Small Business Leadership and Sales Blog

Hello Marvelous Practitioners!
My sincere wish is that this article finds you excited and committed to the two most valuable things we do: protecting assets and growing wealth for those that we serve.

Below you will find a word track that you can use face-to-face with clients, on the phone with clients or perhaps in an email or a letter. (Yes, easily one-third of your clients still like to open an envelope and read a real letter.)

As you read this word track remember, “Simplicity is the key to true understanding.” What you are about to read is so simple that you will be tempted to modify it or not use it at all. That will destroy your chance of using this battle-tested word track that has placed millions of dollars of coverage for over 25 years. Be sure to put it to use, and, as always, pass on your feedback to me at Marvin@MarvinLeBlanc.com

Side note: If you will not use this tool, who in your organization might be open to using the word track then following up with the prospect? Pass it on and let’s help some people!

FACE THE LIFE FACTS!    

LET'S FACE THE FACTS! The average American family is covered for LESS THAN 3 YEARS OF SPENDABLE INCOME after the major breadwinner dies. How much life insurance is enough for your family to live "IN THEIR OWN WORLD" after the major breadwinner dies?                                             
Before you put this down, you will have the answer by following these simple steps:

1. Pull out your life insurance policies on both spouses and the children (if there are any).
2. List the face amounts of each policy ($50,000, $250,000,  $2,000,000 etc.).     
3. Add these amounts together.                                        

The total amount on spouse 1 equals:(______________)              
The total amount on spouse 2 equals:(______________)            
The total amount on the children equals:(______________)

 
NOW, BE HONEST AND ANSWER THESE 2 QUESTIONS:

1. If spouse 1 died today, how long will the money from that life insurance program last? (_____________)
2. If spouse 2 died today, how long will the money pay for housekeeping, daycare and other things that require money that he/she contributed to help the family? (__________________) 

Don't put this down! Because this is the closest you may have EVER come to solving your financial problems. 
If you're like most people, you will see that the need to sit down with your trustworthy insurance and financial services representative HAS NEVER BEEN GREATER. I simply ask that you give me the opportunity to review your program. It will not cost you one red cent and there is absolutely no obligation on your part. 

Now that sounds reasonable, doesn't it?                                             
Yours in Life,  
Marvin LeBlanc, LUTCF, CNP

Today we're going to talk about referrals. The best way to think about the referral process is that it is largely designed to gain new referrals from people who already love you. The easiest, most effective, most efficient, least expensive way to build your business is to use the trustworthiness of existing clients that have grown to love you and the service and the products that you provide.

For many years, I have been obsessed with the concept of internal marketing versus external marketing. I believe far too much money is spent on billboards and bus shelters and bus benches and church bulletins and newspapers. Are we kidding? Newspapers? There's a whole demographic of people 20–30 years old that have hardly ever read a newspaper. Yet some people are still stuck on these conventional advertising methods that not only eat up your money, but are very difficult to track when it comes to return on investment.

Instead, if you use the ideas in this article, you can cut your advertising costs significantly.

Word-of-mouth internal marketing starts when you talk to an existing client. For the purposes of this article, let's call him Mr. Bob Jones. Start your conversation by saying to Mr. Jones, “Can I ask you a question?” (By the way, no one's ever answered this by saying “No.”) Then say:

We need to grow our business here at “Insert Your Business Name” and the way that we want to grow our business is with customers like you. I have a few questions to ask you. Are you currently satisfied with our service?

Well of course they're satisfied, they're excited, they're happy. In fact, they might even be a personal friend. Your second question goes like this:

Well, Mr. Jones, we would like you to help us meet your friends, neighbors, co-workers and relatives. Let's start with your friends. Mr. Jones, the type of friend we're talking about is when you call that person on the phone, you don't have to say "Hey, it's Bob." They already know your voice. You've spent that much time with them. Which close friend of yours might appreciate our services?

At this point, I ask them if they could please write down the person's name and number.

Very good. Who else? What other friend might you want to help us with that would appreciate our service. Write that down. How about your neighbor, Mr. Jones? We are looking for the type of neighbor that is there for you in a pinch. If there's an emergency and you've got to immediately leave the house, you trust them; they'll watch over the house or take care of an errand for you. Write that neighbor's name down please.

Here, I pause to allow the client to think. They're going through their mental computer, visually imagining who in their circle of influence would have needs that match our services. You will be shocked at what great information you will get, and also how much time you'll save. Now that we've finished with friends and neighbors, we move to another sphere of influence.

Mr. Jones, let's talk about your co-workers. The co-workers that rely on you, and that you rely on. The ones you have a great relationship with. Are there any people in this group that you think might appreciate our services? Which co-worker comes to mind? Write that down. Thank you.

And Mr. Jones, lastly but certainly not least, let’s explore your relatives. Which relatives would really appreciate our kind of service and would like to work with us, the fun people that we are. Please write down the relatives that come to mind.

Mr. Jones, I want to thank you for going through this exercise with us and I want you to always know, we sincerely appreciate your business. We know you have other choices. We are committed to doing everything that we need to do to continue to earn your trust and your business in the future.

This is the method I have used for over 25 years. It can be used in any industry. You can build a business hard or you can build a business smart. Remember, I do use conventional advertisements, but never have I used a billboard of my face to build business. They certainly have their place, make no mistake about it. But generally, the most important place you can place your face is in front of the face of one of your existing clients that then gives you referrals to friends, neighbors, co-workers and relatives that they know and trust.

Always remember, marvelous performance is almost always intentional. Marvelous performance is almost never accidental. Have a marvelous day.

Marvin LeBlanc, LUTCF, CNP

Notice the title says fact-finding conversations, not fact-finding appointment. As insurance and financial services professionals, we certainly want to work by appointment. However, it is not more appointments we need, but more conversations.

1. Forget appointments.

You can have many more conversations than you can have appointments.

The old way of thinking is: I must see three appointments a day, or I will not succeed. We were all trained this way. Relax. It's not your fault. This way of thinking used to work. But things have changed, and we must change our thinking about how to be successful.

Try thinking along the lines of: I must have one informal fact-finding conversation for every hour I work.

Well, Marvin, what's the difference between an appointment and a conversation? And why is this important to me?

People don't want to come in to see you for an appointment. People don't want you to come see them for an appointment either.

You may be using too many old think techniques. Of the licensed professionals in my Marvelous Performance Schools, 65% do not have an internet presence, personal blog, Web site or LinkedIn account. These are the people wondering why they are struggling to meet their goals. They are stuck using old thinking methods that are not working. (By the way, did you know 100% of Fortune 500 executives have a LinkedIn account? You can connect with them in groups on LinkedIn. But this only works if you are actively using LinkedIn.)

Here's the solution: Conduct informal fact-finding conversations when the opportunity presents itself. Not only when you have an appointment.

Example scenarios that happen every day (and much more frequently than the number of appointments you are conducting daily):

1. Your current client calls your office with a service question.

2. Your current client emails you with a service question.

3. You run into your client at a coffee shop, school function, church function or community function.

Are you seeing more opportunities yet? What other scenarios can you think of that I've not mentioned?

We live in a world that has more opportunities than at any other time in our careers. And I've been in this industry since 1987.

2. Stop selling products.

Our customers and prospects require us to engage with them much differently today. Old think continues to work less and less effectively. Most of the companies you represent are also still stuck in old think. If I see another company-produced product brochure, I think I will be nauseated. We don't sell products; we sell benefits. Nobody goes to the hardware store because they want to buy a drill. They go to the hardware store because they want a hole that the drill will give them.

3. Start asking questions.

Try this: "Mr. (Customer), may I ask you a question?"

Most people will allow you to ask them a question--the key is that you must be prepared with the first question. You may have some great questions that you prefer over my own, but if you want access to the questions I use, please visit www.marvinleblanc.com/LIS to download a free copy of "The 21 Interest Bearing Questions."

If you're on the phone with the customer, simply start at the top and read the question to the caller. If you have a chance encounter with a customer, you literally can pull out the sheet and read it to them.

Or try saying: "Mr. (Customer), we don't have the answers to all these questions. I need this completed." Hand them the sheet of questions. They can email or fax it back to you. You should plan to follow up with them until you get the sheet back. After all, a customer should give you their spirit of cooperation.

You might be saying, "Well Marvin, my clients are more sophisticated than that." Not true. The more intelligent they are, the more they need you to simplify the process. They may be an expert in their area, but they are not the expert in your area. You are.

Here's your call to action:

1. Carefully review the 3 key points I just gave you.

2. Honestly try the ideas presented here for 21 straight days.

3. Track your progress.

4. Think simple.

5. Think differently.

6. Think conversations, not appointments.

When people meet you do they think, "Wow, this person is on their game. They seem to never have a bad day."

If so, you are doing it right. Many of us have a tendency to allow bad moments to turn into bad days, and bad days to turn into bad months, and then suddenly, you're focused on how hard and unfair life can be.

Fact is, we all have "stuff." We always will have stuff. The key strategy for you is to find a way to quickly move from one pile of stuff to the next. That is the secret weapon you and your team can use to overcome and overachieve.

You must realize that what you expect is what you will get. Therefore, if you expect a lot of yourself, you will get a lot more from yourself than if your expectations are low. Same goes for your team, your prospects, your family and your relationships.

To be successful in sales and in life you must examine these questions.

• What do you expect out of yourself?
• Are you getting what you expect?
• Are you giving what you expect?

I take pride in being one of those people known for rarely having a bad day. This is not to say I don't have bad moments, but I have found ways to shift my focus so that bad moments are just that -- moments.

For example, my daughter and I were riding my Honda Goldwing. It was a gorgeous, sunny, dry day. We decided to take the scenic River Road instead of taking the interstate. We were listening to Buddy Guy on my iPod, and a split second later, we were catapulted directly over the front of my Goldwing. A careless, elderly driver had t-boned us. Many of you may be thinking, "Now thatis a bad day for sure."

My daughter lay motionless, face down on the asphalt in the lane of oncoming traffic. Immediately, I looked down to see the bones in my right wrist displaced and broken from the impact. We had both been hurled over the top of the car. Thankfully, we were heavily protected with proper bike gear. Other than some lower back pain that my daughter had, she was fine. I incurred 32 stitches and got two screws in my wrist.

The point is -- this was not a bad day.

It was a bad moment, and we are both fine. In fact, we were able to make it home in time to watch Louisiana State University beat Auburn, allowing LSU to keep its national championship hopes alive.

It truly is what you focus on that matters most. We could have focused on the bad moment and turned it into bad days and -- even worse -- bad months. Instead, we moved on and focused on the many positive events, people and blessings in our lives.

If you have had a tough month in business, one of the best ways to turn that month around is to quit obsessing about what you don't have and start obsessing about what you do have.

Start obsessing about what opportunities you can capitalize on.

If you're in a bad work relationship or you're in a bad personal relationship, make a move. Realize this thing called life is not a dress rehearsal. It's show time every single day.

This is your opportunity to be massively successful and to reframe the handful of bad days in light of your many marvelous days. You may be having one of those right now -- and here's to many more!

Peace, Love and Gumbo

Marvin LeBlanc LUTCF, CNP

As a leader, you are given a formidable yet inspiring task. In any setting, you are the personal, walking, talking representation of the spirit and direction of your group. Those who follow you must do so with trust and willingness.

We all have weaknesses. As a strong leader, you must do the work early and often to identify what yours are. Admit to them. Ask your team for support. Hire others with complementary skills and strengths.

A good leader knows this advice all too well, but doesn’t always translate knowing into doing. This is often why a large ego displaces smart leadership. One of the most important attributes of a strong leader is the ability to be humble. Don't let your ego run wild. Remain humbled by those who support you and your organization.

Outstanding leadership is about being self-aware. It is about being aware of your surroundings, but also internally, the attributes that make you YOU. Discover your weaknesses as a person, and admit them. The greatest leaders in the world knew that they were flawed to some degree, and either recognized and honed their flaws into strengths or worked around them.

You probably don’t like to acknowledge your weaknesses.  Welcome to the club! The best and most successful leaders not only recognize where their areas of weakness are, they surround themselves with people who shore up those weaknesses. Those who follow you will realize your sincerity and appreciate the way you recognize their gifts as a vital component of team success.

Your team needs and wants recognition. They are hungry for it. So whenever you can, turn to your team for support. Realize that you don’t have all the answers, and it may very well be the people surrounding you who can contribute the most to solve key problems and accelerate your success as a group. Ask your team for the support they genuinely want to give you, and you’ll become recognized for the collaborative and effective leader that you are.

Of course, you must gather a team that is, in fact, smart. But beyond that, it is about finding a team whose traits complement your own traits. Focus on developing a team that not only fills vital gaps, but also magnifies your strengths. 

Ultimately, your job as a leader is to increase the collective value of your team. Use your strengths to succeed and flourish. Develop others. Raise the bar together. Marvelous leaders focus on these tasks so that marvelous performance will take care of itself.

If you like what you read, consider signing up for The Marvelous Performance Newsletter! Click below to stay connected.

Peace, Love and Gumbo

Marvin LeBlanc LUTCF, CNP

You have some choices that you may not have thought about until now.

Traditionally, a small business owner, contractor, real estate agent, insurance agent, sales people in all industries will meet 1 on 1 to present their wares and discuss their products and services. And for decades this system has worked well.

Today, we want to take it to the next level.  Today, we will discuss a concept called “Tandem Client Visits”. 

Recently one of our team members jumped out of an airplane. Since he had never parachuted, he jumped in “tandem” (thankfully) on the back of a highly skilled instructor that has jumped hundreds of times. They soared in a fast downward spiral until the instructor pulled the rip cord and guided them safely to their landing target.

Tandem client visits are similar in that a person with much more experience takes along another team member to share in the interview, note-taking and listening.

Why might you consider implementing a system with your team to conduct Tandem Client Visits? Here are 6 benefits my team has experienced as a result of this system. 

Tandem Benefit #1

The Communication dynamic is totally different. In my experience, when you are conducting client visits alone, there are so many things you are thinking about that it’s very easy to miss an important point(s) that the client is sharing. The tandem visit feels more like we are consulting and working with them.  Instead of feeling like a sales call it feels more like a team meeting.

Tandem Benefit #2

Vertical selling.   In late June of 2007, I implemented our “Tandem” system. Within 3 Client appointments  we noted that we were placing more business and solving more needs for our clients than before the Tandem appointments.

Tandem Benefit #3

Our newer team members could be in the visit so they could really get first hand experience on how to work with our clients and what our system can offer to the client.  On the job training always has the potential to be far more effective than role-playing in a sales meeting environment. Notice I said on the job training has the “potential” to be more effective. Observing a poor system or bad habits is not going to help the new team member achieve great results.

Tandem Benefit #4

Some of our inexperienced team members had self-confidence, knowledge and selling skills challenges. They needed to hear and learn how their leader would conduct a visit.  I cannot overemphasize the importance of your team members having the opportunity to see you lead.  

Tandem Benefit #5

Personally, my weakness is paperwork.  So because I hate paperwork and because my team members love to be paid bonuses, I empower them to take care of the paperwork.  My job is to spend time eyeball to eyeball with the clients. I strive to never have a computer between my clients and myself. The team member primarily preps for the appointment.  They will also prep with me.  They gather all the paperwork and relevant presentation materials.  If I have to complete the paperwork, (paper or electronic) they don't earn the bonus.  This process allows me to use my strengths and the strengths of my team members.  

Would you please delegate all activities that you are currently doing that are not your strength? If you are stuck doing activities you don’t enjoy or you are not good at, you are becoming more and more frustrated.  So find team members that are strong in the areas that you are weak in and let them do that.  

Tandem Benefit #6

Finally, I would encourage you to view yourself as a teacher. Perhaps a commissioned teacher, but a teacher nonetheless.  Our client visits are teaching moments more than they are selling moments.  We live in a society built around RUSH! RUSH! RUSH! But I promise to you that if you make your Tandem Client Visits extremely valuable teaching moments, then 2 things will happen.

1. The products and services that you represent will be retained by your company for many years longer than your competitor.

2. You will earn a great reputation & that reputation will earn you an endless stream of additional qualified referrals.

Take a few minutes and reflect about what your client visits are currently like.

How much wasted time can the tandem client visits save you by avoiding endless hours of training meetings - because your team members can learn “on the job”?

What if you tried something different? What if you tried the “Tandem Client Visit” system and it worked? It will work if you work it.

Allow yourself to offer a wacked-out, authentic, totally unique delivery system and you will become --- SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE!

Hello Marvelous People:

Everyday there are certain activities and tasks that you must complete.
Some of these activities and tasks are enjoyable. Others are mundane.
Some you are “hoping” or “wishing” for a positive outcome. Other activities and tasks, you “KNOW” will give you the right outcome.

My simple idea today is a daily habit that I KNOW will give you a positive outcome. Why? Because I’ve employed the habit and you can too.

What’s the idea?

Everyday, read 10 minutes a blog that was written by one of the following people.

Marvin LeBlanc
Jim Rohn
Brian Tracy
Denis Waitley
Seth Godin
Malcolm Gladwell
Chris Brogan
Joseph Lalonde
Jeffrey Gitomer
David Newman
John Maxwell
Michael Hyatt
Jeff Goins
Brendon Burchard

Well, why would this be so important? Because you need to feed your mind the right thoughts, (to overcome all of the daily incoming negative messages) and you need to feed your mind EVERYDAY. Well, Marvin do you mean weekends too?

Did you hear me?
I said, EVERYDAY.

Why just 10 minutes? Because you have lots of other stuff to do and because more than likely, your attention span is so short that reading more will just make you procrastinate on other things that you should be doing.

NOTE: in a short 10 minute read, you will pick up 1-3 ideas. Ideas that if you “THINK” about and “TAKE ACTION” on these ideas, your subconscious mind will lead you to more valuable and meaningful results.

This is a LAW.

“What you think about & act upon & ardently desire, will ultimately be yours”.

So look at your calendar or appointment book and decide when you will PUT YOURSELF FIRST.

Positive self-talk affirmation:
“For just 10 minutes, I will PUT MYSELF FIRST.

• I will not check other email.
• I will not allow myself to be distracted.
• I will write down only 1-3 ideas from my 10 minute session.
• I will “THINK” about and “TAKE ACTION” on these ideas and how they will help me improve my life.
• I absolutely “KNOW” and “EXPECT” improvements to occur because it is a Universal Law and that law is:

“What you think about & act upon & ardently desire, will ultimately be yours”.

Don’t wait. Today is day 1 of the rest of your life. Please share your stories publically at this blog or privately at Marvin@MarvinLeBlanc.com

Be Marvelous and Put Yourself First Today!
Marvin LeBlanc

A Guide to Effectively Connecting to People

Hello Marvelous People:

Today our guest article is from Garrity Print Solutions. From right here in the Greater New Orleans area. Enclosed there are 3 good ideas that will help you get “unstuck” from your networking funk. Remember the old saying, “out of sight – out of mind”. Well it’s as true now as ever. Slowly read this article and then put it to work for you. Remember it’s called NetWORKing for a reason.

“The Doors to Opportunity are always OPEN!”

A Guide to Effectively Connecting to People

Networking is such a valuable skill because it allows you to create new bridges. And it IS a skill–meaning it can be practiced and learned like anything else. You don’t have to be a born extravert to network well.

Networking allows you to reach new connections, which in turn will connect you with their own contacts, expanding your reach far more quickly than you could on your own. You can use networking to market your business or even yourself.
In other words, while it’s about who you know, it’s also about who OTHER people know, because those people might open you up to a whole new audience and new sales opportunities.
Here are three tactics to get your networking game into gear:

1. Get off your couch and into the real world. If you’re browsing on Twitter, Facebook, or sending out cold emails, it’s no wonder why doors aren’t opening for you. You’ve got to play the game. And sometimes, that means getting off your butt and actually meeting people.
Be proactive. Contact someone and ask him or her out for a 10-minute coffee break. Don’t expect a VIP to invest time in you unless you have an existing connection. Who do you know who knows this person and could introduce you? What networking events would host valuable networking contacts? And if you’re at one of those events, talk to people. Networking–and all human connection–is about initiative. If you don’t put yourself out there and say hello, no one else can do it for you.

2. Offer your contacts value, instead of just expecting value from them. The idea of networking makes people feel uncomfortable because we associate it with awkward, self-interested sales people working a room and handing out their business cards. Real networking isn’t about getting–it’s about mutual giving.

Networking done right is a two way street, where both parties work to make a human connection that provides reciprocal value. So for every networking interaction, ask yourself, how can I provide value to this person? Figure out how you can help them before you interact: Can you be already known for leaving insightful comments on their blog? Can you offer them a unique solution to a problem? Could you help them find a valuable contact? Maybe they’d like the satisfaction of having someone to mentor–someone who listens to them and actually shows them a way they’ve applied their advice.

3. Respect those you’re networking with. If they are a valuable contact, treat them that way. Many who take the initiative to meet up with high-level VIPs know that it’s not enough to contact them. You have to make it easy for them to reply, because they are incredibly busy. By definition, if someone’s valuable enough for you to go out of the way to connect to, his or her time is more valuable than yours. Position your conversations with that fact in mind.

If you’re emailing to get in touch with someone, make answering the email as easy as saying “Yes.” So if you’re proposing a meet-up, make your intentions clear immediately and provide a specific time and location (letting them know you’re willing to be flexible). If you’re setting a meeting in person, don’t ramble. If you’re trying to learn from someone, understand how to ask good questions and allow your contact to talk more than you.

At the end of the day, networking is about two people offering one another mutual value. There’s nothing sleazy about building relationships with someone who is interested in the same things as you and would benefit from the relationship, too. Just learn how to offer value to another person, and soon you’ll have a stronger business and be able to reach more people than ever.

Contact me if you’re still stuck.
Be Marvelous!!

Recently, I attended a meeting with Glen Harris, a world class leader, one of my mentors and an overall excellent human being. He started his presentation with a quote: “A recent Harvard study has concluded that 100 percent of all humans will definitely die.”

Obviously his study was mythical and his point was humorous. But it posed an important question for advisors: How is it that our prospects and clients understand the need to buy car insurance and home insurance, but so often don’t seem to understand the need to buy life insurance? As life insurance salespeople, you would think the deck would be stacked in our favor. Both car and home insurance policies may never have a claim. With life insurance, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we're going to have a claim at some point in time.

There is a clear disconnect here between need and action. It is something that we as agents can rectify.

May I ask you to please work through this quick four-step exercise with me? (It will lead you to MORE sales.)

Step 1: Write down the names of three clients that you have successfully implemented a life insurance program for in the last year. Take your time.

Step 2: Now, think specifically about the conversation that you had with these three people. What did you say exactly that piqued their interest? Think hard, then write that down.

Step 3: Ask yourself what motivated these three prospects to buy. This motivation, along with what you said to gain their interest, is what's going to be needed to motivate the next family or business client to implement a program with you.

I find that you can actually place more life insurance by not talking about life insurance. Talk instead about the benefits that a quality life plan will provide. Always answer the question: “What's in it for them?”

Step 4: Now be honest with yourself. Did you thoughtfully ask these three happy clients to be introduced to their friends, neighbors, co-workers and relatives? If I were with you now, could you show me these referred leads?

This simple four-step system solves your two biggest challenges: always needing an inventory of good referrals to contact and always needing to cover the right information that leads a prospective buyer to buy.

In closing, here are a few thoughts and questions to seriously consider:

• Why do you own life insurance? 
• Do you currently own the proper life insurance program? For starters, do you own 10 times your annual income?
• If you don't own an adequate life insurance program, is it any wonder or surprise that you may lack the strong conviction to provide that coverage to others? 
• When was the last time you sat down with yourself and another practitioner to figure out if you actually had the right amount of coverage?

It is my intention to share with you tips, strategies and tools that will aid you or any of your associates to sell more, work less and have fun in the world’s most important industry.

Until next time, stay committed to being significant in the lives of those you serve.

Peace, Love and Gumbo! 

Marvin LeBlanc LUTCF, CNP 

It was March of 1988, and boy, was I excited! My opportunity to become a multiline agent had arrived. The previous owner’s children had assured me that that they had cleaned out the office of their deceased father. I soon discovered that this was mostly true. As I was settling in, I opened one of the cabinets and discovered a dusty three-ring binder. In that binder was a presentation entitled, "You'll Earn a Fortune!"

The meat of the presentation shares the events that took place when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics followed the lives of 100 people for 40 years, from age 25 to age 65. By age 65:

• 54 were broke and depending on relatives
• 36 had died
• 5 were still working to meet their budget
• 4 had livable incomes
• 1 was financially independent

Now how is it that, in the richest country on the face of the earth, nine out of ten people are either dead or dead broke by the time they reach age 65?

These people didn't plan to be unsuccessful. They were just unsuccessful in making their plans. The problem with people is not so much that they don't have the ability to achieve what they want, but rather they don't have the ability to decide exactly what they want. So, they need you. Yes, and I do mean you, the reader. They need your skills, your passion, your personal power. Only you can help them make the necessary plans to attain their goals.

Ask yourself this question: How can I, with my training and experience, help my clients:

• establish a real budget?
• put aside 10% of what they make in a savings vehicle?
• put aside 6–9 months of income into an emergency fund (in the event of an unforeseen medical emergency, financial emergency, or unexpected unemployment)?

People can live on 70–80% of what they earn — if they are shown and taught by a caring professional. That person is you. Keep pushing through the hard and difficult people. In my 25+ years in this greatly needed industry, I have come to realize that the people most resistant to your ideas are the very same individuals that most need to hear what you have to offer.

So, fight the good fight. Stay persistent. Keep building your skills and your story. And most importantly, keep nurturing your commitment to serve. What we do is more needed now than when I started in 1987. Continue to show people how they will "earn a fortune!" In so doing, you’ll earn a fortune, too.