Retail? Or Custom?
Have you ever had the opportunity to get a custom fit suit or clothes tailored to fit you? If you have, you really appreciate what a nice feeling this is and what a difference in how your clothes feel and look.
I (Mark) can remember as a young boy my dad taking me to a tailor who took my measurements to make me a nice suit. Now mind you, we were not rich. My dad was a missionary in Korea, and it was very inexpensive to buy a custom tailored suit. My dad taught me how to dress and that if you look good it really has an effect on how you feel. “Look good, feel good.”
I definitely notice the difference when I see someone wearing something that is ill fitting. Pant legs dragging on the ground or sleeves way too long. It just looks a bit sloppy and not very professional. I know when I am feeling good in my clothes I feel much more confident and upbeat. I get a lot more done and people seem to respond to me in a much more positive way. My dad also taught me that when you go shopping for clothes, get dressed up so you look sharp. The sales person will treat you much better and will be more inclined to want to help you. I have followed dad’s advice and believe me it works. Try it out for yourself.
It seems that anything that is customized to your specifications is much better all around. It works better, feels better and has a positive impact on whatever you are doing, because it is designed specifically for YOU.
I always wondered how cowboys keep their hats on their heads when riding a horse. You would think that because of the wide brim on the hat that it would blow off every time. I recently went to a business conference in Dallas and the hosts of the conference offered a custom fit cowboy hat for everyone there. I thought that was really cool. There were people there that helped you pick out your hat and then custom fit it to your head. They had stretchers and steamers and kept putting the hat on your head and taking it off until they had fit it just right. I now understand how the hat stays on the head. My hat is fitted perfectly and is not going anywhere when the wind blows. I do look silly wearing it in Ohio, though…
Why is custom fit such an important idea to Bull Moose?
Well our new clients often come into our office with their statements to show us how they have their retirement money invested, and no matter the size of the account, when we look at it, we typically see a lot of the same kind of stuff. We call it retail. The kind of stuff anyone can go to the store and pull off the shelf.
What we are then able to do is enlighten those that meet with us that there may be things available to you that you have not been made aware of. Things that are more customized to each individual situation. Some of these things are because of new technology. There may be things like “circuit breakers” that provide some potential protection against large downward movements in values of certain types of investment accounts. Other things may be available to folks that have a higher net worth. Many don’t realize what they are worth until they start adding it up. They don’t realize that they may qualify for some more favorable things that can be customized to their situation. They also may qualify for discounts they did not know they could get.
What to do? Check into it. As the saying goes, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Find out what a custom fit feels like. Find out if you can be doing things more efficiently that can lead to a better result. You may be very glad you did. Remember, the next time you go shopping for clothes, dress up. See what happens.