Vampires. Ghosts. Zombies.
Terrifying? Sure. But nothing sends a chill down an advisor’s spine quite like clicking on a client’s contact record in your CRM… and finding it completely blank of details!
No review date. No personal notes. No professional contacts. Just a name and some contact information floating in the void like a forgotten spirit.
And while Halloween frights are mostly fun and games, empty client profiles? Those can *actually* hurt your business.
Thankfully, Redtail gives you the tools to turn CRM horror stories into personalized, proactive service. It all starts with a section that can be overlooked by some but is always powerful: Know Your Client.
Keep Missed Reviews from Coming Back to Bite You
It’s scary how easy it is to lose track of client reviews. One missed meeting becomes two, and suddenly you’re face-to-face with a client and no memory of when you last talked or what you last covered. Boo.
That’s why the Client Review section of Redtail’s KYC is your garlic necklace; it keeps those unprepared meetings at bay. You can set recurring review reminders, track the cadence of each client’s meetings, and then enhance your Client Review information with Activity Types and Categories, logging topics discussed and agreed-upon next steps.
Whether it’s a quarterly check-in or an annual deep dive, you’ll walk into every review with a silver bullet: full context.
Don’t Let Financials Vanish into Thin Air
Want to feel truly unprepared? Try giving financial advice without knowing your client’s employer, income, insurance coverage, or contribution strategy. You wouldn’t wander into a spooky laboratory without a flashlight, would you?
The Financials section of Know Your Client helps you avoid that nightmare. You can log income estimates, net worth, banking information, and more, all in one place. It’s a behind-the-scenes snapshot of your client’s full financial life, giving your recommendations depth and nuance.
Keeping track of a client’s financials in Redtail is like throwing paint on the Invisible Man; it reveals what’s been there all along, giving shape and substance to what might otherwise go unseen.
Beware the Record with No Personality
You know what’s spookier than a CRM with no data? A CRM with no personality.
A CRM without any deeper client detail is like Frankenstein’s monster without the spark: technically assembled but missing the heartbeat that makes it feel like an actual person.
That’s where the Important Info and Misc Client Info sections come in. These are your spark and stitches, the little details that bring each contact to life. Birthdays, favorite fall drinks, alma maters, grandkids’ names, vacation habits. It’s where you put the stuff that makes your outreach feel like it’s coming from a human, not a lab or a spreadsheet.
The Important Info notepad sits right at the top of the contact record and is perfect for tracking seasonal habits like “Travels to Vermont every October” or “Always sends Thanksgiving cards.” Meanwhile, the Misc Info section lets you capture those quirks and preferences, like whether they go all-in on Halloween or fast-forward to turkey season, if they like a good pumpkin spice latte or prefer a cup of hot cocoa.
These details aren’t fluff. They’re the full-size candy bars of CRM strategy, the details that make your client who they are as people, the little things that turn a one-time meeting into a lasting relationship.
Don’t Go It Alone… Track Their Team
The Mummy had his caretakers. The Wolfman had his pack. Even monsters know the value of a support system.
Your clients? Same deal.
Behind every client is a supporting cast: CPAs, attorneys, insurance agents, and more. The Professional section of Redtail’s Know Your Client tab helps you connect the whole team, linking each key player directly to the contact record with their own searchable info, roles, and communication details.
When these connections are clear, your team isn’t unraveling mysteries or howling in frustration. Whether you’re prepping for a joint strategy session or onboarding a new team member, the full advisory circle is there; visible, documented, and ready to work in sync.
Because great advice doesn’t happen in isolation, it takes a village... or at least a well-documented monster squad.
This Q4, Make It Personal
October is a deeply personal time. Some folks go hard on Halloween. Others live for fall candles, football games, or big family feasts. No two clients are the same, and your CRM should reflect that.
When you use the Know Your Client tab to its fullest, you’re not just organizing data. You’re strengthening relationships, anticipating needs, and showing clients you see them as more than a portfolio.
So grab a cider, pull up a contact, and fill in the blanks. The best way to avoid getting spooked by a blank record is to care about and track the little details.