Starting the New Year, when change is in the air, our clients and prospective clients, may need our help more than normal, says Jon Dodson, technical and propositions manager, Redmill Advance.
As we move into the New Year proper, many of us will have resolved to change something in our lives for the better – doing less of something, or more of something or at least striving towards that. Indeed, if you’re like me you may have already broken 50% of them.
These changes can be around what we eat, how much we sleep, how much we work or take on a new activity or hobby.
Just as likely is the resolution to do something different with our finances – this can often be brought on by financial excesses over the Christmas period.
To that end, you will have doubtless had a fair number of calls and maybe virtual meetings (given the current restrictions) that were instigated by your clients as they look to get organised and make this the year they change some of their habits – in these instances, they are obviously seeking your expertise and guidance, but you also get the opportunity to play the role of their will power too.
It’s important to note, that you’ll also have many clients that are wrestling with the same considerations that haven’t contacted you – this can be because they think that these resolutions are merely a battle of willpower that they need to face alone.
As such, it’s a brilliant time to contact clients to see where you can help – I’m sure many of you have done this. A friendly ‘Happy New Year’ and ‘How can I help you do more of the things you’d like to do this year?’ can be even more powerful if the timing is on point.
We may not be scheduled to catch up with a client until later in the year but the timing of the support we offer them – January & February being particularly difficult for some, especially in the current environment) can be transformative both in the moment and longer-term in the relationship. As you’ll doubtless know, clients never forget advisers and planners that were there at the right time.
Moreover, you probably have a book (or spreadsheet in the 21st century!) of dormant or potential contacts that are yet to be clients. Given that these individuals and families may be in exactly the same position in terms of seriously thinking about their finances and how they facilitate the life they want to lead, it’s a great time to make contact with them to see if now is the right time for you to support them towards achieving their financial goals.
You may be recalling that some of those prospects didn’t meet the financial profile of your target clients – that may well be true, but we need to remember that Christmas can be a time when parents and grandparents make significant gifts to adult children and grandchildren. Your service could make a significant difference in how those funds are used.
To summarise, at this time of year, many of us are thinking of doing things differently going forward and for a lot of us that will be about our finances.
That makes it an excellent time to reach out to clients and prospective clients to offer our expertise, guidance and support.
Written by, Jon Dodson – Redmill Advance
This article was written for Professional Paraplanner – Jan 2022
