Which of your people does what, how the first ninety days go, and the three decisions a firm has to make before it starts.
One named partner, who the Equity & General financial adviser deals with and who answers questions inside the firm.
One partner can do it alone to start. Client managers raising it reaches more clients, and they need the hour with the partnership manager, the training lessons in the portal, and a partner checking the wording used.
Import the client list into your portal. Client Watch ranks the limited companies with the strongest reason for a conversation, which gives the firm a shortlist to start from.
The Account Manager and the fact-find, the financial adviser, the research, the suitability report, the compliance file and the annual review.
Your people need to recognise the six moments and know one sentence for each.
Client managers run the year-end meetings, so they need the training to raise the question. The training is an hour with the partnership manager, plus the training lessons in the portal.
The session does not teach financial planning. A client manager who has been taught how pension wrappers work may end up explaining one to a client, which is regulated advice.
The partner agreement, and a call to choose your commercial model: Ongoing Income or Capital Value. Your permissions and professional indemnity cover do not change. Check your engagement letter against the referral fees guide.
Meet the Equity & General financial adviser. Import your client list into your portal and run Client Watch.
An hour with the partnership manager for the client managers on the six moments and the approved wording, then the training lessons in the portal.
The first two or three introductions, from clients you already had in mind. You can sit in on the first adviser meeting if you want to.
Review in the portal which clients were introduced, what was recommended and what is in progress, and decide how widely to use it.
The first is training everyone and then never referring to it again. A standing line on the year-end meeting agenda keeps the question in front of the people running the meetings.
The second is a partner who intends to do it personally and does not have the time. Client managers raising it, with the partner reviewing, reaches more clients.
Counting introductions alone puts pressure on people to make them. Four measures say whether the process is working.
The number of business owners for whom the firm can say whether the question has been asked.
Of the clients Client Watch listed, the number that have had the conversation.
For every introduction, the stage it has reached in the portal, from the first call to the advice being in place.
Complaints and thanks, both recorded.
Say it is a question for the adviser, and offer the introduction.
Ask when they last had a review. If it was years ago, offer the introduction. If it was recent and they are happy, leave it.
The advice is given under Equity & General’s FCA permissions and is covered by Equity & General’s professional indemnity insurance. Your firm’s role is recorded in the partnership agreement as an introduction.
The conversation starts from something in the client’s own accounts and ends with an offer of an introduction.
After a year the firm should be able to say, for every business owner, whether the question has been asked, and see in the portal where every introduction has got to.
Equity & General is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. There is no charge to your firm, and we do everything to set it up for you.