In an industry full of jargon, financial advisors who boil matters down to the basics tend to stand out. Here are a handful of best practices from GSAM’s Strategic Advisory Solutions’ Business Practices team.
1) Simplify. Storytelling sticks. So do short, catchy phrases. Meld the two together. Be brief, and be memorable.
2) Identify key points. When people hear your name, do two or three key points leap to mind? Limiting yourself to a few key points can make your views easier to remember.
3) Use plain English. Want to avoid putting clients to sleep? Avoid jargon. This means no “maximizing alpha,” no “Modern Portfolio Theory,” and no “dead-cat bounce.”
4) Focus on benefits. Clients care most about how you can help. Know your audience and how you can serve client needs. People tend to care less about abstract concepts than about tangible benefits.
5) Paint a picture. Visual illustrations of how clients have benefited from your investment approach often help.
6) Summarize, summarize, and summarize again. Key takeaways help drive home the message. Don’t be afraid to be repetitive; it helps make you memorable.