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Summertime!

 

This past weekend my oldest child graduated from high school and while he is looking forward to beginning his college career, my other kids are all excited about starting a fresh new summer. Lazy days filled with swimming, barbeques and family outings.

Thankfully, their attitude can be contagious. I came in this morning to write this newsletter and, while doing my research, found what you might expect: nothing but a litany of articles bemoaning bad economic times. Nothing fresh and exciting about that. How excited will my readers be if I simply parrot what they’re already bombarded with 24/7?

With an entire summer of possibilities ahead, I have come to the conclusion that the kids have it right: it is time to take a break, both literally and figuratively. Let’s face it, the first six months of 2011 have been no picnic.

But let’s look at it from the kids perspective: they just finished a grueling year of school and now they get a few months off to relax and reboot before they dig in to the next challenge. But wait, we’re adults! There are “planes to catch and bills to pay” (sorry Mr. Chapin; couldn’t resist) we can’t just put life on hold!

Wouldn’t it be incredible to have an entire summer off? But that’s not a realistic dream for most of us. Still, the basic principle is sound: we all need to shift into neutral for a few days – or even weeks if you can manage it. Get away from everything. Go take a hike, go fishing, or just sit and read a good book. Find whatever it is that helps you uncoil that big spring and just say ahhhhhhh.

Then, when you are ready (or more likely when you are dragged back to the office kicking and screaming), the world will seem a bit less daunting - that is until you open your e-mail and find four hundred messages in your in-box! That’s the time to stop and utter my name in vain for suggesting that you would feel better if you “took some time off”.

But hold on a minute, even with the backlog of things we have to face when we return, we still get a fresh look at how things are. Having had the time to look back at where we have been, we have a better idea of where we are going and how to get there.

You may find it productive to take a fresh look at some of your cases and ask some simple questions like “where is this case going anyway”? “Is this the one we should settle?” If so, your next question might be “How will we settle it”? This is a good time to consider whether the case is a good candidate for a structured settlement. Your mind is fresh and a fresh approach may be just the thing to break a stalemate.

If you think your case might be a structure candidate but your mind is still back on vacation, then that’s the time to call your friendly neighborhood structured settlement expert - me! Getting me involved earlier, more often and much more actively is a crucial ingredient in getting things moving again on the case. I can break down the components of future damages into easily understood proposals that give you support in developing negotiating and disposition strategies. Then, even if you are still months away from moving the case into a settlement posture, you will be ready. You will have settlement offers that provide injured claimants with compensation that match needs they haven’t even focused on yet.

This method covers all bases. No matter what direction the case moves, you are covered. Where would you rather be: on offense, controlling the pace and direction of negotiations or on the defensive, reacting to the demands and moves of the other side? As in most things, exerting hands-on, positive control over the situation is better. All it takes is a little time and a little planning.

And fortunately, all you need to do to harness this powerful technique is call me and ask for help. Once I am involved, I bring all my focus to bear on the points described above. Between my own experience and that of my associates, we will help you develop a negotiation strategy that will move you forward to your goals.

Just back from vacation? Interested in a fresh look at an old case? Call Frank C. Kilcoyne, CSSC at 800-544-5533, I am (tanned and) ready to help.