In our recent CE Credit Advance webinar, “Building and Managing Client Relationships” Jami Monte, CEO and Founder of Multi International, shared her invaluable insights on effectively communicating with clients to build trust and uncover their needs.
Jami Monte, a seasoned accountant with a rich background in both corporate and entrepreneurial environments, has dedicated her career to helping small business owners understand and manage their finances better. Her journey from a corporate accountant to the founder of an educational platform, Chill Books, highlights her deep commitment to client education and relationship-building. Drawing from her extensive experience, Jami provided practical strategies for clear communication and trust-building during client interactions.
In this article, we summarize the key takeaways from her session, offering five essential strategies for enhancing client relationships and addressing their needs more effectively.
1. Maintain regular communication to stay top of mind #
Maintaining consistent communication with clients is vital for staying top of mind and ensuring their needs are met. Regular check-ins, whether through quick emails or scheduled touchpoints, can reveal underlying concerns that clients may not have voiced otherwise. Consistent communication helps reassure clients that you are present and attentive to their needs, and it provides opportunities to clarify expectations and scope of work. Equisoft/connect streamlines this process by allowing you to automate follow-ups and set reminders, ensuring no client interaction falls through the cracks. Additionally, the tool provides a centralized platform for tracking communication history, enabling more personalized and effective client engagements.
Maintaining consistent communication helps build trust, as well as preventing misunderstandings and potential scope creep. By being proactive in your communication, you open the door for clients to express any concerns or additional needs they might have, which could lead to significant business opportunities.
2. Reinforce your value with consistent marketing efforts #
Consistent communication extends beyond direct client interactions; it also encompasses how you present yourself through marketing channels, emails, and other outreach efforts. By regularly updating clients through newsletters, social media posts, and marketing campaigns, you reinforce your presence and expertise in their minds.
Equisoft/connect makes this easier by enabling advisors to segment their client base and tailor marketing messages to specific groups, ensuring that content is relevant and engaging. The tool also helps schedule and automate marketing efforts, allowing you to maintain a consistent presence without adding extra workload.
- Jami Monte, CEO and Founder, Monte International Inc.
Reinforcing the value you provide through consistent marketing efforts—whether it's sending out a monthly newsletter or posting regularly on LinkedIn—helps build trust and demonstrates that you are engaged and knowledgeable. This consistent visibility will help ensure you remain top of mind as well as reassure clients that you are active, available, and committed to providing value, which will help solidify your relationship.
3. Practice active listening and flexibility in client conversations #
Active listening is crucial in client interactions, as it allows you to truly understand and address their needs. It requires full attention, a willingness to understand the client’s perspective without interrupting or making premature judgments, and a flexible approach. Remaining flexible during these conversations means not overriding the discussion with your assumptions or anticipated solutions but instead asking questions and being open to listening.
- Jami Monte, CEO and Founder, Monte International Inc.
Clients often approach discussions with preconceived ideas of what they need, but by letting them speak freely and asking probing questions based on their responses, you can uncover underlying challenges they may not have initially mentioned. Paraphrasing back what you've heard helps solidify your understanding and gives the client another opportunity to clarify or add to their concerns.
Equisoft/connect helps by providing a detailed record of all past client conversations, making it easier to pick up right where you left off in each interaction. By reviewing previous notes and acting on specific details your clients have mentioned, you demonstrate that you are not only listening but also genuinely care about their needs and concerns.
4. Look for opportunities to add value #
Consistently delivering value extends beyond the direct services clients are paying for and involves adding thoughtful, personalized touches that enhance their overall experience. For example, providing tailored resources and materials that reinforce key points from your discussions can significantly benefit clients by offering them additional support and solidifying the value of your guidance. Personalizing gifts, such as sending a thoughtful package for a new baby or a relaxing spa gift, shows that you genuinely care about their personal milestones. Additionally, revisiting and clarifying clients' original goals ensures that your efforts remain aligned with their evolving needs, demonstrating a commitment to their long-term success.
Equisoft’s full suite of products, including Equisoft/connect, Equisoft/plan, and Equisoft/analyze, empowers advisors to seamlessly integrate these personalized touches into their service offerings. By using these tools, you can efficiently manage client relationships, create customized financial plans, and deliver consistent, high-quality advice that meets the unique needs of each client. Additionally, our Advisor Tools page offers free tools and calculators—such as the Financial Benchmarking Tool, Loan Payback Calculator, Investment Postponement Calculator, and RRSP Tax Savings Calculator—that you can use to further support your clients with precise and actionable insights.
5. Be transparent about your service offering #
Maintaining transparency about your services is essential for building trust with both current and potential clients. Clearly outlining what you can and cannot offer ensures that clients have a realistic understanding of how you can assist them. For instance, rather than overstating your capabilities, it's more beneficial to acknowledge the areas where you might not have the expertise and offer referrals to other professionals who can meet those needs. This transparency enhances your reputation as someone who genuinely adds value, making prospects more likely to return when they are ready or refer others to your practice.
Equisoft’s solutions, including Equisoft/connect, Equisoft/plan, and Equisoft/analyze, can help you maintain this transparency by providing a comprehensive view of your service capabilities and client interactions. Equisoft/connect enables you to clearly communicate service details and manage client expectations, while Equisoft/plan and Equisoft/analyze help you present precise, well-documented financial plans and analyses, ensuring clients understand the full scope of your offerings and where additional expertise might be needed.
Wrap up #
Maintaining regular communication, being consistent in your marketing efforts, practicing active listening, delivering added value, and maintaining transparency—are essential for fostering trust and ensuring client satisfaction.
By consistently engaging with clients and showcasing your expertise through various channels, you reinforce your presence and value. Active listening and flexibility in conversations help uncover underlying needs, while delivering value through personalized touches and thoughtful support strengthens the client relationship. Transparency about your services ensures clients have a clear understanding of what to expect, enhancing your reputation as a trusted advisor.
For a more in-depth exploration of these strategies, including practical examples and additional insights from Jami Monte, watch the full webinar and earn a CE credit.
