I watched my first soap opera my freshman year in college. Days Of Our Lives was the only thing on in between morning and afternoon football practices, so every day a group of us would huddle around the TV to find out what was going on in Salem between the Horton and Brady families.

This high-drama series always left you hanging on the edge and wanting more.

What you might not realize is that such storytelling is also a technique you can use as an advisor on your clients. How? By helping them frame their own financial lives in dramatic story arcs when you send them e-mails, newsletters and other material. This creative approach can also help you break free from the boring and mundane communications typically found in our industry.

I think of my communications in multi-part series or episodes. I generally use three to five episodes, framing the sequence for a very specific group of people I want to help, people for whom I have tangible tools and resources.

For example, I wrote the following soap opera as a way of letting people know we have a guide they can download that helps married couples prepare for everyday life in retirement.

Title: “The Biggest Mistake I Ever Made With A Client’s Wife (Chapter 1 of 3)”

I was going through my normal client meeting prep when I noticed Hal and Carol pull into our parking lot. They were a few minutes early, but no big deal. I took a quick swig of coffee and that’s when I realized Carol was by herself and dressed to the nines. Let’s just say, she didn’t look or act retirement age, and must have gotten off work early today.

They usually drove together but, since Hal had recently taken a buyout offer from his employer, it must have been easier for them to drive separately. As a former social worker, I tend to be a hugger and greet some people with a friendly squeeze, especially longtime clients.

I told Carol it was nice to see her and how great she looked, and then it just happened.

I made one of the biggest advisor mistakes ever!

It wasn’t premeditated, and if I could go back in time I’d change it.

I point-blank asked her how Hal’s recent retirement was going, and her response was nothing I expected a lady to share. She launched into a sharp-tongued, detailed response accompanied by what looked like tears of anger one minute and a sense of hopelessness the next. She described everything that retirement is NOT supposed to be.

That’s when Hal pulled into the parking lot, so I had no choice but to…

The episode goes on to talk about how I helped her begin to resolve some of these issues with Hal, and how others can do the same with a free guide called “How To Prepare Your Marriage For Retirement.”

Instead of merely telling a story about an early buyout with some growing pains, I inserted readers into the story and gave them a front row seat, which is exactly how you encourage people to read the next episode or give you their e-mail for a free guide or newsletter.

Using this approach, I was able to engage a host of prospects with related concerns as well as position myself as a resource for couples considering a buyout or struggling with the transition.

Fact is, there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes in retirement. While most people initially seek out advisors to help with the financial stuff, they have very real questions and concerns about how others like them are handling situations with adult children, aging parents, estate planning, etc. Think about all the client experiences you have had over the years. Which ones were the most impactful? The most challenging? The most eye-opening?

Simply taking the time to reflect on them creates a powerful opportunity for advisors to differentiate themselves and engage people like never before, while lending support and understanding to retirees’ real life soap operas.

Let me share another episode about estate planning, a topic every advisor is surely familiar with.

Title: “How Your Kids Really Feel About The Way You Plan To Divvy Up Your Assets”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! Her dad was on his last leg and I was making sure all of his estate matters were in place. Beneficiary designations, estate documents and such.

She was so kind and caring in the room with him … making sure he was comfortable and that all of his needs were being met.

Then we got into the elevator and the conversation changed … quickly!

“I don’t think it’s fair that my brother gets half and I get half,” she said. “I mean, he only has two kids and I have three … and he doesn’t have to be here or do anything for dad. But he gets half. I mean, c’mon, that’s just not right.”

As you can imagine, I was speechless. I didn’t know if she was looking for me to agree with her or just listen, or if she was asking me to encourage her dad to change the documents to reflect what, in her eyes, was a more “fair” distribution.

There was only one thing I could do, so I …

Once again, the reader is in the room or elevator with me and thinking about what their kids are saying about their estate.

Here’s another quick example that puts readers at the conference table as a retired couple talks about their investments.

After I finished my investment recommendations for the quarter, John asked Mary, “So what do you think, Honey?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “You know I don’t like this stuff and just want you to take care of it.”

Now mind you, I’ve heard this conversation a million times and usually the husband gives his wife a concerned look after a response like that, saying something like, “I know, but if I’m not here I want you to know what to do.” Usually, that discussion ends there and the meeting progresses as normal.

Not this time.

John barked back harshly, “Dammit Mary, this is important! You’ve got to stop saying that and start figuring this stuff out.”

Mary’s glance at John clearly implied that this was not the time or place to have this conversation, but that didn’t deter John. He was on a mission to make sure his wife “got it.”

Again, it’s simply a matter of adding perspective to real-life situations through the use of characters who reflect the circumstances clients are in or help them resolve concerns before the concerns become problems.

As I demonstrated here, the opening of your story needs to draw people in as you introduce the characters and the problems they face. Once you have their interest, you have to keep them wanting more. This can be done by promising them actions they can take that will save them time and money or spare them heartache. For example, my e-mail ended like this:

“Join me for Episode 2 tomorrow, where I reveal the epiphany that changed the way I do business and the one thing you need to do before you turn in your retirement paperwork.”

Or, in the case of the husband and wife investing scenario:

In the next segment, I’ll introduce you to my No. 1 tool that helps couples manage their assets together like never before.

Each succeeding episode or chapter should build on the previous ones and should include two other components: useful information that the clients can apply to their situations right away and specific action steps they can take.

Keep the information simple and in line with the theme of your story. For the estate planning sequence, you could offer a downloadable estate planning checklist or a guide to ethical wills or provide exclusive access to an online webinar. Whichever way, build on the offer the same way you build on the story. Start by getting prospects’ attention, but save the best for last.

Once you have them hooked, it’s time to turn your attention to action steps that move them closer to becoming your client. That can mean capturing their e-mail, asking them to follow or like your social media pages or educating them on your process, products and services. Effective ways to do this include inserting these action steps into the soap opera:

· “Like” our Facebook page to get immediate access to Episode 2

· Download our guide and get the answers you need to …

· Register for an upcoming workshop to make sure you don’t end up like …

While titles such as “The Last Days Of Our Lives,” “The Aged And Motionless” or “All My Grandchildren” may not make their way to prime time TV, soap opera marketing for retirees can be a fun way for advisors to educate and empower both clients and prospects, help revitalize their marketing and communications and ultimately grow their business.

Robert Laura is the president of SYNERGOS Financial Group, the founder of RetirementProject.org and the creator of the Retirement Wellness Report and DividendPaycheck.org. He can be reached at [email protected].