With women controlling more wealth in the US today, the importance of advisors ensuring they offer a service that works for female clients is clear, and that includes how it impacts referrals.
More than seven in ten financial advisors who have women clients who came to them from referrals have told a new survey from Edward Jones that those clients sought out recommendations from other women.
Women’s friends are family are likely to be the source of the referral (77%) and the chance of being recommended rises for those advisors that offer strong levels of personalized, tailored financial advice (64%).
It’s also important that advisors are authentic and transparent about results, fees, and services, listen to clients’ needs, have regular check ins with them to gauge progress, and involve them fully in the decision making process.
The three key factors that turn female investors into clients, according to financial advisors who took part in the research are:
On the second point, this involves recognizing that women are likely to shouldering the main caregiving responsibilities including children and aging parents – three quarters of advisors agree that women clients’ caregiving duties have negatively impacted their ability to save for their financial goals (74%).
It’s also vital that advisors focus on how women want to invest, which tends to favor long-term investments over short-term gains, with the survey finding that women clients’ top three financial goals are:
“Authenticity and transparency are paramount in building successful client relationships. All investors value a financial advisor who takes time to understand their unique financial needs,” said Jasmine Butler, financial advisor at Edward Jones. “As a woman, I bring warmth and empathy to my client conversations. Saying, I get you and I'm here to guide you every step of your financial journey really resonates."
By listening for what truly matters and where clients want to make a difference, advisors can avoid politics and help build more personal strategies.
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