TradePMR’s SYNERGY24 is just days away. As we count down the hours to welcome some of the industry’s best to Las Vegas, we caught up with R. Scott Victoria, our Chief Operating Officer and long-time Synergy attendee. He described how TradePMR is working hard to blend product, operations, and client service together, and why SYNERGY24, which will run from May 21 through May 24, we expect to be slated among the year’s top industry events.
Scott, TradePMR appeals to attendees with a variety of different roles within the wealth management universe. How does Synergy continue to appeal to such a broad group of advisors, partners, and businesses?
TradePMR Chief Operating Officer, R. Scott Victoria: Year after year, Synergy strikes this incredible balance by attracting, what we feel, is an all-star list of leadership, technology, and vendors, while remaining accessible for everyone. I don’t think there’s any other conference like it.
It’s a reflection of how we approach our business here at TradePMR. We don’t just attend Synergy. We actively seek out interactions and feedback from our client firms, and we strive to create an environment that nurtures these types of positive interactions.
Our associates know that client satisfaction is important to us, and they’re empowered to make change happen. That means doing the right thing. It means staying agile and responsive.
Why does TradePMR put so much effort into Synergy? Why not just invite everyone?
SV: We want to avoid anything that looks like a mammoth, gigantic and, frankly, characterless, conference. RIAs already face a lot of challenges; their time is precious. That’s why we’re fostering an environment that’s attractive to decision makers, policy implementors, and vendors.
The best advisors are already focused on helping their clients. That’s their primary goal and objective. So, they really appreciate someone helping them.
For advisors who are building a lifestyle business, Synergy offers a chance to dive into an ecosystem that will answer their questions about growth and best practices. It’s designed to help advisors who are facing business owner-type challenges. We want them to discover what’s beyond the box of tools they already have.
For business owners who are optimizing their firms, we’ll be sharing the new tools we’re bringing to market and how to bring them into their practices.
Of course, that means AI will make an appearance at Synergy.
How can attendees make sense of AI and the “limitless” potential people hope it will provide?
SV: We can’t predict what’ll happen in 10 years, but we can see around the corner. When it comes to AI, I think we’re underestimating what’s going to transform and transpire in the next decade. In my mind, it has unlimited potential, so to speak.
AI is already making an impact on things like workflows and client engagement. Even if an advisor decides not to adopt AI, advisors and business owners will need to think about how to gather and assemble data for down-the-road decisions.
Look at the way we take notes or summarize video calls. Look at how our scheduling has changed, with optimized calendars and meeting prep.
The next stage for AI will involve tasks like portfolio construction and the tools third parties provide for advisors. We have regulations and a moat around the industry, so that will slow things down a bit. However, this movement doesn't show signs of stopping.
I believe we’re going to have a lot more effective communication. In practical terms, AI has the potential to do a lot of information gathering and preparation ahead of a client meeting. It could take complex, client-specific goals or financial plans and distill them down enough for an advisor to have a very impactful conversation. A five-hour, prep-to-post client engagement — one that might even involve a paraplanner — could potentially be condensed into a 15-minute phone call. Or maybe even an email.
It’s important to remember that, as we talk about efficiency, that we’re genuinely improving the client experience as well. We want to ensure the actual communication and advice are of higher quality, not just faster in the throughput.
We believe the client is better served when you’re able to have a better output and do it more quickly. It’s unbeatable.
It sounds like attendees will have a lot to take in at Synergy.
SV: Yes, without a doubt. We’ll be providing details on several major new enhancements and solutions from TradePMR and integrations with the fintech space. A large focus has been on new account opening and the personalization portion has already been adopted by many firms. We’ll have more granularity on our householding solution and the inclusion of RIA documents into the workflows.
We’re also helping advisors reignite their organic growth engines with a platform called Apollo. It’s a collaboration between our technologists and behavioral scientists, designed to help clients make good decisions about their money wherever they are in their financial life cycle.
Of course, these solutions all keep humans at the center of their universe.
Human-level service sets TradePMR apart, whether that means picking up the phone and talking with a client or setting up a conference where attendees can discover the best solutions for their businesses. When our clients succeed, we succeed.
Sign up for Synergy24 and be among the first to experience our new Apollo platform.
About TradePMR
For more than two decades, TradePMR has worked with growth-minded independent registered investment advisors (RIAs), providing innovative technology tools and support designed to transform their businesses. The privately-held brokerage and custodian services provider (Member FINRA/SIPC), based in Gainesville, Fla., works to streamline investment advisors' operations through comprehensive custodial, operational, and trading support. For more information, visit www.TradePMR.com.
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