“Okay, Rickie. You were a really good boy today, so just reach into the drawer and pick out your favorite lollipop.”
I felt the sharp, sting of metal piercing my skin as my 5-year old hand wrapped around a cherry lollipop.
“Owww!”
But before a single tear could roll down my cheek, I had a Mickey Mouse band-aid on my shoulder and the pain was gone.
That’s how my doctor gave me booster shots when I was a kid.
That’s also how I get financial planning results for people.
Granted, some people roll up their sleeves and volunteer their arms (even if they can’t watch).
But most people need a lollipop.
The lesson I’ve learned over the last 15 years is that it doesn’t matter if they’re a sleeve-roller or a lollipop kid, you have to give people what they want first…
…THEN you can give them what they need.
Our entire process is built around this concept.
I could tell someone inside of an hour what they need to do to get their financial house in order and get on the fast track to Financial Zen.
But I know from experience that just handing over recommendations doesn’t guarantee results.
In fact, it can sometimes delay results because after people see how much they need to do, avoidance behavior sets in and everything else becomes a priority.
That’s why we focus on results, not recommendations.
And to get results, sometimes you need a drawer full of lollipops.
