It can be tough to come up with interesting client event ideas that are both easy to run and are appealing to your financial clients and prospects. Client events are a great way to deepen client relationships and convert prospects into new clients. If you do not appreciate your clients, someone else will. Client appreciation events are a way for financial advisors to express gratitude, build engagement and make clients so happy that they will tell their friends about you. A client who feels appreciated is more likely to stick with you. Here are a few event client appreciation ideas….
Timing is the First Thing to Accomplish
Ask your clients what is the best month for an event. You definitely do not want to choose one of their busiest months. Make sure you carefully consider the date and time of your event in order to maximize attendance. This will help your dollars stretch a little more.
Check Your Client’s Interest
Check your client base and see if there is a pattern. Do they share interests? Do they like golf? Can you segment them into different groups? A Happy Hour event would not work well with families, and a formal client base might not appreciate a tailgate party.
Do Not Try to Pitch or Sell
A client appreciation event is about showing gratitude and building loyalty. The only thing you are selling is how great it is to be your client. You do not want to bring up financial planning or insurance during an event. Have faith that the topic will come up, let the client initiate the conversation.
Encourage Your Clients to Bring Family and Friends
Many people don’t attend client appreciation events because they do not want to hang around a bunch of people they do not know. Make it clear you welcome family and guest. It will make them more comfortable. Plus it can even maximize your chances of getting referrals.
Move around Shake Hands and Mingle
You want to make everyone feels welcome and worthy of your attention. They are nice enough to come so you should be nice enough to acknowledge them and talk with them. However do not spend a lot of time with any one person. Have lots of business cards ready. Especially if your clients bring lots of friends and family. A few extra pens in your pocket will help also just in case you want to write down any pertinent information.
Add an Event’s Page to your Website
Very few financial advisors have an events page and it is another small thing that can give an edge. It will let everyone know that you have events and it gives your website visitor a peek of what is like to become your client. Remember to leave your old events on the page. This reinforces the image that you are here to stay and are committed to customer appreciation.
A Few Appreciation Event Ideas
- Ice Cream and Coffee Social – Great Summer event. You can have games and raffles at your event. There are lots of ways to make it a cool event and easy on the wallet.
- Cooking Class – Private cooking classes range from around $70-$100 per person, but can be well worth it for your top clients. You usually do not want more than about 10 people so it is a more intimate setting. A coffee and smoothie bar would be a great way to meet everyone as thye arrived.
- Golf – Golf has always been a favorite among financial advisors. Invite a few of your best clients and ask them to feel free to bring a friend. You could even get a golf pro to provide a few tips. Plan ahead and make sure that your golf outing is organized and paid for in advance. A coffee and smoothie bar before or after golf is always a hit.
- Coffee and Pastries – This is another inexpensive client appreciation event that lends itself to a positive, relaxed atmosphere.
Consider Valet Coffee for your Customer Appreciation Event whether your event is 10 or 150 our coffeehouse commercial espresso machine makes delicious mochas, lattes and cappuccinos. And our smoothies bar service will make your favorites with our state of the art smoothie equipment. We offer hassle free professional baristas who provide all accessories you will need. We know you and your clients will be delighted with our product and service.
Finally, Plan your Event at least two months in advance. You want the time to promote your event. Mail or email an Invite. The Best way to increase attendance is a phone call. An invitation in the mail, or a mass social media invitation is easy to brush off. You can frame every phone call as “I know I sent the invites in the mail but I wanted to make sure I invited you personally”
Please keep Valet Coffee in mind when you are planning your next holiday party or other type event!
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About Valet Coffee
Valet Coffee is a full service, mobile espresso and smoothie bar. It’s a unique way to impress customers, appreciate employees and kick up any special event to the next level. Our professional baristas will bring the taste and feel of an authentic European coffee house. We do all the work, all you have to do is entertain. Valet Coffee’s mobile espresso and smoothie bars are one of Greater Cincinnati’s best marketing tools.
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