Any customer is a welcome addition to your clientele, but some will drive more success for your business than others. High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are among the most impactful for financial advisors.
On a surface level, HNWIs are valuable clients because they bring in more money. More than that, though, they’ll likely need more service over a longer period, as they have more assets to manage and more complex concerns.
Attracting these customers can be difficult, as all your competitors also recognize their value. Here are five strategies to employ to cultivate this clientele.
1. Serve Unique HNWI Needs
The most important thing in serving any market niche is understanding its unique needs. This is particularly crucial for financial managers working with HNWIs, as wealthy populations may have a broader range of economic goals and challenges than others.
Long-term growth and estate planning are crucial areas to serve, as 67% of HNW customers cite wealth preservation as a priority. Consider offering wealth transfer services, will writing and optimization, personalized large-scale investment advice and environment, social and governance (ESG) investing services to meet this need.
Complicated tax situations are another important area to address. HNW clients are likely to have more complex tax concerns, including business and international tax issues. Getting experience in these areas and offering services specifically targeted at these needs will help you stand out.
2. Create a One-Stop Shop Experience
As you add new HNW-specific services to your business, consider bundling them together. It’s also a good idea to pair investment products with conventional banking tools and financial services. By creating a one-stop shop, you’ll offer some needed simplification and streamlining for clients with many assets to manage.
Roughly 30% of investors with $5 million to $10 million in investable assets want to consolidate their banking and investment relationships. These clients already have a lot to manage, so they’ll appreciate it if you can offer more complementary services under the same roof. Making it easy to access and move resources between them through digital platforms is also crucial.
Remember that offering a broader, more cohesive experience requires thorough insight into your operations. Managing cash flow and gaining visibility are the biggest pain points for companies in the early stages. Embrace digital, interoperable tools to overcome that gap.
3. Emphasize Exceptional Service
Similarly, you should emphasize the quality of your service when serving HNWIs. All customers want value. At this level of spending, that’s less about getting a cheaper deal and more about getting above-and-beyond service to justify higher expenses.
Personalization is key, as 54% of all consumers agree that they’d pay more for personalized services. HNW clients are already paying more, so they may expect a greater deal of tailored products and services. Offering exclusive experiences, one-on-one consultations and network-building opportunities can help, as well.
When handling large amounts of money, exceptional service should include an emphasis on security and privacy. Consider implementing AI fraud monitoring, which is more reliable than manual methods and can catch tech-savvy customers’ eyes. Private meetings — both in-person and over video conferencing software — that emphasize exclusivity and confidentiality are another wise idea.
4. Build Relationships
As part of that industry-leading service, you should aim to build relationships with your HNW clientele. Promote the human factor to your business. Highlight how you don’t see just numbers but see wealthy clients as people and want to help them achieve their life goals.
HNWIs realistically have more choices than most when deciding between financial advisors. Consequently, the deciding factor may be less numbers-oriented and more connection-based. You can build these relationships through highly personalized communications emphasizing personal and family considerations and connecting clients with other professionals.
Fostering closer, more personal relationships with HNW clients opens the door to more HNWI business, too. You can encourage referrals, which are twice as likely to generate action than other forms of marketing.
5. Ensure Regulatory Compliance
Finally, you’ll want to pay close attention to regulatory concerns to cultivate HNW clientele. HNWIs tend to fall under greater regulatory scrutiny, especially when dealing with taxes or international business investments. They also have more to lose, so you must assure them you can protect their assets and legal standings.
HNW clients are more likely to invest in non-traditional assets, which face more complex regulations. More than half of HNW investors are interested in cryptocurrency, and 42% want to invest in ESG. You’ll need to learn about and stay on top of these niches’ regulatory landscapes or hire experts in these fields to serve these needs.
Communicate this attention to regulations in your marketing materials. Demonstrating your expertise by highlighting industry experience or offering client testimonials will strengthen your position.
High-Net-Worth Clientele Require Special Attention
Securing HNW clients can bring substantial cash flow to your business. These customers are also likely to stay with you for a long time, so they deserve your attention.
These five strategies will help you cultivate and maintain a loyal HNW clientele. Doing so will help you remain competitive in the financial advisory landscape.
Related: Risk Management Audits: Safeguarding Your Clients’ Investments