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With the exception of sporting events, I usually stream shows instead of watching live tv, so I don’t typically see that many commercials.
But over the past few weeks, I consumed a fair number of commercials while watching college football bowl games. One campaign stood out to me above all the rest.
Northwestern Mutual launched their “Spend Your Life Living” campaign, and it is remarkable. Maybe you’ve seen the four ads around this idea. My favorite one features a dad (they hit me, one of their target personas, dead on) mowing his lawn on a sweltering day while his daughter yells at him to take her to a friend’s house [Click the image to watch] . Realizing that he wouldn’t have to mow and his daughter would stay home if he puts in a pool, the excavator gets to work and soon the whole family is jumping in crisp, clean water. The voiceover says, “This is what our version of financial planning looks like. Tomorrow is important, but so is making the most of the house before they’re out of the house.”
That hits all the right notes.
It shows a pain point and solves the issue with a huge dose of fun on top. When I talk to advisors all across the country about the message they want to communicate to prospects, the conversation usually includes investment strategies and the importance of finding investors who want to delegate their financial futures to a competent trusted guide. Those are good things to talk about that help build trust, but I think we can all see the benefit of talking about setting smaller goals along the path to retirement that have fun at their core.
Your clients will care about different things – a second home in the mountains, flying lessons and a plane, family vacations where they can explore the world.
The possibilities are seemingly endless, but the desire to achieve these small milestones greatly increases your clients’ likelihood to stay on course for the future with you as their guide. When you’re able to help them get small wins, they’re able to stay with you for the big ones.
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That’s probably not a new idea to you, but you might not be thinking about it through the lens of “fun.” Figuring out what your clients really enjoy doing and helping them create the space financially to do those things is all about helping them enjoy their life right now. How’s that part going for you? Are you asking the right questions to helping your clients focus on enjoying their life right now?
When a client reaches one of their smaller milestones, it’s not just an opportunity for them to see the importance of your guidance. It’s also a chance for your team to celebrate the work they do that’s literally changing people’s lives. Those smaller achievements not only increase the likelihood of your name coming up in conversations with your clients’ friends and family, they provide you with a fresh perspective on why you do what you do.