Podcast Center
Video Center
Webcasts
Resource Center
Events
By 
March 31, 2020 at 03:29 PM
Humans are gregarious. We like to gather in groups, have a good time. The coronavirus pandemic has taken that off the table for a while. Advisors know they need to be calling clients during these difficult times. You’ve done that. Now, what else can you do to productively occupy yourself while social distancing?
Let’s assume you live in an area where “shelter in place” is the new reality. You have several powerful tools in your arsenal. The phone. Mail. Texting. Skype. Email. Social media. Here are some ideas:
1. The virtual dance party. Didn’t expect that one as the lead idea! A client of an advisor friend, someone who always has a party to attend, has arranged a virtual dance party with other friends. She is using either group FaceTime chats or freeconferencecall.com to bring friends together, presumably split screen, to take turns acting as DJ, playing music in their background as everyone dances in their own homes.
2. The virtual dinner party. How tough can this be? We have FaceTime. So do friends. We “invite” another couple. We set two place settings for ourselves at our dining room table, with the iPad at the other end. They do the same at their home. At the appointed time, we all “arrive” and enjoy dinner together.
3. Calling distant relatives. You get Christmas cards from people you haven’t seen for years. There’s a connection, so you each keep sending them. This is an ideal opportunity to call, text or email, finding out how they are coping with the coronavirus pandemic. They will likely ask what you are doing. Your “I’m calling all my clients…” explanation tactfully reminds them what you do for a living.
4. Friends in foreign countries. You know the international media is portraying the U.S. as in crisis with people hoarding toilet paper rolls. When we visited our local supermarket these past two weekends, I took pictures of few people shopping, pallets of paper towels and toilet paper on display and lots of bins filled with fresh vegetables. Let them know what they see on TV isn’t always absolutely factual. We tend to sensationalize news.
