A Comprehensive Guide to Stepping Up
During times of sudden change or unforeseen shifts, it’s essential that you, as a financial service professional, can keep your focus on your clients. This means having all the tools and support you need to help you step up and out as an industry expert, rather than down or away.
Unfortunately, some organizations encourage their advisors to keep quiet so as not to make their clients nervous or overwhelm them rather than to walk alongside them for growth – even in unprecedented times. This is when not only should your clients feel incredibly supported by you, but you should feel support and encouragement from your leadership as well.
Armed with a mission to both educate and empower your clients and communities, as an advisor, you should feel supported in making more connections and building stronger relationships in times like these. Let’s look at some ways Signature Wealth Group is stepping up to help our advisors best support their clients right now.
Technological Innovation
Tech that goes beyond the minimally-viable product must be a focal point of a forward-thinking organization, rather than an afterthought. This means a leadership team that values the ability to provide continual opportunities and industry-leading tools to enable advisors to serve their clients more effectively. So much of this comes from truly taking the time to identify and remove barriers to excellence for an organization’s advisors that are focused on growth.
Supporting advisors and leading the way with technological solutions are an essential cornerstone of an organization that wants to help grow their advisors professionally.
Marketing and Messaging Support
Here’s a secret: Even the most experienced advisors struggle with marketing and messaging. We know that you know your stuff – but just knowing it isn’t enough. You need a team alongside you to help you compile your thoughts and expertise into a succinct message and then convey that to your clients and prospects. The right team will even help with compliance navigation. Those who look to you for guidance don’t want to be kept guessing. They are looking for accurate, timely information they can understand and, in many ways, reassurance. They want to know that you are caring for their financial future, especially in times they feel the markets are experiencing volatility. If they don’t feel that you are stepping up for them, it can lead to client anxiety, frustration, and ultimately disconnection.
Your organization should be helping you to craft meaningful, customized messages for your brand so that you can project strength, knowledge, and leadership to your clients and prospects – while still being sensitive to any circumstances they may be experiencing. Your team should help you create or provide you with ready-to-use materials such as client communication scripts, social media messages, and custom-written blog posts. These are intended to help you put your absolute best foot forward.
Comprehensive Leadership
Having true leadership in your organization shouldn’t mean that you have to ask for every single thing you need to do your job well. It should mean that your organization focuses on anticipating your needs and encouraging your growth by providing the innovative systems and resources that you need to move forward continually.
Just as organizations shouldn’t hide away during times of trouble – neither should their senior leadership. True leaders see opportunities to more clearly support the future of their organization by not backing away, but rather adding additional touchpoints of support and guidance for younger professionals potentially navigating their first major economic event. They are there for you – whether in person or on Zoom to make sure that your growth is continually pushed forward and your clients more carefully cared for.
Relationship Management Resources
Managing the expectations and needs of all of the clients you service can be overwhelming. But, that’s why it’s key that you’re never doing it alone. Having an organization that encourages connection and communication at not only the advisor to client level but also the leadership level means that there are even opportunities for your clients to feel more connected to you – where you don’t have to lift a finger. Opportunities like these might include:
- Live webinars hosted by your organization where you are encouraged to invite your clients to attend.
- Relationship building between your organization and your local Chamber of Commerce.
- Client feedback gathering and thoughtful follow-up with a mission of continual improvement.
- Networking with local service providers on the behalf of your office, such as accounting firms, tax professionals and law offices.
How to Move Forward
If you don’t feel that your organization is advocating and leading the way for their advisors, start that conversation. Don’t expect things to change if you don’t want to take action. Bring some ideas and inspiration on how to implement some of these strategies to help you (and your fellow advisors) feel more supported. Your leadership team should be on your side – eager to help make connecting with and serving your clients easier than ever by providing you with the proper tools and resources to execute.
If after having these conversations, your organization does not follow through for you – then you may need to consider your options for a shift. Because, as we all know, the markets are cyclical. If you’ve come out of the most recent economic downturn intact – that doesn’t mean you will be so lucky next time. So, get the right company, leadership, and colleagues on your side so that you are ready to step up for your clients and community when you find yourself in this situation again.
Your organization genuinely is the key to you as a financial services professional thriving – rather than just surviving.