ThinkAdvisor recently offered suggestions as to how advisors can strengthen client relationships during the holidays. While December often brings a slowdown in client communications, Thanksgiving weekend offers advisors a meaningful window to connect with clients, according to ThinkAdvisor. Here are the suggestions:
Send Holiday Cards Early
Clients may receive dozens of cards in December, but advisors who mail theirs on December 1 stand out. ThinkAdvisor suggests that cards signed by every team member and sent immediately after Thanksgiving create a memorable touchpoint.
Support Your Local Food Bank
Rising food costs continue to strain families across the country. Advisors who donate early—and in ways that reflect the food bank's specific needs—can make a tangible impact. These acts of service naturally surface in conversation and show clients a genuine commitment to community.
Ask About Holiday Traditions
Thanksgiving gatherings reveal important details about family size and dynamics. Asking clients how many people they host and how they manage large groups helps advisors learn more about their support networks and long-term priorities.
Use Family Gatherings as Insight Opportunities
Holiday meals often introduce advisors to extended relatives they have never met. Casual questions about careers, life events, or plans can offer valuable insight without steering the discussion toward business.
Encourage Your Sales Assistant to Engage
Support staff can help identify opportunities. If a client mentions a family reunion with multiple generations present, a simple question—such as whether their children have ever met their advisor—plants the idea of an introductory meeting under warm, positive circumstances.
Take Note of New Additions to the Family
A newborn or pregnancy presents an opportunity for a congratulatory message later. These moments can naturally evolve into future discussions about education planning when the time is right.
Identify Upcoming Weddings
Learning which relatives are newly engaged or planning a ceremony allows advisors to celebrate with them. Those milestones eventually lead to the need for financial planning, insurance, and long-term investment strategies.
Ask About Job Changes
If someone recently changed roles, understanding their transition can uncover potential rollover opportunities later. Questions about their new position, what they enjoy, and what prompted the move show genuine interest.
Celebrate Retirements
Retirement is an accomplishment worth acknowledging. When someone shares that they have stepped away from work, advisors can respond warmly and reserve deeper planning conversations for a later date.
Bring a Thoughtful Host Gift
Whether it is wine, flowers, or a dish for the table, arriving with a small token shows appreciation and respect for the host.
Offer Safe Rides Home
Thanksgiving can make transportation challenging. Offering a ride to a family member who needs one reflects responsibility and care, which often resonates with clients who value professionalism anchored in kindness.
Financial Advisor Transitions consults advisors nationwide to explore employment transition options and to preserve and protect their practice in any transition that they make.
