Stay the course

Your clients, like so many of us, are asking one, burning issue question:

“Will we be all right?”  What they actually mean is:

• Will we be able to survive these challenging and turbulent times?
• Will we be able to retire with some sense of security?
• What would we do in the event of some unforeseen event that upsets our financial applecart?
• Are we adequately prepared?
• Will we attain our financial goals?

Often, the answer to the above questions is knowing where your clients want to go and providing them with a really good map.  We might draw upon the lessons from a historical event to help us see this more clearly.

In the winter of 1846,the ill-fated Donner Party met with disaster while on the trail from Springfield, Illinois to the “promised land” of California.  You probably know their story.  Others had accomplished what they attempted.  But, the Donner Party was ill-advised and they made foolhardy decisions on their own, with disastrous results.  Virginia Reed, one of the survivors, wrote to her cousin about the experience.  Her closing line is the final word on what can be the best advice from the voice of experience:

“Remember, never take no cutoffs and hurry along as fast as you can.”

She was referring to the so-called shortcut that her group decided to take in spite of advice not to do so. Others, who stayed on the proven trail, reached their destination safely, even though the journey covered many more miles, obviously taking more time.

Advise your clients that they can reach their destinations if they know where they intend to go and stay on the path with you as their trusted guide.  You have traversed the trail before and can show them the way.  Suggest they transfer to you the task of designing an optimal course of action.  You will provide the map and encouragement to help them stay the course and hurry along without “cutoffs” (or shortcuts).  No time to lose, the days are short!

Assure them, that with your help, they will indeed be all right