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Do you remember the last time you visited a nursing home? Have you visited any place like it since?

A nursing home is an amazingly different place. Its residents don’t often volunteer to live there. Life’s latest turn made that decision for them. 

As I walked down the hall of a nursing home just a few months ago, I noticed a very frail, small-framed lady slouching silently in a chair facing a desk. She had a terribly sad look on her face as though she were a 15-year-old dog who was being dropped off at the animal shelter; that totally defeated and utterly sad type of look. 

I then noticed a smiling lady, possibly in her 50s, who was talking to a third lady behind the desk. They appeared to have much to talk about. They smiled at the old lady as she sat unresponsive, unsmiling, still. The sign on the door said “admissions.”

As I walked on, I couldn’t help but think what it must be like to know that this will be her last home. She will probably be sharing a room with another sad face.

I could go on for pages but I think I’ve made my point. I sell asset-based long-term care policies as part of my practice’s focus. There should be a reason behind a financial plan.

For the last three years, I have visited a local nursing home once a week to minister to residents for about an hour. I don’t have any relatives there. It’s just a good thing for me to do with some of my time. Obviously, it has had a big impact on my passion for chronic care planning.

Maybe that’s the impression we need, to be passionate about what we sell. Part of the reason we don’t ask people to meet with us is a lack of passion for what we do. If we were more driven by a passion for helping people, instead of being intimidated by an introduction, we would be motivated by our drive to solve a prospect’s problems.

Have you gone to a baseball game lately? I recently read an article about 9-year-old Kaiser Carlile, who was hit in the head by an on-deck batter during a National Baseball Congress game in Kansas one month ago. He was rushed to the hospital, but didn’t survive. Soon after, a GoFundMe.com page was set up to help the Carlile family raise money to defer medical expenses and assist the family with other needs.

While it would be terrible to have to deliver a check to Kaiser’s family, it would also probably be the only thing that would relieve some of the stress of losing that child. Many times, this is the case.

Why do so many individuals offer money on “go fund” or crowdsourcing sites when tragedy happens? Why is it necessary? Why should a family feel like beggars when something tragic happens in their life – something that likely could’ve been prepared for financially? We are the ones who should be passionate enough to persuade prospects to take care of these events for pennies on the dollar.

If you haven’t sold enough policies to deliver a check, you haven’t felt the immense satisfaction for what you can do for people. I remember a term policy I sold a young business owner years ago. Something as simple as a waiver of premium can make a huge difference. The policy owner fell ill with some kind of bug that didn’t quite kill him, but took him away from work and his business for an entire year. His premium waiver saved the policy. He didn’t even remember the feature. When he called to ask what he could do, I was able to assure him that his policy would remain in force. It was evident to me that he was very relieved.

Since I lost a 19-year-old daughter, it bothers me when parents don’t cover their children with life insurance. Parents must think about how much more painful it would be to bury someone so dear while, at the same time, worrying about how much it costs. That’s not a time when the lack of money should dictate the last event that really matters. 

Take the time to expose yourself to the pain and suffering of people who could have been served well by what you do. It will give you the reasons you need to reach out and introduce yourself.

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