September is, at least for the September 2016 version of this column, quite simply the most important month of the year. Arguments can, and perhaps will, be made for any of the other months—I may be unwittingly exposing my company and person to mass protests on the streets of suburban Kansas City by both dedicated April Fools (despite a well-documented case for honorary lifetime membership) and armies of sandal-candle, tree-hugging, wood-hippie Arbor Day devotees. As a dedicated print publisher and, by default, unrepentant tree killer, I assure you that it won’t be the first time I’ve had to pay to have ridiculous amounts of maliciously flung sap painstakingly removed from my gas-guzzling SUV. (Although I personally believe Julius Sterling Morton was just another opportunistic demagogue, as a service to my ideological adversaries I offer you the Arbor Day Foundation’s website—www.arborday.org. Apparently the national recognition of this momentous holiday—thanks to Richard Nixon—is celebrated annually on the last Friday in April…they even have a countdown clock on the website…no kidding.)
Coinciding with the relieved sighs of countless millions of parents celebrating their own interpretation of no child left behind, September marks, for many, the ability to return to work, responsibility and service at least less interrupted. In our universe it also beckons two of the most significant events in our industry—Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM) and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors’ (NAIFA) Annual Conference.
To make sure Americans are reminded of the need to include life insurance in their financial plans, the nonprofit organization Life Happens (formerly known as the Life Foundation) coordinates Life Insurance Awareness Month. Life Happens is joined in this educational initiative by more than 100 of the nation’s leading insurance companies and industry groups.
I implore you to join Life Happens (www.lifehappens.org), both to support this worthy organization and to avail yourself of a wealth of agent resources to use in your marketing campaigns, in client education and in spreading the word at a grass roots level about the benefits of life insurance. Despite the public perception of the endlessly deep pockets of insurance companies, no entity has the funds to truly combat widespread liberal media and office seekers’ portrayals of our industry as opportunists merely feeding heartless financial monoliths, and Life Happens is no exception. But they do offer you a vast array of tools to influence one or more minds at a time in your communities.
Perhaps the best known of these resources is Life Happens’ series of Real Life Stories, available as flyers or even embeddable videos, that reinforce the need for life insurance in powerful, emotional ways.
Perhaps less known but powerfully demonstrative of our industry’s compassion for others, Life Happens sponsors the annual Life Lessons Scholarship Program for college students and college-bound high school seniors. Qualified entrants who submit essays or videos about how the death of a parent impacted their lives are eligible for scholarship money. Over a million dollars in college scholarships have been awarded over the years. The total of scholarships for the 2016 Program is $260,000, to be awarded in various amounts to 33 young people struggling to afford a college education due to the loss of a parent or guardian. Individual contributions are accepted from those wishing to support this important initiative. Your financial support can make a world of difference, and donations to the Life Lessons Fund are tax-deductible. Donations can be made at https://www.lifehappens.org/life-lessons-scholarship-program/donate-to-life-lessons.
Over three decades serving the insurance industry has left me still an ardent advocate for the NAIFA organization (formerly NALU). Any internal debate about the self-serving benefits of NAIFA you may recognize need be addressed elsewhere, despite the preponderance of member benefits represented on the NAIFA website (www.naifa.org). From industry advocacy to a wealth of practice resources and professional development programs, NAIFA certainly has a great deal to offer both the established insurance professional and the early career advisor. And therein the artfully-crafted segue.
My experience in the industry was indelibly etched with memories of early NAHU conventions. Not as much by the well-presented programs or the boisterous “networking” during breaks and in the evenings, as by countless times that I saw respected veterans of this industry take time for either a few minutes of simple encouragement or for lengthy, in-depth mentoring of young agents trying to make their way in the business. In my capacity as neophyte servant to the industry, I was often the beneficiary of both as well. Too many great guys from the Kansas delegation to even try to mention.
While the pursuit of financial wellbeing is certainly still a consideration today, I assume that most, if not all, of us must recognize that at the ethical heart of our industry is the mandate to be of service to our fellow man in our unique way—protecting families and legacy wishes through the sales of insurance products. I contend that those who today enjoy a comfortable life, earned as a result of dutiful service to consumers, have still a further moral mandate to pass their knowledge, compassion, ethics and sense of purpose to those less experienced men and women who are trying to forge a career in our industry—by not only steering them to NAIFA but by welcoming them yourselves when they walk through the door. Give back to the industry that has treated you well—at your local level, and by providing yourself as a resource at the 2016 NAIFA Annual Conference. Plus it’s in Vegas. Register at http://www.naifa.org/events/performance-purpose-2016-annual-conference. [SPH]
