NAIFA-Colorado’s 2020 State Convention featured several sessions that offered attendees tips and techniques for forging ahead in today’s trying times. During the keynote address, Keith Renninson described the “TRIP” system and explained how advisors can use it to build better client relationships and grow their business. Renninson is President of Keith Renninson Enterprises, Inc., in Littleton, Colorado.

On a trip to Nepal, Renninson kept a journal of his experiences. When he returned to the U.S., he realized that he had the makings of a book. As he began editing and writing, he noticed that four words appeared over and over in his notes: Tenacity, Resilience, Imagination and Purpose (TRIP). Advisors should strive to acquire these traits, he said, and use them to help clients.

Although COVID-19 has negatively impacted our lives and our businesses, all is not lost, he said, because each of us has traits that can help us overcome adversity and move forward.achieve their financial goals.

The first of these traits is Tenacity. This is all about spirit, adventure and vision, he said. We must incorporate tenacity into our daily lives if we wish to work successfully with our clients.

Renninson then gave a brief description of how he was able to incorporate tenacity into his life. Although he had participated in the Rocky Mountain Senior Games for several years, he had failed to do well in them.

But he never gave up. Instead, he trained hard each year, knowing that being tenacious was the best way for him to achieve success. He pulled himself together after each game, continued to participate, and was eventually able to come in third. Coming in third place might be a small feat for many people, but for Renninson, it was exciting, and he was glad to be able to get that far.

Achieving Tenacity

Tenacity is a great skillset for advisors to master, he said. To develop tenacity, you must:

*Admit what it is that you want.

*Be willing to work hard for it.

*Recognize that even though disappointment is a possibility, you must keep on doing whatever it takes to succeed.

*Do it over and over again.

In your work with clients, you can use tenacity to demonstrate your enthusiasm for what you do and help them better understand the products and services you offer.

The Power of Resilience

The second trait to master is Resilience, he said. As you work to develop this important attribute, you must realize that what you do as an advisor is not an easy task—it has its ups and downs. But you must learn how to be resilient because it has a built-in bounce back factor.

When he joined New York Life as a young agent several years ago, he had a hard time meeting his goals. But the power of resilience helped him bounce back after every failure. He finally found success and went on to have a long and successful career at New York Life.

Rediscovering the Power to Imagine

The third attribute is Imagination. To work with your clients effectively, you must rediscover the ability to dream and imagine, which you had as a child, but which we all lose as we age. “Dream more and use your imagination as you work with your clients,” he said. “We have to have unbeatable imagination to do what is best for our clients.”

Seeking Purpose

The fourth trait is Purpose, which holds everything together. Having a sense of purpose helps you to understand yourself better, allows you to gain wisdom, and assists you in planning better and executing those plans with more clarity.

As advisors attempt to live their lives with purpose, they should take the following steps:

*Consider journaling and meditation. These help you relax, he explained.

*Practice the art of being present in the moment.

*Take mindfulness breaks.

Finally, Renninson encouraged attendees to consider writing their “life philosophy.” This will help them gain better focus and clarity and greatly enhance their lives, both personally and professionally.