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Episode Summary
The vast majority of your clients are loyal and satisfied.
In fact, the research consistently shows that’s the case for >90% of clients. And, with numbers that high, it’s easy to assume that you’re doing a good job and delivering the right experience.
But, if more than 90% of clients are satisfied, then mere satisfaction ceases to be a differentiator. It’s tablestakes.
Which then prompts the question…is “satisfaction” the right metric to track? Or are we setting the bar too low and should instead pursue something beyond satisfaction?
What if we instead aimed to create engaged clients? Here’s the difference:
“A satisfied client may be happy but passive. An engaged client is happy and is telling the world about what you do.”
In her research, here’s how Julie Littlechild defines an engaged client:
Unlike satisfaction, only 26% of clients are engaged.
However, the ROI from “engaged clients” is eye-opening:
- They’re more loyal
- They consolidate assets
- They don’t stress about short-term volatility
- They see the value in the fees they pay
- They are confident about their financial futures
So, naturally, the question becomes, “How do I take my clients from satisfied to engaged?”
In this episode, Julie Littlechild shares how you can leverage client feedback to create meaningful conversations and turn your satisfied clients into engaged clients.
Things You’ll Learn
- The 4 drivers that create engaged clients
- Why client satisfaction is now table-stakes
- When you should let the client hijack the meeting agenda
- How and why to let clients co-create the meeting experience
- Avoiding the curse of the agenda and how to use it effectively
- What to send prior to a meeting to create a better conversation
- The #1 thing clients say they want but aren’t getting from advisors
- The humbling research on client’s feelings toward review meetings
- The top mistakes advisors make when gathering feedback and input
- What clients say about discussing non-financial goals with an advisor
- How to gather input from a prospect to create the intro meeting agenda
- The main barriers that prevent advisors from gathering feedback and input
About Julie Littlechild
Julie Littlechild is the founder and CEO of Absolute Engagement. She’s renowned in the industry for her work on client experience, client engagement and referral growth. She has worked with and studied financial advisors and their clients for 25 years.
Julie sat on the national board of the Financial Planning Association, currently sits on an Investment & Wealth Institute advisory board, is the winner of the ‘Iconoclast’ award from Bob Veres, is a finalist for the ‘Luminaries’ award from Think Advisor and was twice identified as one of the 25 Most Influential People in Financial Planning. She holds an MBA from the University of Toronto.
Other Episodes You’ll Like On Client Engagement:
- Leveraging The Superpower of Questions To Create Connection and Clarity with Meghaan Lurtz
- A Framework To Facilitate Conversation And Connection Throughout The Planning Process with Josh Gilliam
- 3 Proven Techniques To Enhance Your Questions And Elevate Your Conversations
Resources
Beyond Satisfaction: Why Client Engagement Is The New Standard
Human Sigma: Managing The Employee-Customer Encounter by John Fleming and Jim Asplund
Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you take your relationships and your practice to the next level:
- The Ultimate Intro Meeting: Learn how to qualify and convert prospects in 30 minutes without being salesy
- HSOA “Core”: Exclusive content, courses and conversations to master the human side of advice with like-minded advisors
If you want more information on either of these, let me know here.