By Private Advisor Group Marketing
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With busy days and a long list of responsibilities, it can be difficult for independent advisors to determine where to focus their time to best support their growth goals. At the 2026 Annual Conference in Boston, advisors came together during a Table Topics session to tap into the collective knowledge of the community, sharing recent challenges and successes.
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Many discussed ways they’re using automation to keep the client experience seamless while freeing up time to focus on growth. Below are some of the top peer learnings from this year’s conversations.
Building Workflows for Consistent Client Service
Workflows help streamline processes to create operational efficiencies, but it can be challenging to design flexible, integrated and ongoing systems.
Raymond Angelo, CFP®, president of Angelo & Associates Financial Planning Group in Clark, New Jersey, has collaborated with his team to design and adjust workflows within their client relationship manager (CRM) software, Wealthbox, to best fit his firm’s client service and administrative needs.
Gall’s Law states that all complex systems that work evolved from simpler systems that worked. One should start with simple processes, gather user feedback, and grow, as starting with high complexity often leads to failure.
“You’re not going to be entirely correct the first time when building out a workflow,” said Angelo. “Set the expectation that it will be a work in progress and go into the system to make the change when you identify them.”
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He has also started recording best practices and contact information for different vendors and partners, creating a master document for the firm. This task helps support the team’s growth and protects the loss of institutional knowledge in case of employee attrition.
- Takeaway: It takes time to find the workflows and processes that will work best for you and your team. Make sure you are formally tracking and updating your standard operating procedures.
Simplifying Client Meeting Logistics
Client meetings are a major part of an advisor’s daily work, but scheduling these meetings can be a drag on office productivity. Judy Esau, president of The Legacy Foundation in Charlottesville, Virginia, shared that her office struggled historically with getting client to respond with their availability and specify what they wanted to discuss in the meeting.
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With the help of Esau’s daughter, who has operational leadership experience, The Legacy Foundation team implemented OnceHub. They customized a scheduling form through the appointment booking software offering clients:
- Seamless online booking with the advisor team, minimizing the back-and-forth of scheduling
- A list of suggested topics to guide them in sharing what they’d like to focus on in the meeting
- The space to share who else will be attending the meeting
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Esau shared: “We are able to have more impactful and productive conversations with our clients, since having the topics two weeks ahead of time allows our team to research and come prepared. We want to make the best use of the time for our team and our clients, and this new process makes that possible.”
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OnceHub simplifies client meeting scheduling by sending invitations with meeting details, including a Zoom link for remote calls. Its CRM integrations track key data, helping advisors and administrators manage relationships efficiently.
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“We have seen a decrease in no-show meetings with OnceHub since it automatically sends out confirmation reminders to the client 24 hours, 1 hour and 10 minutes before the meeting,” added Julia Simmons, financial advisor at Global Advisor Group in Reston, Virginia.
- Takeaway: Prioritize specific pain points within the operational process to make efficiency improvement that move the needle. Technology can help make this possible.
Asking For Feedback, Boosting Visibility
As of 2022, the SEC changed their guidance, allowing advisors to leverage client testimonials in their marketing efforts. While referrals have always been part of the business, leveraging newer channels, like asking clients for Google Reviews, can significantly boost your credibility with the public.
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Google Reviews can also help improve a firm’s visibility in local search results.
Joe Conroy, CFP®, owner and financial advisor of Harford Retirement Planners in Bel Air, Maryland, says that asking for reviews has been a meaningful shift for his firm, which has received over 40 Google reviews.Â
Want to ask for reviews? Consider adding a link in your email signature, website footer, and other marketing materials so clients can leave a review.
This helps differentiate his team against local competitors, many of which have under 10 reviews. Conroy reported that this increased visibility can help prospective clients learn more about the firm and explore whether it may be a fit.
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“If I feel that I’ve provided value, I make a point to ask for their feedback on Google Reviews,” Conroy added. He also noted that individuals who have benefited from a conversation—even if they do not become clients—sometimes choose to share feedback. “I still provide guidance where I can, and most people are happy to help us out.”
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Erin Lapidus, President of JBL Financial Services in St. Louis, Missouri, echoed this thought: “Financial advice is not the typical type of service people think to review, like you would for a great hair stylist or a restaurant. Sometimes a thoughtful prompt is enough to generate positive reviews that verify your credibility.”
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In a client email last year, Lapidus asked clients to share their feedback by leaving a review on the firm’s Google business profile. From this first request, the firm received 34 reviews. She intends to ask at a quarterly cadence to prompt clients to leave reviews.
- Takeaway: Asking for reviews may require thoughtful compliance steps, but the advisors who have built it into their marketing processes are seeing the impact.
Creating Valuable Experiences for Client Connection
Great client experiences come from events that are true to you as the host—things you and your clients enjoy together, while fostering connections, building skills, and making a lasting impact.
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Chris Camburn, CFP®, principal for 1406 Financial in Middletown, NJ, recommends joining event-planning committees for charitable or community organizations in your area, focusing on activities you enjoy. For him, these activities include running, biking, and golfing.
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“It has helped me meet like-minded people while also deepening my involvement in the community,” said Camburn. “When you engage authentically, you will see that it comes back to you.”
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Though involvement in community events don’t always produce immediate results, he shared that a client came to him three years later, recalling the personal connection they had built. One of his goals for 2026 is to plan his own event that supports his community.
- Takeaway: Authentic points of connection create valuable and lasting impressions.
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There’s incredible value in hearing what’s working straight from peers who are in the trenches. That’s why Private Advisor Group hosts this conference each year, and why Table Topics remains one of its highest-rated sessions: it delivers practical, advisor-tested ideas participants can take back and put into action right away. We hope some of these ideas spark growth for you.
