The ClientWise Blog

It’s rarely a cataclysmic event. Far more often, it’s a slow, cumulative effect – the impact of small, insidious behaviors that in and of themselves seem relatively harmless, but when combined and over an extended period of time, can eat away at the morale of your team and jeopardize the foundation of your business.

At ClientWise, we spend a great deal of time working with advisors and their teams to identify and model the habits and behaviors that distinguish some of the most successful interdependent teams. Over and over again, we continue to witness qualities and traits that distinguish the great teams from the ordinary – common intent and purpose, a shared vision, living the firm’s core values daily, expressing empathy for one another and clients, displaying compassion, and partnering around shared decision-making and shared success.

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged?

Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. See attached for our recommendations.

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged?

Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. See attached for our recommendations.

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged?

Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. See attached for our recommendations.

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged? Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. See attached for our recommendations.

Late last year, I led a working session of sixteen advisory clients – all but one of them managed in excess of $1B in assets (with at least two firms north of $2B in AUM). I was more than a little surprised to learn that not a single one of them had a professional advisory board (not even an informal one).

I’m not talking about a client advisory board. That’s a different animal – focused on relationship building, networking, and client service. Instead, I’m referring to a trusted source of business insights and advice from other entrepreneurs who’ve experienced the same or similar issues, challenges and concerns; a genuinely valuable sounding board for when you’re doing your SWOT analysis and long-term planning.

The very first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on September 5, 1882. And on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers; the contributions they have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

For most of us, Labor Day has always marked an end to summer – parades, picnics and one last warm weather gathering with friends and family before the kids head back to school and the days become noticeably shorter. It goes without saying, however, that the unprecedented nature of this ongoing pandemic has changed everything this year.

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged? Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. See attached for our recommendations.

New clients and new talent have never been more accessible

Perhaps all this industry buzz and talk about entering “a new normal” is legitimate, and that the way you conduct the business of advising your clients has irrevocably shifted. Or maybe it’s all just a massive overreaction to a serious (but temporary) disruption – a speed bump on the financial planning highway which a year from now will be just another business war story.

The jury remains out as to which legacy will ultimately prevail.

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged? Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. See attached for our recommendations.

Moore’s Law states that every two years the number of transistors on a microchip will double while over the same period the cost of computers will halve. Rather than a traditional law of physics, it’s an observation and projection that we can expect the speed and capability of technology to regularly increase while the corresponding costs decrease.

Yet many advisors get complacent when it comes to technology. If something has served them well thus far, why switch horses in mid-stream? As Marshall Goldsmith points out in his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, “successful people believe there is always a link between what they have done and how far they have come—even when no link exists. It’s delusional, but it is also empowering.”

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged? Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. See attached for our recommendations.

When it comes to returning to the workplace, there’s no shortage of conflicting viewpoints in the marketplace in general – nor among advisors and their teams in particular. I’ve spoken with more than a few firm founders who have told me, “I’m never going back into a 9-5 office environment. I get way more done, more quickly and efficiently, working remotely without all the interruptions.” And I hear the same thing from many team members who love the fact that they get back two hours of time every day that they otherwise would spend commuting.

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged? Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. See attached for our recommendations.

If you’re like most successful firm founders, you’re probably either a tremendous relationship manager, rainmaker and/or investment technician. And as your firm has gradually grown, you’ve been able to acquire enough business management skills to get by. But is business management truly your passion; not to mention an area where you want to devote a significant portion of your time and effort?

The unintended consequence of success in acquiring new clients and assets is the time needed to provide them with the advice and guidance they seek; all while efficiently running a business that performs the underlying technical work required. Once you reach a level of about $5MM in revenue, it’s time to earnestly consider onboarding a professional business manager for your firm. Why make the shift at this particular stage in your growth?