Last Updated on July 20, 2020 by Carolyn McRae
April is notoriously painful for advisors. There’s a myriad of reasons to dread the 4th month of the year. It’s tax season, time for billing, Q1 reports (if you’re still doing them), schools are on vacation… the list goes on and on. Naturally, busy times of the year come with a piqued interest in ways to save time.
I’m constantly chatting with advisors, all with different strategies and objectives. The common thread across my various conversations, however, is an overwhelming interest in saving time. Many advisors are trying to grow their firm, so inefficiencies in their practice today just hold them back from growing bigger tomorrow. Other advisors are less interested in growth and more interested in running a lifestyle business. These guys still want to increase efficiency, though, because they’d like to spend more of their time out of the office.
Knowing this, it comes as no surprise that the question of the month was: “Is there a way to make my busy April suck less?”
Don’t be April’s Fool
Breaking News: April doesn’t suck for everyone. While I do speak with advisors who are struggling, I’ve also been talking to advisors coming off their best months and quarters ever. One financial planner has stopped chasing clients for statements. How? He implemented an account aggregation tool. Another advisor, who was once plateaued at $40mil AUM, is well on his way to $200mil AUM. How? He found a way to automate his reporting process.
These guys aren’t April’s Fools. They were tired of suffering through inefficiencies in their business so they actively sought out a solution. Their struggles became so infuriating that they kicked their habit and are now better off for it. The really exciting news is that YOU can, too.
Einstein will think you’re a genius
If you want to be more efficient, you’d be insane to shy away from change. Einstein (who was a relatively smart guy) once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” You’ve suffered through another April, so what are you going to change for next time?
Let’s brainstorm solutions. I enjoy helping advisors become MORE efficient, or hearing about the ways you already are. In the comments below, I invite you to respond w/ one (or more) of these:
A) My April was horrible because …
B) I was more efficient this April because …
C) In general, I really want to be more efficient with …
