Written by:
Barbara Balfour
THE GLOBE & MAIL
July 28, 2022
📰 Read the FULL ARTICLE here.
Read an excerpt below.
When it comes to health and well-being, Cindy Marques, CFP and chief executive officer of Money MakeCents Inc. in Toronto, is a firm believer in practising what she preaches to clients.
“Yes, the investment market is looking bleak right now, and some clients may need some soul-soothing, but we’re also human beings beyond just our advisor roles,” she says. “My clients prioritize personal care and well-being enough to celebrate my personal downtime. We deserve to enjoy our lives, summers and the benefits of travelling.”
After all, advisors spend their time helping clients achieve their work/life balance and enjoy their money as a tool that brings joy through experiences and purchases. So, they should lead by example, she says.
Whenever Ms. Marques is out of the office and not checking her e-mail inbox regularly, she relies on WhatsApp to stay connected with her clients. The free instant messaging platform runs on wireless internet, so users don’t have to worry about racking up overseas roaming charges. It also allows her to respond to clients more effectively with voice notes instead of long-winded texts or e-mails.
“The voice note aspect also provides a sense of comfort to the client to actually ‘hear’ from you,” she says.
“It feels more personal than an e-mail and, at the end of the day, those personal touches can go a long way to making a client feel cared for.”
As Ms. Marques works independently, she automates her business as much as possible. Automated responses on her website acknowledge receipt of inquiries until she can follow up personally, while her social media accounts feature links for booking a consultation call that sync automatically to her calendar.
“This way there’s no back and forth required to settle on a time to speak, and I don’t have to worry about being booked during my vacations since I set the parameters of my own availability,” she says.
“Ultimately, regardless of my ability to respond, clients have multiple avenues to both view my availability and book a formal time to speak with me that doesn’t require any response from me whatsoever.”
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