Personalization: An Imperative With Ultra High Net Worth Clients

As clients become more discerning with their expectations for service and personalization, it’s no surprise that highly coveted Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) clients may be even more so.

UHNW clients have a myriad of options where to invest their assets and the nuances of each relationship matter. Hyper-personalization can be a powerful driver when working with these most selective clients. According to Capgemini, “A hyper-personalized wealth management client journey is becoming table stakes.”

Analysis from the World Wealth Report supports this statement further, revealing that HNW individuals are “least satisfied with their [wealth management] firm’s personalized information or services, with more than 60% reporting unsatisfactory experience.” Achieving hyper-personalization can be a challenge, especially for a smaller practice. In this article, we share how technology can help.

Achieving Success With Current Clients

Working with UHNW clients means exceeding expectations through turnkey personalization including addressing family values and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) viewpoints. The first step is learning what those are. Many advisors genuinely know their clients, but could benefit from having an easier way to act on what they know and customize their existing models at scale. Many models are solely based on risk and not on whether an important client is passionate about technological innovation or clean water.

This is where adopting technology that can allow advisors to easily capture these preferences and then seamlessly act on findings by automating individualized investment proposals and portfolios can make a huge difference. Technology should integrate these preferences plus risk capacity, assuring proper wealth preservation.

Facilitating Wealth Transfer

Another challenge that can be mitigated through technology is successful and strategic generational wealth transfer. The overwhelming majority of family members abandon their advisor after the death of the primary client. Advisors in the UHNW space should work to foster alignment with heirs early in their relationship with a family.

According to Vanguard, “Lack of trust is one of the main reasons investors of all ages leave their advisors. They want an advised relationship with someone who acknowledges their journey, and who feels a long-term commitment to help see them through to their goals.”

Capturing hyper-personalized values and preferences can be a powerful tool in connecting different generations and starting to build that trust. It can also help cultivate a sense of purpose and unity within families on key values. Using innovative technology in your practice can also help you connect better with younger generations who gravitate heavily toward digital wealth solutions.

Growing Your Access to New UHNW Clients

Personalization technology can also help you expand access to new UHNW clients. The higher net worth a client has, the more prohibitive asking for a referral may be. A client that is already rewarding you with significant business may not welcome being asked a favor.

Instead, consider telling them why you value working with them. Ask them for advice on how they think you can reach clients like them.

Based on their advice and your own research, figure out where you can network, making sure that it’s a good fit for your own unique personality. If you don’t play bridge, don’t go to a bridge club. But if you’re passionate about ending hunger, consider joining the board or volunteering with a local chapter of a charity that excels in this area.

Offer to host an educational event for your UHNW client’s social circle. You can also approach different organizations where you add value. This could be at a social club or through a professional group or charity. This way, you’re giving people something before you ask for something

And as your client base grows, employing technology to achieve continuous hyper-personalization at scale is critical to providing ongoing, nuanced service.

The Personality Framework

The TIFIN Personality framework evaluates a person’s financial personality in four dimensions:

Purpose: Investing to find a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.

Integrating ESG, impact investing, religious or other themes into portfolios.

Security: Investing to provide physical security and peace of mind.

A risk-adjusted growth lens that helps investors derive a sense of security.

Touch: Linking investing with a desire for meaningful relationships.

Investors who prefer to take a hands-on approach to their portfolio and build a close relationship with their advisor through frequent communications.

Viewpoints: Investing to gain the intellectual satisfaction of getting things right.

Investors who seek emerging trends that are shaping the future and express their world views through investments.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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