We hit a great milestone recently: We are projected to be profitable for the next 12 months, even if we don't bring on a single new client! Woo-hoo!
Also, one of my original goals for the practice was to get 90 percent of our new clients from referrals. Based on the "A" clients who have engaged us this year, we are hitting that goal, too.
As I was reflecting on these milestones, the thought came to me: How were we able to accomplish these goals in just four short years?
Undoubtedly, our biggest key to success is we treat it like a business.
Many advisors who are having trouble meeting their goals think of their work as "a practice" or maybe they are salespersons with helpers. For us it is a business, plain and simple. Yes, it is a business that focuses on changing lives every day, but we are constantly focusing on making it more efficient and more effective.
Here are some of the ways that we have adjusted the business over the last few years to make it more efficient and effective.
1. We have a detailed, defined "onboarding process" for new clients.
Some advisors would call this a "sales process," but, as I have discussed in previous articles, I don't think of what we do as "sales." To me it is a consultative business that solves our clients' financial problems.
I have not had the guts to count the steps in our practice, but we once counted them for an advisory client, and the number for his business was a staggering 1,200 steps per client! Our business is even more complex than his so it wouldn't surprise me if we were above that number.
As a result, we are constantly looking for ways to make this process more efficient and streamlined for our client service managers (CSMs) since the bulk of the prep falls on their shoulders. I am willing to change or even delete any aspect of the process, as long as the results are the same. Way over 90 percent of our clients will follow our recommendations. So any changes to our process can't jeopardize the end results.
2. We implemented standardized gap analysis.
Originally we did a customized gap analysis for every client. Yes it was very impressive, but it also took more time for the CSM — it could easily take an hour for a new CSM working on a more complex case just to do this one task. Today we use a standardized checklist for each client and just save the customized gap analysis for the most complex and higher end cases.
3. I got more organized on how I did my dictation.
Originally, in true Virginia Woolf style, all of my dictations were stream of consciousness. It was not unusual for me to have a dozen or more "to dos" listed for the CSM, but they would have to carefully weed through my disorganized dictation to find them. I noticed that it was not unusual for a CSM to miss 60 percent or more of the assigned tasks, which left me in the lurch for the next meeting.
One great CSM suggested that I use a template to organize my dictation. It covers all areas of the practice and includes things like homework items that the client has to do, and then reminders of items that I need to cover in the next meeting. Now all the tasks are easily listed in a format that the CSM can follow. This has saved us all time and had the added benefit of saving me time to prep for the next meeting. It also keeps us organized so nothing falls through the cracks.
