….I was entering a conference room with my trusted estate planning attorney and CPA relationships, whom I had steadfastly, with the utmost conviction, referred my clients to over my 20+ year career.
…They called this meeting! What was I walking into? Were they going to tell me that all my years of client relationship building, of consistent business referral loyalty was about to end with the impending announcement that my clients were leaving me for better financial planners? I started to sweat, tossing and turning….
I sat down, adjusted myself in my chair and asked them how I could help them?
Joel! They said, we are here today with gratitude in our hearts and collaboration on our minds….
Excuse me?? I said.
Yes, Joel, it’s true.
We are here, in addition to personally thanking you for helping us grow; to discuss each of these relationships we share and determine if we are maximizing all of the potential strategies that would…
- Differentiate us in the marketplace
- Provide our client relationships a Holistic advisor
- Ensure our clients aren’t paying too much income tax
- Ensure our clients are maximizing all of their available tax mitigation strategies
- Ensure their estate documents are up to date and in good order for their loved ones
- Creating a better understanding & awareness surrounding our clients loved ones and potential inheritors whom which we could reach out to and introduce our services to
- Create the appropriate financial models which illustrate our clients potential Federal Estate Tax Liabilities
- Create a list of appropriate recommendations for our clients to consider to retain their estate values versus potentially having to involuntarily handing thousands of hard earned dollars over to the government
- Begin discussions on other value added offerings we could work together to provide our mutual clients.
- Begin discussions on co-sponsored client appreciation events whereby our clients could attend and invite their friends, coworkers, parents or young adult children to have fun, share time and just let our hair down.
It was all becoming so clear and sunny in my dream. The conference room vanished into a beautifully colored landscape. People began gathering in unison, forming this huge circle around us, their trusted advisors. Their faces full of confident smiles, revealing their understanding that they were in the right place, with the right people to guide them through life knowing no financial planning detail would be missed and that they and their families would be always be in good hands. A result of world class committed collaboration…
Then my alarm clock squawked and it was over, all over
Let’s not allow these types of singular relationships to continue. We can collaborate together and create abundant value for all involved.