[Quick note: Forrester Research, GE Money, and ATG are holding a Webinar on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 to discuss how financial firms are maximizing online interactions in a difficult market. Click here to learn more and register]

In today’s tumultuous times, we’re seeing financial services firms being more creative in their need to acquire new customers and – even more importantly – retain existing ones. The clever firms are now proactively reaching out to their customers to calm their fears and reassure them.

Many of their interactions follow the general flow of this scenario: An online stock trading customer facing a hectic day ahead summons up the courage to take an early peek at her plummeting portfolio. She logs on to her trading account and sees that she’s lost another 8 percent before the morning bell. Knowing logically that she should take the long view and remain calm, she can’t help but feeling a bit panicky. “#$@%#!!!”

Recalling a friend’s perhaps misguided advice, she hastily decides to sell all her stocks and transfer the equity to a certificate of deposit on her checking account. With a few keystrokes, she sets up the online transfer order and punches in all the details. As she stops for a split second to think about her decision, the following message pops-up:

Our wary, unsure investor decides she has nothing to lose by speaking to a financial advisor. She clicks on the button and seconds later is talking to a financial advisor, who actually knows the details of what this investor was about to do. He offers to discuss other options and after a few minutes, has convinced her that now is the time to invest in some down stocks. He also recommends signing up for a special low risk investment plan. The investor agrees to hold off on selling her portfolio, signs up for the new plan, and ends the call feeling reassured.

What just happened?
This hypothetical firm, and a growing number of real world organizations, realize that online customers might be inclined to make hasty decisions in today’s tough economic climate. And they’re taking advantage of available click to call and click to chat services to interpret their online customers’ keystrokes and clicks to proactively offer a human interaction when appropriate. Passing details about the investor and her actions to the financial advisor makes the conversation that much richer and more apt to pay off. By bringing this human connection to the Web, financial services firms are going far to allay investors’ understandable concerns, and most importantly, helping them make sound financial decisions.