Recently, I sat down on my sofa, put down my smartphone and picked up my smart TV’s remote control. 

Turning it on, I’m confronted by endless options. The channel list. Things I’ve recorded. Myriad streaming apps. Shows I’ve watched previously and can continue. Shows that the algorithm has picked out for me. Shows that Sky’s content curators have picked out for everyone.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spot something familiar being offered by ITV X: Thunderbirds.

Of course I mean the original Gerry Anderson series from the 1960s, which I became vaguely familiar with – alongside others like Stingray and Captain Scarlet – through repeats while I was growing up.

Shows like these, Star Trek and Hanna-Barbera’s The Jetsons presented a fantastical vision of future technology: not just far-fetched vehicles, but in-home automation and convenience functions. 

Perhaps like you, I grew up thinking that technology was going to make my life easier. But instead, I feel just as stressed and overwhelmed as I can ever remember. And if you have a computer-based job, I bet you do, too.

We’re all dealing with overwhelm

First things first: the Internet has made being an adviser easier in many ways.

It’s easier to find information about products, it’s easier for customers to find you, it’s easier to process documents. But most of all, it’s easier for people to push information in front of you.

But they’re not just pushing information that helps you in your job. In fact, we’re all relentlessly bombarded with information, all day. Rolling news, push notifications, billboards and advertising hoardings – there’s something to look at, everywhere you turn.

Often – as with my Sky TV – these are presented as ‘options’. But, actually, it’s possible to have too much choice.

It means the opportunities for mental recovery just don’t exist, because someone always wants our attention – which leaves us finding it hard to focus.

What would be better, often, is if someone else has done the thinking, and choosing, for you.

Make technology work for you

Unfortunately, technology has simply replaced one kind of work with another. We often don’t realise, though, because we’re don’t have to physically move from the computer all day, or because we cope.

Think about your role as an adviser. You’ve endless rules to remember, processes to follow, new products to learn about constantly – and then on top of that, you’ve got to perform mental gymnastics at the computer.

Because there are loads of convenience services and features to help you in your role. But they’ve all been developed in isolation – designed to solve one problem.

This thing helps with this, that thing helps with that… and you’re in the middle, endlessly switching from one system to the next, logging in time and again, different passwords, this tab, that tab, another program, another plug-in.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you all those convenience features were brought together in a single place, so they were actually… convenient?

A chef’s kitchen for advisers

Your home probably contains a hob, an oven, a sink, knives, some utensils, ingredients, some herbs and spices…

Now imagine keeping each of those in a different room. How much more stressful would it be, and how much longer would it take, to make a meal? And then clean up after it?

That’s what you’re doing, running an advice business without a fully integrated CRM platform like Acre.

It brings together all the tools you need to cook up success. And rather than dumping them haphazardly in a single ‘room’, it lays them out in a way that makes sense. A proper chef’s kitchen.

Sourcing, writing, reviewing – all in one place

Sourcing, writing and reviewing are three equally important facets of your role. They all deserve equal emphasis. But most CRM systems require some kind of compromise; not so with Acre.

With Acre, you can:

• Minimise rekeying 
  Acre brings together mortgage and protection sourcing in one place. Key client data in once, and Acre cross-populates to all relevant fields – saving time and reducing the risk of errors.
   

• Ask only the relevant questions
  Acre’s dynamic, streamline fact-finding will only ask questions relevant to that customer’s requirements. Your customer can take control of their fact-find information by directly completing themselves whenever, wherever. 
   

• Build your introducer network 
  Using Acre’s user-friendly introducer portal means it is easier than ever for your introducers (conveyancers, estate agents etc.) to pass you leads and referrals.
   

• See at-a-glance reporting
  Dashboards offer real-time visibility of your team’s key performance metrics and help you understand the impact of Consumer Duty. Pinpoint focus areas and review your firm’s finances in an instant.
   

• Instantly verify online IDs
  It replaces your existing ID&V process/subscription, helping to prevent fraud, save time and eliminate additional costs.
   

• Eliminate scanning and filing
  Your customers are in the driving seat with easy ways to upload ID documents, proof of income and other vital documents directly into Acre through its customer portal – no time-consuming scanning or filing for you.
   

• Offer 24/7 appointment booking 
  Your customers can book appointments directly through the customer portal – meaning one less phone call to answer or email to reply to.
   

• Securely review the case 
  All the information and documents relating to the case are already in Acre – so why download them to then upload them elsewhere for review? Bankhall file review services integrate seamlessly within Acre.

This adds up to a significant time saving per case, while reducing your mental workload at the same time. And all while reducing your costs – because you won’t need separate licences for ID verification, credit checking, mortgage sourcing systems and protection quotation portals. They’re all rolled in when you pick Acre.

Find out more about Acre and book a free, no-obligation demo today.