Advisor 'touches' at a five-year high

By Warren S. Hersch

August 28, 2013 at 11:39 AM

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Email remains the overwhelmingly preferred method of contact among financial services companies when it comes to connecting with advisors, according to a new report.

Cogent Research, a division of Market Strategies International, discloses this finding in a summary of results from a survey of 1,700 financial advisors in the U.S.

On average, the survey reveals, financial services providers connect with advisors 62.8 times per month through email. The survey observes that providers' use of all "touch points" is rising. Among them:

Type of communication	Average number per month
Print mailings	20.1
Webinar invitations	16.7
Internal sales phone calls	13.8
External wholesaler visits	5.4
Social media	4.2
Road shows/conference invitations	3.2

Including email, the average total number of touch points per month is 126.2, Cogent notes. This compares with the more than the 110 touches per month the company reported a year ago and the 103 touches per month reported five years ago.

"Advisors have come to expect a multifaceted approach from providers, says Meredith Rice, a senior product director at Cogent. "These ancillary, often newer mediums fortify the overall relationship between the advisor and provider.

"With thought leadership … providers face the arduous task of not only creating cutting-edge material, but also addressing the subjects advisors view as timely and informative," she adds. "With so many providers clamoring for attention, there is an immediate need for providers to pinpoint the issues and ideas that matter most to advisors."

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