A New Year, a New Way of Doing Business

As you prepare for a New Year filled with opportunities and success, get out of your comfort zone and commit to running your business differently for 2016. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Use a team approach to goal setting. As a team, develop a bucket list for the year. Categorize each idea into: must do, should do and a wish list. Empower your team and let team members select projects they want to work on and allow them to be accountable for deliverables and deadlines. Leverage everyone’s key capabilities and outsource projects outside of your expertise – you will get the most bang for your buck and ensure projects actually get done.

2. Put more structure into client meetings. Start using a meeting flow chart to get the most out of every client meeting and constantly find new ways to be of greater service to your clients:

See how the family is doing
Ask what’s on their mind, any significant changes since last meeting
Review portfolio & investment
Check for outside investment (offer second opinion)
Other topic or concern they may have
Summary, action plan, invite to upcoming event
Walk client to elevator and thank them for the meeting

3. Create a ‘campaign’ at each client touch-point. Set a specific goal for each client meeting and portfolio review to constantly move your client relationship forward and elevate client’s experience.

Fact finding: gather email addresses for further e-marketing initiatives…
Introduce new product/services: estate planning, portfolio models…
Incorporate a new approach: value-based investing, discuss soft issues…

In the book “Built to Last“, the authors James Collins and Jerry Porras coin the term big, hairy, audacious goal (BHAG) which they describe as: “A BHAG engages people – it reaches out and grabs them in the gut. It is tangible, energizing, highly focused. People ‘get it’ right away; it takes little or no explanation.”

There is no better time than now to set up BHAG goals for you, your team and your business. Write down your goals, divide the deliverables and focus on outcome measurement.

Take one resolution for this New Year: commit to trying one new approach/concept each quarter for your business. Make this a team commitment, challenge each other and do thing differently this year!