“Just keep going. No feeling is final.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke
Hey Sunday Brewers!
Here’s a taste of what’s inside:
👉 The overlooked missing ingredient of a happy retirement
👉 The ONE thing you must have to be successful working with seniors
👉 Study reveals where high-growth firms are getting 32.6% of their leads this year
The First Sip
Blossom and Bud were a fixture on the pond in Riverside Cemetery for years.
If you saw Blossom, there was Bud puttering behind – two ever faithful companions.
But when Bud died late last year, Blossom’s demeanor changed.
Cemetery manager Dorie Tammen said Blossom started spending hours of each day in front of tombstones and glass windows staring at her reflection.
“She wanted company,” Tammen said.
And so that’s precisely what Tammen sought out when she posted a personal ad for Blossom’s life partner:
The next day after posting the personal ad, the phone rang.
On the other end of the line were the owners of a widower goose by the name of Frankie.
Turns out Frankie was searching for a mate, too.
So they brought him over to the cemetery.
Only one small problem: He immediately flew across the lake and left the property.
“We drove through the grounds for an hour or more and couldn’t find him! We were all so disappointed, and so worried – after all, we have the Iowa River behind us!” Tammen said.
Thankfully, they were able to find him the next morning…and the rest is now history.
“We let Frankie loose right in front of Blossom. She was excited, and flapped her wings and called out,” said Tammen.
“They started walking off together and they haven’t really left each other’s side since.”
Sometimes you just need a friend!
1 Caffeinated Neurohack
In the 1930s, Harvard researchers began what would evolve into a decades-long study to answer this elusive question:
What makes us happy in life?
The study, which has been tracked for 80+ years, consists of health records, questionnaires, and interviews.
There’s plenty of data and trends to extrapolate from this study, but my eyes were immediately drawn to the word retirement.
Based on responses, the top challenge people face in retirement is not being able to replace the social connections that sustained them during their careers.
Retirees don’t miss working – they miss the people.
As advisors, we spend so much time preparing our clients for financial concerns, health challenges, and their legacies that we often forget about the social component.
To be honest, I’m not sure what the exact answer is (and I’m guessing there are a variety of solutions).
But this much I do know: We need to help our clients prepare for the entirety of the retirement experience – not just their finances.
As you craft financial workshops, webinars, planning meetings, etc., make sure you’re not neglecting the role of socialization and relationships in retirement happiness.
Hit “reply” and let me know if you have any ideas!
☕ TL;DR: Is this the missing ingredient of a happy retirement?
Marketing Psychology Quick Hit
They say age brings wisdom.
Yet a new study of 2,000 Americans ages 64+ say they still don’t have life figured out.
Despite 57% of respondents saying they feel like everyone expects them to always know what to do, there’s often a lack of clarity on how to proceed.
Some findings:
▶️ 17% of respondents say decision-making gets harder as they age
▶️ 67% of respondents say they consult others before making a big decision
And, in my opinion, here’s the most interesting takeaway: Seniors are feeling less confident than ever about financial decisions.
▶️ 31% of respondents consult others before making a large financial purchase
▶️ 35% of respondents seek help from friends and family before making investment decisions
Who are they going to help to make these decisions?
⚫ 44% trust their partner/spouse
⚫ 37% consult their adult children
⚫ 29% talk with friends.
Now, let’s zoom out and think about this from our perspective as advisors.
How should this impact the way we communicate to clients in their late-50s and 60s?
It’s a clear indicator that you can’t engage a client in isolation.
This is why we always encourage advisors to get both spouses on for a Zoom meeting.
It’s why it’s important to get email addresses for BOTH partners so that each is receiving communication from you.
Seniors are making decisions with support.
If you only have influence over 50% of that equation, you’re going to have a much lower close rate (and your client retention will take a hit, too).
☕ TL;DR: Working with seniors? You need group buy-in.
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Weekly Industry Catch-Up
🔹SVB blowback. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has left investors scrambling to identify other regional banks with similar balance sheet issues (high rate of uninsured deposits and bonds or loans with a long time to maturity).
First Republic Bank – which fits this descriptor – has seen its stock price decline by 75% since March 1. On Friday, 11 banks deposited a total of $30 billion in FRB in an attempt to stop the spreading crisis.
🔹 Bit-gains. If there’s one temporary winner in the midst of the brewing banking crisis, it’s Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies. As of Friday, Bitcoin soared past $26,000 and was up nearly 20% for the week. On the year, Bitcoin is up nearly 50%.
🔹 Digital revolution. A new study suggests high-growth firms are spending more on marketing than ever before. Their top priority? Content creation.
When you study where leads are coming from, high-growth firms say 32.6% of their leads are sourced online.
In your corner,
Jeremiah D. Desmarais
CEO, Advisorist
#1 in ROI-Driven Training for Advisors
