6 Ways to Make Clients Smile and Business Grow
December 7, 2012 11:19 AM
6 Ways to Make Clients Smile and Business Grow
Some planners offer all of their clients concierge services, while others help only top clients with special projects. No matter the details, concierge services help advisors strengthen existing client relationships and attract new ones.
In a December article featuring some of the concierge services advisors provide for their clients, Ingrid Case points out strategies to make a better impression on clients.
Here are 6 ways concierge services can help your business grow.
In a December article featuring some of the concierge services advisors provide for their clients, Ingrid Case points out strategies to make a better impression on clients.
Here are 6 ways concierge services can help your business grow.
1. Handling Purchases
When it comes to buying big-ticket items, some clients know what they want and where to get it, but theyd like someone else to negotiate on their behalf. These include real estate transactions, organizing a cruise, or even helping clients buy excellent tickets to a baseball game. No matter the transaction, the small gesture may go a long way.
2. Solving Problems
In some situations, clients may have problems that can be solved with goods or services, but arent sure what they need or where to find it. This presents a chance for an advisor to step in. For instance, Rick Kahler, president and owner of Kahler Financial recounts a client who wanted a full-time personal chef, but didnt have enough money to pay for one. He went online and found an affordable alternative delivery of frozen meals that clients need only heat up.
3. Relationship Preview
A financial planner is not a therapist, but many still hear very personal requests. From marriage to divorce, clients may sometimes open their hearts to a trusted advisor. Although you may not be able to solve their problems, simply being a listener or mediator can make all the difference.
4. Financial Connections
Some planners will do nearly anything for a client. Others wont. For instance, clients may want advisors to help them pay various bills, which may not be in the best interest of an advisors time. While it is easy to blow it off, many planners instead treat client needs as an opportunity to strengthen a relationship with another financial services provider by shifting business to them.
5. Pricing Concierge Services
Many planners wrap the cost of concierge services into a comprehensive wealth management fee. The plans vary. While some planners might offer inclusive services, others only provide these services to their wealthiest clients.
6. Calculating the Payoff
Concierge services help advisors solidify existing relationships, compete with large institutional wealth managers, and attract new clients. These services are a good way to demonstrate a firms quality to clients as well as their offspring, who may very well appreciate the gesture. At the end of the day, its just plain satisfying to help clients improve their lives, or as Kaye, a planner at AEPG Wealth Strategies puts it, engage in smile management.
