Working as the Revenue Operations Lead, a big part of my job is finding new software to help our sales and marketing teams flourish. However, finding the best software fit can be extremely challenging. Most of my time is spent sitting in demos and sales calls while trying to make sure that the features of these tools will provide the highest possible return on investment.
One area of focus that flies under radar, however, is the onboarding process. After recently purchasing a tool called SalesLoft, I was blown away by their speed of service during implementation. A good onboarding process is crucial to software companies because it drives partner communication, product adoption, and starts the partnership on the right foot. From the moment we purchased, the vendor was in constant communication with me. Our partnership benefited greatly because I had a direct line to the best people to answer my questions and solve my problems.
Investing in long-term clients
By making my success a priority, SalesLoft was able to guarantee themselves a deeper level of product adoption. Product adoption is crucial because there is no chance for a positive return on investment if the customer is not utilizing the software. During the onboarding period, the first three weeks were solely devoted to training my sales team, the power-users of the new software. Taking the time to tailor the training process to our user-base meant that our sales team was up and running quickly without problems. Without identifying and focusing on the power-users, our team would have lacked the confidence to get the most out of SalesLoft and likely would have limited adoption.
Ultimately, the goal of the onboarding process is to set your customers up for success. As the famous economist Milton Friedman said, “No exchange takes place unless both parties benefit.” Customer success initiatives should focus on making sure the benefit to both parties is clear. As a customer, understanding SalesLoft’s level of commitment to my success was empowering.
Engage early and often
For an advisor, this means establishing a consistent engagement cadence with new clients. Depending on the complexity of any given investor’s portfolio, it may be understandable for certain clients to only check in around tax season. But leaning into a new relationship with a low touchpoint expectation will only encourage early attrition from newer clients.
As an advisor, it is essential to leverage digital and personal touchpoints early and often. Advisors provide immense value right from the onset by providing financial security to their clients. Empowering clients to engage with their newly developed plans regularly ensures that the perceived value of this new relationship won’t diminish after the first few client meetings.
Similarly, Advicent has been refocusing more resources to our partners, making our most knowledgeable employees more visible and available. We have introduced Partner Success Managers to the majority of our accounts and rededicated ourselves to a speedy and effective training program for new partners. We are working to make you successful and understand that your success will benefit us long term.
To learn more about Advicent’s world class Partner Experience team, check out our recent video.