Meeting in a Digital World

Due to recent events, we were all forced into a digital world of online meetings and for some this was an entirely new experience. However, for most millennial clients, this isn’t a new form of communication and many financial advisors have been using digital communication as a successful means of engaging their clients. I even know a few financial advisors that have never met their clients in person.  Geographically, it hasn't been an option so they have leveraged technology to create strong client relationships.

If you haven’t already, why not take a leap and look at this as an opportunity to improve your online meeting process. 

Here are a few tips for having successful online meetings:

Set time limits ahead of time.

The attention span in a digital meeting is not the same as in person. It's better to have two 30 min online meetings instead of one 60 min meeting. 

Use the video function.

Being able to see your client's face and read their reactions is important if you are trying to replace an in-person meeting. 

Have a clearly defined agenda.

This is applicable to any meeting you have with a client but is especially important for an online meeting. I suggest going one step even further by sending the agenda to your client a few days in advance to get their input.  Including some relevant educational content can set the stage for an effective client meeting. You can use this opportunity to remind them of the meeting but also to engage them. It will give you the chance to prepare for any agenda items they want to discuss. 

End meetings with a quick summary and action item discussion.

How will you add value after the meeting? What do they need to do on their end to propel their wealth planning forward? Make note of these as you will want to record them in your task management system to make sure they are completed in a reasonable amount of time. 

Online meetings can increase the value you offer as a financial advisor, as well as save time for both you and your clients. So, if you aren’t already leveraging this technology, there is no time better than now to get started.