There’s a great deal of competition for clients in the financial sector. This is why client proposition is more important than ever, as the end goal is always client satisfaction.
With prospective clients hard to come by and every lead mattering, financial advisers need to step up their game and begin to offer improved services to their clients to ensure client satisfaction is being met.
It is possible to do this by simply focusing on providing a higher level of service to the customer. I strongly believe that a step further in “wowing” clients is a must… No matter how experienced you are or how expansive your client base is, to have a truly valuable service that new clients want, you need to begin impressing them long before they sign on the dotted line. Client satisfaction starts from the second you make contact. There are a variety of ways to do just that.
#1: YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO THE CLIENT
This is by far the most important step you can take to ensure you land that client. When you first meet a prospective client, you need to be ready to ask a few key questions to gather important information. In a social situation, you’ll want to ask questions that are lighthearted, like “If you had a year’s extra salary, how would you invest it?” Questions like these get people thinking and they easily tell you what’s important to them. By better understanding your prospective client, you can better tailor any sales speech to that client.
#2: YOU NEED TO SHOW THE PROSPECTIVE CLIENT THAT YOU ARE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN HELPING THEM
This is one of the most common failures that financial advisers make when trying to win over a prospective client. They present options, offer key services, and talk about all of their experience. Yet, they do not show genuine interest in helping the client achieve his or her personal goals. It is important to show that you want to help and that you care about what’s important to his or her future. Communicating this does not have to be hard. You simply need to be open about what you can provide and how you can do so.
#3: SHOW YOU REALLY ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THIS CLIENT
Not only do you want to show you care, but you want to show the client that they are important to you. That is, you want to demonstrate that you are taking the time to provide for their needs, answer their questions, and meet their goals. It is also important to make the client feel as though he or she is valuable to you. After all, they are!
#4: PROVIDE A FINANCIAL OVERVIEW PRIOR TO THE FIRST MEETING
To ensure your initial meeting goes well, ask the prospective to provide an initial financial overview. This can provide you with a glimpse into their needs. It also allows you to assess their financial situation before they step foot into your office. That way, you can encourage the client in the right manner and tailor your meeting around their needs.
#5: SHOWCASE WHAT YOU DO WELL
Sure, you may provide a large assortment of services. You may have long lists of duties that you complete, too. But frankly, no prospective client cares about the admin work you do. They want to know what you excel at. That’s what’s going to make the biggest impression on your clients. What’s more, clients fully understand that you cannot be perfect at everything. Be open about what you do best and why. Be sure to include information about your accomplishments in that area during your meeting. Even if the client doesn’t hire you for those specific services, they know you are committed to providing outstanding service.
#6: SHOW YOU ARE PASSIONATE
If you were the one hiring a financial adviser, would you want someone who was good at their job, but complained about it? Or, would you want to work with a professional who was passionate about his or her position? Being passionate means being an industry expert. It means being immersed not only in your day-to-day job but also in the affiliations and associations in your community. It also means being knowledgeable about any financial-related topic there is. This shows you truly are the expert. What prospective client doesn’t want to work with the tried-and-true expert?
#7: HAVE A SKILLED TEAM TO SURROUND YOU
If you work within a large firm, having full-time staff helps ensure that your prospective client gets outstanding information and access to you when they need it. Your staff should be focused on wowing your customers too. Their job is to do so with quality customer service, a friendly smile, and a genuine interest to help the client no matter what his or her need is. By having a quality, experienced, and knowledgeable staff, your prospective client knows exactly what type of service he or she will get from you.
#8: MAKE SURE TO ASK YOUR CLIENTS “WHY”
Why do they want to make this type of investment over others? Why are they coming to you now? Or why do they have such a limited long-term goal? By asking why you get more information and, in many cases, can better improve the service your client receives. By asking why you learn more about the mentality behind these decisions. You may be able to offer them more or better services when you take this type of step.
#9: SPEED STUNS
Also important for any financial adviser is the ability to deliver information, resources, and opinions quickly. That is, when a client requests information or asks about anything related to the services or packages you provide, deliver it quickly. Fast and efficient service is something anyone can benefit from at any time. Having support from others can help you to accomplish this. Speed stuns!
#10: ASK THEM HOW YOU CAN IMPRESS THE CLIENT
It’s important to provide a quality service, but every client’s needs are different from the next. It is for that reason that you need to ask the prospective client what you can do to meet every one of their needs. It’s not easy to do this, but clients will respect you for caring enough to take that step.
It is not about what you can do for your prospective clients. Rather, it is about what you can do to solve their problems, gain their trust, and make their financial dreams come true. To wow your prospective clients, it is important to show that you want these things – and that you can do them. Client satisfaction is key to a strong and successful business.
We hope that with our tips you now understand client satisfaction and what it takes… you should be in a position to either start putting this into place or further enhance your proposition.
Blog published by Mike Coady.
