Recently, we heard from an advisor we work with after a dinner we had together. He wanted to share what had changed once he finally implemented several recommendations we had been discussing for quite some time.
The results were immediate.
Small Changes. Measurable Wins.
Earlier this year, his firm hosted two dinner seminars. Attendance was light — which, frankly, is becoming more common — but the outcome mattered far more than the headcount.
They generated ten appointments. Nine were virtual. Only one was in person.
More importantly, every virtual meeting was handled by a team member — not the owner. That was intentional. It freed him up, validated his team, and kept the process moving.
That single shift changed the way time was allocated inside the firm.
Shortening the Sales Cycle — and the Calendar
The firm also reduced its sales process from three appointments down to two. How?
- Clear pre-qualification questions
- Direct conversations about whether prospects were actually open to change
- A structured “summary of recommendations” used consistently
The immediate impact? Roughly 200 meetings were removed from the owner’s calendar — meetings that never should have been there in the first place.
Less activity. Better outcomes.
Better Process Closes Bigger Cases
Shortly after implementing the new process, the advisor and a team member presented using the summary of recommendations format.
They closed a $1.6 million case on the spot.
No theatrics. No long sales cycle. No overexplaining.
They walked through the document, referenced a brief eMoney review, and let the process do the work.
Since then, every presentation using that same framework resulted in a “yes.”
The Real Lesson
None of this was new.
These were changes we had discussed over the course of more than a year. The hesitation wasn’t about understanding — it was about comfort.
The existing process worked… until it didn’t.
Once the advisor committed to implementing the changes:
- He closed more business in less time
- His team took on more responsibility
- His schedule opened up
- His stress dropped
The growth was already available. He was just standing in the way of it.
So Ask Yourself the Hard Question
Are you the bottleneck in your firm?
Are you holding onto processes because they feel familiar — not because they’re effective?
Growth doesn’t usually require more effort. It requires different behavior.
And sometimes, the biggest obstacle to scaling isn’t your market, your team, or your clients.
