Financial services needs discreet, professional support
Account managers with industry experience represented the firm well and handled client information carefully.
Case study · Financial services
How a Sydney advisory firm lifted client retention by 28%
At Harbour Wealth Partners, a boutique Sydney advisory firm, each adviser looked after more than 200 clients with few proactive touchpoints. Three dedicated account managers working in Salesforce lifted client retention by 28%, completed 100% of annual reviews for the first time and grew referrals by 40% year on year.
Published with client permission · June 2026 · Reviewed October 2026
28%
Retention improvement
100%
Review completion
40%
Referral growth
3
AMs deployed
The challenge
The starting point
Harbour Wealth Partners had built a strong reputation in Sydney's eastern suburbs. As the client base grew, advisers who were technically excellent became too stretched for proactive relationship management.
Managing partner David Walsh explored hiring local client service staff but faced salaries above $65,000 and few candidates with financial services experience. The firm needed experienced support at a sustainable cost.
The client experience was slipping, not because of advice quality but because there was no time for proactive contact.
What we did
Our approach, step by step
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Week 1
Salesforce audit and segmentation
In week one we reviewed the firm's Salesforce data, segmented clients and shortlisted account managers with financial services experience.
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Week 3
Three account managers onboarded
By week three, three account managers were working to agreed review cadence procedures.
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Quarter 1
Proactive client management
The account managers owned onboarding for new clients, quarterly check-ins, annual review scheduling, market update summaries and CRM hygiene, and flagged at-risk accounts based on engagement signals.
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Quarter 2
Results over two quarters
In the first quarter the review backlog was cleared and an at-risk client program went live. By the second quarter, retention and referral results were confirmed.
Results
The results
Within two quarters, client retention improved by 28%. Annual review completion reached 100% for the first time.
Client referrals grew 40% year on year, which the firm attributed to more consistent touchpoints. Advisers spent their time on advice rather than administration.
Our advisers finally focus on advice, not admin. Client satisfaction scores are the highest they've been in five years.
Lessons
What this story teaches
CRM hygiene enables proactive service
Clean Salesforce data made it possible to schedule reviews and spot at-risk clients reliably.
Consistency drives referrals
Regular, thoughtful contact turned satisfied clients into active referrers.
Advisers plus account managers scale
Splitting advice from relationship administration let each adviser serve more clients well.
Guide
Applying this in your own business
Signs your practice needs client service support
Late annual reviews, few touchpoints between reviews and referral growth that has stalled are the most common signs.
What to hand over first
Review scheduling, pre-meeting questionnaires, document collection and CRM updates are good first tasks for an account manager.
Where automation fits
Review reminders, document requests and market update emails can be automated, with account managers personalising and following up.
Services in this case study
The services behind these results
01What did the account managers do?
Client onboarding, quarterly check-ins, annual review scheduling, market update summaries, Salesforce hygiene and flagging at-risk clients.
02Did the account managers give financial advice?
No. Advisers kept all advice. Account managers handled relationship administration and communication.
03How long did it take to see results?
The review backlog was cleared in the first quarter, and the retention and referral results were confirmed within two quarters.
04How was client information protected?
Account managers worked inside the firm's Salesforce environment with appropriate permissions and followed the firm's procedures.
05Can smaller advisory practices use this model?
Yes. Smaller practices often start with one account manager focused on reviews and onboarding.
06Does this work with other CRMs?
Yes. The same approach works with other practice and CRM systems.
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