As the principal financial advisor of your business you are in essence the captain. Can you imagine sailing out into the ocean as the captain of a ship with a crew that is blindfolded and has their hands tied behind their backs?  How far would you get before you wrecked your ship beyond repair, damaged your reputation forever, and were blacklisted and avoided?  

Yet, that’s what you’re doing to your financial organization if you choose to be the only point of contact with your clients.

Your ability to provide comprehensive financial services depends, in many ways, on how well your highly skilled team members know your clients.  In our business, information regarding clients is constantly changing due to many factors.  During the normal course of business, your team members have to make recommendations based upon the best information they have. 

As a trusted financial advisor, it is up to you to decide when, if, and under what circumstances your team members may interact with your clients.  It’s important to remember that your decision will either give them the tools they need to succeed in their work or will tie their hands behind their backs and blindfold them – ultimately leading to frustration and even mutiny in your organization.

Successful financial advisors learn to let go and delegate to their teams members to the point that there are no "barriers to service".   That doesn’t mean you’re not the captain any longer.  In fact, it requires greater leadership skills on your part. It simply means you’re allowing them to put into practice processes that create an environment where everyone knows exactly what’s expected of them and when. Your team members are quite capable of clarifying client information on a fact-finder, following up on necessary client documents, or explaining recommendations directly to the client in a progress meeting. 

When your team members interact with your clients by phone, in person, email, or even traditional mail, they stay up-to-date and are able to give the best advice to your clients. It also demonstrates that you have a solid communication system in place, which inspires greater confidence in your clients.  

Are you trying to figure out the many processes you need to run a ship-shape financial organization?  Within The Trusted Advisor Toolkit, I’ve done the work for you so you don’t have to invent these processes from scratch.  Why not check it out, and find clear sailing for your financial organization today?