What is marketing communications’ role in a time of crisis? In wartimes, its role is to inform the general public by providing facts, but there is also a responsibility to inspire faith, maintain a sense of normalcy and share survival skills with viewers and readers. With the market challenges we are experiencing today and the scars left over from the Great Recession, people need their financial advisor to be honest, reassuring and constructive. Let’s face it, we can’t answer all the questions people have, but we can help them focus on what’s in their control. In other words, keep calm and carry on. We need a wartime response to steady clients’ nerves as they continue to get blasted with scaremongering from financial news and social media.

The British Government formed the Ministry of Information in World War II to drive publicity and propaganda. In 1939, the ministry was charged with building morale-boosting posters, including this one which was intended to be issued only upon the invasion of Britain by German forces: 

The poster design was discovered long after the war ended and has become the quintessential expression of the British mentality. How ironic, that the U.K. is now at the center of a drama full of surprise, alarm and uncertainty that is spilling over to the rest of the world. How very un-British it all is! Some say the British public is now facing a major hangover, muttering, “Oh no, what was I thinking?” But we’re all stuck with the messiness of the Brexit decision and the slow unfolding of what happens next in this complex situation.

In times like these, it’s really important to put yourself in your clients’ shoes. Trying to tell them you have a unique understanding of what’s happening can backfire. You can’t know exactly what’s coming. No one does, and your clients are aware of that. You also can’t tell them not to worry about their financial lives. But a communication strategy encompassing the below components will engender respect from your clients and help them move forward. Be sure to tell your clients these three things:

1. Truth: We don’t know what the future will hold, as the road to a new European normalcy could take a number of years. We promise to keep you informed by summarizing and interpreting events as best we can, and we’ll be very disciplined and thoughtful about how we respond. These are the times you pay us to have a steady hand and avoid the mistakes that can occur with an overreaction to panicked markets.

2. Understanding: For everyone watching the world markets, we know your real worries are closer to home. How will this affect my goals? Will I be OK? Now is a good time to build a detailed financial plan, or to refresh the one you have. Let’s look at the assumptions for market returns and interest rates to make sure they are conservative enough for you to sleep at night. Most importantly, let’s identify everything in your control, beyond the markets, so you can feel more confidence. 

3. Discipline: If there are new risks to your plan as a result of the unclear outlook, we will tell you and help you make adjustments. By making some trade-offs, re-examining priorities and making smarter choices about money every day, you can reset your plan, if needed. We’ll be at your side helping you stay on track.

The goal of this strategy is to help people not only keep calm, but to begin carrying on by offering actions they can take. In fact, I think it’s a great time to offer a free financial plan review, rather than a portfolio check-up or investment review, to both clients and prospects. Who knows, this troubling situation could become the time that you prove your worth as an advisor without the need to explain benchmark performance. Advisors who step up now will grow and prosper.

So, keep calm and carry on, but don’t put your head in the sand. Avoiding your clients now because you are not sure what to say, or giving them canned answers, is the worst thing you can do. The best way we can boost morale is offering truth, understanding and discipline to those we vowed to serve and protect.   

Gail Graham is chief marketing officer at United Capital, an innovative and fast-growing financial life management firm with a unique approach to the market. Having earned awards in retail investor and advisor marketing, Graham is driving United Capital’s brand development, marketing and lead generation across all channels. Follow her on Twitter: @GailGrahamUC