07/11/24
Estate Planner and CTT member, Caroline Sandiford, has a history of making bold business decisions.
From teaching herself Spanish to pivoting careers, Caroline’s fearlessness in the face of each new business challenge has yielded big success for the self-titled ‘Bury lass’, who’s been likened to ‘a tornado’ by peers, owing to her influential, dynamic approach to shaking up industry norms.
Having already taken the first step towards digitising her practice, swapping paper-based processes for Legacy Software, Caroline recently took the plunge to offer her clients an entire digital journey using CTT’s Digital Fact Find and AI Avatars.
And it’s a decision that’s quickly paying off.
“In the last few weeks, the increase in client appointments and turnover has been phenomenal,” she shares, “The only thing I’m doing differently is taking this digital approach.”
AI Avatars
It was at last year’s BEST Foundation Conference during a speech made by fellow Lancastrian and Dragon’s Den investor Piers Linney that Caroline first learned about the business benefits of using AI.
When CTT’s Director of Partnerships, Jonathan Maskew, mentioned AI technology was something CTT was looking to leverage – and that Caroline was the woman for the job – she caught the scent of a challenge that simply had to be undertaken. “I was the guinea pig!” Caroline laughs, “Jumping in, feet first, big time.”
Caroline put months of work into creating her digital twin ‘Cazatar’, and helping CTT tease out problems during the development process, but the result now speaks for herself – quite literally!
“It’s been a journey, testing things to breaking point, but we’re here now,” she smiles. “As a woman in an industry that’s still predominantly male dominated, I like being the first person to have an avatar to market.”
As well as using her AI avatar to great effect, raising her profile across social media, Caroline has made an informative promotional video about the importance of having a valid will in place. This is just the first of many educational and client communication videos Caroline plans to generate using Cazatar.
“This is Innovative, groundbreaking tech, and Caroline is the front runner,” iterates Jonathan. “No one else is doing this to educate their clients through the process – it’s a key USP driver now for new clients signing up.”
Entire digital journey
One of the main goals for Caroline in offering her entire digital journey with the help of CTT is to change the staid perception of Estate Planning as being paper-based, time consuming, and admin heavy.
“That approach doesn’t give you the right time with your client or give the client the right experience,” she explains.
Alongside creating her digital twin, Caroline has introduced Legacy’s Digital Fact Find into her client interactions; a Legacy Software compatible app that lets clients share their personal information with Caroline ahead of their initial meeting. This not only gives her valuable insight into their circumstances; it also allows her to create a personalised digital Recommendation Report – a jumping off point for clients that outlines the best Estate Planning solutions for them.
“The Fact Find app is automating a lot of my processes so the clients can do most of the time-consuming admin work themselves on an evening or a weekend without me being there,” she explains.
Clients can review the Recommendation Report within the app as many times as they like. They can even use it to open up potentially difficult talks with family members about planning their estate, which can make the whole process easier and less daunting. Having shared the Recommendation Report with her clients, Caroline then contacts them for a Zoom meeting to discuss the products in more detail and how to move forward with their planning.
“Some clients might find it a lot to take in in one go, so in that case we just establish the base steps to get their foundation planning in place and we then address the finer details face-to-face. I find a lot of clients take comfort in that,” she reveals. “It means they don’t panic about having to make a lot of big decisions all in one go. It’s really helped with building that relationship and trust with clients about what they’re about to embark on.”
Typically, this part of interacting with a client can take weeks or even months. By streamlining this stage of the client journey and digitising her processes, Caroline is not only finding it easier to connect with her clients, but the relationships she’s building are stronger.
“I’m getting to spend more time face-to face with them, which is the part I really enjoy – that’s the part that adds value,” she says. It’s also making a big difference for the clients.
‘Because I’m getting more of that personal interaction, I’m finding people are actually enjoying doing their Estate Planning with me. They’re seeing it as a positive experience, and by building those strong client relationships, it’s also leading to more referrals,” she reveals.
Increased revenue
In the weeks following her implementation of CTT’s entire digital journey, using the Fact Find and her AI Avatar alongside CTT Legacy Software, Caroline has seen a her turnover quadruple in three months and remain consistent – both from her growing client base and the orders her clients are placing.
“The Recommendation Report gives clients so much more information, it helps them understand the whole process better. I’m finding more and more clients are opting for full instruction first time at a higher value, because the Recommendation Report is giving them confidence in their decision and driving that,” she shares.
From stirring up ‘intrigue’ among potential clients with her paperless approach, to using her Avatar across her socials to drive HNW leads to her website, Caroline has found leveraging the full scope of CTT’s digital offering has had a hugely positive impact across the whole of her business.
“It’s been a great thing for me to implement,” she beams. “After spending the whole weekend relaxing and doing things I enjoy, I can get up on a Monday morning to four or five emails enquiring about the Fact Find; sometimes, I’ve had four completed Fact Finds submitted overnight. That’s a workflow I can wake up to and I’ve not had to do anything about.”
Confidence and compliance
In today’s world, an increasing number of people are expecting a digital experience when it comes to professional services. “People don’t want to deal with a chunk of paperwork,” Jonathan points out. “Whether it’s banking or insurance, for example, clients want to be able to download those documents, review them, and know they are captured and stored – why should Estate Planning be any different?”
The ability to store and review digital files in a safe, secure, and compliant way is one of the many benefits of using Legacy Software’s document drafting, as Caroline explains: “Having seen an increase in High-Net-Worth clients, Legacy gives me everything I need to assist them. It’s the full back-up I need – the full level of advice and product range that allows me to cater to a full range of clients,” she says.
As well as confidence in looking after her clients, Legacy’s Recommendation Reports also give Caroline the reassurance that her drafting is watertight and that the final decision on planning is in the client’s hands – mitigating any risks for her now and in the future.
“I have peace of mind that the work I’ve done is correct, substantial, and robust enough to look after my clients. And if I ever get to a point in the future where I want to step away from my business, this digital journey ensures I’ve given the right advice to the right client at the right time and the right structure is in place,” she asserts.
“If at some point in the future a situation arises where there isn’t the right protection, I can refer back to the report and show the client that it was their decision to opt out of having that protection. Risk management is a big thing for me, and digitising the process definitely helps me sleep at night.”
Book a Consultation with the Partnership Team to find out more about how your business can adopt a digital journey and improve client relationships. Book a Consultation here.
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