Boosting Security and Engagement at Rapport Financial Strategists

In an era where the rapid exchange of information is paramount, businesses face the dual challenge of maintaining swift communication with clients while safeguarding against the ever-present threat of cyber attacks and data breaches.

For financial services firms like Rapport Financial Strategists, these challenges are magnified by the sensitive nature of the information they handle.

This case study explores how Rapport Financial Strategists harnessed the power of Mailock to transform their client communications, improving both the security and efficiency of their interactions.

Who Are They?

Rapport Financial Strategists provides financial planning advice to successful business owners, working professionals, and high-net-worth individuals. Established for over 20 years, they support 2,500 clients across the UK.

They’ve built a reputation for consistently delivering high-quality, independent advice, making them a trusted partner for those seeking to fulfil their financial goals.

"If you were doing a mortgage today, I would be asking you for 3 months of bank statements, 3 months of payslips - all of your documentation. Some of that may be collected by the adviser when they are with the client, but a lot of it was being sent to us by unsecured email. We wanted a system where we could send documents to them, and they could send them back to us on a secure basis."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

The Challenge

Before Mailock, Rapport relied on password-protected ZIP files to send sensitive documentation to clients.

This approach was cumbersome and inconvenient. They heard about Mailock through a third party and decided to undergo a trial.

They began with a video demo and onboarding session delivered by Beyond Encryption’s support team.

Deb Owen recalls how she had already used Mailock when liaising with insurer Aegon, giving her immediate confidence in the platform’s simplicity and effectiveness.

"I’d already used it to send and receive documents from Aegon, so I knew it was a good system and it’s relatively simple to set up and easy to use."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

After a successful trial, Rapport officially implemented Mailock in July 2022.

The Solution

Integrating Mailock into their workflows was straightforward, supported by user-friendly setup guidance.

"Sometimes when you get new systems and you’re trying to set them up, you think ‘Oh my god I wish I’d never bothered!’ But, once we’d had the demo with Carole and she told us how to set it up, it was a simple process."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

Implementing a tool that prioritised security while remaining intuitive was key - both for Rapport and their clients.

"A lot of the things that we do are very process-driven, so this has just slotted in seamlessly to the way we do our business every day."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

The team received responsive support throughout the onboarding period. One year on, Rapport has experienced a noticeable improvement in their data security posture and overall peace of mind.

"Mailock has improved our company in respect of data security. It's helped us to ensure that clients know that we're taking their data security seriously."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

The Outcome

Today, Rapport uses Mailock to securely communicate with clients, providers such as Aegon, and internally across the business.

Every member of the team can now send and receive secure messages with confidence, whether in the office, on the road, or working from home.

"From my perspective, me sending something to a client is exactly the same as me sending it to Brad, who is one of our advisers. It should be secure because only Brad should be able to access it."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

The team has become more mindful of when communications need to be secured, using Mailock’s tools to protect information with minimal friction.

"I think it’s made people more aware of data security. Instead of just sending something, they are taking that step to think ‘Can I just send that, or do I need to secure it?’"

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

More Engagement, Less Friction

Secure email has made client interaction far easier - and more responsive - than traditional post.

"We send the majority of our documents to clients, where possible, digitally - we don't send it in the post because it's not reliable."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

Previously, clients were asked to return signed declarations by post. Many failed to do so.

Now, Mailock’s audit trail provides instant visibility of email opens and attachment views, meaning no more chasing for read receipts or confirmations.

"It's helped us because it's so much easier to know when a client's opened an email - you know that they've seen it."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

Clients now actively engage with the information they receive, leading to better conversations and outcomes.

"I've noticed that clients are coming back and going, ‘Can I ask about this in the report?’ It's definitely a way for the client to engage more with the information that we're sending to them."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

The Personal Touch

Instead of directing clients to log into a secure portal, Rapport prefers to keep communication personal and easy to follow.

"Julie likes the personal touch. So, instead of saying to somebody ‘just upload it to the portal’, she'd rather have emails that go out to the clients that are a bit more personable."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

With Mailock’s branding options and secure SMS alerts, Rapport can provide a seamless and user-friendly experience across client demographics.

"People seem to like it, especially where you can send a text message. Our younger generation of clients love that because they see a text message on their phone, they know they've got an email from us and they can open it."

Deb Owen, Administration Manager, Rapport Financial Strategists

References

Rapport Financial Strategists

Reviewed by

Sabrina McClune, 05.06.24

Sam Kendall, 19.06.25