Spring clean your practice

Recently, an advisor told me that after a busy first quarter, he was feeling blasé and unmotivated. Few clients were coming to the office and he was keeping busy, but not getting meaningful results. He was also putting off important tasks.

We all go through this at one point in our careers, and if it persists, it can turn into a sales slump. So how do we get our enthusiasm back?

Here are some simple steps.

1) Tell the truth. Assess your results honestly. Where have you succeeded? What are your main challenges? Are you on track to reach your annual goals?

2) Set new goals. Make sure the goals you set are meaningful. The goals should be for metrics you can control, rather than lagging indicators, like revenue. Strive for a number of appointments per week, a number of financial plans completed, or a number of lunches with important contacts per month. Set up a simple tracking system for these goals with a reward for achieving them.

Read: A checkup for your practice

3) Take a break. Sometimes, a lack of motivation can be a sign of burnout. Taking a mini-vacation, spending a day at the spa or going to the golf course could be enough to rejuvenate you.

4) Clean out your office. Clearing physical clutter helps clear mental clutter too. Creating room for new client files and collating marketing packages so they’re ready to distribute can often be the boost you need.

Read: Taking back former clients

5) Schedule a power hour once a week. Use it to cross off uncompleted work and personal tasks that have been niggling at you. For instance, finally schedule a plumber to fix that leaky faucet in the office’s kitchen.

6) Do something new. Changing your routine can have a big impact on results. Go for lunch with someone different or sign up for a class that’s unrelated to finance. Try something new on the marketing side too—perhaps a lunch-and-learn or a social event for clients and prospects.

If you’re stuck, it’s never too late to hit the reset button.

Read: Get personal to win clients

April-Lynn Levitt, B. Comm, CFP, is a coach with The Personal Coach. April provides support to Western & Central Canada financial advisors. She has experience as an independent financial advisor and as a top Financial Consultant and Regional Manager in a Calgary office that managed $1 billion for physicians and their families. You can follow April on LinkedIn.