Email is the most prevalent way that companies communicate with their customers today, yet nearly half of email marketers send everyone on their list the same email – a surefire tactic that won’t get your emails read. Instead, advisors need to take a different approach to email in order to actually get through to their clients and see the impact on their business.
For starters, using email effectively requires a personalization strategy. At a time where likability and trustworthiness are critical to building long-term client relationships, email can be one of the most personal methods to keep in touch with clients. In fact, when done right, it can be 40 times more effective than Facebook or Twitter for customer engagement.
As an advisor with an established connection with your clients, you already have a leg up in ensuring your emails are read; however, just because your clients may not instantly delete your messages doesn’t mean it’s going to strengthen the relationship. There’s still much work to be done in leveraging the marketing power of email.
Here are five ways advisors can use email to deepen relationships and truly engage with clients:
1. Make it personal
Your first goal is to send the kind of email that you would want to read. Would you read an email that sounds like it was written for a random group of many? Neither would your clients, even if it looks like it was coming from you. That’s because your clients are just as inundated with email clutter as you are, and they are constantly looking for ways to sift through the ‘noise’ in their inboxes.
Instead, send emails that are truly personal, ones that your clients would expect to receive from their trusted advisor. Here’s an example of a relevant, personalized email:
“Hi Allison, I saw on Facebook that Alex turned 1 month old today – it’s amazing how quickly they grow up! I want to make sure you have the right insurance plan in place for your family and I’ll call you this week to discuss. In the meantime, here’s a great article with five steps to protect your family financially.”
Personal touches like these today create opportunities for meaningful client conversations tomorrow.
2. Be proactive
One of the most frustrating things for an advisor is to miss out on an opportunity to engage with clients when it is most relevant – such as hearing about a new job (or job loss) – and missing the opportunity to plan for these financial uncertainties.