Hint: Holiday cards are great referral tools. Here's what advisors sent clients

December 14, 2018 12:08 PM

The holidays are a time of year when people look to make those in their lives feel extra special — and financial advisors are no exception.

One way planners show their appreciation is by sending clients personalized cards.

It’s the little things that advisors tend to do beyond wealth management that make clients feel appreciated — and maybe even refer family and friends. After all, as the carol “Sleigh Ride” says, “these wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives.”

Scroll through the following list to see the holiday cards fellow advisors have sent this year.

Bridget Grimes, WealthChoice, San Diego

Our clients are primarily hardworking women executives and women business owners and their families. I am incredibly grateful for their trust in allowing me to guide them on their journey.

I am not a fan of giving away gifts that don’t serve a purpose just for the sake of giving something. That means I don’t send a gift every year. This year I came across a water bottle that I felt was really beautiful and useful, so found a supplier.

When I send my clients something, I really want it to be meaningful.

Mark Beaver, Keeler & Nadler Financial Planning and Wealth Management, Dublin, Ohio

We take great pride in the work we do for our wonderful clients and we think these handmade cards represent that.

Carolina Kowalski, our client operations manager, has a passion for crafting. So when we casually asked if she would be interested in making our cards, her eyes lit up.

Zuraw Financial Advisors, Greensboro, North Carolina

ZFA has been making a list and checking it twice to find out which clients have been naughty or nice.

The firm sends its clients a fun “naughty or nice” door hanger with a thank you note and award certificate for being on its nice list.

John Gugle, Alpha Financial Advisors, Charlotte, North Carolina

We send a Thanksgiving card to our clients to let them know how much we appreciate them. We have been told by clients that they notice our

Thanksgiving card more than they would if we sent a Christmas card.
Often, our Thanksgiving card stands out because it’s the only card they might receive at that time.

Some clients have even said that their family members and friends ask about the card — giving our clients an opportunity to brag about us.

Paul Fain, Asset Planning Corporation, Knoxville, Tennessee

We always use the holiday season as an opportunity to express our gratitude and appreciation to our wonderful clients — we send cards, emails, and host a holiday open house with door prizes and small gifts. Also, since our corporate culture encourages occasional levity and smiles, I donned the red suit for this year's card!

Dave Grant, Retirement Matters, Barrington, Illinois

I like to write personal messages to each client and make sure that they know I’m thinking about them and their situation at this time of year.

They are pop-up cards from LovePop and have a card that slides inside one of the pages to write a message. It does take time — about a day to complete them all — but it also pays dividends.

One of my insurance partners told me they used their card as their holiday party centerpiece and visitors to their office loved it. I want to be memorable to clients and this is a creative way to make it happen.

The Halprin Finkler Investment Group of Raymond James & Associates, Destin, Florida

Each year the Halprin Finkler Investment Group takes a themed holiday group photo with their families.

Our clients like to see our families and how the kids grow and change each year. We have many clients tell us how much they look forward to our holiday card.

This year’s theme is “all wrapped up in lights:” A playful reminder not to get too caught up in the hustle and bustle during this busy, festive time of the year.

The outside picture is our main event but inside the card we include a picture of the team’s kids. We also always include a funny, blooper picture of the group on the back side. We handwrite the names and addresses on the envelopes and send the cards to clients on December 1 so they can be put on display for the whole month.