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5 Things To Make Your Client Experience Exceptional

Your successful, profitable financial planning firm is built on your client experience. A happy client base and new business are essential for your firm’s success.

Even though every client’s needs are different, there are some universal desires. Clients place the highest value on trust, transparency, and an overall relationship with their advisors, with transparency being the most important factor. Based on these considerations, you can orchestrate a superior experience by paying attention to five characteristics.

1. Digital Brand
Setting authentic, deliverable expectations is the essence of your brand. As the first point of contact for many clients, the first interaction is a vital starting point for improving the customer experience.

By defining exciting, but realistic, expectations for your digital presence, you can begin building trust and transparency. Your website should provide easy access to key information, such as fees and services. The ability to continue to build trust with clients by providing informative content to meet their increasing desire to educate themselves can go a long way.

2. Client Onboarding
Clients may find manual onboarding tedious. It’s crucial to get the onboarding right when the impressions are high at the beginning of the planning relationship. The tone for the rest of the relationship can be set by creating trust and transparency at this stage.

The importance of communication goes beyond technology investments.
Setting expectations for the fact-finding and onboarding process can be done by sharing content with clients. In addition to proactively addressing client concerns about data security, you can show them how to communicate safely.

3. Financial Plan Creation
Planning a financial strategy takes collaboration, not an individual effort. Participating in the planning process gives clients confidence that they’re working with you for their best interests. It is easiest to keep clients updated on their investments and plans, as well as their progress towards their most important goals, by providing a client-facing website.

Taking it a step further, you can also explain the basic assumptions behind your plan and demonstrate the reasoning behind all your recommendations. By making the planning process transparent, the relationship can be built on trust.

4. Communication
To reassure your clients that you are looking out for their best interests, you must communicate effectively. Keeping them informed and engaged makes the planning process that much easier.

During the client’s journey, you should communicate regularly with them. You can help your clients and communicate effectively by providing them with information about their financial situation as early and clearly as possible, setting up alerts regarding issues that need to be addressed, and providing them with educational materials.

5. Client Service
A client’s experience cannot be complete without service. Inevitably, your clients will have concerns and questions about your services. How you respond to those concerns and questions will greatly affect their perception of you.

Another great way to start is to offer 24/7 access to your client portal. In addition to training them on how to use the tools, you can show them how to solve their own problems. It is important, however, to ensure your whole team is well-versed in the technology you use, as well as being available to help if you need it.

Are you ready to WOW your clients? Send us a message today!