Proven Strategies Blog

2023-11-29 • 1 min video

The keystone to maximized, long term relationships is to segment clients and then deploy an automated service model tied to the caliber of your clients. Bookending reactive client service with a scheduled and consistent client experience is why successful business owners thrive over time.

Your CRM should ensure that you invest 80 percent of your time on the 20 percent of your clients who generate 80 percent of the business and in the process ensuring that you are fee-worthy and referable to the clients you want to replicate over the long haul.

Learn more at www.toolkitcrm.com

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2023-11-28 • 2 minute read

As a financial professional who has transitioned from managing a book of business to running a full-fledged enterprise, your focus on practice and relationship management is as crucial as asset management. To truly excel in this role, having the right technology, specifically the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, becomes imperative. A well-chosen CRM can streamline your operations, enhance client experiences, and help you translate your business philosophy and strategies into tangible results.

Over the years, we’ve engaged with financial professionals who share a business owner mindset. They deeply appreciate the philosophy and proven strategies outlined in The Advisor Playbook and The Blue Square Method. However, they seek a solution that empowers them to seamlessly translate these concepts into actions, consistently elevating the client experience they deliver. To ensure that you are effectively managing your practice and enhancing client relationships, we present the following 10 essential considerations when exploring CRM solutions:

1.  Automates Best Practices

One of the most crucial aspects of a CRM for financial advisors is its ability to serve as a platform for implementing best practices within your business. To thrive in the competitive world of financial services, it’s essential to have a system that not only stores client data but also guides you toward proven strategies that drive success.

A robust CRM can act as a central hub for best practices, allowing you to automate processes, track key metrics, and ensure consistency in your interactions with clients. By leveraging the power of your CRM to implement industry-proven strategies, you can elevate your client service, increase efficiency, and ultimately achieve better results. Look for a CRM that not only stores information but actively supports your journey to becoming a more effective and successful financial advisor.

2. Keeps Your Data Proprietary

You work on your business, and you understand that every investment of effort you make contributes not just to day-to-day profitability, but also to your intellectual property and enterprise value.

All of that - your best practices, client relationships and business systems - are valuable proprietary assets. They’re your life’s work. Your data is proprietary. Make sure your CRM keeps it that way.

3. Keep it Simple

To be candid, virtually all CRM solutions are far too complex. Feature creep is a tech term that speaks to how developers keep adding layers of functionality to a solution - features that don’t address real-world needs and, instead, bog down the user.

Make sure your CRM is intuitive and easy to use, with customizable, automated procedures that balance high-tech with high-touch. Remember, technology is supposed to serve your life, not the other way around.

4. Will it Support an Automated Service Model?

The keystone to maximized, long term relationships is to segment clients and then deploy an automated service model tied to the caliber of those clients. Bookending reactive client service with a scheduled and consistent client experience is why successful business owners thrive over time.

Make sure your chosen CRM can automate those practices and keep you on track. The number one reason a client leaves a service provider is lack of consistent communication. The number one reason why a service provider hits a plateau is because they unknowingly spend 80 percent of their time reacting to the 80 percent of their clients who generate just 20 percent of the business.

A solid CRM with an automated service model will avoid those pitfalls

5. Organization, Structure and Redundancy

Your clients, and your team, crave consistency. The Rule of Three in practice management says that anything you do three or more times and has three or more steps, must be a standardized operating procedure.

Your CRM should provide your team with oversight, redundancy and accountability, because roles and responsibilities are aligned with your org chart. This ensures nothing falls through the cracks and you’re not at the mercy of maverick talent who have your operating system in their heads. Instead, build and automate your procedures in your CRM

6. Achieve Professional Contrast

When you connect and interact with a prospective client, especially if they’ve been introduced to you by an advocate, your fit process is designed to differentiate you in a way that demonstrates how elevated you are in comparison to their soon-to-be-former provider. As the saying goes, for you to get hired, their existing provider has to get fired.

Your value is bought, not sold. Your CRM should enable you to stand out from the pack by being the most methodical and communicative. This lets you attract new clients, rather than chase them.

7. Fast Track New Clients to Advocate Status

How you start a relationship will have a profound impact on its profitability and durability, not to mention your refer-ability over the long haul.

A good CRM will enable you to effortlessly deploy a refined and optimized on-boarding process that will transition new clients to your environment and, in the process, validate their decision so they feel compelled to share their enthusiasm with friends and family members, activating referrals quickly and predictably.

8. Future Pace Relationships through FORM

As a financial professional you must have a needsbased approach to diagnose unmet needs and get out in front of evolving needs as a client’s life unfolds. There was a time this was enough, but today it’s a minimum requirement.

A CRM that lets you harness the power of FORM (Family, Occupation, Recreation and Money) information means your data-driven actions will ensure your clients know that you don’t just care about them, you care specifically about what they care about. Don’t rely on your memory, always have the most important client data at your fingertips.

9. Service & Support

The client service bar in a variety of business sectors has lowered dramatically over the years. When you reach out to call most companies today, an automated bot answers the phone, tells you that your call is important and proceeds to demonstrate that your call is not important by asking you to jump through hoops, doing everything possible to avoid actually talking to you.

Make sure your CRM provider offers real service, real onboarding and real answers when you have questions. The amount of time and money saved here can be immense.

10. Streamlined Team Collaboration

In business, teamwork is vital. Look for a CRM that simplifies team collaboration. It should offer shared access to client information, task management, and real-time communication tools. This ensures everyone is on the same page, reducing miscommunication and duplicated efforts.

Efficient collaboration means smoother processes and better service for clients. It allows for a more integrated approach to client relationships, with every team member having access to the latest data and insights. Choose a CRM that strengthens teamwork, and watch your practice thrive through enhanced coordination and communication.

In your journey to elevate your financial advisory practice, choosing the right CRM is paramount. It can be the difference between a streamlined, efficient operation that delights clients and a cumbersome, time-consuming endeavor that hinders your growth

While there are various CRM options available, it’s worth considering the Toolkit CRM by Pareto as one of your choices. It aligns with the vision and values of professionals who prioritize practice and relationship management. With exceptional CRM support and streamlined team collaboration, the Toolkit CRM can empower you to succeed in running your practice like a true business. So, as you explore CRM solutions, remember these ten essential considerations. Your choice will shape the way you manage your practice, foster client relationships, and ultimately, define your path to success. Choose wisely, and elevate your financial advisory practice to new heights.

Visit ToolkitCRM.com to learn more and schedule a demo today.
 

2023-11-27 • 2 minute video

If you are a financial professional who has moved beyond having a book of business to that of running an actual business, and by that, we mean you place as much importance on practice management and relationship management as you do on asset management, we’d like to introduce you to The Toolkit CRM powered by Pareto Systems.

In addition to providing you with automated best practices that will strengthen your client relationships and create efficiency and consistency within your overall team and business, being a subscriber of The Toolkit also provides you with a full array of scripts, tools and templates drawn directly from The Pareto System Coaching and Consulting deliverable, all connected to the functionality of the Toolkit.

Learn more at www.toolkitcrm.com

2023-11-24 • 1 min video

Smaller business teams often face one problem…

The number of people is few and responsibilities are plenty. So, each person may need to wear multiple hats.

And when one member falls sick, other people may have to jump in right away to cover.

Amidst all this, can you ensure a consistent experience for the client? If not, it can be a huge problem!

Listen to this short clip to hear how to effectively address this problem faced often by smaller teams.

Stream the entire Always On Podcast episode by clicking here: paretosys.co/AODM_ep49

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2023-11-23 • 20 second read

Strategies for a Multi-Million Dollar Exit

Are you ready to translate your life’s work into a meaningful legacy? Join industry thought leaders Duncan MacPherson, co-author of The Blue Square Method, and Ted Jenkin, trailblazing CEO of oXYGen Financial, as they unveil cutting-edge strategies for significantly increasing the enterprise value of your financial practice.

In this insightful webinar, you’ll explore:

  • Innovative methods to amplify the value of your business and captivate high-worth buyers. 
  • Insider insights into the evolving landscape of private equity and current valuation trends.
  • Real-world examples of businesses that achieve and exceed a 15x cash flow selling point.
  • Tailored exit approaches ranging from partial sales to perpetual involvement, all while securing your family’s financial comfort.

Watch the replay by clicking here: Maximizing Your Practice’s Value: Strategies for a Multi-Million Dollar Exit | GoToStage.com

2023-11-22 • 1 minute video

Did the mindset and best practices we outlined in The Blue Square Method resonate with you? Did it inspire you to take action and translate some of those concepts into results? If so, I would love to hear from you. 

If you feel compelled, please leave a video, or an audio testimonial via the Vocal Voice link. Its super easy, nothing to download. The question we ask is:

“As a reader of The Blue Square Method, can you provide feedback on the impact this book had on you and what you are looking to accomplish?”

Click here to record your feedback: paretosys.co/bsm-lets-go

After you’ve shared your thoughts, please remember to leave your contact details. We’ll be in touch with you to go through a finalization process before we share your valuable testimonial with our community. Your insights and experiences are important to us, and we want to ensure they are presented in the best possible way. Thank you for being part of our journey towards unlocking potential and achieving your goals.

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2023-11-21 • 20 second read

As a business owner or team leader you wear a lot of hats, but an enlightened philosophy and approach can create accelerated trust. That trust comes through contrast, initially, and then develops into durable trust over the miles you cover with your clients.

The five Cs of the C-Suite can help define your route…

Click here to read more on LinkedIn

2023-11-20 • 2 minute video

"There are a lot of roadblocks, a lot of speed bumps, setbacks, and that’s the nature of any business. But having the right framework with the right roles and responsibility to navigate that is an absolute game changer."

This is an excerpt from episode 49 of the ‘Always On with Duncan MacPherson’ podcast featuring Max Winthrop, CEO, and Lucas Winthrop, COO, of Winthrop Wealth and long-time clients of Pareto Systems.

Click here to watch on YouTube

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2023-11-17 • 20 second read

Advisors, a traditional "broker" mindset may be limiting your business growth.

In other words, it’s important to move away from a transactional way of doing business and focus on building relationships, streamlining processes, and improving client relationships.

We explore ways to do just that on this episode of the Always On Podcast featuring Max and Lucas Winthrop.

Check it out by clicking here: paretosys.co/AODM_ep49

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2023-11-16 • 20 second read

Embracing the C-Suite with Max and Lucas Winthrop

For years, financial advisors saw themselves as brokers, being mostly transactional and product-driven.

Today, advisors wear many hats. It’s no longer just a book of business, but an actual business!

In this episode, Duncan MacPherson joins Max Winthrop, CEO, and Lucas Winthrop, COO, of Winthrop Wealth and long-time clients of Pareto Systems. They emphasize the importance of embracing a C-suite approach to streamline core business functions and deliver a consistent and elevated client experience.

They discuss:

  • How to build effective functional teams with high functional accountability
  • How key C-suite positions can be refined and optimized for an advisory practice
  • The need for a philosophical alignment across the firm, which spills over to clients and strategic partners
  • Strategies for creating a process-driven and well-integrated business structure 
  • And more

Stream the new episode of Always On by clicking here: paretosys.co/AODM_ep49

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