Engaging The Five Senses To Cultivate Client Trust

We all want clients to know we care about them, their families, their experience with us and their general happiness. As we transition to seeing clients in person regularly again, that experience should begin the moment a client arrives in your office. Cultivating client trust isn’t just about the words you say; it’s about engaging all your clients’ senses and connecting with them emotionally. Taking this holistic, sensory approach will put clients at ease the minute they walk in the door, making it easy to create meaningful, powerful relationships.

Engaging The Senses

The first experience a client has of your office is your reception area. My office’s reception desk plays host to diffused lavender, peppermint and other oils. These aromas help put clients at ease and welcome them into our space.

The visual focal point in our foyer is a kitchenette, which shows my office is not an uptight, business-only space, and reminds clients of their own homes. Additionally, every light in the office, from the recessed lighting to the chandeliers, are LED soft lights — there is no harsh fluorescent lighting. Our paint colors are warm and soothing to the eye. Again, all of this is to help clients relax into a space where they should feel safe and secure.

Finally, clients can select from displays of chocolate truffles, snack bars and candy in every meeting area. Our refrigerator is full of several different types of cold beverages, and we have a fully stocked station for hot chocolate, tea or coffee.

Deliberate Gift-Giving

Gift-giving is standard among financial advisors, but don’t let standard become stale. Sending unique items to your clients, using your own personal style, will make your gifts more meaningful and more appreciated. For example, each new client of mine receives a coffee mug filled with a custom, individually wrapped and logoed chocolate covered cookie, a logoed pen, and my personal business card. Our logoed pens cost approximately $1.29 each, leaving clients with the impression of quality — in the pens and in the firm. Clients often come back to ask for another pen, which we always oblige — after all, that’s what they’re there for.

Clients with young children receive a book about raising financially aware children and a logoed piggy bank. The book is designed to teach children; however, the adults learn as they teach, removing any embarrassment that the adults may feel about their own lack of financial planning knowledge.

During the pandemic, we also have given away logoed telephoto lenses that can be attached to any cellphone, and logoed luggage tags. By sending these items through the mail, we want to remind clients that they will begin traveling again one day, and the telephoto lens will allow them to see past where they’re currently standing and into a vacation-filled future.

Finally, clients who send referrals to our firm receive a tote made by a known designer. I developed a relationship with a vendor so I can purchase full-value totes at clearance-level prices. For higher-net-worth clients, I have a bag custom-made for them, embroidered with a symbol of an activity they enjoy — such as a golfer for my golf fans or a horseshoe for my equestrian enthusiasts.

Of course, clients and their spouses also receive cards for life-changing moments: celebratory cards for birthdays, engagements or the arrival of a new family member; sympathy cards when we find out a loved one has died. Each card comes with a personal, handwritten message from me on the inside.

Service Above And Beyond

Clients will see you as even more of a go-to source of support when you provide small services beyond financial advising. For example, every six months, my office holds a Shred Day in which people can bring in any documents they would like to have us shred for them. During COVID-19, we made the event a drive-up service. Each driver received a bag of goodies and a thank-you for attending the event. One month prior to the event, we sent a list of items to shred and timelines for which documents to keep or shred as well as a list of dos and don’ts. (For example, don’t include any metal binders.)

The phrase sounds like a cliche, but it still hasn’t lost its meaning: People may forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel. From the ambience of your office to the thoughtfulness of your gifts, when you demonstrate your appreciation for your clients beyond the quality service you give them, you reinforce client loyalty and engagement. Show your clients that you value them, and they are likely to return the favor.

Terri E. Krueger is an independent financial advisor and seven-year MDRT member with three Court of the Table qualifications. She opened her own practice, Krueger Advisors, in Syracuse, N.Y., in 2018 and has been in the industry since 2007. She may be contacted at [email protected].