Can old life insurance leads still be sold?
Yes. People who asked about life insurance and never bought usually still need it. Ava's aged-lead calls show bookings fall slowly with age (April 1 to November 2, 2026):
| Lead age when called | Dials | Bookings per 1,000 dials |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 months | 71,038 | 1.8 |
| 3 to 6 months | 113,963 | 1.5 |
| 6 to 12 months | 94,569 | 1.6 |
| 12 to 24 months | 52,382 | 1.3 |
Every 1,000 dials to a lead list over a year old still put more than one appointment on a calendar. That's why an old database is worth calling, and why it's better called by an AI than by an agent's time.
Source: AI calling in life insurance: 2026 data from Ava, aggregate and anonymized, from Ava's calls for the agency Polca was built in. Mostly veterans life insurance leads; other lead types will differ.
How do you reactivate an old lead database, step by step?
- Pull the list and sort it by source and age. Export the leads that never booked, with the lead source and original lead date. Age and source tell you more about what to expect than anything else.
- Check consent, list by list. Find the consent language each source used. Keep AI voice calls to lists whose consent covers an artificial voice from your agency. See the TCPA explainer.
- Scrub DNC and reassigned numbers. Check the National Do Not Call Registry where your calls require it, your own opt-out list, and the Reassigned Numbers Database for old numbers. Polca does not scrub the national or state registries for you.
- Open with the reason they asked. “You asked about life insurance for your family a while back. Are you still looking?” Remind them, don't pitch them. The goal is a short appointment.
- Call more than once, at the right hours. 23% of Ava's bookings came on the sixth call or later. Put aged-lead calls at midday and early in the week, and spread attempts over days.
- Answer every callback. About 1 in 4 of Ava's bookings (27%) came from a lead calling back. An old lead who calls back and gets voicemail is gone.
- Measure booked, kept and sold by source. Cut the sources that don't produce kept appointments. Keep the ones that do.
Can I use AI to call my old leads?
Yes, on lists whose consent covers it. An AI voice is an artificial voice under the TCPA (FCC 24-17), so an AI telemarketing call to a cell phone needs prior express written consent that covers your agency. Lists whose consent only covers a person dialing go to a power dialer instead. Under the do-not-call rules, an inquiry only creates an established business relationship for 3 months (47 CFR § 64.1200(f)(5)), so old inquiries don't get you past the registry on their own.
What should I say to an old lead?
Keep it short and true: who you are, that they asked about coverage, and whether they're still looking. The most common answer is “I already have insurance.” Ask what they have and whether it does what they wanted; often it's a small policy through work. More openers in how to work aged leads.
Should I text old leads?
One text is fine where the consent covers it. Old leads opt out more often, so start slow and watch the replies. See AI texting for life insurance leads.
How does Polca reactivate old leads?
Ava works the agency's aged leads. Ava calls the agency's leads under the agency's name, confirms the lead's state, coverage need and age band, handles common objections such as “I already have insurance,” and books the appointment on the right agent's calendar. She never quotes prices, never takes applications and never binds coverage. Before she calls a list, the agency certifies that its leads gave prior express written consent to AI voice calls from the agency. Polca calls only between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the lead's local time and never on Sundays, on AI and human calls alike. That is narrower than the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window, and agencies can tighten it but not widen it.
Per agent on Ava, each month (as of November 2026): 46 appointments booked by Ava, 5 clients signed by the agent (about 11% of booked appointments), and $9,856 in annual premium (AP) written, about $118,000 a year. That is about $10 of AP written for every $1 spent on Ava (9.9×, measured against what the agency pays for Ava). Top agents are on pace for $134,000 to $137,000 a year of AP from Ava-booked appointments.
Ava booked the appointment; the agent signed the client. A signed client counts when the agent signed them within 60 days of the appointment Ava booked; AP counts everything signed. Source: production records of the agency Polca was built in. Individual results vary. Hear real booked calls.
Common questions
What software can reactivate old life insurance leads?
An AI appointment setter that calls the list under your agency's name and books appointments, such as Polca's Ava, on lists whose consent covers AI voice calls.
Are 2-year-old life insurance leads worth calling?
In Ava's 2026 calls, leads 12 to 24 months old booked 1.3 appointments per 1,000 dials, against 1.8 for leads under 3 months. Lower, but not zero.
How many times should I call an old lead?
Several times over days. 23% of Ava's bookings came on the sixth call or later, inside the agency's attempt limits.
Do old leads need new consent for AI calls?
Only if the original consent doesn't cover an artificial voice from your agency, or the lead revoked it.
Sources
- FCC Declaratory Ruling FCC 24-17 (AI-generated voices are “artificial” voices under the TCPA), released Feb. 8, 2024
- 47 CFR § 64.1200 (FCC telemarketing and robocall rules)
- National Do Not Call Registry for telemarketers
- FCC Reassigned Numbers Database
- Polca Calling & Recording Policy
Let Ava call the old list.
Polca's AI appointment setter calls your leads under your agency's name and books meetings on your agents' calendars. The licensed conversation stays with your agent.
Book a call → Hear Ava call you