6 Ways to Stay Connected With Snowbirding Clients: Advisors' Advice

The period after the winter holidays and before much of the northern United States thaws in early spring is the unofficial snowbird season. That means millions of people will head to warmer climates in such states as Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. In Florida alone, one commonly cited statistic suggests, the population increases by as much as 5% during the winter months. For advisors with clients who make the journey, snowbird season could mean not seeing some clients in person for quite some time — especially if that face-to-face meeting scheduled for the third or fourth quarter of 2023 didn't happen. However, as pointed out by Danielle Diliberti, CEO of the wine experience company Sommsation, the work must continue, relationships still need to flourish and clients should remain engaged with their advisors while still enjoying the warmer temps. Given her line of work, Diliberti suggests connecting with snowbirding clients by sending them a bottle of wine, along with a gift certificate to a local BYOB restaurant so they can enjoy it — keeping FINRA gift limits in mind, of course. Or, the advisor could prepare a welcome-back package for when the snowbird season comes to an end and invite their clients to look forward to the spring. As Diliberti says, it's really "not about the wine." Such a gesture is about strengthening the connection between advisor and clients at a time when it would be all too easy for communication to break down. The key is to demonstrate understanding and flexibility while maintaining a consistent and positive relationship, Diliberti says. "By acknowledging and accommodating their seasonal lifestyle, consultants and vendors can strengthen the bond with their snowbird clients and enhance the overall client experience," she says. Of course, there are many other ways to deepen client connections this winter that don't involve gift giving. In that spirit, ThinkAdvisor asked a panel of advisors with the Financial Planning Association and the XY Planning Network for their insights, as collected and presented in the accompanying gallery. Not every suggestion will be useful for every advisor-client relationship, but there is a lot of food for thought when it comes to connecting with snowbird clients in the weeks and months ahead.