Dad’s advice

Today is a special day – it is my dad’s birthday.  Today, dad turns 79. 

It’s hard to believe that he has earned “old man” status – but he has. Now, dad doesn’t act at all like a man of his age.  He is still active running his business and can outwork most guys half of his age. 

Growing up, he always told my brother and me – “can’t never did anything.”

Dad told me that when I was cut from the my Little League team when I was 11.  The next year, I made the team and led the team in home runs.  He told that to me a few of my buddies when we were freshmen in high school and out basketball team won 2 games.  As juniors, we won the state championship and repeated as seniors.

He told me the same thing a decade later when I was struggling after losing my first “real job” when the company where I worked filed for bankruptcy and closed their doors forever.  I was fortunate to land in the financial services industry which has given me and my family a nice life.

He told my son Benjamin that same thing when he was recovering from a severe brain injury after crashing into a fire hydrant his junior year of high school. Ben relearned how to walk, talk, and function. He went to summer school and graduated with his class. 8 years later – he works for my dad.

I share all of this because I hear too often from agents and advisors that they can’t get people to discuss long term care planning.

Why is that?

Is it because you don’t make the effort?  Or, is it because you are uncomfortable? Or, is it because you try and have not been able to motivate your client to discuss their long term financial plan?

Maybe, you elect to avoid discussing long term term care because it makes you uncomfortable.  Maybe, you don’t feel confident in having a conversation.  Maybe, you don’t believe that it is a real issue. 

Regardless of the why – the end result sounds like “I can’t do it”.

And, you know how my dad would respond – CAN’T NEVER DID ANYTHING!!!!

Last month on Coffee Break, Kevin Baldwin shared his success using virtual seminars.  Behind that success is to go forward and speak with all of his clients and prospects asking them “what is your plan”.

You don’t need to be an expert to discuss planning.  In fact, we have a worksheet that can help you as well as a guide to receiving care that is loaded with information to help the development of a plan.

Step by Step Guide to Receiving Long Term Care (consumer approved)

Care Planning Worksheet (consumer approved)

And, remember this, if there isn’t a problem – you have no business offering a solution.

It is imperative that you encourage your clients and prospects to develop  a long term care plan to include in their overall retirement plan.  At worst, they have shared their wishes; at best, they (and you) determine that a funding strategy needs to be deployed.

How hard is that?

It isn’t.  So, stop saying you can’t do it.  Because, CAN’T NEVER DID ANYTHING.

Said another way – if you think it, you can do it.

Do you want more ideas and tools to lead a planning conversation? 

Contact either of my internals or me.

If you are with an IMO, BGA, FMO, a OneAmerica PPGA, or part of the OneAmerica career agency network – contact Justin Fox at (844) 658-3725 or justinfox.isp@oneamerica.com .

If you are an agent who submits business via BGA, FMO, or IMO – Nick Angelov at (844) 623-4251 or nick.angelov.isp@oneamerica.com