Aus Unity stresses importance of client communications

Australian Unity Personal Financial Services chief executive Steve Davis said that over the past five years, the firm has been testing its clients to determine the optimal number of “educational communications” it should send to clients each year.

“With a monthly touch point, we are finding educational communications are still appreciated. The feedback clients give to their advisers is really positive, and complaints from clients about the regularity are zero,” Mr Davis said.

“For the test, we gradually increased the number of communications we sent clients each year, and it wasn’t until this last year that we started to hear clients say ‘too much’,” he said, “and that was when we exceeded 12 communications in the one year.”

Mr Davis added that the feedback advisers were receiving from clients was that they really appreciate not only the updates and information, but that their adviser is taking the time to send them good quality information.

“We not only prepare all of these communications for our advisers, but we also send most of them directly to clients on behalf of their advisers,” Mr Davis said.

“Our advisers reap the praise from their clients, but don’t have to take the time out of their busy days to write or send the communications.

“Our client communications are all educational, and include client e-newsletters, special reports, client webinars and investment update emails,” Mr Davis added.