You may think New Year’s Resolutions are just flimsy declarations of goals with no follow through, but have you ever thought about setting a New Year’s Resolution around building your business? Starting the year with a specific resolution can be a great way to hit the ground running and measure success.

We think that one resolution all independent financial advisors can benefit from is reconnecting with their clients. Reconnecting will strengthen relationships and can create referrals,  new clients, and spark ideas about new ways you can serve your client which all add up to more business for you.

Here are just a few ways to start your 'Reconnection Resolution':

1. Take Another Look At Your Client List

The first step to reconnecting with your clients is taking the time to think about them. Perhaps you haven’t seen them in a while or maybe you really don’t know them all that well. Do they have kids in college? Are they almost ready for retirement? Are they saving up to start a business or buy a new home?

Figure out how old your clients are; think about their health and what milestones they’re reaching in their life. This simple step with refresh your memory and position you prepared to propose additional services to them.

Now that you've thought about them, CALL them! This is not the time to discuss a product. It's time to gather information for another call in a couple of weeks to then offer an applicable service or product. 

2. How Do You Look on The Web?

Next, think about how you present yourself to the world. Do you have marketing materials or a website? Do these need updating?  A new year is a great time to polish up your brand. Chances are, the first thing your client will do after hearing from you for the first time in years, is Google you and check out your site.

Make sure that your online presence makes you look amazing. In this day and age, websites make the first impression. Your website should do more than look great, it should be easy to navigate and optimized for all devices especially smartphones and tablets. Make sure your services are clearly outlined and you include the best ways to contact you.

3. Revamp Your Marketing Methods

Think about your audience; both your existing clients and prospective. How do they want to hear from you?

If your clients are older, they may want physical marketing materials mailed to them or perhaps they just want to speak on the phone or in person. If they’re younger, materials in the mail may turn them off. They probably prefer email and social media updates to mail and phone calls.

4. Start A New Routine

Sometimes baby steps are the best way to start a resolution. If you break up your big goal into smaller increments, the task at hand is much easier to digest. Start a routine that gets you one step closer to your goal of reconnecting with all your clients.

Call one client a day, write a Linkedin post each week, or host a client appreciation event once a month. Just get started and keep it up!

5. Make A Game of It

Gameification is a great way to make a big goal seem less daunting. Create your own point system and accumulate points when you do tasks that work towards your goal.

(Example: 1 point per client call, 5 points per Linkedin Post, 10 points per client event.)

Build rewards into the game and celebrate when you hit your final goal. While you’re not competing against anyone, you are challenging yourself. And who knows – you may have so much fun that your forget you’re working at all!

6. Innovate & Ignite

This step is key. Your goal is trying to reconnect with clients who may have gone dark on you, so in order to reignite your relationship, gain referrals, and get new business, you must offer them something new. Give them a reason to open more accounts or refer you to family and friends.

Now that you’ve learned more about your client, collaborate with them to innovate ways to improve their portfolio. Invite clients to bring their own ideas to you. By including them in the process, your connection will be better than ever. Perhaps you just found out that your client is a philanthropist or social activist, educate them about impact investments and propose new strategies.

Also, invite your clients to bring their parents or children along. It’s all about strengthening old relationships to create new ones. Maybe their parents are unhappy with their advisor and can benefit from some investment or long term planning you can provide. It doesn’t matter if their kids are 11 or 42, you will create a new and special relationship with them and deepen your relationship with your current clients.

Before you know it, you will be achieving your goal. By strengthening your relationships with your clients, you’ve opened doors to new business and new clients!

Click to download our checklist below to jump start your 'Reconnection Resolution' and stay on track throughout the year!