How do I approach the planning idea vs. the investment idea? I get referrals from our credit union employees, and many of these people do not want or need “planning” services. Most of them aren’t prepared to do a Financial Road Map®, and many times the other spouse is not there. But some of the seemingly small investors have other assets, and could benefit from the whole process. Any suggestions as to how to handle that?

You might ask them, “Are you just looking for a quick-fix product to meet your immediate need or would you like to schedule an appointment to start the ball rolling for comprehensive financial planning?” If they are not sure, you can give them a copy of the Values Based Financial Planning™ book, explaining that this is the process you follow for financial planning, encourage them to read it, agree on a reasonable amount of time for them to read or at least start reading Values Based Financial Planning™, and schedule a phone appointment to discuss what they would like to do next.

You might want to create some standards for who you do comprehensive planning with and who you just sell products to meet needs. I can appreciate that you may not want to do full Financial Plan with Credit Union members who only have $50. The offer I described is best made after you have some basic information as to whether or not they have a higher probability of meeting your Ideal Client Profile (ICP). There is a place on our website to help you create your Ideal Client Profile. Use the search engine on our website for “Ideal Client Profile.”