Less Steps to Success
Systems to Shorten the Sales Cycle and Sweeten the Experience
When I say “less steps to success” it does not mean rushing clients and prospects and making them uncomfortable, but it does mean streamlining how you get from here to there without missing anything.
If you can get the same thing accomplished in one meeting that currently takes two meetings, you have not only saved time for yourself but your client as well. Finding the opportunities to do this without reducing the value you provide and, even more challenging, increasing the value while shortening the steps.
Certainly, you have seen this happen. For instance, an email invitation that puts the appointment right on your calendar when you accept it. Less steps, better experience. This is now a common practice but think about how this used to go; I’d speak with someone and then call my assistant to mark a date on my calendar.
Technology can be an answer for things like this and there have been great strides already in how we use and rely on it. Almost everyone is working with multiple computer screens now. In time, a Skype or WebEx meeting won’t take us any more effort than a call and can make the conversation clearer, more personal, and more productive.
Another way to reduce steps and days between a proposal and execution can also be how we prepare for appointments. For example, we may want to ask a client to bring in a statement with them to our upcoming meeting instead of needing to follow up after and ask them to do that via mail or email. I’ve also seen a mindset change in some practices that paid big time and profit dividends by being prepared to execute on their proposal at the meeting if the client was comfortable moving ahead. This practice had used a two-appointment process previously. There were a lot of things that got in the way of getting the client back in, so this became a huge time saver.
We can even look at literal steps needed to accomplish some tasks. For example, if we find we are consistently leaving a meeting room to make copies, it would probably save time and serve us well to have the copier as close as possible. We may also consider if we really need to copy the document at all.
Sometimes we think we need to go through extra steps with creating PowerPoints, building spreadsheets, and designing beautiful printouts when they are not really as valuable to the clients as we imagined. One practice offered clients a printout or just a paperless plan delivery. They were surprised that the vast majority did not want their plan printed. Thus, less steps.
Think of streamlining, taking less time, and clarifying the message to the client as creating a better client experience that can also make our jobs even easier.
If you’d like more ideas, here is a previous post, “Designing Elegant Systems” that may be helpful.
If this sounds enticing, we can help you find less things to do. Check with your project manager or contact Amy Edwards to review possible cuts on your current processes.
About the Author
Bernie DeLaRosa, CFP®, ChFC®, CRPC®, CLU®, APMA®, CASL®, BFA™
Managing Business Consultant
- Mergers/Acquisitions/Practice Sales
- Legal Agreement Definition
- Advisor Leadership Skills
- Initial Practice Assessment