1. Truth: We don’t know what the future will hold, as the road to a new European normalcy could take a number of years. We promise to keep you informed by summarizing and interpreting events as best we can, and we’ll be very disciplined and thoughtful about how we respond. These are the times you pay us to have a steady hand and avoid the mistakes that can occur with an overreaction to panicked markets.

  2. Understanding: For everyone watching the world markets, we know your real worries are closer to home. How will this affect my goals? Will I be OK? Now is a good time to build a detailed financial plan, or to refresh the one you have. Let’s look at the assumptions for market returns and interest rates to make sure they are conservative enough for you to sleep at night. Most importantly, let’s identify everything in your control, beyond the markets, so you can feel more confidence. 

  3. Discipline: If there are new risks to your plan as a result of the unclear outlook, we will tell you and help you make adjustments. By making some trade-offs, re-examining priorities and making smarter choices about money every day, you can reset your plan, if needed. We’ll be at your side helping you stay on track.

The goal of this strategy is to help people not only keep calm, but to begin carrying on by offering actions they can take. In fact, I think it’s a great time to offer a free financial plan review, rather than a portfolio check-up or investment review, to both clients and prospects. Who knows, this troubling situation could become the time that you prove your worth as an advisor without the need to explain benchmark performance. Advisors who step up now will grow and prosper.

So, keep calm and carry on, but don’t put your head in the sand. Avoiding your clients now because you are not sure what to say, or giving them canned answers, is the worst thing you can do. The best way we can boost morale is offering truth, understanding and discipline to those we vowed to serve and protect.   

Gail Graham is chief marketing officer at United Capital, an innovative and fast-growing financial life management firm with a unique approach to the market. Having earned awards in retail investor and advisor marketing, Graham is driving United Capital’s brand development, marketing and lead generation across all channels. Follow her on Twitter: @GailGrahamUC

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