10 Ways Elite Financial Advisors Engage Their Clients
By
ClientWise | September 5, 2012
Looking for some ideas to re-engage your clients?
- Client Planning Meetings. September is a terrific month to connect with your clients on a planning basis, and look ahead. Reach out to your best clients and look ahead to 2013, and beyond. Focus on the future. Ask questions like, “What’s changed for you?” or “What life transitions are you experiencing now, or will in the near future?” or "What are some of the planning issues that you foresee for next year?"
- Read any good books lately? If you have, send them to your best clients along with a simple note, “I read this during the summer, and thought of you. I wanted you to have a copy.”
- Provide your clients with a visual reason for re-engaging. Send a small memento or gift.
- Google Alerts. Knowing the personal interests of your clients, set up a Google Alerts that covers their needs, interests, concerns, etc. Send these off to your clients, and attach a brief note, “Have you seen this?”
- Take advantage of the USPS while we still have it. “Snail mail” is not likely to be here forever. Get a box of colorful cards, a nice sheet of stamps, and send out 20 handwritten notes. “Thinking of you. Hope you had a great summer. Let’s get together soon!”
- Have the ClientWise Conversation. The ClientWise Conversation is a brilliant way to re-engage clients. See the complimentary download below if interested.
- Be the matchmaker. Most likely, you are in a position where you know a lot of people…or are working on it. Step up and make introductions to clients and acquaintances who should know each other. Introduce a client to one of your list of contacts. Karma-wise, this is almost always a good thing.
- Re-build trust with fractured relationships. All of us have some personal and professional relationships that drift upon the rocky shores from time-to-time. When this happens, be pro-active, take the first step, and reach out to the other party. If a trust has been violated in the eyes of the other person, it is essential to first understand exactly what caused this disruption of trust. With a clearer understanding, you can develop strategies regarding what to do next to repair and re-build the relationship.
- Re-frame your Value Proposition with existing clients. Sometimes, clients have short memories, or are only aware of a fraction of your wealth management proposition. When this happens, it is often helpful to provide your clients with an updated list of all that you and your firm provides. Note: The ClientWise Conversation can be a great vehicle to begin this re-framing.
- Recognize milestones. Celebrate your clients’ success as a natural way to re-engage and build your relationship with them, e.g. wedding anniversary, a new business, child or grandchild’s birthday, retirement, promotion, kid off to college, etc.