At times, it's easy to know when something's not working correctly, like when your car won't start or your air conditioning breaks down. But other times, it's not so simple. A water pipe could drip for days before the tell-tale spot begins to show up on your ceiling.
The story is the same inside an advisory firm. Staff may notice a failure in your firm's process for working with clients, but they overcompensate to make up for it. The result is that while your team loses productivity, you may not even know a problem exists.
Usually it takes something clearly evident, like losing a client within the first two months of the relationship, to see that your client onboarding needs to be fixed.
For many firm owners, seeing a broken or inefficient process is the push they need to overhaul the way they work and to create a better system for their clients and staff.
But there is a practical way to identify and fix broken processes so your firm can improve employee loyalty, create a superior client experience and grow.
Understanding Why Clean Processes Are a Must
Good processes are essential for a simple reason — they build firm value.
When you have a foundation of consistent, repeatable processes that your team can follow, you ensure a consistent experience across your entire client roster.
You can then keep your focus on growth, instead of putting out little fires all the time, and serve an ever-expanding list with confidence. Plus, well-created processes enhance employee productivity and build loyalty.
People want to work for well-run companies. and good processes keep your employees working productively — instead of banging their heads against the wall because of the need to fix things. As a result, they'll be happier working in your firm.
In addition, standardized processes create a consistent client experience. As clients learn that they'll receive good service, no matter who they are talking to, their satisfaction with your firm increases.
Identifying a Process Breakdown
When processes break down in your firm, it becomes difficult to achieve any of the benefits of clean processes. Servicing clients with consistency becomes especially troublesome.
