SHARE:
July 11, 2013
 Wear
Clean Underwear
Let’s talk about fun stuff: death and
parentless children. No? How about estate planning and probate?
Rather not? Too dry? Too unpleasant?
Too far into the future to worry about now? Well, you might change your mind if
you were talking to Bonnie Bowles and Kimberly Johnson of Wills & Wellness in
Denver, Colorado. These ladies use metaphors and imagery to transform a dry,
abstract and unpleasant topic into a timely, engaging, emotionally positive
conversation that helps them win business quickly. Kim writes…
We do estate planning.
Specifically, we want to protect a person’s children after the death of the
parents and make sure that if they have to deal with the trauma of the loss of
their parents, the children will:
-
Always know that they are loved and always will be loved
-
That their parents have made plans ahead of time to make sure
they have everything they need financially and emotionally to
get through life
-
That they will be raised by people their parents have chosen to
make sure that they have the best support system that they can
possibly have
This is sad stuff
right? Well, here's what we have done after going off the lovely suggestions in
your “Tall Lady” metaphor book. We use metaphors and analogies appealing and
understandable to parents so that they know how important it is to set up a plan
ahead of time (knowing that hopefully this will never happen, but if it does,
their children will always feel loved and cared for).
We explain that
-
A
trust is like a backpack...without it, everything falls on the
ground and no one knows who gets what or when (cue arguments,
anger, misunderstanding & pain)
-
A
trustee is like the director of a movie. Without the director -
the movie is just a Polaroid, without a script and without
intent and meaning...just a memory (cue what now?)
-
A
retirement account is not a "nest egg" - but rather a "family
piggy bank" that needs protection
-
Living without legal planning is like walking on a tight rope
with no net - everything you own could be lost, your children
could end up in foster care, (temporarily or permanently) and
your medical decisions could be delayed or made by someone you
don't trust
Their website is
equally inviting visually and in stark contrast to the many other more formal
and intimidating sites in their field. Even the metaphorical title of their free
estate planning book “Wear Clean Underwear” arouses curiosity rather than dread.
Translating these
tough issues into family friendly images relaxes W&W’s prospects and makes the
importance of estate planning not only user-friendly and easy to grasp but also
more urgent to implement.
Your Turn
What is dry, dense, or dreary about the information you have to
present? What verbal and visual metaphors and analogies can you use to inject
interest, energy, and urgency into that information?
Make What You Say Pay — With Metaphors.
Anne Miller
P.S. For more information on Bonnie and Kim and to get a free copy of
“Wear Clean Underwear,” visit
www.willsandwellness.com
*Chosen Top Sales Book of the Month for April by Top Sales World*
Need Help With Your Presentation?
Call today and turn your information that tells into a story
that sells.
212-876-1874
amiller@annemiller.com
Personal Presentation Client:
"I sing your praises every
opportunity I get. I look forward to continuing our work together"
Jane Newton, Wealth Manager, Regent Atlantic Capital LLC
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