The financial planning industry has always intrigued me, and I was lucky enough to get hired by Tarkenton Financial directly out of college to handle licensing, contracting and back office accounting. But I’ve been hungry to learn more about the industry, and over time I’ve taken on more roles. For instance, I’ve learned a lot by helping our Director of Life Insurance Sales, Rebecca Kincaid, with life illustrations, case management, and product recommendations. I’ve also taken the opportunity to dive into our proprietary Social Security software (www.SSCompass.net) and become our in-house support representative, thanks to the great teachings of Don Deans, our resident Social Security Strategist (check out Don’s latest post on Social Security benefits here).
Working directly with our agents every day is a great experience, because it gives me yet another opportunity to learn more about how they are successful in their practices. No market is the same, no client is the same, and no agent is the same, either! But what I’ve seen is that all of our agents have their own unique skills that enable them to most effectively serve their clients. And learning about someone’s situation is the key to helping them.
It‘s satisfying to hear the positive note in an agent’s voice when they’ve helped one of their clients. Whether it’s optimizing Social Security benefits or designing a life insurance plan that will ensure a family’s financial stability in a tragic situation, this is an industry centered on helping others.
That’s reflected in our mission here at Tarkenton Financial. In the office, Fran makes it a point to share little pieces of business advice and philosophy all the time. One that has resonated a lot with me is about the purpose of business—our business, your business, any business. “What is the mission of a business?” he asks. People can give all kinds of different answers, but Fran’s answer always stays the same: “The mission of business is to help people.”
Helping other people is how you will get the most gratification in your practice, and it’s also how you will find more financial success. With that said, what can Tarkenton Financial do to help you help your clients?