📊 Case Study: Streamlining Operations for Affluence Financial Planning
Client: Affluence Financial Planning
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Project: Initial System Audit & Strategic Roadmap
🧩 Background
Affluence Financial Planning is a financial advisory firm offering comprehensive planning services to individuals and families in Utah. Their client acquisition strategy includes community engagement through Chamber of Commerce events, free educational classes, and organic referrals. Despite having a strong foundation and steady lead flow, the internal systems used to manage these relationships were disorganized and prone to human error.
🧭 Objective
To evaluate existing operational systems, identify pain points, and provide a clear roadmap for CRM implementation, automation, and workflow optimization — ultimately reducing missed opportunities and improving client retention.
🧬 Customer Lifecycle Mapping
1. Lead Generation Channels
In-person networking via Chamber of Commerce events
Free in-person and virtual financial education classes
Webform submissions for free financial evaluations
Word-of-mouth referrals via phone and email
2. Sales Process
Initial financial consultation
Custom proposal generation with pricing
Manual follow-ups until closed or lost
Contract and onboarding document collection
3. Customer Success & Renewals
Outreach to previous clients for renewal packages
Promoting additional workshops and upselling new services
Incentivized follow-up plans (10% discount on each additional package)
⚙️ Challenges Identified
🔹 1. Disorganized Records & Fragmented Data
All client, lead, and deal data was stored in a single, chaotic Excel spreadsheet. Supporting materials such as proposals, quotes, and notes lived in separate locations, with no relational structure or centralized visibility.
🔹 2. Inefficient Lead Intake Process
The intake form ("Receive a Free Financial Evaluation") did not feed into a centralized system. Leads were received via email and then manually inputted into the spreadsheet—if at all. Business cards, phone calls, and workshop attendees often slipped through the cracks entirely.
🔹 3. Missed Opportunities from Poor Follow-Up
Many warm leads and former clients were unintentionally neglected due to a lack of structured follow-up reminders or segmentation. There was no way to track lifecycle stages or prioritize outreach.
🔹 4. Manual & Frustrating Scheduling Process
Booking meetings required back-and-forth emails or calls with no self-service calendar system in place. This created friction for both the staff and the potential client.
🔹 5. Lack of Reporting & Forecasting Tools
No existing reporting system allowed the team to answer key business questions such as:
“How much have we quoted this month?”
“What’s our current closing rate?”
“Which channels are driving the highest value leads?”
🛠️ Recommendations (Delivered in Final System Outline)
Implement a centralized CRM to connect lead capture forms, contact records, deal pipelines, and notes.
Automate lead intake and tagging based on source (e.g., event, class, webform).
Introduce calendar scheduling software for frictionless consultation booking.
Set up automated follow-up sequences and pipeline reminders.
Build custom reports and dashboards for visibility into quoting, closing, and lead source performance.
💡 Outcome
This system outline served as the blueprint for a full operational transformation. It created clarity on where leads and revenue were being lost and positioned Affluence Financial Planning to scale with systems that support both growth and efficiency.