Once upon a time, a day in the life of a wholesaler consisted of in-person engagements with financial advisers. That changed in 2020 as organisations were forced to adopt digital-first strategies. As cities and states reopen and organisations slowly return to in-person activities, one thing remains clear: digital engagement is here to stay.
Human interaction and in-person relationship building will always have their place. But with multiple wholesalers competing for a financial adviser’s attention, differentiation is even more important.
So, how do wholesalers leave an impression that lasts longer than a quarterly in-person visit? In this post, I’ll share tips that wholesalers can use to create meaningful digital experiences to grow their relationships with financial advisers.
In-person activities should influence digital communication
In-person client engagement was never going away fully. They were placed on ice for the past year and a half. During that time off, agents have learned new ways to engage clients using digital engagement tools.
In-person outings establish authentic human connections, but digital engagements can help you stay top-of-mind.
The return to in-person activities like dinners and golf outings is on the horizon. Even still, digital outreach will remain a staple in a wholesaler’s toolkit. In-person outings establish authentic human connections, but digital engagements can help you stay top-of-mind.
Think of in-person and digital engagements as two complementary activities. In-person interactions are opportunities to ask questions, listen and learn. The details that surface in these conversations give insights into your adviser’s objectives.
When done well, in-person insights translate into meaningful digital outreach. Well-maintained content management systems give wholesalers easily accessible and relevant content at their fingertips. Providing personalised content keeps you top-of-mind with financial advisers because they are valuable resources to meet goals.
Making digital engagement impactful boils down to one question: how will it help my advisers build their relationships with their clients?
Scale relationships with your client base
The return to the road is an opportunity to strengthen relationships. But a day here and a day there isn’t enough time to build trust and rapport with financial advisers.
The modern wholesaler will rely on digital engagement to scale their business. Identifying opportunities to connect with advisers outside of the quarterly visit nurtures relationships.
Begin to think of the similarities across your client base. Maybe you work with a cluster of clients in a region; or advisers who specialise in a specific product or solution. Curating content experiences for financial advisers with similar profiles or interests can help scale your digital engagements.
Digital engagements also offer something that print and in-person may not: data. Every email or social media post you share generates data. Understanding what content is open or resonates with your advisers can help you optimise your digital engagement and strengthen relationships over time.
Find the best digital engagement tool to complement your in-person activities
The vehicles you use to reach your advisers between visits will vary depending on your organisation. Whether it’s email or social media, determine the best channel for connecting with your financial advisers online.
Wherever you conduct digital outreach, remember to prioritise value. The most important differentiator is creating business value for an adviser. Whether you’re sharing third-party content on social media or company content in an email, make sure it helps your financial advisers advance their goals.
Many of the digital-first tactics that wholesalers developed over the course of 2020 will retain relevance this year and beyond. As in-person meetings return, find the opportunities to strengthen digital engagement and stay top-of-mind all year round.
If you’d like to learn more about combining in-person and digital engagement, join us for our upcoming webinar, Merging Best Practices: The Intersection of In-Person and Virtual Selling.