Keep Clients Engaged with a Life Events Calendar

The relationships that seem the most comfortable can sometimes be the least engaged. If you’ve implemented your initial recommendations and now provide routine services, it could be that, for some clients, ongoing contact becomes limited to annual reviews and basic reporting.

One strategy for keeping up engagement in relationships like these is to implement a universal life events calendar. Here’s how it works:

Make a list of common milestones and transitions that have financial implications. This might include certain birthdays, career changes or developments in family life.

Then consider the information and resources you might be able to provide at those times to help a client mitigate financial risk and make the most of the services they have available to them. This could involve checklists, FAQs, informative guidebooks and, crucially, a summary of the relevant services and knowledge you offer as their advisor.

For example, any client turning 65 this year may receive a refresher on the retirement rules and considerations for that age. A client who’s welcoming a child or grandchild into the family might get some resources on education savings, wills and legal documentation, or family trusts.

The collateral you provide could be digital, though a physical package with a brief note or letter sends an even stronger message. In either case, the materials on their own could provide the clarity the client needs, or they may initiate a conversation.

While it might take some energy to develop your life events calendar and accompanying collateral, packages can be prepared en masse and the entire process can be coordinated by your administrative staff.

Like most client engagement items, what this does is align you more closely with the individual’s life. It reinforces the idea that you’re doing more than just navigating the markets—you’re proactively supporting your client’s priorities and you’re in tune with the changes that may have a bigger impact on their lives than the fluctuations in the market are likely to.