By Molly Powers

I’m constantly seeking new tools and strategies to increase my day-to-day productivity. While it can be fun to dabble with the latest products, there is something to be said about working with what you have, especially if what you have works well for you.

Consider the popularity of last year’s trending Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.” With each episode, viewers had the opportunity to imagine what it would be like to purge their house from top to bottom as Kondo cleared the clutter for eight overwhelmed families.

Whether or not you caught the KonMari bug in 2019, Kondo’s methodology of finding what sparks joy can be applied to more than house cleaning. The KonMari MethodTM not only advocates taking steps to be more organized, it centers on finding joy in your work.

In 2020, I will be asking advisors to challenge themselves with these Kondo-inspired questions:

1—What will you do to get your house in order?

2—How can you limit daily distractions?

From a practice management perspective, I offer the following suggestions for advisors on where to focus their efforts.

Retool Your Prospecting Efforts

One significant project you may consider starting as you begin 2020 is to revisit your prospective client list. If you spent time in 2019 getting to know a group of enthusiastic prospects, and for one reason or another, you have dropped off their radar or they dropped off your radar, it is time to reconnect.

As you review this group, consider how you can make connections. With many people still committed to their New Year’s resolution to put their own house in order, it’s the perfect chance to put some time on their calendars and revisit the value you bring offering tips on how you have helped clients get organized financially.

Recommit to Utilizing Your CRM

If you are taking the initiative to connect with clients and prospects, you should be documenting those interactions within your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.

I believe that CRMs are widely underutilized. My experience is that many advisors fail to spend the time learning more than primary features and miss out on KonMari-style tools that are there to help advisors save time and manage data.

To up your game when it comes to using your CRM, take the time to commit to learning three new features. Once you have mastered those three items, identify three more and keep learning. It is important to set goals that are specific, realistic and attainable.

Work with an assistant or fellow advisor to evaluate how you can make the most of the technology. With repetition, you will find that using your CRM system becomes second nature and has more functionality than you expected.

A Fresh Start to the New Year

Whether you find yourself taking the path to become more organized or discover ways to bring joy to your clients and your overall practice, use the beginning of the year as a catalyst for starting on the right foot.

 

 

ABOUT MOLLY

Molly provides support to advisors in different stages of their career from onboarding to succession planning. With nearly a decade of experience in financial services, she serves as a primary resource for new advisors, acquisition transitions and practice management.

 

We help advisors establish and grow successful wealth management practices. To learn more about how we can help you amplify your life’s work, contact us at team@waalliance.com. You can follow us on Twitter@theWAAlliance and on LinkedIn.