What’s Your New Year’s Resolution? Grow Your Business? Start With A Top Notch Service Model
For many of us, a new year equals new goals and resolutions. As an independent financial advisor, we’re willing to bet that one of your goals is to grow your business. But with so many tools available and no lack of advice on how to do this, where do you start if you want to experience the biggest payoff? Our simple answer: start with developing a top-notch service model. Here’s why.
The financial industry is chock full of products, formulas, and opinions and your clients are inundated with these on a daily basis. They can find more financial information online than ever before. So how do you show them you can meet their financial needs? How do you grow your business and attract clients who will then refer others to you? It’s simple: create a well-designed and executed client service model that will, over time, drive client satisfaction, referrals, and ultimately your success as an advisor.
It’s All About Service
Because of the plethora of options available to your prospects, you can set yourself apart by becoming more client-centric than sales-oriented. According to a Financial Advisor Client Experience Report, two of the top three reasons clients leave their advisor are poor service and lack of personalized attention. (1) In order to provide the type of service that not only attracts but retains clients, you need to tap into the power of process. The powerful combination of a structured process and exceptional service separates the most successful advisors from the mediocre.
Here are three things every client service model needs to take into consideration.
Your Client’s Needs
The number one thing clients want from their advisors is that they listen to them and understand their needs. (2) Clients need a defined service model that ensures they are heard and clearly outlines action points based on their needs. As they move through life, reach new milestones, and experience shifting priorities, they want to know their advisor is walking through life with them and tailoring their plan to their needs, no matter how often those needs change.
Sadly, financial advisors often rely too heavily on asset management to justify their fee income, and this can lead to an advisory service gap where the client’s needs are not prioritized. Your clients pay you to manage their money, yes, but based on the results of surveys and research, what they find true value in is the relationship they form with you as you help them find solutions to their financial needs. (3)
Your Client’s Wants
Clients want you to know about their life’s goals and objectives. They don’t just want formulaic advice about when they can retire; they can get that anywhere. A report published by the CFA Institute on the future state of the investment profession gives us a glimpse into what’s most important for financial advisors going forward. Namely, soft skills, such as relationship-building. The results show that while advisors will still need to build technical skills, they also need to understand their clients and partner with them as they work towards their goals. (4)
What they want is for you to share with them how retirement will look and feel for them. They want someone to go on life’s journey with them and be a vested, integrated partner to embrace their dreams and worries so they don’t have to carry them alone.
Your Client’s Expectations
When you pay someone to do something for you, you have expectations of the results you will get, whether that’s eating at a restaurant or hiring a travel agent. Clients expect you to advise them on issues such as tax and estate planning, retirement income, risk management, as well as a host of other issues. If you don’t deliver on those expectations, your clients will find another advisor who can. And if you over-deliver, your clients and your business will achieve levels of growth and success you only dreamed of.
The Key To Growth
Do you have a process that thoroughly addresses your clients’ needs, wants, and expectations or are you just winging it? If you do have a process in place, are you confident your service model sets you apart from other advisors? The team at Freedom Wealth Alliance wants to help you grow your firm this year by showing you how to deliver an advisor best practice service model that can make all the difference in your growth! Learn more about our firm and its unique advantages by visiting www.explorefreedomwealthalliance.com. You can also email us at krozman@freedomwealthalliance.com or call Kurt Rozman at 262-798-7979.
About Freedom Wealth Alliance
Freedom Wealth Alliance is a Registered Investment Advisor providing a home and multiple affiliation options for financial advisors seeking business growth and/or succession planning, operational excellence, and turn-key placement. We created this firm to relieve your stress no matter the stage of your firm. We take the burden of running the business off your back, so you can spend your time doing what you do best and love the most. If that means spending more time with clients and prospects, you can. If that means spending more time with your family, just do it. Visit www.explorefreedomwealthalliance.com and sign up for a free account to access all the tools and resources we have developed to help you transition to true freedom and business ownership.
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(1) https://www.qualtrics.com/customer-experience/financial-advisor-report/
(2) https://www.im.natixis.com/us/resources/natixis-individual-investors-survey-2017
(3) https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/08/financial-advisors-fail-on-investment-performance-client-trust.html
(4) https://www.cfainstitute.org/-/media/documents/survey/future-state-of-investment-profession.ashx