Your Survival Guy

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We’d Never Spoken Before, but He Knew Me

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“How often do we speak?” he asked.

“That depends,” I said.

“The firm I’m with now sets up an annual meeting,” he told me.

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“That doesn’t sound like enough,” I responded.

“They’re responsive. If I have a problem or question, they get right back to me,” he said.

How Much is Enough?

That was just one conversation I had yesterday with a prospective client. He’s a frequent reader. He feels like he knows us. But it doesn’t seem like he knows his current team so well—the one handling his life’s savings. Until yesterday, he and I had never spoken before, but even so, he felt like he knew me. That’s important. More on that in a minute.

I’ve written to you that it takes me about 17 seconds to get an idea of whether or not we’ll work well together. Statements that include wording like: “I need the market to do” something, whatever it is, are never a good start. I’m Your Survival Guy, not Mr. Help the Needy. My customers already have what they need. My job is to help them keep it. Need is for those who have lived a life of spending at a rate I’m not comfortable with. Need is a bad habit.

A Word About Big Institutions

Back to my new friend above. There’s no excuse for his “team” not knowing him. But more important is him not knowing them. Because this is a two-way street. The not knowing—that’s throwing darts around the bar, and that’s how people get hurt. Too many layers between your money and the decision makers is bad for your wellbeing too. That structure can create a revolving door of team members, which is not cool.

Too many layers. Too many products to sell. An army of reps looking to climb the corporate ladder for bigger accounts. At what cost? Let’s not forget, how are they going to pay for the naming rights on that new stadium? Isn’t your unique brand worth knowing? Of course, it is.

Action Line: If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s me.

P.S. Tomorrow, learn why “One Prepares for Old Age While One is Young.”

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West (RIP JB) and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.

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