Personalized Onboarding: Legacy Bridge Cuts Attrition 5%
Executive Summary
Legacy Bridge Advisors, a growing RIA firm, recognized that a small but significant percentage of new clients were churning within the first 90 days due to feeling overwhelmed by the onboarding process. By implementing a personalized onboarding checklist and assigning a dedicated point of contact, Legacy Bridge streamlined the experience and fostered stronger client relationships. This initiative resulted in a 5% decrease in early client attrition, preserving $1.7 million in assets under management (AUM) that would have otherwise been lost.
The Challenge
Legacy Bridge Advisors prides itself on providing holistic financial planning to high-net-worth individuals and families. In recent years, the firm experienced rapid growth, onboarding dozens of new clients each quarter. While the firm's long-term retention rate remained strong, a concerning trend emerged: a small but persistent percentage of new clients were leaving within the first three months of joining.
A detailed analysis revealed that the primary reason for this early attrition stemmed from a perceived lack of personalized attention during the initial onboarding phase. The standard onboarding process, while comprehensive, involved numerous forms, document requests, and initial consultations that some clients found overwhelming and impersonal.
For example, one client, a recent retiree named Mr. Thompson, expressed frustration with the "mountain of paperwork" he received immediately after signing on. He felt unclear about the next steps and lacked a clear understanding of how his investment strategy was being implemented. Similarly, another client, Ms. Rodriguez, felt lost navigating the firm's online portal and struggled to understand the various investment options presented.
The firm estimated that each lost client represented, on average, $340,000 in AUM. With a previous quarterly attrition rate of approximately 2% in the first 90 days for new clients, this meant the firm was losing roughly $680,000 in AUM per quarter solely due to early churn. Compounding this loss, the cost of acquiring each new client – including marketing expenses and advisor time – was estimated at $3,000. This created a double whammy: lost AUM and wasted acquisition costs. The leadership team recognized that addressing this early attrition was critical to improving profitability and strengthening client relationships. They aimed to reduce this attrition rate by at least half a percentage point, which was equivalent to preserving $170,000 in AUM per quarter.
The Approach
Legacy Bridge Advisors adopted a multi-faceted approach to address the challenge of early client attrition. Recognizing that personalization and clear communication were key, they developed a new onboarding strategy centered around two core pillars: a personalized onboarding checklist and a dedicated point of contact.
The first step involved creating a detailed, modular onboarding checklist that could be tailored to each client's individual needs and financial situation. This checklist covered all essential onboarding tasks, including document submission, risk assessment completion, investment profile creation, initial portfolio review, and introduction to the advisory team. Recognizing that not all clients were the same, this checklist allowed advisors to remove certain items if they were not applicable to a particular client, or add extra steps to cater to unique needs.
The second critical element was the assignment of a dedicated point of contact for each new client. This "onboarding specialist" acted as a concierge, guiding clients through the onboarding process, answering questions, and providing support. The specialist's role was to proactively reach out to clients, check in on their progress, and address any concerns before they escalated into frustration. They became the client's go-to resource for any onboarding-related inquiries.
To determine the best approach, Legacy Bridge weighed several options. They considered an automated onboarding system with minimal human interaction. However, they rejected this approach because it lacked the personal touch they believed was crucial for building strong client relationships. They also considered increasing the frequency of communication from existing advisors, but this option was deemed unsustainable given the advisors' already demanding schedules. The personalized checklist and dedicated point of contact approach was ultimately chosen because it struck the right balance between efficiency and personalized service. A/B testing wasn't considered due to resource constrains and the need for immediate action.
Legacy Bridge management trained the onboarding specialists on effective communication techniques, active listening skills, and the importance of empathy. They also provided them with a comprehensive knowledge base covering all aspects of the firm's services, policies, and procedures.
Technical Implementation
The personalized onboarding process was implemented using a combination of readily available tools and integrations. The digital onboarding checklist was created using Asana, a project management platform. This allowed for easy customization of checklists for each client and provided a centralized location to track progress.
The Asana checklists were integrated with Legacy Bridge's existing CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, Salesforce. This integration enabled advisors to automatically create a new Asana project for each new client and track the client's progress directly within Salesforce. The CRM integration also allowed for automated email reminders and follow-up communications to be scheduled based on the client's progress through the checklist.
The process began when a new client signed an agreement. The advisor would then populate a new Asana project using a pre-built template. This template contained a list of standard onboarding tasks. Based on the client's specific circumstances (e.g., rollover from a previous 401k, creation of a trust account), the advisor would then add or remove tasks from the checklist to tailor it to the client's needs.
The integration with Salesforce allowed the onboarding specialist to easily see which tasks were completed, which were pending, and which were overdue. This provided a clear overview of the client's onboarding progress and allowed the specialist to proactively reach out to clients who were falling behind.
For communication, Legacy Bridge utilized a secure messaging platform, ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations. The onboarding specialists used this platform to communicate with clients, share documents, and answer questions. The secure messaging platform was also integrated with the CRM, providing a complete audit trail of all communications with each client.
To measure the effectiveness of the new onboarding process, Legacy Bridge tracked several key metrics, including:
- Client Attrition Rate (First 90 Days): The percentage of new clients who terminated their relationship with the firm within the first 90 days.
- Client Satisfaction Score: Measured through a post-onboarding survey.
- Time to Completion: The average time it took for clients to complete the onboarding process.
The client satisfaction score was calculated using a Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, asking clients how likely they were to recommend Legacy Bridge to others on a scale of 0 to 10. The NPS score was calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors (those who answered 0-6) from the percentage of promoters (those who answered 9-10).
Results & ROI
The implementation of the personalized onboarding process yielded significant improvements in client retention and satisfaction.
- Client Attrition Rate (First 90 Days): The attrition rate decreased from 2.0% to 1.5%, representing a 5% relative reduction. This translated to a preservation of $1.7 million in AUM that would have otherwise been lost each quarter. This calculation is based on the average AUM of churned clients, which was previously $340,000 per client (2% of 100 new clients = 2 clients churned; 2 clients * $340,000 = $680,000. Now: 1.5% of 100 new clients = 1.5 client churned; 1.5 client * $340,000 = $510,000 churned; $680,000 - $510,000 = $170,000 preserved * 10 = $1,700,000)
- Client Satisfaction Score (NPS): The Net Promoter Score increased from 45 to 60, indicating a significant improvement in client satisfaction.
- Time to Completion: The average time to complete the onboarding process decreased from 3 weeks to 2 weeks, improving efficiency.
The $1.7 million in preserved AUM generated an estimated $17,000 in additional annual revenue (assuming a 1% advisory fee). Furthermore, the reduction in client attrition reduced the cost of acquiring new clients, saving the firm an estimated $1,500 per client (calculating the cost of acquiring new clients at $3,000 each).
The improved client satisfaction score also had a positive impact on the firm's reputation and referrals, leading to increased organic growth. While difficult to quantify precisely, the firm estimates that the improved reputation generated an additional 10% increase in referrals.
Key Takeaways
- Personalization is Paramount: Tailoring the onboarding process to each client's individual needs and preferences can significantly improve client satisfaction and retention. A "one size fits all" approach often leads to confusion and frustration.
- Dedicated Support Makes a Difference: Assigning a dedicated point of contact to guide new clients through the onboarding process can provide valuable support and address concerns proactively. This fosters a sense of personalized attention and strengthens client relationships.
- Streamline and Automate: Leveraging technology to streamline the onboarding process and automate tasks can improve efficiency and reduce errors. Integrating project management tools with CRM systems can provide a centralized view of client progress and facilitate communication.
- Measure and Monitor: Tracking key metrics such as client attrition rate and client satisfaction score is essential for measuring the effectiveness of the onboarding process and identifying areas for improvement.
- Invest in Training: Equipping onboarding specialists with the necessary knowledge, skills, and communication techniques is crucial for ensuring a positive onboarding experience for new clients.
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