Ways Advisors Can Make Their Clients Feel Even More Welcome

First impressions are everything when beginning a new client relationship. As advisors strive to grow their businesses, some take extra steps to add a personal touch to the client experience. This can make all the difference to the way their clients and prospects perceive them.

Here are simple ways you can make your clients and prospects feel even more welcome. Each small step can have a big impact, helping to ensure your clients enjoy doing business with you and increasing your chance of referrals.

Send out a Welcome Package

Start making a great first impression by sending your prospective client a welcome package before the first meeting. Include a brochure that highlights your services, welcomes them as clients, and showcases the financial journey you take with clients and the value you provide throughout their lifetime. Also, ease their minds by providing directions to your office or instructions on how to dial into a virtual meeting, and including a list of what to prepare for the meeting. Add a personal touch with an introduction to yourself and your team, and perhaps some ways you support the community.

Introduce the Entire Team

Speaking of introducing clients to the team, make sure every client and prospect has the opportunity to meet every team member and clearly understands what each person can do for them. This demonstrates the depth of service your clients can expect and also ensures clients know whom to contact regarding specific matters. An in-person introduction is preferable, but if that’s not possible consider a virtual introduction. Making this effort helps to solidify a client’s relationship with your team.

Take the Time to Get to Know Them  

This is a critical, yet often overlooked, portion of client meetings. Advisors can often fall into the trap of wanting to get to the meeting agenda, but often the small talk before and after a meeting are what truly builds a trusting relationship. It’s important to pick up on clues about how clients and prospects think and feel, as well as what’s important to them. From there, you can find common ground, ask follow-up questions to connect what they said to their financial plan, and ensure your client appreciation program is tailored to their interests.

Invite Them to Future Events

Here’s a great way to immediately secure your client’s or prospect’s participation in your upcoming events: share your pre-planned event calendar and make sure they mark down the planned events you have this year. Check that the schedule has a nice mix of events—for example, a golf tournament, a fundraiser and an informative seminar—and ensure events are inclusive to different types of clients.

Commit to a Cause

Many of your clients are likely actively involved in local charities and volunteer organizations. At times, some will ask you to contribute to a cause that is dear to them. This is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to supporting your clients and their priorities. Although you cannot commit to every request, choose the causes that resonate with you and let your clients know you are happy to commit your time or resources to those causes.

Personalize Holiday Cards

Simple and effective, holiday cards are an industry staple that many clients have come to expect. The key is to put extra effort into the delivery and personalization of your holiday cards. For instance, your client base is surely a mix of different cultures and religions, so sending out one generic card a year won’t suffice. Instead, try to highlight important holidays throughout the year and send the appropriate card to each client. A client will be pleasantly surprised that you thought to wish them a “Happy Passover” rather than a generic “Happy Spring.” Make sure cards are addressed directly to your clients and be sure to sign each one.

Follow Up with a Thank You Note

A personalized thank you note is a great way to make your clients and prospects feel welcome. Mention how much you appreciate their business and look forward to working together for many years to come. This demonstrates thoughtfulness and ensures they feel they’ve had a complete experience.  

Integrating a few of these ideas adds value for your clients and prospects. It also helps your business through asset retention, referrals and overall client satisfaction. Contact your CI representative to learn more about how CI Advisor Consulting’s Practice Management Team can help you enhance your client experience.