“OLD SCHOOL SAYS BUY AND HOLD.
BUT THE NEXT QUESTION IS:
HOW HAS THAT DONE?” —Van Mueller, LUTCF
from the stock market meltdown, she
simply says, “I don’t have anything to
worry about anymore.”
Out come the articles
The next client is very much on profile
with the last two: A retired couple, Ed
and Maryann, again of working-class
means, have looked to Mueller to help
make their money grow and last. In
this case, however, Mueller needs to
show them why getting their money
into annuities is important to ensure
that they don’t outlast it. Just keeping
their money safe isn’t enough—it also
needs to grow. Out comes the USA
TODAY article, and Mueller picks up
rhythm. He taps the newspaper article
and explains the stock fund chart—
and how much money they could have
lost over the last 10 years. He explains
how a fixed-interest annuity could
help them shelter and grow their nest
egg. He explains the big-mistake,
little-mistake scenario.
s ee his clients, visit
with them, reassure them
and, ultimately, explain how he can
keep their money safe—and grow
it. “Normally when I’m done,” says
Mueller, “my client’s first reaction
isn’t ‘I want to buy,’ but ‘Is there any
way you can tell my parents—or kids,
or neighbor—about this?’ ” What he’s
doing is laying the groundwork for a
future sale or referral.
It’s finally dark, and while my day
has ended, Mueller’s has not. He’s off to
a dinner party. But Mueller, who loves
what he does so much that he never
considers it work, will still be “on.” He
knows how the evening will unfold: “A
guest will get around to asking, ‘Van,
what do you do for a living?’ That’s
when I’ll say, ‘I have information that
I know will change your family’s life,
and I’m going to tell you something. If
you don’t know this information, you
and your family are in great financial
jeopardy.’ Then, their next question will
be: ‘What is it?’
“So what did they just do? They
just gave me permission to tell
them—and that’s what I’m looking
for,” says Mueller. “And I want to be
able to do that in any situation and in
any locale.”
The couple listens closely. Mary-
ann speaks for both of them when
she says, “We wouldn’t be where
we are today without Van.” Mueller
has protected their tiny fortune that
was squirreled away after 40 ye ars of
working in a factory.
However, he also cautions the couple who have a penchant for spending
more than they should on things like
Green Bay Packer memorabilia. They
need to reassess their spending habits
so they don’t spend down their savings, he admonishes. Then he stops;
he senses it’s time to turn the conversation to lighter subjects. Ed and
Mueller talk about wrestling and the
WWE—a passion they share.
Getting the green light
We have three more appointments
scheduled for today, which Mueller assures me will be much like the
first three. But he’s not planning on
making any “sales.” He’s there to
Maggie Leyes is a freelance writer and a
frequent contributor to Advisor Today.
