Cutting Through the Noise During Times of Volatility
by The Seven Team
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2022 has been nothing short of historic… and not in a good way.
War, inflation, rising rates, spiking gas prices, a cooling housing market, market volatility – the constant negative cycles of news are never-ending. And all of this is on the back of a pandemic that lasted 2+ years.
While the headlines have everyone glued to their phone and television, the concerns are real, the reality is frightening, and it’s felt widely.
Search interest around the term “recession” has spiked in recent months.
Throughout the last few weeks, in our regular coaching sessions, we’ve heard consistently that our members are pushing to stay in front of and educate their clients about what to do during these times.
The moral of the story: Staying in front of your clients during volatility can win clients for life.
One of the biggest questions we get right now: Is being proactive sounding too many alarms for my clients? The short answer is no. The long answer is that it all depends on the positioning and cadence. With so much happening in the market, it can be unclear how to guide your clients right now.
However, the key is to stay active in the inbox. Ensure that your clients see your name, read your points of view, and understand your thoughts around what’s happening, both macro-economically and on a tactical level.
This can mitigate calls, but it can help your clients think proactively about their situation, keeping them engaged.
What you can do:
Deploy a weekly (or bi-weekly) email or video to your clients providing your thoughts on what’s happening and what they can think about as it relates to their plan.
Even if it’s telling them the best action is no action, make it specific, and encourage sharing.
Keep the cadence consistent, measure engagement, and send until things settle.
Action 2: Keep Things Scannable
If you decide to get into a regular cadence of communication, it’s critical that you keep it scannable.
Crafting an email? Keep it to 5-10 bullets of “what to know.”
Shooting a video? Keep it under two minutes.
With the news cycle moving at the rate it is, all of us are scrolling through our phones unconsciously; not many of us want to consume content on deep levels. We want to know the core points, understand how it will impact us, and move through our day.
Scannable content wins. It’s what’s enabled newsletters like the Morning Brew, The Hustle, and Robinhood Snacks to thrive for the past few years.
What you can do: Lists, bullets, short paragraphs, quick snippets – when crafting content, read it 1-2 times to ensure you can make sense of the points and jump from point to point without getting distracted or lost.
Scan first, read second is often the motto these days.
Action 3: Be a Good Listener & Don’t React
If things get to the point that some are suggesting, then meetings with clients may come fast and furious. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for your practice; it just means your clients care about their financial situation and are looking to your guidance.
When in meetings during intense times, jumping to coaching and teaching are often the knee jerk reaction. But we can tell you from experience that listening first will always win.
What you can do:
Take a 70/30 approach to any meeting right now (and always).
Listen 70% of the time, talk 30% of the time.
Let people open up and break down not only what they’re worried about financially but also how they’re feeling about it. This will allow you to not only craft a more thoughtful response but collect your thoughts, react with even-keel emotion, and keep your advice actionable.
The Bottom Line
The next several months could be tough for many, including your clients. But now is the time for you to shine, take the reins, lead your client base to stay calm, act accordingly, and stay the course.
