Written By: Laura Shelton Garfield | (idea)Decanter Ever get asked where you want to go for dinner and suddenly you draw a blank?All the new places you’ve been wanting to try suddenly disappeared from memory. Your list of “old standbys” vanished too. “Where should we eat?” echoes loudly in your head. When it happens to me, I pull out my phone and find the local Eater list of best new restaurants in Portland. The same thing can happen when it comes to content. You’ve had a blog or a vlog idea bouncing around in your head. You read an article a few weeks ago that stirred up a new topic. In the middle of a conversation with a client you thought, “I really should tell all my clients about this.” Then, when it comes to actually sitting down to write or record, it all flies out the window.So, here’s your Eater-like list for 2019 topics. I picked these up on a trip to Aspen where I got to listen to some speakers at the Advanced Planner Study Group.
IDEA #1. VALUES
Hopefully you’ve spent some time
building your business around your values. Now make sure you are communicating those values … but not in some boring, predictable, “This is what we stand for” kind of way.
Why: Let potential clients know the values that power your firm AND attract Millennial employees too. This generation wants to work for organizations that reflect their values.
How: Don’t just talk about your values. Find stories that exemplify them and tell those.
Ann Rhoades, values expert and founding executive vice president of JetBlue, says to make it work, those core stories need to be a living, breathing part of your company. Video is a great way to do that!
IDEA #2. AUTOMATION, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, & ROBOTICS
These ideas kept coming up again and again as speakers like
Steve Chiavarone, Mutual Fund VP at Federated. Though these ideas may seem futuristic, Steve brought them into perspective, telling a story about a trip to a McDonald’s in Florida. He ran into self-serve ordering kiosks that have replaced counter workers. Steve was so fascinated by the automation that he asked to talk to the manager. “How many workers lost their jobs to these kiosks?” Steve wanted to know. Much to his surprise, the manager told him, “None.” As customers placed their own orders, the kiosks were prompting add-ons. Sales were up 30% and all the former cashiers were busy doing other jobs around the restaurant.
Why: Your clients are seeing a lot of headlines about the future, but may be imaging the worst from our changing world. Giving them some context, like Steve’s story, can shift fear of change to optimism.
How: Do some reading on Automation, AI, & Robotics, watch how they are impacting your life, and tell your own stories.
IDEA #3. MILLENNIALS
Did you know there are 15 million more Millennials than Baby Boomers. Let that sink in. You may be hyper focused on the slacker vibe some of them give off, but wrap your head around this:“Millennials are America’s greatest national resource.”-STEVE CHIAVARONEThis generation has the highest student loan debt but are carrying low credit card and mortgage debt. They are less white and less male than any generation in America’s history. And in 15 years, Millennials will be 75% of the workforce.
Why: An estimated 1 in 6 Millennials has $100,000 in savings, which may not make them ideal clients now, but they will be. They are also going to be taking up more and more of the jobs at your firm. If you aren’t talking about them, you should be.
How: Focus on the facts. Create content that meets this young generation’s needs.
IDEA #4. HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLANS + HSAs
One of the most common questions Americans are asking is, “What kind of health plan is right for me?” That’s according to
Katherine Roy, Chief Retirement Strategist for JP Morgan. We all know healthcare is complicated. What you might not realize is that:
28% of current employees are on a high-deductible health plan 30% of people who sign up for a plan never set up an HSA Why: If healthcare is one of your clients’ biggest concerns, you should be talking about it.
How: One-third of those eligible are missing the boat on HSAs. Help educate them.
IDEA #5. RETIREMENT HAPPINESS
A key to what you do is
getting people primed for retirement. But that’s more than a bank account. Katherine Roy (
click here for her secrets to a happier retirement) says most people leave the world of work thinking they’ll spend time socializing, doing leisure activities and exercising in retirement. In reality, the amount of time people spend watching TV doubles. So how can a PIP (previously important person) leave the structure and responsibility of a career and find happiness when they retire? Research suggests you need to figure out two things before you retire. 1. Who are your friends? 2. What are your hobbies?
Why: You talk a lot about retirement. Make it a conversation that’s about more than money.
How: There’s a great resource across the country called OLLI – the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Find out what OLLI is doing in your area and help set your clients on their quest for happiness.
IDEA #6. DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION
From DNA sequencing to block chain, the trends of the future are rooted in the innovation happening today. Most of what Cathy Wood of Ark Invest talked about sounded like sci fi. From
self-driving cars to deep learning, there’s enough happening to blow your mind.
Why: Dig into these trends and you’ll have some interesting investment ideas to throw at your clients.
How: Radical innovation can seem scary. The more you can talk about the future in a way that explains (rather than incites), the more people will want to listen.Need help making your vlog intentions happen? Schedule a
15-min call and we’ll get you started.
