How to Connect Emotionally With Clients

How to get the information you need to deepen relationships during client conversations

What We'll Cover

The importance of emotional connection
Gathering information on client relationships
What to do with the information

Client Loyalty Isn’t a Given

3 out of 4

75% of clients considered switching or switched financial professionals

Source: Advisor-Client Communication Survey, YCharts, 2024

You’re all packed up for vacation, pulling out of the driveway, when suddenly it hits you: that nagging feeling that you’ve forgotten something crucial.

You mentally run through your checklist: wallet, check; underwear, check; toothpaste, check. Despite ticking off each item, you’re still plagued by the worry that something vital slipped your mind.

Likewise, before client meetings, anxiety can sneak in. You’re busy gathering their investment performance, portfolio analysis, financial plan, and more. Yet, you still fret about the small talk that kicks off the meeting, unsure whether you have all the details needed to engage in a personal conversation.

Here’s how to sidestep that unease and ensure you have all the necessary information at your fingertips.

First, the Importance of Emotional Connection

Many financial professionals tend to keep client conversations focused on finances.

That’s what clients expect. But by doing so, the relationship stays strictly business, without an emotional connection. This is a problem because clients who are emotionally connected are more valuable to your practice (see graph below).

Here’s why. Emotionally connected customers buy more of your products and services, visit you more often, exhibit less price sensitivity, pay more attention to your communications, follow your advice, and recommend you more—everything you hope their experience with you will cause them to do.

So how do you build emotional connections with clients? You show your clients that you care about more than their finances by having conversations about personal topics. Here’s how to get the information you need to connect emotionally with clients.

Second, Gather Information About Your Clients’ Key Relationships

If you’re going to have personal conversations with clients, a good place to start is to discuss their family and friends. And rather than say “How are the grandkids?” ask, “How are Olivia and James?” Knowing the names of family members shows you care and is much more personable.

Client Loyalty Isn’t a Given

3 out of 4

75% of clients considered switching or switched financial professionals

Source: Advisor-Client Communication Survey, YCharts, 2024

To Have Personal Conversations, You Need Personal Information

You won’t be able to gather all the information you need all at once.

First, use the list below to write down all the information you currently know about your clients’ relationships and interests. For the information you don’t know, gather it over time.

Each time you have a conversation or call with a client, make it a goal to gather a tidbit of personal information. Get your support team involved too. They can also gather information when they’re talking with clients.

Start with your top 25 clients. Gather information on their relationships. Start by getting the names, ages, and interests of spouses, children, and grandchildren. With this intel, you’ll be able to ask specific questions like, “How’s Olivia’s gymnastics class going?”

Children & grandchildren
Pets
Parents & siblings
Friends
Colleagues
Professional acquaintances
Neighbors

Next, gather information on your clients’ interests, including:

Important dates: birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc.
Recreational activities and hobbies
Favorite sports teams
Favorite restaurants/food
Vacation locations
Volunteer work/charity involvement
Health considerations clients choose to share
Preferred beverages
Social clubs and organizations
Political interests
Exercise habits
Alma mater

Once you’ve gathered this information, then what?

Third, What to Do With All This Information

Prior to meeting with a client, take some time to review the information you gathered. Then, when you meet with your client or have phone calls with them, ask about an item or two.

Don’t just dive into your client’s investment performance. Rather, ask about one of your client’s grandchildren or pets by name. Or ask about one of their hobbies. By having these types of personal conversations, you’ll build emotional connections. You’re conveying to your clients that you’re a good listener and care about the most important things in their lives. They may be more likely to mention you to friends if the topic of finances comes up. In addition to building emotional connections, you can use personal information to build new relationships.

Having a more personal connection also makes it easier to ask for personal introductions to people your clients know.

For example, you can just ask your client, “Jim, you mentioned that you play golf after work with Dave on Fridays. I’d like to meet him. Could I join you next week?” Request personal introductions in a social venue. Why? It’s more comfortable for your client to simply make the connection, not sell your services.

Plus, it’s easier to develop rapport with their connection when business isn’t the discussion topic.

Are You Wondering if This Is All Worth It?

True. It’s going to take some time and effort to gather all this data. But it’s necessary to have personal conversations that build emotional connections. A Harvard study found that emotionally connected customers are 52% more valuable than highly satisfied customers. Yes, you read that right: Emotionally connected customers are more likely to buy more from you and recommend you to their friends.

Emotionally-Connected Customers Are 52% More Valuable Than Highly Satisfied Customers

Value of Emotionally Connected Customers graph

Emotionally connected customers buy more of your products and services, visit you more often, exhibit less price sensitivity, pay more attention to your communications, follow your advice, and recommend you more—everything you hope their experience with you will cause them to do.

Source: An Emotional Connection Matters More than Customer Satisfaction, Harvard Business Review August 29, 2016

Remember These Steps When You Want to Build Emotional Connections With Clients

First, don’t settle for relationships with top clients that are strictly business. Rather, strive to build emotional connections. Second, to build emotional connections, you’ll need to have personal conversations. Use the list above to gather clients’ personal details you’ll need to have personal conversations. Third, before client meetings, review the information you gathered, then ask a question based on that information.

Avoid the Pre-Meeting Jitters

Whether we’re packing for vacation or gearing up for a meeting with a top client, none of us enjoy that sinking feeling of possibly forgetting something crucial. By collecting personal information about clients, you’ll sidestep the panic of lacking anything personal to discuss, ensuring plenty of engaging conversation topics.

Next Steps:

This week, identify your top three clients.
Start gathering the information listed above for each of them.
When you catch up with them next, chat about one of the things you’ve found.

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