March 08, 2021

How financial advisors have enhanced their client's digital experience  

How financial advisors enhance their client's digital experience  

Every financial advisor and client is trying to have a better digital experience. We have all heard of zoom burnout and fatigue, how can you make it more fun and engaging for people?

Appointment

First off it starts with setting up the appointment. Are you using an online calendar link and is it easy for your clients to make an appointment with you?  Consider using online calendars such as timetrade, calendly or Microsoft bookings. Always check with your firm and compliance department before implementing any technology. Once the appointment is set,  do you send an agenda of the meeting with a question to your clients asking them what they would like to add to the agenda?  This should be a templated process to make it a better experience for your client.

Digital meetings

We are now getting used to using technology to have digital meetings. I ask advisors how their meetings are going with their clients. The two areas they struggle with are getting both spouses to a meeting and collecting the information they need to have an effective meeting. Again this is a process in your email to ask what to add onto the meeting agenda remind them of the information that you need them to have for the meeting. Imagine if you had a meeting with your account and your account asked you to prepare all of the information so that you could have an online meeting and you weren't prepared. What does your account say and what happens at that meeting? 

Meeting experience

When your clients log on to your meeting link, ask them how the experience was, and ask them if they've done a lot of digital meetings before.  You and I have had additional training on how to do online meetings,  but think about all of the retirees that haven't had any of this training. It is a perfect time to teach them a few things about how they could look better and have a better experience. Ask them how the sound is, how the picture quality is, and can they see your screen? Make sure they have great lighting and if you teach them a few things then tell them this could be a better experience when they have a call with their grandchildren or other family members. A simple example would be the lighting. Make sure they have a good amount of light in the room where they are doing the meeting and you can see their eyes clearly, as eyes build trust. 

Digital signature

Remember the first time you used a digital signature? Once we did, it seemed simple and easy to use. But at first, it was intimidating. What if I clicked the wrong button or the wrong box or the screen disappears. Consider doing a test digital signature first, so that people are comfortable in using a digital signature. Don't assume that sending 32 pages of information, and they're going to digitally send it back to you without any questions. Again this is a process and an experience. You might have a guide on how to make sure you understand digital signatures. The last thing you want is someone complaining that they didn't understand digital signatures.

Visual experience

I use PowerPoint in all of my meetings and webinars. I don't think anyone got excited by seeing a chart or a graph. There is nothing wrong with this to illustrate a point but you want to also make it an emotional experience by attaching pictures to your PowerPoint so that it becomes an emotionally engaging experience for them. It can also be entertaining and use this as an opportunity to enhance their experience.  I would recommend using two video monitors one for your video and one for your presentation. The presentation will have the agenda with a picture on it and it will have your complete process clearly mapped out for the client so at the end of the meeting, you can convert it to a PDF document and send them a copy and have one for your file.

Feedback

The only person to give you good advice on making it a better experience as your client. Ask your client how their online experience was and what can you do to improve it for them. The best way to do this is to do a practice run with a staff member and record it and practice practice practice. Now you have a process to enhance your client's digital experience.

How about your goals for your practice in 2021? Our Practice management checklist or fee
audit checklist  

While each financial advisor's practice may have a different approach, advisors need to understand where their practice needs help, and will they get the right help for the right part of their practice. What areas does your practice need help with? Get a copy of our updated 21-page “Comprehensive Practice Management Strategies checklist” by going to our website https://www.advisorpracticemanagement.com/about-us or clicking here https://practicemanagement.getresponsepages.com/
Fee audit checklist for ideal prospects, click here https://feeaudit.getresponsepages.com/

Call me

Contact us to help get clarity around your goals on paper, and having the goals conversation by contacting grant at grant@ghicks.com or click on the link to set up a no-obligation 20-minute discussion https://my.timetrade.com/book/JMTNJ regardless if we work together, let’s have a chat and listen to your biggest practice management concerns to help you get clarity around your future business.

Grant Hicks, CIM, is President of Advisor Practice Management and co-author of “Guerrilla
Marketing For Financial Advisors” 1st and 2nd edition. www.advisorpracticemanagement.com
for speaking, workshops or coaching, contact Grant at grant@ghicks.com  Grants combined
financial advisor clients manage over 4 billion AUM , and earn over $40 million dollars
combined!

Enthusiastically yours,

Grant Hicks, CIM, President
Advisor Practice Management
www.advisorpracticemanagement.com

Suite 1625-246 Stewart Green, SW
Calgary, Alberta  T3H 3C8
Cell 403 970 8895
Email grant@ghicks.com   

PS Where do you want to be in 3 years?

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