Few things are more important to client retention in today’s upside-down world than consistent and relevant communication coupled with the frequency of contact. We refer to these as positive points of contact (PPCs). For most financial advisors these PPCs also include COIs and prospects, albeit with a different level of frequency.
You might find it helpful to think of these PPCs as “touchpoints” –– you’re staying top of mind. With clients, the frequency of contact will depend on whether the client is platinum (top), gold (smaller but profitable) or a potential top client. A good rule of thumb is weekly for top clients and biweekly for all others. You need to be careful with COIs as too much frequency is likely to be annoying, so as a general rule think in terms of monthly.
PPC frequency with a prospect depends on their status in your pipeline. During the first month, it can be weekly (or even more in certain circumstances) as you’re looking to transform them into a client sooner rather than later. After the first month, dropping in on them monthly will keep you in their mind with little risk of becoming annoying.
The power of these positive points of contact (PPCs) is that, when applied strategically, they do more than simply keep you top of mind; they become an integral part of your digital brand. There’s no one silver bullet within these PPCs; they function in a synergistic manner where the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. The objective is to be a magnetic force in your world.
Let’s take a look at some of these PPCs ...
Matt Oechsli is author of How to Build a 21st Century Financial Practice: Attracting, Servicing, and Retaining Affluent Clients. www.oechsli.com
