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.

The best videos allow your clients to tell their stories, explaining why they needed your help, how you’ve helped and what they’ve been able to achieve after working with you.

They’re versatile too. Once filmed, your client videos can be:

• Added to your website
• Included in your proposal documents
• Promoted on social media to show your expertise and the value you add to your clients
• Sent to prospective clients to demonstrate that you’re the right adviser/planner for them.

That makes client videos the gold standard of social proof.

In the past, we’ve said that there were two things preventing firms from developing client videos:

• Cost
• Lockdown.

Now, at the start of 2023, both are less of an issue.

Firstly, we charge just £747 plus VAT for a package of three videos filmed remotely. Given their versatility and multiple uses, that’s not a significant investment.

Secondly, lockdowns and social distancing aren’t the issues they were two or three years ago. That means we can now get back to face-to-face shoots or, alternatively, continue with remote shoots.

However, over the past few months, we’ve noticed a third barrier preventing advisers/planners from producing videos, which probably explains why only 31% of firms in 2022’s New Model Adviser Top 100 have client videos on their website.

What’s the barrier?

Themselves.

Specifically, three things.

#1: Worried about “bothering” clients

Some advisers/planners feel that asking clients to appear on video means they’ll be “imposing” on them or “bothering” them.

Those limiting beliefs will inevitably hold you back, while the perception that clients will feel that way is almost certainly wrong. Here’s why.

In late 2021 I was on a face-to-face video shoot for a financial planner in the West Midlands. The first client of the day arrived at about 9.30 am and we were chatting while the equipment was set up. He told me that he’d driven from Wales for the shoot, a round trip of some 150 miles.

In December!

I thanked him profusely for his efforts, and he told me: “It’s no exaggeration to say that working with Nick has changed my life. Recording this video is my way of saying thank you.”

As we said at the start of this blog, financial planning changes lives. You’re bound to have clients who’ve achieved things they never thought possible if they weren’t working with you. But if you’re worried that you’re “bothering” or “imposing”, you’re never going to ask them.

That’s a massive missed opportunity when many will happily agree to tell their story.

All you have to do is put those limiting beliefs to one side, and ask!

#2: The fear of rejection

When we discuss client videos with advisers/planners the response we often get is: “My clients won’t want to do that.”

The fear of rejection is (kind of) understandable, although it comes from an emotional, not logical, place. After all, how can one adviser/planner accurately assess the feelings of 200-300 people towards the idea in a millisecond?

In our experience, this instantly negative reaction comes from a fear of rejection.

It’s inevitable that, when you approach some clients, they’ll decline the opportunity to take part. However, in our experience, if you ask the right clients in the right way, enough will agree to make the project viable.

And, as Paul Armson would say, you only need “enough”, right?

Here’s another story to prove the point.

A three-planner firm we work with agreed to run a client video project. We decided that we’d record six videos, two for each planner. The first two planners quickly received agreement from their clients to appear. The third planner refused to ask his clients. He didn’t want to “bother” them. So, instead, the first two planners each asked a third client.

And, you know what? They readily agreed.

The net result was that the third planner has no videos of his clients and all because he gave in to the limiting beliefs, allowing his fear of rejection to trump reality.

#3: Not prioritising the videos

Everyone’s to-do list is packed with things that should have been done yesterday. So, we understand the competing drains on your time. And, if you’re worried about “imposing”, “bothering” or rejection, asking your clients to appear on video is hardly likely to be your number one priority.

However, if you want to move the project forward, it’s a case of pulling up your pants and asking.

Unfortunately, it’s a job no one else in your team should do.

If it’s any help, take comfort from the fact that if you ask the right clients, in the right way, you’ll get enough to agree. But you’re only going to prove that to yourself when you bite the bullet and ask.

Let us take the strain

Over the years we’ve run countless successful video projects, which have been filmed:

• Remotely
• Face-to-face in the adviser/planner’s office
• In the client’s home or place of work (it’s amazing what clients will agree to if you ask them in the right way!).

If you feel that now’s the time to be adding videos of your clients to your portfolio of social proof, we’re here to help.

Drop an email to hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300 and we’d be happy to explain more.