A New Year’s resolution that will enhance our clients’ experience.
I have an offer for you. How would you like to help us with a New Year’s resolution that requires minimal effort on your part but will greatly enhance your financial and wealth planning experience? Not to mention being a resolution that’s easy to keep.
Interested?
Read on.
What are resolutions anyway?
The month of January is named for the Roman god Janus1. In art and sculpture, Janus is depicted as having a head with two faces, one looking backward and one looking forward. This imagery reflects the fact that Janus is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, and endings. Romans believed that Janus could forgive them for sins made in the past and bless their goals for the future year, so they made sacrifices to the deity when the new year began2.
Modern conceptions of New Year’s resolutions have long since left Janus behind. But it’s interesting to wonder whether praying to Janus could help with our overall unimpressive track record when it comes to following through on resolutions. According to Psychology Today, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February!
At the Dri Financial Group, we have created a resolution that flies in the face of failure.
Richard’s personal resolution
Before I get to this revolutionary resolution, let me start by sharing my personal resolution for the New Year.
As many of you know, I’m a cycling enthusiast who rode my bike almost 7000 kms in 2019. About half of my rides were on my indoor trainer and the other half took place on my Bianchi outdoor bike. (Yes, I ride a Bianchi – I’m Italian, what did you expect? Peugeot?)
The riding highlight of my year was a seven-day trip to Lake Cuomo in northern Italy. We rode our bikes close to five hours each day and climbed more than 2000 metres daily. It was one of the most spectacular experiences of my life. It was also an amazing physical challenge that pushed my cardiovascular fitness to another level. So much so that during my last bike fitness test, I reached a FTP (Functional Threshold Power) of 251, up from 230 in the spring of 2019.
So, when it comes to getting on my bike and riding for hours, I’ve got that covered.
My upper body is another story.
Being a cyclist is the story of two bodies. The legs and lungs resemble that of a 20-year-old while the muscles of the chest, shoulders and back aren’t that far off from what you might find in someone quite a bit older than 20!
So, as I was thinking about what to focus on for 2020, I came up with a personal resolution. (I learned a long time ago that if you have more than one resolution, you won’t get it done. I always say to myself, “Richard, you can have anything, but you can’t have everything.”)
My resolution is to develop my upper body.
How will I do it? I will continue to bike train 3 days a week but I will add two days of weight training exclusively aimed at my upper body.
How will I know when I have achieved my goal? I will have a flatter stomach, bigger arm muscles and well-defined pectoral and shoulder muscles. I will also fit comfortably into a pair of size 32” pants (my current waist size is 34-35).
But enough about me. Let’s talk about you.
Technology is changing the way we conduct financial and wealth planning
The team at Dri Financial group has a resolution about how we use technology to enhance our clients’ financial and wealth planning experience.
Over the last several months, I have been studying the anticipated effects of technology on the wealth management industry. In particular, I have been mapping out how these changes will impact Dri Financial Group clients.
Many “experts” warn that technology has the potential to eliminate numerous jobs and industries. We have also seen changes in our industry such as a rise in the prevalence of robo advisors.
My take on these trends? I think of it this way: “Humans prefer humans but love the ease that technology brings to everyday life.”
I don’t think many of us would volunteer to go back to the days when we didn’t carry a cell phone in our pockets loaded with useful apps (such Scotia online) and offering immediate access to powerful search engines such as Google.
But we all know that no amount of technology can change the fact that when we need solutions to a troubling problem or insights about a unique issue, we will turn to a human being for support and guidance.
Put simply, technology may change the way we interact, but it will never eliminate the need to interact with other human beings.
With this lens, we at Dri Financial Group have been asking ourselves this question: How can we leverage the power and potential of technology to enhance our interactions with clients?
That’s led to the resolution we want to offer you.
The Dri Financial Group resolution for you – our clients
In 2020, The Dri Financial Group team will introduce technological applications to enhance our interactions with you, while continuing to engage in the main (and most powerful) way we connect with you: in-person meetings and live conversations.
How will this resolution change your experience?
Consider some changes we have made already.
We simplified the appointment booking procedure by introducing an online appointment calendar on our website. You can now contact our office to book an appointment as you always have, or you can click on the link and book the appointment yourself.
Here’s another example: we have been using the technology to share ideas and information with you. Every Friday afternoon, we email you an episode of The Wealth Navigator podcast. Clients who like to listen to our ideas while driving, working out or perhaps walking their dog are choosing this option. (Click here for the most recent podcast.) Meanwhile, every Tuesday, we send you written content such as blogs if you prefer to take in information and ideas in that form. (Click here for the latest blog.)
What will be in new in 2020?
We are looking into using recorded videos to improve our communication with you. As well, we are investigating budget planning apps that could help you track progress toward personal financial goals in real time.
We need your input!
In order to guide our effort to implement new technology solutions, we’d like to hear from you. After all, these changes should be guided by your preferences and needs.
Before I tell you how to get in touch, let me say that we are offering an incentive!
If you respond to the questions below via email before January 31, we will mail you a pair of Cineplex movie tickets. (One-word answers will not be considered. Let us know what you really think!)
Please email me your thoughts on the following questions:
- Do you read our weekly emails? (Click here to read a recent weekly email) What aspects of the emails do you like or dislike?
- Do you listen to our podcasts? (Click here to listen to a weekly podcast) What aspects of the podcasts do you like or dislike?
- Would you be interested in conducting your meetings with us through Zoom Video conferencing?
- Would you be interested in listening to a pre-recorded educational seminar, such as a webinar?
- What other technological improvements are you interested in that could enhance our service to you?
That’s it.
One last thing. I’d love to hear about your resolutions – personal and financial. Send me your list. And if you didn’t make a list, let me know why not. Or let me know what you think of my personal resolution and the Dri Financial Group’s plans to enhance your experience through technology.
Here’s to a prosperous and healthy New Year!
Did this article resonate with you? What did I miss? Send me a note and let’s start the conversation.
The process of finding a financial planner can be overwhelming. Our proprietary financial planning process is designed with you in mind. Its simple framework helps you make an informed decision about hiring the appropriate advisor.
Call me if you want to map out how you can Never Retire. You can also subscribe to our Never Retire newsletter, contact us to Order a complimentary book, register for one of our events, and call us to meet with a Certified Financial Planner. We offer you a range of services from a wealth plan to investment advice or help you take advantage of our investment models. Call me at 416-355-6370 or email me at richard.dri@scotiawealth.com.
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1https://www.britannica.com/topic/Janus-Roman-god
2https://www.history.com/news/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions
source https://richarddri.ca/a-new-years-resolution-that-will-enhance-our-clients-experience/
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