We are on the crest of the wave of self-interest that marks the Me generation and the Baby Boomers. We are also living through an economy that has shattered our bubble believing good times last forever and hardships cannot be so hard. Finding out that they don’t and can alters peoples’ perspectives.

These times motivate serious reconsiderations of everything from life strategies to core values. For different people this all plays to varying degrees, of course, but on the other side of the invisible fence, there are the marketers who want to sway this group, carve out an audience, and attempt to sell them something, whether it is mutual funds, annuities, life insurance, a political party and candidates or foods produced a more healthful way. What better way than through core human emotions?

Gifts have been used by marketers and salespeople since the term lagniappe was born. Toasters and coasters for opening savings accounts; a ‘free’ road atlas for seeing a life insurance agent; key chains, coffee mugs and desk clocks that all tote the giver’s name (killing the aesthetics of the piece) to tout the giver’s services. If you have a history in sales, you probably have a collection of such memorabilia that was given to you—and given by you—at different stages of your career. Times have changed and the rules are now significantly different.

Over the years I’ve encountered a few gifts that make something happen in marketing, but there is one that I’ve found works especially well as a meaningful gift, yielding the giver good returns on investment.

Once Upon a Lifetime… was published a few years back by author Patricia Williams. The book was recently put on CD in a handy format with new features that increase the already easy ease of use. The CD version is called Stories of Your Life. You can see and sample both at www.storiesofyourlife.com, so I won’t bore you with its features here. See them for yourself. I will tell its benefits, however.

Dan Quayle raised the clarion call for family values over a decade ago before many people were ready to here about it, especially from him. It was and is a great message, however, and people are now ready to hear it and to embrace it. What if… you could help people solidify their family values without discussing religion or politics and focus only on family and personal events? What if…you could help bridge the generation schisms that plague many families with two, three or four generations? What if…you could get first interviews with prospects you want for significantly less than $30. per prospect, and your clients do most of the work! What if…you help a client make a great emotional breakthrough and get credit for being the caring facilitator? All this is not just a series of What if’s…but potential reality for your advisory practice.

Try the book or the CD. They are a small investment to sample and, based on your actual experience, decide whether to buy more and use this in your practice to make clients happy and to prospect. Books are available at www.amazon.com and www.chapters.indigo.ca. The CD version is available online at the author’s website www.storiesofyourlife.com.

If you are an advisor—not simply a salesperson—you will profit from this. If you are a caring salesperson, you will also profit from this. It takes a certain amount of relationship caring to skillfully utilize this valuable tool. If you have caring skills, Once Upon a Lifetime… and Stories of Your Life can be to you as a saw and a plane are to a skilled carpenter.

You don’t have to be sick to get better.

Questions? Email jhmco@melchinger.com

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This newsletter is designed and distributed by Kirk Lowe of Freedomarketing. Content by John H. Melchinger – The Marketing Coach™