Asset bubbles, debt crisis, political uncertainty, economic woes. These are just a few of the challenges that have spurred volatility in the financial markets over the years, including the events in August 2015. Retirees and pre-retirees can be especially concerned about how market downturns will affect their retirement savings.
During times like these, it’s critical to reassure clients. Communicating during turbulent times will help you retain clients and could lead to additional referrals. It will also give you an advantage over robo-advisors because clients will value the personal attention and communication from a traditional financial advisor.
If clients don’t hear from you, they could get nervous and make sudden financial decisions. Likewise, if they don’t have peace of mind with their investment strategy, they may be open to finding a new financial advisor.
Here are four ways you can reassure your clients during turbulent times:
1. Call your clients.
Calling your clients increases loyalty because of the personal touch. It also gives you the opportunity to reassure clients with the tone of your voice in addition to your words. Another benefit is that clients can ask you questions and get immediate answers.
Start by reaching out to your most valued clients, then focus on clients who are likely to be concerned about swings in the market, and then follow up with your remaining clients.
2. Send an email.
Email is the most time- and cost-efficient form of communicating with multiple clients at once. If you use an email marketing provider, see if they provide an educational piece that is designed to calm clients during market turbulence.