What advisers can learn about technology from Guns N’ Roses

Anyone who knows me knows that I love music of all types. I was fortunate enough to see the recent Guns N’ Roses concert in Las Vegas. Axl Rose’s voice growled and soared with power and range. Slash was a virtuoso on the guitar, fearlessly pounding out complex riffs and other times evoking angelic serenades from his guitar’s magical strings. The entire group was on! Their energy and combined sound merged into music that entered our pores and surged through our bloodstreams.

There is just no experience like live music. Sure, we can get music anytime, anywhere with the click of a mouse or a tap on the phone. Any artist, any song — new or old, classical or country, rock or jazz, folk or blues, heavy metal or rap — can fill the room or our ears on demand; the purity of sound offered by online services, CDs or downloads amplified by full sound systems or noise-cancelling headphones is near perfect, allowing precise replay of recordings time after time. In other words, we can listen to music whenever we want, but it is only live and in person that we can truly engage with the music.

By now, many of you are likely wondering what this has to do with financial technology. The short answer is, nothing. It has to do with remembering that technology should be a complement to human interaction, not the primary means of client communication. We can hear music on Sirius and enjoy listening to our personal mix on Pandora. Yet, when we attend a concert, we build a relationship with the band. From that point on, when we hear a new album from that band, it means more to us, we are more invested. Our connection and commitment to that band increases with each shared live experience.

As advisers, we can communicate with our clients through newsletters, emails and blogs or even videos and webinars. As important as these touches are, they are not interactive. Building and cementing long-term relationships can only truly be accomplished through real conversation and live meetings.

Sheryl Rowling is head of rebalancing solutions at Morningstar Inc. and principal at Rowling & Associates. She considers herself a non-techie user of technology.