Podcast Episode #7: Spotlight on Estate Planning with Christina Lynn
Episode Summary Every good advisor wants to ensure a client’s legacy is protected, but many struggle with reviewing estate plans… Read More
Insights and best practices for successful financial planning engagement
• Joe Kozeniewski • January 28, 2020
It seems good things come in threes. The Three Little Pigs. Snap, Crackle, and Pop. Bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Can you tell it’s almost lunchtime?
Recent eMoney research has uncovered compelling insights on how advisors can deliver a remarkable client experience—what we call The Heart of AdviceSM, or when successful advisors marry the emotional elements of behavioral finance with the scientific aspects of wealth management.
The results of our study created another powerful trio:
Read on, while I head to the cafeteria and choose between a bowl of porridge that’s too hot, one that’s too cold, and one that’s just right.
We surveyed both advisors and investors on the concepts of the head, the heart, and the hand. Our goal was two-fold1: to determine how well client experience preferences aligned, and to identify strategies used by the most successful advisors.
An unplanned event—like the death of a close family member or a job loss—could lead a client who typically prefers the emotional components of the client experience to shift toward a need for factual and analytical support.
Advisors might need to walk these clients through the steps of executing a will, transferring a 401(k) account, or tapping an emergency fund.
Clients who are normally factually focused may want their advisor to appear more compassionate following a negative life event. They may appreciate an advisor who sends a sympathy card, or they may prefer a bit more space before getting started on the next steps of the financial process.
Advisors need to sense these changes and adapt in the appropriate direction. Getting to the Heart of Advice means constantly assessing client preferences and adjusting as needed.
How advisors choose to integrate the science, art, and technology of advice will determine the quality of their clients’ experiences. To create an exceptional client experience, advisors need knowledge, authentic engagement, and client-centric technology.
By understanding client priorities along these three dimensions, advisors can learn how to re-orient their business, improve their client experience, and generate better growth. You’ve learned quite a bit while I had my lunch—ending, of course, with a Three Musketeers.
1Not three-fold, unfortunately
2eMoney Heart of Advice Research Report, September 2019
Photo: Shutterstock
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