Simon Hall Will Writing Services

Introduction

Having started in a completely different industry, getting into will writing was a completely different direction for Simon Hall.

Essentially forced into starting a new career, Simon took a look at his skill set, what he wanted to do and which of his skills were transferable.?

One of the main things he is really passionate about is working with people. He has a real interest in helping others and with years of life experience working with people from all walks of life; 3 years ago he got into the will writing business.?

To start, it was quite a steep learning curve as there is a lot of technical information involved in will writing. It took him a while to get his head around but it all eventually sunk in.

Putting a will together isn’t as straightforward as it seems. It’s not just about writing down who your beneficiaries are, you have to consider any probate issues, funeral planning and specificities of what you want to happen.?

Based in Exeter but able to work in all locations, his career has taken off and he has grown a solid reputation as the friendly and professional will writer.

An achievement he is incredibly proud of is the numerous testimonials on his Google My Business page. It’s filled with positive reviews of people stating how friendly, informative and professional he is.

When asked how he achieved such positive reviews, Simon explained that a lot of it is to do with his approach.

His aim is to relax customers and to make sure that they don’t feel under pressure. Quite often people will come to him after something (often tragic) happened to either them or someone close to them. People are prompted to contact him when either they or someone close to them knows someone that has died, contracted a critical illness or had a near-death experience.?

It can be an overwhelming process for individuals to deal with. No one likes to think of themselves passing and what Simon tries to do is educate people. He does this in a very clear no-nonsense manner, with no smoke and mirrors, in very simple language that they can understand. It’s not just the language he uses though, it’s also the delivery. Putting people at ease and allowing them the freedom to make informed choices.

Quite often, once he takes customers through the process, they give a huge sigh of relief and you can almost literally see the weight fall off their shoulders as the threat of the unknown is made clear.

Challenges

One thing that Simon often battles with is the misconception that a will is not needed. It usually boils down to two reasons.?

1) people think they will live forever or just don’t like to think of that stage of their lives so put it to the back of their mind and?

2) they have nothing worthy to leave behind.

The first is probably the most difficult to overcome. You can’t force someone to have a will – it’s their own personal choice. As Simon has been very vocal in stating, all he can do is present the information and go through the benefits of having a will.

The second part is easier to go through. So many individuals feel that they haven’t got anything of real value to leave behind and thus think a will isn’t necessary. This isn’t strictly speaking true. One way that having a will helps is through the detailing of a funeral plan. At a time when loved ones are likely to be left distraught at your passing, having clear guidelines as to how you would like your funeral to be conducted can help them during this difficult time.

It also helps to avoid contention as whilst you may not think you have anything of any particular value, there may be something that has an emotional attachment that you would like to leave to a specific individual. Likewise, there may be items that more than one family member would like to have. By putting down the beneficiaries for these items, it can avoid arguments between family members at a time when emotions are high.

As a business Simon is doing extremely well. It surprised him by how well he has taken to the profession and proves that you are never too old to start something new, head in a completely different direction and find a role that you were meant to do.

Not only has business been doing extremely well, but he is able to have a work life balance and is confident and comfortable that his work is helping others. It allows him to get a goodnights rest, knowing that he has been honest, genuine and conducted himself with integrity.

Aside from the keen relationship building skills Simon has, he is also able to rely on a team of highly knowledgeable and experienced individuals if on one of those rare occasions he is asked something he doesn’t know the answer to.

Although very approachable, the difficulty with will writing is how to broach the subject. No one wants to talk about death or dying.

In order to get around this, Simon tries to engage people’s brains by prompting them to think in different ways. One method he has of doing this is through the use of props. For example a crystal ball, a mini coffin, an egg timer and an elixir of life to name a few.

The idea is to stimulate people into visual engagement as opposed to merely standing up and talking about death. So far, the method combined with his delivery has been a huge success.

Focussing on the positives

As morbid as it may sound, one of Simon’s best experiences was when he was contacted by a client; a lady that was given only days to live. She had no family, was in the hospital and he was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to detail what she wanted to happen. Although a work life balance is important, there are some instances where situations will take precedence. This was one such episode. Simon took time out of his weekend and visited her when he was allowed on a Sunday. He came back the following Monday at her request to finalise what was needed and sadly, 24 hours she passed away.

Whilst the ending is sorrowful, the takeaway Simon had was the joy in his client’s face when she was able to finish her will. It gave her peace of mind at the end of her life and he felt honoured to think that he was one of the last people she spent her final hours with and that he gave her that security and comfort in getting her affairs in order.

Going through processes such as the one just mentioned can be exhausting from an emotional and mental perspective. Yet it is also hugely rewarding and gives you a completely different perspective on life.

We can’t just put things off till later, you never know what might happen. That doesn’t just apply to getting paperwork in order. It also applies to how you live your life. Focus on the positives and live in the moment. Yes, we can plan for the future and work towards our goals, however it’s just as important to enjoy what you are doing right now.

This attitude clearly reflects the number of referrals he has received over the last few years. Quite often once someone has spoken with one individual, they pass his contact details onto their family, their friends and so on. It’s a little like dropping a pebble in a pond and watching the circles ripple out. The pebble itself may be small, yet the impact it has can be exponentially larger.?

Why BBX?

Simon joined BBX in April 2020. It was something he had been approached about and thought he’d give it a try.?

With his business still in the early stages, BBX was an interesting proposition and as it focussed on utilising his spare capacity it made sense to him.

For example, he may have a client approach him via BBX and if he has the spare capacity to do so, he’ll happily oblige. This often turns into referrals which more often than not leads to regular customers.

The BBX he then accumulates allows him to spend it on business resources such as paying for networking memberships, marketing, printing, design work, stationery and website creation.

It’s a great tool to use and consider as an alternative route to business.

Moving Forwards

Although business is doing well, Simon isn’t content to just rest on his laurels. He has 5 goals for the year which he was happy to share. His goals for this year are:

1)??????By the end of February to consistently have 3-4 appointments booked in every week.?

2)??????￡4,500 of will work turnover every month?- a goal he is already on track with given that he’s already hit this figure for March.??

3)??????End the job role he is currently doing. Simon currently works two job roles and the aim is to be self-sufficient with his will writing business to the extent that the other job role is no longer needed.

4)??????Regularly achieve ￡6.5k per month?

5)??????Most important – move home by 30th?November and move in with his partner.

Rather than just writing down goals and having no clear plan, Simon has put together a strategy in order to achieve his goals. It’s now about taking the steps to get there. He’s a big believer in the old saying that many hinges can move big doors.?

His advice to anyone out there looking to progress in life and business is to keep things simple and be yourself. At the same time, be considerate of your clients – adapt to your clients’ needs and don’t force your opinion on them. His is not a role where he tells them what he thinks the best thing for them is. He is there in a more advisory and guidance role.?

He wants people to stop and take a moment to think of what they feel is the best thing to do. If you find the whole concept overwhelming, he is there to point you in the right direction in a?friendly, informative and professional manner.