The Rea Report Spring/Summer 2021 | Page 14

Connecting The Dots Through Client Opportunity Plans

In 2015 , Rea ’ s annual revenue was $ 30.5 million . We had 10,858 clients and 215 employees in 10 offices . We were the 98th largest firm in the country . Today , we are a $ 52.9 million firm . We have more than 15,000 clients served by nearly 400 employees in 14 offices . We are the 80th largest firm in the country .
We are tremendously proud of this growth , but it hasn ’ t come without its share of pain . If you , too , are in growth mode , you can surely relate to experiencing your share of growing pains .
Take client service , for example . Over the years , we ’ ve added specialists with unique skills and knowledge , allowing us to offer new solutions to our clients . On the other hand , educating our clients ( and our own team members ) about these new services and areas of expertise can be tricky .
So , how do we educate our growing team about the new ways we can help clients ? How do we give our client service teams a clear , holistic , and actionable picture of our clients ’ needs ? How do we ensure we ’ re offering comprehensive service to our clients that address their current and future needs ? In short , how do we connect the dots and make sure our team is talking to clients about solutions that will help them thrive and prosper ?
Three words :

Client Opportunity Plans .

Connecting The Dots
Rea & Associates developed Client Opportunity Plans ( COPs ) to confront some of the problems we now face as a rapidly growing firm .
The COP process requires client service teams to meet regularly throughout the year to brainstorm strategies that can help drive ongoing growth for our clients . Your service team , along with relevant industry or advisory specialists , discuss the current and future state of your business . We have an honest conversation about how we could be providing you better service . And , lastly , we talk about any threats you may be facing , and look for opportunities to help you find greater success .
Could COPs Work For Your Business ?
Systematically evaluating customer relationships ensures you ’ re offering comprehensive products or services , solidifying relationships , and helping customers meet their goals . Since implementing COPs , we ’ ve developed the following best practices :
• Establish a template . Outline everything you want to discuss about each key customer . This might include a SWOT analysis of the customer ’ s business , a summary of your relationship and areas of risk , how much revenue the relationship contributes to your company , etc . You ’ ll also want to list all the products and services you could offer a customer , so you can later identify what you ’ re currently providing , as well as other offerings that would allow you to provide greater service . Today , Rea ’ s COP template is built directly into our customer relationship management ( CRM ) system , but that wasn ’ t always the case . Before CRM , we tracked information in an Excel document .
• List and prioritize your customers . COPs take time to complete . So , identify the customers you ’ ll want to focus on first , and prioritize from there . Maybe you ’ ll want to start with your biggest customers , or the ones that you believe have the biggest growth opportunity , or perhaps you should focus on your newest customers first . There ’ s no right answer . Just do what makes sense for your business , and develop a plan of attack from there – and don ’ t forget to bake in some time to regularly revisit completed COPs , too .
• Host consistent COP meetings . Maybe you can commit to one 30-
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