NAILBA Perspectives Winter 2019 | Page 35

“Clients over the age of 70 have ‘concreted over’ and don’t want to move money. There is one event that will put a jackhammer on that concrete…” Imagine the ideal client Let’s say you would like to sell LTC insurance. More specifically asset-based hybrid products. Most would say the target market is under 65 years old. There’s only one serious problem with that age group. They don’t want LTC insurance. But they are insurable. Yeah, but they don’t want it. Why? They aren’t sick, that’s why. So, target sick people because there are solutions for them. More importantly, their spouses, siblings and children may not be sick, but they have now become aware of the need for LTC products. My good friend, Don Quante has cracked the code on LTC insurance sales. He chooses an older demographic who is more likely to be sick, addresses their problem with sound financial and legal solutions and insures immediate and extended family as a bonus. Jackhammer to “concreted over” prospect Client acquisition over the age of 70 is usually not an attractive target market. They have “concreted over” and don’t want to move money. There is one event that will put a jackhammer on that concrete, declining health. Money can be reallocated for most retirees whose health is failing. They may need to pass the control to a spouse or family member who is willing to change advisors. Since most advisors don’t work in the LTC insurance world, someone who does has an advantage. Always remember, to gain a new client who has money, you must have a distinct advantage. To get into the subject deeper, Don is a great resource. He offers his services to field marketing organizations and their advisors. He can be reached at 800-800-6004. Of course, LTC insurance isn’t the only product that solves problems. Assets under management, annuities, and life insurance are all designed to solve specific problems. The products don’t market well, but solutions to problems do market well. Offer solutions and they will come Don’t be afraid or unwilling to be flexible with the practice. If you are stuck with a stagnant practice, the future will get worse. You must adapt to grow. There is no such thing as a static practice. It’s either growing or dying. It’s going to take time, work and education to continue a process of adaptation, but that’s what is required of business to stay relevant. There are plenty of high visibility businesses to prove this point. Kmart and Sears are just a couple of examples. Most companies that have not adapted are, or were run, by obstinate, hardheaded old warriors who ran their businesses with the motto “that’s just the way we’ve always done it.” So, the younger folks have come along, changed the rules of the game and are kicking butt. I have had to adapt my marketing company to meet the needs of the changing clientele. If I hadn’t changed, my business would’ve been in danger of not surviving. At the turn of the 20th century, businesses that created leather goods for horse-drawn buggies had to start creating products for automobiles or fail to thrive. Today, cab drivers are doing the same thing because of Uber and Lyft. Auto companies that don’t create non-fossil fuel vehicles will fail. Companies that won’t deliver goods and services that adapt to changing demographics and lifestyle models will join Kodak as a name forgotten. Kodak almost disappeared because they kept the “we always did it that way” model as the digital age changed their world. Your world is changing. Your Field of Dreams is possible when you build your marketing message around the needs of your target client. www.nailba.org 35