Sorry for the longer post, but I feel this is important.

Ten years ago, I was especially “controlling” about the preparation of these reference documents to be used in client meetings, because I recognized that it was my reputation under threat if I reported a number incorrectly to a client or if I didn’t accurately articulate the current asset structure or incorrectly stated an income flow or a planned withdrawal.  I knew it was my keister on-the-line if I incorrectly reported on something to a client based upon inaccurate reports in front of me.  But even I was able to delegate this important task of “meeting prep” when I implemented the organized process called The Dry-run Prep Meeting™ (DRPM).

Preceding this Dry-run Prep Meeting™ process are some assumptions.  First of all, it is assumed you will, or can, establish a standardized meeting agenda for your upcoming client progress meetings.  A routine agenda allows your administrative support people to establish certain “standardized” documents you will require to feel prepared for meetings.  Another assumption is that you have, or can, establish some routine reports and documents which, if updated properly, will ordinarily prepare you for most any issue brought up at a routine client progress meeting.  Both of these assumptions are well-handled if you have implemented The Three Meeting Process™ (described fully at http://TrustedAdvisorToolkit.com/)

With those two assumptions in-place, let’s consider how you can release control of the creation of these reports and documents. First, meet with your Administrative Manager (AM), or other capable administrative support person available to you, and explain that you are going to delegate to them the preparation for a single client progress meeting (at least 3 weeks from now).  Further, you are going to schedule a formal The Dry-run Prep Meeting™ (DRPM) with them 7 – 10 days prior to the actual client progress meeting, in order to fully review the reports and documents, clarify all questions and make any corrections necessary.  You see, with at least a week until the meeting, you will have ample time to remedy any information that needs to be put right.

You may offer as little or as much support to the individual as you like, but the best results seem to come from advisors who start out by giving limited hands-on training regarding the creation of these documents in favor of encouraging resourcefulness.  Devote some time to providing sample reports or documents wanted along with notations regarding any helpful advice as well as guidance regarding where source information can be located for information that will be “fed into” the items you want created.  While your administrative support person should feel welcome to set a time to approach you for help if they “get stuck,” you should encourage them to be as resourceful as possible, and to create a draft to review before approaching you.

Be patient at The Dry-run Prep Meeting™. The purpose of the Dry-run Prep Meeting™ is to conduct an abbreviated run-through of the client progress meeting agenda, ensure all of the supporting documents are accurate, current and available, and to anticipate any questions or concerns the Clients may broach.  The Trusted Advisor’s main focus in this meeting is to ensure the accuracy of all documents and to firmly establish the 2-3 most important issues to address at the meeting.  Assuming this Dry-run Prep Meeting™ (DRPM) went well and your Administrative Manager is gaining a clearer understanding of what and how to prepare everything you need, then book this prep meeting 7 – 10 days in advance of every client progress meeting you have on the calendar.

Allowing your team to take-over the preparation for client meetings allows you to grow your practice while maintaining the quality and consistency of your service.  It is very difficult, if not impossible, for a Trusted Advisor to personally prepare for multiple client progress meetings for 75 – 150 Ideal Clients, or whatever your ideal client number will be.  Consider that by inserting this The Dry-run Prep Meeting™, into your pre-meeting routine, you will have plenty of time to review the “meeting prep” you have delegated, and your client progress meetings will be thoroughly-organized, well-prepared with your thoughts highly-focused on “the big issues” for the meeting.