PLANADVISER - September/October 2020 - 31

advisers have increased their time spent in virtual meetings
with clients, and half spend more time in attending
virtual events and webinars than they did before.
When advisers previously opted for virtual client or
committee meetings, the client may have seen it as a costsavings
measure; the meeting typically was a teleconference
to discuss the quarterly report, sources say.
A number of advisers speaking recently at the
PLANADVISER National Conference (PANC) agreed that
virtual meetings are not only here for the duration of
COVID-19, but may remain a preferred means to communicate
with clients even after the coronavirus' grip on our
daily lives has subsided.
That said, it is important to make the most of such meetings.
What follow are some best practices to keep in mind.
Set the Scene
It is important to make sure you log in
to a meeting from the most professionallooking
setting possible. To keep the
attention of meeting attendees, remove
anything that could potentially distract
them, says Stace Hilbrant, managing
director of 401k Advisors in Chicago.
That means decluttering the room or
" When I present, I put myself mentally into the room
with the participants, like I'm presenting to a live audience, "
Rausser says. " You don't just want to be in the mode
where you're standing there in front of a computer staring
into space. Project yourself into the audience. "
Besides evaluating your sound, picture and presentation
quality, you might also watch participant reactions to the
discussion. If during certain parts of the call you can see
engagement waning, consider reorganizing that material for
next time or finding another way to share that information.
Showcase Your Expertise
While you do not want to overload clients with meetings,
this is also an opportunity to prove your value as an adviser.
In addition to standard committee meetings, you might
also offer webinars or private sessions to discuss topics
important to your clients right now, such as plan participawall
behind you. Test your computer's
or laptop's audio to make sure you come
across crisply. Investing in a microphone
and camera, rather than relying on those
built into your computer, will create
noticeably better sound and picture quality, says Daniel
Milan, a financial adviser and managing partner of Cornerstone
Financial Services in Southfield, Michigan.
According to a Zoom help site, using a well-lit room
A number of advisers speaking
recently at the PLANADVISER National
Conference agreed that virtual
meetings ... may remain a preferred
means to communicate with clients ...
tion or implementation of the Setting Every Community Up
for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act.
Milan has used virtual meetings as a way to not only
with carpeting, which absorbs sound, also helps. Practice
looking at the camera-it should be at eye level-rather
than your screen, which will give participants the illusion
of eye contact.
It is also important to be comfortable with whichever
platform you use-be it Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, or
some other system, says Rich Rausser, senior vice president
of client services at Pentegra in White Plains, New York.
If a client prefers that you use a platform less familiar to
you, devote some time ahead of your meeting to getting
comfortable with controls, so you can easily mute and
unmute yourself, share documents and use the messaging
function.
" The last thing you want to do is be surprised by a platform
and have to ask, 'How does this work?' or 'How do I
control it?' " Rausser says.
Critique Yourself
Many platforms allow participants to record meetings.
Using this function can give you insight you might not get
otherwise into what it is like to attend one of your meetings.
This can help you adjust how much time you spend on
a specific slide, or home in on areas that could flow better.
discuss the SECURE Act-and its potentially huge impact
on small businesses-with clients but also to introduce
them to the pooled employer plan (PEP) platform that his
firm has been building.
" Those meetings have been really well-received, " he says.
Virtual meetings, of course, should be just one part of
your content strategy.
" Outside of meetings, it's also important to provide timely
legislative and topic updates in a format that can be accessed
at any time, " Mehta says. " Our plan sponsor and financial
professional websites include always-available resources
such as a COVID-19 retirement plan support page. "
Keep It Short
Meetings that drone on make it tempting for attendees to
shift attention to other things on, or off, their computer
screen, especially if they spend much of their day in online
meetings.
Keeping meeting length to 30 through 45 minutes, max,
is key to holding the attention of participants, Rausser
says. That may sound tight, but keep in mind that virtual
meetings are inherently much more efficient. Participants
are more likely to be on time, and because they can only
typically hear one person at a time on most platforms,
planadviser.com September-October 2020 | 31
http://www.planadviser.com
PLANADVISER - September/October 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PLANADVISER - September/October 2020
