In this blog, I’ll be talking about the benefits of client videos, the types of clients who’d make great participants, our process, and the “nice to knows”…

What’s in it for you?

You know financial planning changes lives. Your existing clients know financial planning changes lives. But prospective clients don’t.

That’s where client videos come in, as they’re the gold standard of social proof.

We highly recommend including client video testimonials on your site. It means prospects can not only read about the services you offer, but can see a glimpse of how you’ve helped others in similar situations.

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You may already have clients in mind who would be up for participating in a client video.

Here are some additional tips on choosing the right people.

• Firstly, you need to choose someone who is happy in front of a camera (find out more about this later) and someone who has a smartphone and laptop.
• The ideal client is not always someone who has been with you for a long time. A better choice is someone who you’ve helped through a big life event fairly recently. For example, perhaps someone you’ve helped to retire in the last three years. This’ll mean they can remember what life was like before they retired, they remember the process you helped them through, and then now know what it’s like to be retired.
• Great choices also include clients who’ve recently divorced, recently bereaved, or have recently sold a business.

The only alternative to these suggestions is a client who’s come to you with a box of documents, pensions all over the shop, and no plan in place when it comes to retirement. You may have helped form a plan and they know everything’s going to be OK.

What’s the crack?

Once you have some ideas of who you’d like to ask, we’ll help you shortlist a handful to approach.

Once we have a confirmed “yes” from clients, our external video team will get them booked in and send them a tripod (for them to rest their phone on throughout the interview).

The whole process takes around 40 minutes of your client’s day. This includes an initial set-up call, where camera positioning and audio are checked, the interview itself, and wrapping up.

Following the interview, the raw footage comes back to us, we take all the best bits out and create a video around three minutes long, adding logos, contact details and background music.

We then create transcripts for each video, ensure they’re proofread, and upload everything to your website.

Who’s asking?

That’ll be me (most of the time). I’m Ellie ???? part of the Client Success team here at Yardstick.

I’m a Nottingham girl, despite most of my family living down in Devon, where I visit regularly to surf, sightsee, and sample ciders!

As it stands, I’ve currently done more than 80 client interviews and I really do enjoy it. I find the whole process rewarding. It’s great to be able to show advisers/planners what a few of their clients truly think and feel about the service they provide. It also provides prospects with that extra topping of reassurance that they’ll be looked after, should they choose to work with [insert your firm name here].

Spotlight questions

I ask clients a handful of questions about why they chose to see a financial adviser/planner, and broadly how they’ve been helped. (Of course, we don’t want any specifics. These interviews are purely about the service received; we encourage clients to only talk about topics they wish to share).

I’ll then go into questions around how working with their adviser or planner has changed their life and how they now feel about their financial future.

The questions asked are nothing to be daunted by. We aren’t recording the next episode of The Weakest Link!  Questions can be altered to suit an individual’s situation, and we can skip anything unnecessary. We essentially work with clients to make them as comfortable as possible.

Too shy shy, hush hush, eye to eye

Some people are naturally more confident than others. I completely get that, as only recently have I kicked the habit of biting my nails when I feel nervous!

Please be reassured that the interview is really just a chat! It’ll be over and done within no time at all, and we aim to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible.

After a few questions, people usually find their flow and relax into things a little more.

Take 2 ????

Sometimes clients can’t find their words right away, or get halfway through a sentence and think “bleh, I need to start again”. That’s absolutely fine! There’s no pressure to get things right first time.

We aren’t aiming for perfection, we’re aiming for clients to feel comfortable and content with what they’re saying and how they’re coming across.

It’s behind you

In true pantomime fashion, when prospects view client videos, their eyes will naturally be drawn to anything that’s in the background.

Oh no they won’t! … Oh yes, they will.

I’m not suggesting clients scurry to Ikea’s ready-made rooms for that perfect background. But ideally, move the pile of washing that needs folding.

Dress code

Client interviews are by no means a fashion show. However, some people like to know what the dress code is for these sorts of things.

And the answer is, whatever they feel comfortable in. Maybe keep the bobby dazzlers in the wardrobe for this.

If you have any questions or are interested in having your own set of client videos, get in touch with us at hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300 to see what we can do for you.