As a busy financial services professional, there’s no shortage of items on your schedule—from handling projects and portfolios to meeting with clients and attracting new quality leads. Virtual technology is a crucial asset to help you manage these critical tasks. If you’re looking for tools to run your business more efficiently, here are four software programs to streamline and automate workflows, enhance client interactions, and maximize productivity.
Task Management: Asana
To-do lists have always been useful methods for taking inventory of required tasks. Asana project management software takes this concept to the next level by helping you outline and prioritize each task and then monitor its completion.
If you work with a team, Asana allows you to organize all projects and tasks in one location so everyone can see the work they need to accomplish. You can assign roles for each project or upload resources to a central hub rather than sending files back and forth via email.
You can also segment workflows into smaller chunks and set priority levels or deadlines for each item. This makes it easy for team members to monitor progress and sign off on final task approvals with one click. If you need to ping someone, just comment on the assignment or start a message thread using the Asana inbox feature.
Scheduling: Calendly
Both new prospects and long-time clients will need to book meetings with you, but it can be arduous to check your calendar, send them a list of available options, and exchange more emails until you both agree on a date.
Calendly simplifies and automates all that scheduling for you. Since 6 percent of consumers prefer self-service options, it’s also a win for your clients. This platform connects to up to six virtual calendars, including Google and Outlook, making it easy for someone to choose a time that works for them based on your meeting availability.
This tool also lets you customize specific event categories to block out time frames for nurturing leads, onboarding clients, and communicating about projects. If you work with a team, everyone can combine their schedules and use the round-robin feature to route meetings and sync up at the most conducive time for the group.
To schedule a meeting with Calendly, just embed the scheduling link on your website or send it via email or text. When potential clients book a time slot, you can follow up with custom questions to help qualify leads or collect information before the meeting. Calendly also lets you connect video conferencing tools and automate reminder messages, ensuring clients don’t forget about the meeting.
Communication: Slack
If email is your preferred means of communication with your clients and team members, you’re not alone. Fifty-five percent of business owners use email to contact their clients. But with that said, more professionals are also turning to virtual communication platforms such as Slack for more seamless and efficient interactions.
Slack offers real-time internal and external communication in one centralized space. Instead of searching your inbox to find previous emails, you can just access the Slack text thread to locate what you need. Having a continuous conversation thread at your fingertips makes staying on top of client queries easier. Slack also offers compliance with financial data security regulations and integrates with other productivity tools like Asana and Calendly.
File Sharing: Box
Successful file sharing isn’t just about ensuring clients can access the documents you store on a virtual hard drive. It also includes maintaining convenient workflows for everyone who handles these files. Box allows you to onboard clients to the portal and collect virtual signatures for all required agreements or documentation, automating each step in the process.
You can also automate file-sharing workflows for your team (e.g., document approvals and publishing) and collaborate with brainstorming, whiteboard, chat, and note tools. Customizable access settings and permissions allow you to keep all data secure and compliant with the latest financial industry regulations.
Technology Saves Time and Elevates the Client Experience
Technology can help you boost productivity and streamline administrative tasks. These project management, scheduling, communication, and file-sharing apps will enhance your workflow and elevate the client experience without compromising data security. With the right software, you can take your business up a notch.
