Why We Become a Client — Merritt Financial

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Merritt Financial • Team Resources

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GETTING STARTED

Why We Become a Client

The most important decision you will make in your first week

Merritt Financial • Team Resource

THE QUESTION

"Would you go to a dentist who never brushed their own teeth? Would you hire a personal trainer who never worked out? Would you trust a financial professional who didn't believe in their own products enough to own them?"

This lesson covers one of the most important decisions you will make early in your career with GFI — the decision to become a client of the products you represent. This is not just about making a sale to yourself. It is about building the foundation of your credibility, protecting your own family, and accelerating your career from day one.

THE PRINCIPLE

Eat Your Own Cooking

In the financial world, there is a well-known principle: "Eat your own cooking." The best financial advisors in the world invest their own money in the same products they recommend to their clients. It is the ultimate demonstration of alignment — your interests and your client's interests are one and the same.

When you own what you sell, three things happen immediately:

1You gain moral authority — you can look a client in the eye and say "I own this too"

2You gain product knowledge — you understand the client experience firsthand

3You gain confidence — your belief in what you offer becomes unshakable

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Alignment Builds Trust

Research consistently shows that clients trust advisors more when those advisors have personal stake in the products they recommend. It signals confidence in the recommendation and removes the perception that the advisor is simply chasing a commission. When you can tell a client "I believe in this so much that I put my own money here" — that changes the entire conversation.

FROM THE TRAINING

Why Our Agents Choose to Become Clients

There are five core reasons why agents at GFI choose to become clients of the very products they offer to families:

It's Good For Your Family & Your Financial Situation

This is the most straightforward reason. The products we offer — IUL, term life with living benefits, annuities — are designed to protect families and build wealth. If these products are good enough for the families you serve, they are good enough for yours. Your family deserves the same protection and financial planning you provide to your clients.

To Learn What the Client Process Is Like

There is no better way to understand what your clients experience than to go through it yourself. When you sit on the other side of the table — filling out the application, answering health questions, reviewing the illustration — you gain insight that no training manual can give you. You will know exactly what to say to put a nervous client at ease because you felt that same nervousness yourself.

Moral Authority: It's Hard To Offer Something You Don't Own Yourself

This is the big one. Moral authority means you have the right to speak on something because you live it. When a client asks you "Do you have one of these policies?" and you can answer "Yes, I do — and here is why" — the dynamic shifts entirely. You are no longer a salesperson. You are a trusted advisor who practices what they preach.

Clients Will Always Ask How Your Personal Account Has Performed

It happens in nearly every presentation. The client looks at you and asks: "So... do you have one of these? How is it doing?" If you hesitate or say "not yet" — you lose credibility instantly. If you can pull up your own account and walk them through your personal results, you have just closed the sale. Your real-world experience becomes the most powerful closing tool you have.

Your Personal Policy Counts Toward Your Field Associate Promotion

Beyond the personal and professional benefits, your own policy counts toward your promotion to Field Associate. It is the first step in building your business — and it demonstrates to your upline and your team that you are serious about this career.

THE REALITY

What Most Americans Are Facing

Before you think "I will get to it later" — consider what most American families are dealing with right now:

40%of Americans cannot cover a $400 emergency

54%of adults have no life insurance or feel underinsured

$0in retirement savings for 25% of Americans over 55

66%of Americans worry they will not have enough for retirement

You are entering this industry to help families avoid these outcomes. Start with your own.

THE HARD TRUTH

You cannot pour from an empty cup. If your own family is unprotected, if your own retirement is not being addressed, then you are building a business on a cracked foundation. The most successful agents in GFI started by protecting themselves first — then went out and helped others do the same.

THE PRODUCTS

What You Are Protecting Yourself With

As a GFI agent, you have access to the same world-class products you will offer to clients. Here is what your personal policy can look like:

IUL

Indexed Universal Life

Tax-Free Retirement + Living Benefits

Term Life

Affordable Protection

Living Benefits Included

Fixed Indexed Annuity

Retirement Income

Protected Growth + Guaranteed Income

IUL — YOUR TAX-FREE RETIREMENT VEHICLE

Why Agents Love IUL For Themselves

Market-linked growth — your cash value tracks the S&P 500 index without direct market risk
0% floor — when the market goes down, your account stays flat. You never lose money due to market downturns
Tax-free income in retirement — policy loans are not taxable, creating a tax-free retirement income stream
Living benefits — if you are diagnosed with a critical, chronic, or terminal illness, you can access your death benefit while still alive
Death benefit — your family is protected no matter what
Compound growth — the earlier you start, the more powerful the compounding effect

THE MATH

Starting Early Changes Everything

Consider two agents — both contributing $300/month to an IUL policy:

Agent A starts at age 25 — by age 65, their cash value has had 40 years of tax-free compound growth
Agent B starts at age 35 — they contribute the same amount, but have 10 fewer years of compounding

That 10-year head start can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional tax-free retirement income. The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is today.

THE OBJECTIONS

What Agents Tell Themselves

Every agent has the same internal objections. Let's address them head-on:

COMMON OBJECTION

"I can't afford it right now"
"I'll wait until I'm making more money"
"I'm young, I don't need insurance yet"
"I want to focus on selling first"

THE REALITY

Premiums are lowest when you are youngest and healthiest — waiting costs more
Your personal policy counts toward your promotion, which means you earn more faster
You need insurance the MOST when you are young — your earning potential is your biggest asset
You cannot sell effectively what you do not own — your belief will always have a ceiling

THINK ABOUT IT

If a client said to you "I can't afford to protect my family right now" — what would you tell them? You would tell them they cannot afford NOT to. Apply that same logic to yourself. Your health, your family, and your financial future deserve the same urgency you bring to every client conversation.

THE DIGITAL PFR

Your Personal Financial Review

As part of becoming a client, you will go through the same Personal Financial Review (PFR) process that every client experiences. This is a guided review of your current financial picture — income, expenses, debts, savings, insurance gaps, and retirement projections.

Going through the PFR yourself accomplishes three things:

BENEFIT 1

You See Your Own Gaps

Most agents are shocked at what they discover about their own financial situation when they see the numbers laid out clearly.

BENEFIT 2

You Master the Process

After going through the PFR yourself, you can walk any client through it with confidence because you know exactly what each step feels like.

BENEFIT 3

You Have a Story to Tell

Your own PFR becomes your most powerful sales tool — a real story of how you took control of your finances.

THE CLOSE

Your Next Step

Ready to Become a Client?

Schedule your Personal Financial Review with your upline or Certified Field Trainer

Go through the Digital Client Experience — see what your clients will see

Review your illustration and choose the plan that fits your budget and goals

Complete your application — protect your family and start building your financial future

Use your experience to connect with clients on a deeper level from day one

This Is Where It Starts

The most successful agents at GFI did not wait to become clients. They made it one of the first things they did. They understood that belief comes from ownership, credibility comes from experience, and confidence comes from putting your own skin in the game. Your career starts here. Protect your family. Invest in yourself. Become a client today.