How will you thank your clients this holiday season?
As the year comes to a close, a lot of investors will take a look back at 2021 and their financial progress. How they see that progress, to a certain extent, is up to you.
That’s why many advisors are taking the time to give their clients something extra. Events, dinners and gifts are never wasted, but it’s easy to underestimate the power of a well-crafted piece of communication around the holidays. A personalized message to top clients or a thoughtful summary of what you’ve done can crystallize in clients’ minds the idea that you’re serving their best interests.
It being a season for gathering with friends and family, this is a referral opportunity as much as it is a chance to improve client engagement and retention.
So if you’re considering an end-of-the-year summary, either in conjunction with another client appreciation initiative or as a stand-alone communication, here are a few tips and ideas:
- Summarize what you’ve done for your clients’ portfolios in general. What have the markets have thrown at you and how have your longer-term strategies continued to serve your clients’ goals?
- Provide an update on your own life and family. Clients trust your expertise, but they also trust you as a person, and maintaining that connection is paramount.
- Offer a reminder of the services and resources your clients have access to. Most reviews are dominated by one or two topics, so it’s common for clients to be surprised to learn of the true breadth of what their advisors offer.
- Look for opportunities to personalize the message. It may not be reasonable to send a unique message to everyone on your client list, but it’s often worthwhile to tweak the opening for select clients or send a separate note to those who’ve recently provided referrals.
As vital as communication is to the client relationship, it’s been shown to be even more important during the pandemic. So however you decide to reach out, cap off the year with something that reaffirms your value as a trusted advisor.
