How to Create a Client Survey

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Advisors are great at getting to know their clients – you have to be. Learning the intimate details of a person’s finances means understanding them as a person. But there are some details about your clients that you don’t know – things that don’t naturally come up as part of financial planning – that will improve your relationship with them.

That’s where a client survey provides value.

Client surveys are helpful in the wake of COVID-19, since social distancing has thrown human interactions off kilter. Clients feel disconnected.

Ask clients what they think. They will be more willing to answer questions and share details, since they are facing fewer inquiries in daily life. You will get valuable information about how to keep your clients engaged, regardless of distance.

Just conducting the survey isn’t enough, however. You need to make sure the survey is effective. Here are my tips for creating an impactful client survey:

1. Have a clear goal in mind

What don’t you know about your clients that you wish you did? If you aren’t sure where to start, or you don’t know what you don’t know about clients, communication is a good one. How we prefer to be communicated with changes over time and with trends. (In 2019, how many people do you know who used Zoom? Now, video chat is the norm for many people.) A survey is a great way to find out if clients want to get emails from you and how frequently. Ask what social media platforms they use and where they get information on financial topics (other than you, of course). Knowing that your clients prefer the Wall Street Journal or that they’ve been seeing some great videos on alternative investments on TikTok will tell you a lot in just one question.