After having spent over 12 years playing professional baseball and worrying only about hitting the curve ball, and afterwards spending nearly 37 years in the insurance industry, I often find myself contemplating what I could have done better or differently during my earlier years.
Where baseball is concerned, I should have laid off that low and outside breaking ball in the dirt. Oh well, too late now! My insurance career was a little bit different, however. I always felt I was part of something bigger than myself. By this, I mean, what we sell to our senior market clients is nothing less than a very understated necessity of life.
Think about it! When a senior retires from working, what is one of his or her top-most priorities… money/income. Will our products, which we have sold him, allow him financially to quit working?
When a senior faces a medical situation, what is of concern? Money. Will the products we have sold him or her pay for the doctor and hospital bills?
When a senior is faced with the nursing home as an only alternative, money to pay the monthly bill is all important.
Finally, when life is nearing the end, our thoughts are on the money/assets we have accumulated to leave our children and loved ones.
Do we, as agents, realize the privilege we have, to literally change people’s lives?
My point is this. For the seniors, the bills still have to be paid for living expenses. Doctors and hospitals want to be paid for their services. The nursing home wants its money. At death, the funeral home, the lawyer, the accountant and Uncle Sam all want money – and lots of it!
Ah, but wait! Do we have our bill in the mail to “take” money when the senior faces a bad situation? No! We come to the table to “give” money to our clients. We “give” money to the client to pay for his living expenses with our annuities, mutual funds and investments. We “give” money for the outstanding medical claims with our Medicare supplements and ancillary products. We “give” money for the nursing home monthly bills. We “give” families tax free cash for final expense and estate transfers.
While everyone else “takes”, we “give”! If we can make our senior clients understand this concept, we will be their hero and best friend for life… almost as good as hitting a curve ball over the scoreboard in left field for a homerun!
Roe Skidmore
