Q&A with Kelli Hueler: - Napfa

The Efficient planner
age of Prewitt’s clients is 64, so he asked
the board to weigh-in on his ideas for
attracting additional younger clients.
“They told us Facebook was okay for
event marketing but not to promote the
business. We also learned that we do not
have many heavy web users on our client
advisory board,” he said.
Fox, Joss & Yankee sought board
feedback when it rolled out a new website,
said Belew.
For Gugle, a similar question
revealed that some board members
did not even know that the firm had a
website. Once past that shock, Gugle said
that discussions produced very valuable
feedback. “Those who did [know we
had a website] wanted more,” he said.
“Our website was mostly a glorified
marketing brochure with no interaction.
They identified specific improvements,
including adding features such as a client
portal so that the site could become an
information-delivery vehicle.”
Client advisory board members
also alerted Gugle to how inundated
they were with paper: custodian reports,
confirmations, proxy documents, annual
reports, semi-annual reports, and so on.
They told Gugle that he was adding to the
problem, not fixing it. “Now, we send out
93 percent of our quarterly reports via our
website, eliminating most paper reports,”
he said. “That saves time and money, but
it also eliminates the paper burden that our
clients face. Our board helped us to frame
the discussion around what is best for the
client, which usually gets you to a better
outcome when you start that way.”
I’ve relied on my board for marketing
advice, too. In fact, in my first client
advisory board meeting, I asked for
feedback about five key pages in my
website redesign. I expected the feedback
to be quick because I felt good about my
site, and I’d prepared other agenda topics.
Despite their favorable impressions,
we spent the full meeting on those five
pages! Their feedback included small
but powerful comments such as “All my
friends know to look for Fee-Only—you
should put the NAPFA logo on every
page.”
My board also pointed out what
should have been obvious to me: Since my
practice focuses on socially responsible
investors, I need to state that on my home
page. They also told me I underplayed
what I do for them. I listened as they
described their experience (and frantically
typed their comments into my notes), then
wove their exact words into my website
text. It was invaluable to hear and see my
website through their lens.
Jennifer Lazarus is a NAPFA member
who runs her efficient practice in Durham,
NC. Please e-mail your column ideas to
Jennifer at jennifer@lazarusfp.com.
Is Pleased to announce the launch
of theIr
ON-LINE LIBRARY
for FAMILY-OWNED
COMPANIES
VIsIt www.claytoncaPItalPartners.com/lIbrary
for a comPlete lIstIng of books, blogs, Industry
PublIcatIons, and more.
st. louIs • denVer • dallas
www.claytoncaPItalPartners.com • (314) 725-9939
mergers and acquIsItIons sPecIalIsts
Napfa advisor sEpTEMBEr 2012 33