Task Complete: How a Client “To-Do” List Gets it Done

Blog
Kyle Fleming – 11/05/2020

Task Complete: How a Client “To-Do” List Gets it Done

Tasks, action items, to-dos, honey-dos, chores, errands, work orders. Lists have become so familiar to us, we’ve coined countless names to describe them. We have organized work into lists for so long that it would feel absurd not to. However, accountability and visibility become increasingly important when we rely on others to complete their task before we can move forward. Quite simply, people have a lot going on these days. A succinct list of action items can go a long way to build relationships, keep goals on track, stay organized, and tackle work together.

As a product manager, I spend a lot of time creating tasks for a team of (much more) talented professionals to complete. I’m sure many of you find yourselves creating and organizing work for others to perform as well, whether for your spouse (honey-dos), your children (chores), or your clients (tasks).

The to-do list is such a simple concept, and it has been packaged into almost every tech product we use. There are standalone to-do list providers and all smartphones come pre-loaded with notes and reminder functionality. The CRM has long been the primary organizer of tasks for advisors. However, how do you clearly communicate, track, and hold a client accountable to take the required actions needed to achieve a particular goal? Are you tracking tasks in a system that is inaccessible to the person you are charging with completing the work?

For fun, search your sent emails for the phrase, “Hey, just checking in on …” More communication doesn’t always mean better communication… Think spam! The goal is efficient yet minimal communication that prioritizes high-quality interactions above low-quality noise.

Leveraging the award-winning Client Experience portal, the Black Diamond® Wealth Platform is in a unique position to focus on a critical job: Connecting you with your clients in a dependable, trackable, and accessible way. This includes the ability to remind clients about work that needs to be completed –  both within the portal and outside of it.

Coming very soon, Black Diamond is introducing a To-Do List within the Client Experience portal. From a familiar place, clients gain visibility into the outstanding items that need attention. And, it’s all happening alongside the other advisor-client communications already found within the portal, such as document sharing and Timeline posts.

Ultimately, the goal of the To-Do List is to link your clients directly to the area of the portal where work needs to be completed. Such as, uploading a document to the Vault, adding an outside account for net worth reporting, or directing them to DocuSign® for a required signature. Automated and configurable event-based To-Do List templates are also on the development radar which would use “if-then” logic. Consider this use case, “if” a prospect user is created, “then” upon their first login, create and assign a new task to start a discovery workflow as well as create a Timeline welcome post!

Since streamlining communication channels is key, the To-Do List will also integrate with existing Black Diamond applications, as well as third-party solutions such as your CRM. That way you can connect your CRM to your client by sending tasks directly through the Client Experience portal.

For advisors, To-Do List management will be found within the Client View application, and eventually more broadly throughout the platform. The ability to send notifications, reminders, add attachments, and make comments will all be available with the initial release.

The Black Diamond To-Do List delivers a sense of accountability and transparency that empowers your clients to work towards their financial life goals. All while validating your trusted partnership as you strategize and guide them throughout the journey.

To learn more about how Black Diamond connects advisors and clients, request a personalized demo today. Or, read this blog detailing some of the other ways Black Diamond facilitates effective client communication.