When Will I See You Again?
A client asked me this question the other day, and perhaps you may be asking a similar question. Children ask “when will I see my friends?” My niece asks “when will I be able to visit with my favorite aunt?” I ask “when will we be able to safely invite our friends over for a meal?” This year and this pandemic have disrupted our normal relationships, and this goes for personal as well as professional relationships. And the song “When Will I See You Again” keeps echoing in my brain.
Way back in 1974, the Philadelphia music legends Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff wrote the song “When Will I See You Again”. The trio of Fayette Pinkney, Sheila Ferguson and Valerie Holiday recorded this catchy tune as the band “Three Degrees”, another great piece of Philadelphia music history. Three Degrees had just recorded TSOP in 1973, which became the theme song for the hit television show Soul Train. FYI, TSOP stands for “The Sound of Philadelphia”. While “When Will I See You” was popular in the U.S, it was perhaps even more popular in the United Kingdom, where Prince Charles became a big fan. In fact, the Three Degrees sang this song at Buckingham Palace for Prince Charles’ 30th birthday. Later, they attended his wedding to Diana Spencer. The song asks a relevant question, especially this year. When will I see you again?
I have been a Financial Advisor for over thirty five years. This job requires me to get to know my clients and to deeply understand their financial needs and concerns. I have found that the best way to “know my client” is to sit down face-to-face and discover the real needs and concerns that he/she/they may have. Further, my knowledge of each individual’s needs and concerns expands each time I meet with a client.
This year client meetings came to a screeching halt in March. With a couple of exceptions, I have not held normal client reviews in person since then. Sure, Zoom calls are helpful. But the novelty of Zoom calls has worn off and now many of us suffer from “Zoom fatigue”. In addition, I have spent more time on the phone reviewing client situations in the last nine months than I can recall. And to be perfectly honest, the financial advisory business did not suffer during the last nine months nor did client accounts, as the markets have rallied from the March 23rd lows. But my work is not the same and I don’t like it.
I don’t have a definitive answer to the question “When will I see you again”? But it won’t be soon enough. I will roll up my sleeve for a vaccine as soon as it becomes available, and I hope you will do the same. I will continue Zoom calls and regular phone or conference calls. Finally, as an optimist, I will boldly posit that spring 2021 will see the resumption of client meetings. And perhaps we can slowly, tentatively, and carefully restore a sense of normalcy to our relationships. I hope so. I really do.
Best wishes to you and your family this holiday season. Let’s look forward to a New Year!
Ralph McDevitt December 23, 2020
Any opinions are those of Ralph McDevitt and not necessarily those of Raymond James.
