Get more out of every lead.

Guide

Looking for a new lead provider? Ten questions before you switch

3 min read

According to its own announcement on finanzen.de, the finanzen.de group stopped selling leads as of 31 May 2026 as part of a realignment of the CLARK group. Many advisors who sourced enquiries there for years now need a new source. A switch is a good opportunity to look more closely than the first time.

Ten questions for every provider

1. Exclusive or shared? Do only you get the contact, or is it sold several times?
2. Is the price on the website? Or do you only find out in a sales call?
3. How is the phone number verified? Ask them to explain exactly what is checked before a lead goes out.
4. Is there proof of consent? You should be able to prove that the person agreed to be contacted.
5. Which claim reasons apply, in writing? And how much time do you have to file one?
6. Replacement or credit? Do you get a new lead for a bad one, or just money on an account with the provider?
7. When does the first lead arrive? Is there a commitment, and what happens if it isn't met?
8. How detailed is the profile? Age, savings amount, occupation, interest: the clearer the profile, the better you can prepare.
9. How long are you tied in? Term, notice period, pausing, changing volume.
10. Who owns your customer data? Can you take contacts and histories with you at any time?

Switching without a gap

• Start the new source before the old one runs dry. Time the start so the first new leads arrive when you have worked through your open contacts.
• Don't let old contacts gather dust. People who were unreachable months ago or said “later” are often a good call for today.
• Compare using the same numbers. Appointment rate and closing rate per 100 leads, not your gut feeling after the first week.

Our answers

Our answers to all ten questions are openly available in the shop and on the Quality & claims page: fixed prices per term, exclusive leads, verified phone numbers, written claim reasons with a five-working-day deadline, replacement instead of credit, and the first lead within three days or your money back.

Guide

The first call: how fast and how often

2 min read

A lead is an enquiry from a person who is currently looking into their retirement provision. That interest is at its peak the moment they submit the form. With every hour, the topic slips back behind work, family and everyday life. Our experience from working these leads every day is clear: those who call early reach more people and have better conversations.

The first attempt: on the same day

Call as soon as possible after the lead comes in, ideally on the same day. Set up a notification so new leads don't go unnoticed until the next morning. If you're tied up in appointments yourself, plan fixed time slots during the day for calling new leads.

Spread attempts across days and times

Many people are at work during the day and don't pick up unknown numbers. So calling five times on the same morning achieves little. Spread your attempts:

• Day 1: one call right after the lead comes in, a second in the late afternoon or early evening.
• Day 2: one call in the morning, one at lunchtime.
• Day 3: one call at a time you haven't tried yet.

That gives you five attempts on three different days at different times. This is exactly the threshold at which we consider a lead “unreachable” and you can file a claim. The claim deadline is 5 working days from the day you receive the lead. So plan your attempts to fit within that window.

Voicemail, text messages and messengers

On the first or second attempt, leave a short voicemail:

• your name and your company,
• the context: “You were looking into retirement provision”,
• a call-back number and a time when you're easy to reach.

A short text message after a missed call helps many people recognise your number. Whether you may write via SMS or WhatsApp depends on what the prospect has consented to. Stay within that scope and keep it factual, without pressure.

Log every attempt

Enter every call with date and time in your CRM. That helps you plan the next attempt. And if you want to file a claim about a lead, your attempts are properly documented.

Guide

Opening the conversation with retirement-provision leads

2 min read

The first call decides whether an enquiry turns into a conversation. The goal is not to close a deal on the phone. The goal is an advice appointment the prospect is happy to attend. If you start explaining tariffs on the phone, you often lose people before they've understood what it's about.

The structure in four steps

1. Establish the context. Say right at the start why you're calling: the prospect was looking into retirement provision. That way they know immediately it isn't a cold sales call.
2. Ask permission. Ask whether now is a good moment. If not, agree on a fixed call-back time straight away.
3. Ask three or four questions. No more. You want to understand what matters to them, not work through a form.
4. Book the appointment. Suggest two specific times and clarify whether the appointment will be in person, by video or by phone.

Good opening questions

• “What made you look into your retirement provision right now?”
• “Are you employed or self-employed?”
• “What matters more to you: saving as much tax as possible or having flexible access to your money?”
• “Are there existing contracts we should look at together in the appointment?”

You already know the answers from the lead's questionnaire. Use them to ask targeted follow-up questions instead of asking everything again.

Example opening

The following example is a suggestion, not a mandatory script. Phrase it in a way that suits you. In practice the call is held in German; this is a translation.

“Good afternoon, Mr Muster, this is Anna Beispiel from Kanzlei Beispiel. You recently looked into retirement provision, including the Basisrente. Do you have two or three minutes right now? … Great. So that I don't tell you things that don't apply to you: what prompted you to look into this now?”

What to avoid

• Long monologues about products and tax rules.
• Specific figures or returns on the phone that you haven't been able to check properly.
• Pressure. People who feel pushed cancel the appointment later or don't turn up.

End the call with a brief summary: appointment, location, what the prospect should bring. The written confirmation follows right after.

Guide

Explaining the Basisrente in plain words

2 min read

The Basisrente, often called the “Rürup pension” (Rürup-Rente), is a term many people have no clear picture of. Your task in the conversation: explain it so that your client can put it in their own words. Jargon rarely helps.

What the Basisrente is

• It belongs to the first tier of retirement provision (see “Three-tier model” in the glossary), together with the statutory pension and the professional pension schemes (berufsständische Versorgungswerke).
• Contributions can be deducted in the tax return as special expenses (Sonderausgaben), up to a maximum amount per year.
• In retirement it pays a lifelong monthly pension.
• The pension is taxed later. This is called deferred taxation (nachgelagerte Besteuerung).

A simple picture for the client: “You pay in today and save tax while doing so. In retirement you receive a monthly pension in return, on which you then pay tax.”

What the Basisrente is not

• Not a savings account: a lump-sum payout is not possible.
• Not flexible: the contract cannot be borrowed against, sold or transferred.
• Not freely inheritable: if the client dies, the money only passes on if survivors' cover has been agreed, for example for the spouse or civil partner or for children eligible for child benefit (Kindergeld).

Who it suits

The Basisrente is often particularly interesting for:

• Self-employed people who don't pay into the statutory pension insurance and want to build their own predictable pension.
• High earners with a high tax rate, for whom the tax advantage during the saving phase is noticeable.

For employees, contributions to the statutory pension insurance count towards the same maximum amount. The remaining room for the Basisrente is therefore often smaller than the client thinks. You should work this out in concrete figures.

What you should address openly

• The money is locked in until the pension starts.
• The later pension is taxable. How large the taxable portion is depends on the year the pension starts.
• The tax advantage depends on the personal tax rate and is smaller on a low income.

Important: maximum amounts and taxable portions change every year. Don't quote figures from memory; check them for the current year. For individual tax questions, bring the client's tax advisor on board.

Guide

Basisrente or flexible pension insurance?

2 min read

Our leads combine two topics: the Basisrente and flexible private pension insurance (private Rentenversicherung). It isn't an either-or from the outset. But the question “What matters more to you?” gives you a clear direction for the first conversation.

Reading the questionnaire

In the questionnaire, the prospect states what is important to them. The two most important signals:

• Tax advantage first: the client wants to save tax today and doesn't need the money until retirement. That suggests starting with the Basisrente.
• Flexibility first: the client wants to be able to top up, pause or access their money at any time. That suggests starting with flexible pension insurance.

Use this answer as a starting point, not a verdict. The conversation often shows that a combination makes sense.

The comparison at a glance

• Tier: Basisrente = first tier. Flexible private pension insurance = third tier.
• Tax during the saving phase: Basisrente: contributions deductible as special expenses (Sonderausgaben) up to the annual maximum. Private pension insurance: contributions are paid from taxed income.
• Payout: Basisrente: lifelong monthly pension only. Private pension insurance: lifelong pension or lump-sum payout, as the client chooses (Kapitalwahlrecht, lump-sum option).
• Flexibility: Basisrente: money locked in until the pension starts. Private pension insurance: top-ups and withdrawals possible depending on the tariff.
• Tax in retirement: Basisrente: deferred taxation of the pension. Private pension insurance: with a lifelong pension, only the income portion (Ertragsanteil) is taxed. With a lump-sum payout after a term of at least 12 years and from age 62, only half of the gains are taxed at the personal tax rate (often called “Halbeinkünfteverfahren”, the half-income method).
• Inheritability: Basisrente: only via agreed survivors' cover. Private pension insurance: considerably more freedom, depending on the contract.

How to approach the conversation

1. Pick up the answer from the questionnaire: “You said the tax advantage is important to you.”
2. Check with one or two questions whether that still applies, for example about their work situation and any larger planned expenses.
3. Present the chosen direction and say openly what it can't do.
4. Where it fits, show how both routes complement each other: tax-subsidised for the basic provision, flexible for everything that may still change.

The exact tax rules and amounts depend on the individual case and the year. Check them for the current year before every advice appointment.

Guide

Fewer missed appointments

2 min read

A booked appointment is not yet an appointment that has taken place. There are often several days between the call and the meeting, and a lot happens in that time. You can never avoid cancellations entirely. But you can do a lot to keep your appointment on the client's mind and make it feel binding.

Right after the call: the confirmation

Send the appointment confirmation immediately after the call. It should include:

• date, time and place, or the link to the video meeting,
• your name and a photo of you, so the client knows who to expect,
• a short agenda: what it's about and what they get out of it,
• what they should bring or have ready, such as existing contracts or their latest statutory pension statement (Renteninformation),
• a link to reschedule.

Our system already has the confirmation with the advisor's photo, automatic reminders and the reschedule link built in.

Reschedule instead of cancel

People who can't make it would rather cancel than actively look for a new date. A link that lets the client pick a new time themselves makes rescheduling easier than cancelling. That way the contact is kept instead of quietly disappearing.

Reminders and the call the day before

• Automatic reminders before the appointment make sure it doesn't get forgotten.
• A short call the day before adds a personal touch: “I just wanted to quickly confirm that tomorrow at 6 pm still works for you.” You can also clear up open questions and check access to the video meeting.

Making the appointment worthwhile

People are more likely to turn up when they know what to expect. Write the agenda from the client's point of view:

• “We'll look at how much you can deduct for tax with the Basisrente in your situation.”
• “We'll go through your existing contracts.”
• “You'll leave with a clear overview of whether, and how much, provision makes sense for you.”

And if someone still doesn't turn up: get in touch kindly on the same day and offer a new appointment. How to continue from there is covered in the article “Following up without being a nuisance”.

Guide

Following up without being a nuisance

2 min read

Many deals aren't closed in the first meeting but afterwards. Clients need time, talk to their partner or wait for documents. If you don't get back in touch, you leave it to chance. If you get in touch too often, you become a nuisance. The solution is a fixed rhythm with a clear reason for every contact.

After the first advice meeting

• On the same day: a short summary by email. What was discussed, which documents are still missing, what the next step is.
• At the agreed time: get in touch exactly when you said you would. So at the end of every conversation, agree on a specific next contact.
• With a reason: every further contact needs a reason, such as a finished quote, an answered question or new information. “I just wanted to check in” is not a reason.

After a no-show

1. On the same day: a call and a friendly message with the reschedule link. No reproach. Something can always come up.
2. Over the following days: one or two more attempts at different times.
3. After that: a final message in which you offer to get back in touch at a later date and ask whether they would like that.

Let the CRM do the work

Don't rely on your memory. After every contact, immediately create the next task with a date. That way no prospect falls through the cracks, and you can see in your pipeline at any time where each contact stands. Briefly note what was discussed at each contact. That helps you in the next conversation, and any colleague who takes over.

When to stop

• After a clear no: thank them, respect the decision and stop. If someone objects to further contact, document it and stick to it.
• When there's no more response: after several attempts without an answer, close the contact in the CRM with a reason, for example “no longer reachable”.

A cleanly closed contact is better than a full list you never work through. And the reasons why contacts are lost show you where you can improve your process.