Suchitra Siriamornsarp manages clients by grounding their expectations with reality and making those goals come true.

Patiently listening to clients and understanding their situation are essential for an enduring relationship on the part of an advisor. Technology that delivers efficient client service can also be a successful contributor.

What tools do you use to manage your clients’ goals and effectively track and fulfill their expectations? 

We have a lot of software — Google Drive, Microsoft apps — and I can tell you they help a lot. One app is a financial calculator we use to help clients set goals. When setting retirement goals, for example, I will ask them how many more years until they want to retire. I’ll put their answer with the inflation rate in the calculator, and I can tell them immediately they can retire with 10 million baht today, but in the future, they could retire with 30 million baht. Getting quick answers makes us look professional to our clients.

I use an iPad, Android and a laptop, and they’re connected to all our clients’ data, so we can open it anywhere. Each time we talk to clients, we build their profile with a short call report by putting what they said into Microsoft Word or OneNote. We’re able to manage our clients’ expectations better because we will have all their information at hand the moment they call.

What are your clients’ reactions to these tools?

They ask, “How are you getting the answers so fast?” It’s because we have all the information at hand. There’s no need for a secretary. Our secretary is the software and apps. A CRM system can capture and retrieve client data but that might require a lot of investment. For the self-employed planner and advisors who work alone, I think these apps provide a huge gain without a huge investment. There are good ideas on how to use technology to your advantage and to help your clients on mdrt.org and in Round the Table.

Suchitra Siriamornsarp is a 4-year MDRT member from Bangkok, Thailand. Contact her at rimi@rimiwealth.com.