Outsourcing communications administration

The Challenge: Over the past two weeks, we have focused on putting a communications plan in place and leveraging technology for its delivery. Now comes the hard part: implementation. Since you can’t add staff and your current staff is already stretched thin, how do you carry out the plan? The Solution: Start by putting together a list of your top 50 clients, if you don’t already have one. We constantly hear from advisers who want to start a simple birthday card mailing program, but then get too busy to execute the plan. The same thing happens with client events. The key is making these communications predictable, sustainable and repeatable. And in today’s market, that’s never been more important. Here is an easy way to keep in written touch with top clients — one that costs less and is easier to accomplish than making a trip to the store to buy cards, organizing a calendar, addressing envelopes and mailing everything out on time. Use a card mailing service, which is what many top advisers do. I use Corporate Greetings Inc. of Harrisburg, Pa., because their staff actually hand writes the signature to give each card a personal touch. They even try to match your signature. Many competitors use a computer-printed signature that can smear. This one looks and feels like you signed it. The beauty of this program is that once you send a mailing list to the company, you just have to update your list and select a new series of cards at the start of each year. Remember, your goal is to have eight to 12 interactions a year with top clients; these cards are a solution for four or five of those communications. (Some advisers send a card a month, which I don’t recommend; it’s overkill). Here is a suggested annual plan: 1. A birthday card for your client, their spouse and children. Consider sending cards to a client’s adult children, since they often will be making the decisions on the estate. 2. A card in late March with a reminder to schedule an update once the client has completed his or her tax return. 3. A Fourth of July card celebrating Independence Day. 4. A fall card thanking a client for the opportunity to work with them, with a reminder about upcoming client reviews and a note asking for a referral to family and friends. 5. A Thanksgiving card (this is our suggestion) or a winter holiday card. Do not send both because it will seem like too much. Plan a client event for the other holiday. At Corporate Greetings, for instance, you choose the cards you want and the frequency of your mailings. The company matches those to the mailing list with dates you send them. The firm will customize the greeting for your mailings and print your name, organization and phone number inside the card. Each card is hand signed and can include your business card. The vendor prints the address on a colored envelope with a commemorative postage stamp. Corporate card outsourcing costs about $2.50 a card. For that price, you would be hard-pressed to buy cards alone. Instead, you get the cards and a repeatable process that frees up time for your staff. To execute your communications plan, using an online card service makes a lot of sense. Get started now! Next week: More on outsourcing