Honing in on what clients want

There is a common belief that the most important things to your clients are performance and affinity, writes Thomas F. Rieman in “Bridging the Value Gap.” He offers a different insight to that conviction. According to Rieman, there are four things driving client satisfaction:

1. The level of control they feel in the planning process and the relationship – Clients are looking for advisors who simplify the planning process and help them truly understand the concepts, ideas and strategies used to optimize their wealth.
2. Clients’ perceptions of the value the advisor places on the relationship – Advisors who make clients feel important, no matter how small their assets, will secure the relationship.
3. Trust in the advisor – Clients are looking for advisors with integrity, who will put the client’s needs before their own.
4. Performance – Of course, advisors who can’t consistently generate the returns clients’ expect will be passed over for someone who can.