by Amanda “Mandy” Bossow, LWP Implementation Specialist
As part of the LWP Estate Planning Process, we offer 2 “consultation” type meetings as part of the enrollment process. The first being an Initial Meeting which is usually offered to those who are in a “crisis” situation such as needing Probate, Trust Administration, or are in Medicaid Crisis. It is also offered to those who refuse to attend an educational Workshop, despite the Client Services Coordinator's best efforts.
The other “consultation” type meeting is the free Vision Meeting which is ONLY offered to those who will be attending or have attended an educational Workshop.
Often times during Implementation, Vision and Initial Meeting are used by members synonymously. Although they are similar, the Vision and Initial Meetings are not conducted the same way.
Vision meetings are ONLY offered after someone has attended a Workshop as the tools used within this meeting, such as the Estate Plan Audit as well as the Vision Clarifier, refer back to the stories and concepts discussed during the Workshop.
Initial meetings generally do not utilize the Estate Plan Audit or the Vision Clarifier as the prospect does not have that education nor do they understand the stories used to more easily explain these concepts.
The Personal and Financial Information Form, as well as the Client Goal Focuser, are used in both meetings, however, the attorney will usually utilize their counseling skills to guide the prospect to one or two plans that best suit the prospects wants and needs in the Initial Meeting whereas during the Vision Meeting, the prospect goes through the Audit Tool and Vision Clarifier which helps both the attorney and the prospect come to a clear decision on what plan is the best fit.
The Vision Meeting helps the clients visually see why some plans are a better fit than others because they have indicated how important certain estate planning concepts are more important to them or not. The Initial Meeting requires much more guidance and counseling from the Attorney. The Initial Meeting also relies heavily on the Attorney’s ability to showcase the Value Proposition conversation and to build trust with the prospect.
One other difference between these two meetings is the cost. Members generally charge a fee to conduct an Initial Meeting if a prospect refuses to go to a Workshop. Sometimes this acts as a deterrent and the prospect will go to the Workshop with the promise of a free Vision Meeting afterward. In general, members have found if a prospect is willing to pay the Initial Meeting fee, the likelihood of them being retained is much higher.
The ultimate goals for both the Initial and Vision meeting is for the prospect to make a decision on what estate plan is going to be the best fit for their future planning needs, sign an engagement agreement and become a client. Which meeting the prospect attends truly depends on whether or not they attend a workshop.
