How to Improve Trader Retention with AI Calls
Last verified · by Topcalls Team
TL;DR
Trader retention with AI calls means a scripted call at each point where accounts go quiet: the first days after registration, a stalled deposit or KYC step, and the dormant book. Under MiFID II Article 16(7) the records of relevant calls are kept for five years, so the recording matters as much as the call. Topcalls runs these calls from $0.25/min.
A broker earns from traders who stay active, and most accounts go quiet without anyone noticing. The retention desk is small, the new-lead desk is busy, and a trader who stopped funding three months ago gets no call at all. AI calls fit this gap because the work is repeatable: the same few conversations, many times, at hours the desk cannot cover. The risk is also real. A broker is regulated, so every retention call has to follow the rules on recording and on advice. This guide sets out the calls worth automating, the guardrails to write into the script, and what to measure. It is general information for brokers, not legal advice, and your compliance officer decides what applies to your licence.
How to do it
- 1
Map the moments where accounts go quiet
List the points where a trader stops: registered but never verified, verified but never deposited, deposited but never traded, and funded once then silent for a period you define. Each point becomes one call type. Start with the two that hold the most accounts in your own CRM numbers.
- 2
Pull each group from your CRM or trading platform
Connect Topcalls to your CRM or trading platform so each campaign reads a live group, not an old export. A call to someone who funded yesterday is a mistake that costs trust, so refresh the group before every launch.
- 3
Write an onboarding call for the first days
Welcome the trader, confirm the account is set up, remind them of any pending verification step and offer a human for platform questions. Keep it short and factual. This call explains the process; it does not describe any market or product as a good idea.
- 4
Add deposit reminder calls with a human handoff
For a trader who verified but did not fund, the agent asks if something blocked the deposit, such as a payment method or a question about fees, and offers a transfer to a licensed person when the answer is a decision about trading. Never push the amount.
- 5
Run reactivation calls on the dormant book
Call accounts that stopped funding, ask what changed and listen. The agent records the reason (platform, fees, losses, life change) so your team can act on it. Interested traders go to a human closer while the interest is live. The trader reactivation conversion rate and cost per reactivated trader posts show the numbers to track.
- 6
Keep the agent out of investment advice
MiFID II defines investment advice as personal recommendations to a client about transactions in financial instruments. Write a hard rule into the script: the agent gives no view on whether to buy, sell, deposit more or hold, and transfers any such question to a licensed person. Test the rule with trick questions before launch.
- 7
Record and keep the calls
MiFID II Article 16(7) requires investment firms to record telephone conversations relating to, or intended to result in, certain transactions, and to keep the records for five years, or up to seven years when the regulator asks. Whether a given retention call is in scope is for your compliance officer. Topcalls keeps a recording and a transcript of every answered call, so you hold the evidence either way.
- 8
Set consent, hours and language per desk
Check marketing consent for each country before you upload a list, set calling hours in each campaign's time zone, and pick the language of the trader. Topcalls calls in up to 78 languages, and How many you get depends on the transcription and voice models you choose. Consent and opt-outs stay with you.
- 9
Measure reactivation and cost, then adjust the script
Track how many called traders funded again and what each one cost, by desk and language. Read a sample of transcripts every week. The dormant trader revenue calculator turns a reactivation rate into revenue for your own book.
Common gotchas
- Letting the agent answer "should I deposit more?" or "is this a good time to buy?". That is a personal recommendation, so the script must transfer the question to a licensed person.
- Calling a group you pulled last week, so the agent calls a trader who funded yesterday and asks why they stopped.
- Assuming that a retention call falls outside the recording rule. Ask your compliance officer, and record everything by default.
- Treating a short silence after a deposit as a dormant account. Define "dormant" with a period that matches how your traders actually behave.
- Skipping the consent check for traders in countries that require opt-in for marketing calls.
Where Topcalls fits
Topcalls gives a broker a way to run these calls without growing the retention desk. It calls new registrations in seconds, works the dormant book on a schedule, sends KYC and verification reminders, and transfers a funded or interested trader to a human closer. Every answered call keeps a recording and a transcript, and call outcomes sync back to your CRM. Agents call in up to 78 languages, which covers Arabic, English and European desks. AI calls cost from $0.25/min, and the price covers the AI, the phone line for the destination country's zone, recording, transcription and analytics. Topcalls does not keep a do-not-call list or track consent, so those stay with your compliance team.
Frequently asked questions
How can AI calls improve trader retention?
They reach traders at the moments accounts go quiet: after registration, after a stalled deposit or KYC step, and after funding stops. The agent asks what blocked the trader and hands interested ones to a human closer.
Can an AI agent give investment advice to traders?
It should not. MiFID II defines investment advice as personal recommendations about transactions in financial instruments. Write a rule into the script that sends every such question to a licensed person.
Do retention calls have to be recorded under MiFID II?
Article 16(7) requires recording of telephone conversations relating to, or intended to result in, certain transactions, kept for five years. Whether a retention call is in scope is for your compliance officer. Topcalls records every answered call.
Which calls should a broker automate first?
Start with the largest quiet group in your CRM, usually verified traders who never funded or funded once and went silent. Each group gets its own call type and its own handoff rule.
How do I measure the result of reactivation calls?
Count the called traders who funded again and divide the campaign cost by that number. Read the linked posts on reactivation conversion rate and cost per reactivated trader, and use the dormant trader calculator for your own book.
Does trader retention work in other languages?
Yes. Topcalls agents call in up to 78 languages, so one campaign can cover Arabic, English and European desks. How many you get depends on the transcription and voice models you choose.
Who owns consent for calling traders?
You do. Topcalls does not keep a do-not-call list or track consent. Check marketing consent per country before upload and remove traders who opt out.
See it on your own numbers
AI calls from $0.25/min, priced by the destination country's zone. No seat fees for AI calling and no setup fees for self-serve AI calling.