Let's think about the senior annuity market place. Over the thirty years of producing annuities we continue to see the competition for investors dollars increase on a yearly basis. Our potential clients are receiving information from a large source of independent professionals, including the internet.

Their lawyers, accountants, insurance salesmen, and financial planners are usually a good source of information. The problem is that most of these centers of influence fail to advise on another professionals work so no one person dealing in the house ties everything together.

Most all of these centers of influence are either to lazy, just don't care, or lack the knowledge to dot the I's and cross the T's.

Because of this, the typical Senior is left out in the cold and is independently trying to fill the holes left in their estate plans. You should be that person who fills the holes. Just think about it, at one time the family lawyer gave a lot of advice in dealing with estate planning affairs. Due to the uncertain cost of their services they have gradually scared the heck out of most middle class people (buyers of annuities) to not seek advice from them. Tell me one Senior that you see that wants to visit with an attorney. What I'm saying here is the legal profession continues to have less and less involvement in our market, all due to their arrogance, cost structure, and lack of compassion. I'm not saying that we don't need lawyers, but rather saying you as a planner can be a strong center of influence by being educated in all aspects of your clients needs. If you have a solid foundation it will be evident to the potential client by your confidence and knowledge. You want to be the one to advise a particular lawyer, based on experience and cost.

Accountants, tax preparers, life insurance salespeople, and typical stock brokers alike, don't cover all aspects of a Seniors estate planning needs. They do their job and get out. The tax people talk about getting a tax refund, or a reduction in taxes. The Life insurance person talks more insurance. The stock broker pedals better rates of return. What I'm saying is that you need to tie it all together and fill the holes left by all of these professionals. If you have a good personal understanding of all these subjects and you can explain the facts in a way that seniors understand, then and only then will you see a huge increase in your ability to close more annuity and life insurance sales.

So with all that being said it should be evident to you that the appointments being generated by PAP are all great opportunities for sales, but in order to be successful you have to see things through the clients eyes. The first thing they think, is he like all the rest of the sales people we have seen over the years? What's different about this sales person?

Can we trust him to be the person who gives advice for the preservation stage of our lives?

You need to be the person who covers all the bases with perfection. You have to be talking about all subjects. You need to talk about Probate, taxation of Social Security benefits, and protection of assets from nursing home care liens. If you truly get what's on their minds, selling annuities will get a heck of a lot easier.