Client communication: As easy as ABC

August 14, 2017 by Sean Marus

A client checks his phone for content sent by his financial advisor.

About the author

Sean Marus

Product marketing specialist

With years of experience in product marketing and content generation in the financial services industry, Sean is committed to providing informative and impactful content to financial professionals and the clients they serve.

With robo-advisors gaining popularity and fee compression causing heightened competitiveness within the advising space, financial advisors are finding it increasingly difficult to differentiate themselves. Now that all financial advisors dealing with retirement accounts are legally obligated to act as fiduciaries, advisors are now tasked with finding new ways to set themselves apart from the pack.

Forming a strong client communication strategy is crucial for advisors looking to stand out within an increasingly competitive industry. Though this may seem complicated, communicating with clients can be quick, efficient, and effective.

By having your content strategy follow these tenets, you can ensure that your communication approach is as easy as “ABC."

Applicable

When communicating with clients, it is important to deliver timely and relevant information to them. Sending broad, sweeping, nonspecific communication will not be pertinent to the majority of your mailing list. Ultimately, it is unlikely that this technique will be significantly effective in reaching your clients.

Try segmenting your client base in different ways. For example, have a group for clients by age, one group for clients with children, and one group that sorts client by net worth. Then, you can send targeted, but also large-scale, information that is applicable to each section.

If you have a client segment approaching 70 years old, you can send them timely material about required minimum distributions. If you have a segment of younger parents, you can send information on setting up qualified retirement accounts. In doing this, you will give your clients exactly what they need, precisely when they need it.

Brief

Many clients do not want to be inundated by information about financial topics that feels like the equivalent of reading a Charles Dickens novel. What clients truly want is targeted, specific information directly related to their situation. In meetings, eyes will start to glaze over once the conversation shifts too far beyond how the information directly impacts their personal situation.

When connecting with your clients, make sure that your message is clear and succinct. Be quick to the point of the communication and make sure that it relates directly to your client. In a fast-paced world, time is money for both you and your clients; make your communication as efficient as possible.

Creative

Given the ubiquity of the internet, clients are able to access a nearly endless amount of information on basically any topic that is relevant to them. An advisor needs to ask him- or herself how they can connect to clients in a more meaningful way than what is already available at the tips of their fingers.

While some information is best-suited in straight text format, there are also times when more visually-based pieces would be more effective when talking with clients. Use visuals whenever possible, as learning has been shown to improve by up to 400 percent when visual aids were included.

Connecting with clients in a clear, concise, and creative manner may seem daunting. However, client communication can be painless if you remain cognizant of how to do so as efficiently as possible.

To learn how sending relevant content can add significant value to your business, click here.