing status and start building a family mission? 💥 In this episode of the Life Insurance Academy Podcast, Roger and Chris sit down with John & Jen Kennedy of Kennedy Wealth Strategies—a husband-and-wife team from Chattanooga who've turned life insurance, Medicare, and annuities into a family business grounded in faith, service, and legacy. You'll hear how John went from saying "no" to the industry for six years… to writing over $24K his first month, building a thriving Medicare vertical, and issuing over $5M in annuities from Jen's Medicare book alone—all while raising three kids who are in the journey with them. Along the way, the Kennedys share: 🎯 Why culture, mentorship, and aligned values matter more than high comp 💬 How to get spouse buy-in (and why peace at home is a business strategy) 🤝 The shift from status to service—and how it changed everything 💸 The simple, permission-based annuity question that opened the door to millions in production 🧭 How to cross-sell life & annuities from Medicare appointments without feeling "salesy" 🕒 Their red / yellow / green time strategy for protecting family time and building freedom 🥊 What it means to fight for your business and with your spouse instead of against them 📈 Their "irreducible minimum goals" for annuity, life, and Medicare growth If you've ever felt: Torn between family and building your business Stuck in a culture that doesn't fit your faith or values Unsure how to expand past a single product or vertical …this conversation will give you clarity, language, and a path forward. They build with their kids beside them, pray with clients in the office, and model what it looks like to build a business that funds a life, not just a lifestyle.     🔔 Subscribe to the Life Insurance Academy Podcast for more real conversations on sales, systems, culture, and building a life you're proud of. 💬 Tell us in the comments: What resonated most—spouse buy-in, culture over comp, or the permission-based annuity question? 📩 If you're an agent looking for mentorship, community, and proven systems, reach out to our team to learn more about partnering with Life Insurance Academy.

"Fear Is the Real Objection — And Most Agents Don't Even Know It." In this episode of the Life Insurance Academy Podcast, Chris and Zach break down the real reason most agents struggle to gain traction in this business: fear. Whether it shows up as procrastination, perfectionism, avoiding hard questions, talking too fast, over-explaining, apologizing for the price, or sounding like a script-reading robot… 👉 It all points back to fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of looking inexperienced. Fear of failing — or worse… fear of giving your best and still not winning. In this honest, hilarious, and highly practical conversation, you'll learn: ✅ The 7 "fear symptoms" that show up in your sales calls ✅ Why action—not confidence—is the cure for fear ✅ How to stop sounding nervous, robotic, or apologetic ✅ The mindset shift top producers make when talking about price ✅ Why slowing down your cadence instantly builds trust ✅ How to ask hard "stakes" questions without feeling awkward ✅ Why you must identify your fear if you want to overcome it If you've ever struggled with overthinking, avoidance, fast talking, or battling nerves… this episode will feel like a mirror. And a breakthrough. ✨ If you're in the fight right now — tired, nervous, learning, pushing — we're proud of you. Keep going. 👇 Drop a comment: Which "fear type" do you relate to most? 👇 Want coaching? Visit LifeInsuranceAcademy.org to join our Thursday morning sessions.  

What if you're sabotaging 90% of your sales in the first five minutes? Most agents spend all their energy perfecting scripts, word tracks, and closing lines… but they miss the one foundational element that makes everything else work: trust. In this episode, Roger Short breaks down the most essential sales fundamental that separates top producers from struggling agents — and shows you how to build trust fast through authority and empathy in every environment: 📞 Over the phone – when your voice is your handshake 💻 On Zoom – when your presence speaks louder than words 🏡 In person – when every detail communicates professionalism and care You'll learn: ✅ The first-five-minute mistakes that kill your sales ✅ How to combine authority and empathy so clients trust you quickly ✅ How to earn the right to lead your clients with confidence ✅ Why "trust isn't a step in your sales process — it's the atmosphere it lives in." If you want to close more sales, earn more referrals, and help more families, it starts with mastering trust. 👇 Drop a comment: What's one way you build trust early in your appointments?

From Uber shifts to building Legacy Wealth Academy: In this episode of the Life Insurance Academy Podcast, we sit down with Mark Cassara (Frisco, TX)—a financial strategist and educator who's grown an audience of 2M+ across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook— to unpack how short-form, value-first content can build trust, generate inbound leads, and fuel a thriving virtual practice focused on IULs, executive bonus plans, and retirement strategies. Mark shares: How he went from 3 jobs to full-time in 6–8 months—and then doubled his income year over year The content system (and cadence) that took him from 0 to 100K+ followers in months Why short-form "give, give, give" education beats hard selling Clear, plain-English explanations of IULs (upside potential, 0% floor, liquidity, and common pitfalls) Real-world client use cases: enhanced liquidity riders, premium deposit accounts, and executive strategies How he onboards agents with a social media bootcamp so they can win faster If you're an agent, leader, or entrepreneur who wants to build a pipeline without buying leads—and serve families with clarity and confidence—this one's for you.     🔗 Links & Resources 🧰 Free LIA Telesales Script: https://lifeinsuranceacademy.org/ 📱 Follow Mark: TikTok @MarkCassara | Instagram @MarkCassara.legacy | YouTube @MarkCassara 📩 Contact LIA: https://lifeinsuranceacademy.org/       ⚠️ Quick Note This video is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Products, riders, caps, floors, and crediting methods vary by carrier and policy design. Always review client suitability and consult carrier materials, compliance, and a licensed professional in your state.