Responding Efficiently to Clients: A Guide for Advisors

As a financial advisor, the most ideal scenario is when your clients ask questions. It shows they are engaged and committed to their financial success. It creates an opportunity for you to build trust, educate and create an open dialogue. Of course, during a meeting, you can address questions on the spot. But what happens when this question comes in digitally? More clients are using digital tools like email and client portals to communicate with their financial advisors and it’s important to have a system in place to address questions in an informative and timely way. 

There are two elements clients look for in a response from their financial advisor.

1. Did they answer my questions with accurate and relevant information?
2. How long did it take for me to hear back from them?

There is no doubt that the quality of your answer is important but in an increasingly digital world, client expectations have shifted and it’s becoming even more important to focus on the speed of your response. The truth is that you need to be addressing both elements. So how can you ensure that you respond quickly and accurately to these questions without dropping everything you are doing? 

Start By Identifying Common Questions That Your Clients Ask

Being aware of this allows you to have a strategic approach and process to your responses. You can brainstorm with team members or other advisors or start tracking what questions come in from clients. 

Template Your Reponses

Now that you have an idea of some questions that may come up, you can start to template how you will respond. This will allow you to have the majority of your response created and then you can personalize your opening or closing to show that you are listening. 

Leverage or Create Engaging Content

Sending a short quick email response will satisfy the element of speed but doesn’t address the quality of the response. Attaching a link to a relevant content piece allows you to address their question in an informative way and leverage your time. You can use the same pieces over and over, systemizing the process. And to go a bit further, creating a resource or learning section on your website of visual educational pieces allows you to direct your response back to your site and clients may end up learning more about your other services as well. 

The advisory industry is changing and it’s become important to respond to client questions both in a valuable and quick way. The key is leveraging technology to strengthen your client relationships.  Taking some time to reflect on this process now will save you time in the future.