I’m proud to announce the publication of a sales tool for our agents and advisors.

Last week at our Sales Symposium, every attendee was given a free copy of a short 50 page booklet I have written & published: 10 Sales Concepts to Relish, Remember & Repeat – Using Life Insurance to Provide Security to your clients while Securing your Relationship with them.

Over my 30 year career, I’ve been lucky to be exposed to great ideas and great minds. We’ve worked with hundreds of advisors and placed many millions of life insurance in force. Many of our brokers/advisors have requested that we consolidate some of the better and more effective ideas we’ve come across –thus the idea for this booklet was born!

If you would like a FREE copy, please email me directly at jdewald@agencyservices.com or call 901-818-4301, and I’ll send it along.

I’m also happy to come and share the stories and ideas in a sales meeting or presentation that you or your team is involved with. I’ll bring copies for everyone and we’ll discuss some of the timeless concepts and ideas I’ve presented in this booklet.

So far, the response to this project has been overwhelming, and I’m happy to pass along many of the best success stories we’ve been involved with over the years.

I hope the booklet can be helpful to you!

Best,

Jack

Constant Connections 2012 Sales Symposium

In less than two weeks, ASI will be hosting our annual Sales Symposium on March 1, 2012. We promise a ½ day full of great sales ideas, networking and exposure to money making concepts and techniques. Last year we had over 100 attend this event, as already have more RSVP’s than that for this year.

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS!

Click our logo above and check out this power-packed agenda and make your reservation TODAY.

I’ve watched with respect and amazement how people all over the world have reacted to the death of Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Sure, he was an innovator and the products that Apple sells certainly contribute to an easier and more enjoyable way of life for many people. I’m even typing this blog post on my IPad. Steve Jobs was worth billions, so his family is certainly financially secure.

However, he was just a man.

Reminds me of how people reacted when Elvis Presley died. Here in my hometown of Memphis, folks come from all over the world each year to celebrate the anniversary of Elvis’ death. We call that week “Dead Elvis Week.” I’ve gotta wonder if Apple fans will do the same on the anniversary of Mr. Jobs passing.

Famous and influential people have that effect on others.

However, the real question is: How will YOU will be remembered by your family and friends? Sure, things like memories, caring friends, and confidence your family has in how faith assured your eternal well being are all important and will likely help ease the emotional trauma your family will feel when you, like Steve Jobs, are no longer with us.

Most mere mortals that I know do not have the financial wealth that Steve Jobs had…so how we plan for the “financial after life” our family will have is absolutely essential.

Life insurance serves that purpose better than any other product I know of. I know, I know…you are thinking “life insurance?”

Don’t think about what life insurance is…think about what it does:

Life Insurance funds the future, allows dreams to continue, keeps families in homes and schools, replaces lost income, provides peace of mind, allows time to adjust, and, if I can bluntly claim, even creates your financial legacy.

Legacies last forever…will yours be one of comfort, ease and financial security for your family…or will others be able to tell of your lack of planning by the changes your family might be forced to make because all they have is nice memories and caring friends and neighbors, but no financial ability to maintain their way of life? Is that what your family would want? Is that what you feel they need?

Call your financial advisor today if you want to know how to use life insurance to fund your financial legacy. 

Every citizen of Memphis, Tennessee was saddened and shocked to hear of the death of Memphis police officer Timothy Warren, brutally killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic dispute at a local hotel.

I don’t know a single person who doesn’t appreciate all the sacrifices that local police officers make every day to keep our city safe and secure. I can’t imagine the family stress that hangs every day where loved ones never know whether an officer will make it safely home to his/her family. It’s a job that is essential, and I thank each and every officer for their professionalism and dedication to the safety of our citizens.

As we all know, this tragic death has been front-page news for days, and our community is grieving along with Officer Warren’s fellow officers and his family. The loss is unimaginable, and very tragic. 

Recently, our local NBC affiliate, held a daylong “fallen officer’s drive” to help the officer’s family in their time of grief. Many of Memphis’ corporate and individual leaders participated. One of the TV anchors was encouraging every citizen to stop by and drop off a donation, “even if it’s just the change in your car’s ashtray.”

I applaud WMC-TV for taking the lead and organizing such an effort. It’s no doubt, an important gesture to Officer Warren’s family, and it’s a very effective way for our entire community to emotionally cope with such a tragic loss—as every citizen gets the chance to participate in a personal way that will be big and impactful. It also allows the community to show support to our entire police force.

Now don’t get me wrong here: but my mind immediately races to this question: Did the officer have enough life insurance so that his family is financially secure? Even if he did have coverage, the fund drive is still a great idea because of the community effect and need to show support. Hopefully, the proceeds of the fund drive will be more emotional than financial support to the family. In addition, the city provides a nice benefit package to all employees, so I have to assume some coverage exists via the employee benefit plan.

While not everyone is a police officer or fireman, the chance of a sudden, even tragic death is just as real for any of our clients. The shock and results to any family would be exactly as real as what the Warren family is coping with.

As advisors, it’s important that we stay in touch with our clients to remind them there is an easy way to plan ahead and not have to count on the charity and generosity of others. Planning today avoids financial loss when or if tragedy strikes.

Rest in Peace, Officer Timothy Warren. Our city mourns your loss and prays for your family’s strength and stamina in the days ahead.

And, oh yeah, to anyone reading this: thank an officer TODAY for all they do to protect us!

I was having lunch with one of my very best friends yesterday. We were discussing how quickly our kids grow up. He and his wife had just returned the day prior from attending their oldest son’s college graduation. As he was telling me about the fun of the graduation process and the self-centeredness that is so apparent in youth, he chuckled and shared a cute story…

In 1990, when their son was only 2 years old, my buddy had been correcting his young son (as most 2-year-olds need to be corrected). My friend had told his son repeatedly to stop doing something that was dangerous…and after being told 4 or 5 times, the young lad calmly walked over to his daddy – put his young hands on either side of dad’s face and said with all the sincerity he could muster, “Daddy – don’t you know?…”MY do what MY wants to!!”

That story has been told in my friend’s family time and time again. While they raised two additional kids, the story served as a constant reminder that while kids may think that the world revolves around them and allows them to do anything and everything they want, we, as parents and adults, really do know what is best for our children…and our family.

Kind of gives me this visual picture of my own family…or for that matter, any family growing together: parents struggling to raise the kids the right way and kids struggling to understand why Mom and Dad have to make hard decisions, yet watching how hard Mom and Dad work to provide for and nurture their family. It’s not until the kids get much older that they really understand all the sacrifices and selflessness that parents must invest to keep the family safe, secure and on the path to maturity.

A key part of that sacrifice is financial security. I won’t get on my soap box, but as you have this mental picture in your mind of your family, or for that matter, any family…pause for just a minute to consider what happens if mom or dad should die while the kids are young. Happiness and financial security become much less certain. The remaining parent has to double down on the family effort with little time for themselves to grieve and mourn the loss of a spouse.

Life insurance, if purchased previously, can’t help with emotional side of loss, but it sure can help provide security, peace of mind, time to adjust, educational funds, housing, and other expenses associated with the loss of income of the deceased parent.

Think about this way…if PARENTS were to take the same selfish approach of “MY do what MY wants to,” the family unit would be much less stable. Thankfully, many parents make that insurance decision…just in case.

Have you?

Well, I just completed judging my portion (over 40) of the nearly 1500 total applications, which The LIFE Foundation received this year from college age kids applying for over $100,000 of scholarship funds.

Each year, LIFE solicits applications for its LIFE LESSON’S Scholarship Program – the applicants submit stories about how one or both of their parents died with no life insurance in place (or not enough life insurance.)

The judging is absolutely gut-wrenching.  Every story is unique and emotional, but they all contain certain core elements:

–          disrupted families

–          dreams denied

–          inability to stay in the family home

–          surviving parents taking on more than one job to make ends meet

–          siblings often being split up to live with family

–          reliance upon good neighbors and family for support

–          realization that after the funeral is over, everyone else’s life continues

–          sometimes there is addiction and pain among other family members

–          kids having to work way too early in life to help support their family

–          kids missing out on “growing up” and normal school activities

–          abrupt changes in plans

–          relocation to other cities to be near family

–          grandparents, aunts and uncles being put in positions they didn’t seek

–          kids saying “if my mom or dad only knew the problem this caused”

–          realization that life will never be what they had hoped and dreamed for

–          kids saying “I’ll never leave my family is this type situation”

–          kids saying “if only an agent had talked my dad into buying more”

–          the burden of long-term debt due to mounting student loans

Folks – it doesn’t have to be this way.  While LIFE is pleased to be able to give a few of these deserving kids an opportunity for some financial assistance, it would be a whole lot better if there were no kids who needed our help.

Last month, ASI provided a young lady from Dyersburg, TN with a $500 scholarship.  Her mom, unfortunately, died way too early.  We are trying to help a local student several times throughout the year.  If you want to partner with ASI, give me a call.

My charge to you:   Pick up the phone RIGHT NOW and make an appointment with someone you know that has TOO LITTLE or NO life insurance. You don’t want to have to watch their kids apply for handouts and scholarships.  Do it NOW.  It’s our professional obligation.