A leading wealth management firm has spent decades helping private clients and institutions achieve their long-term financial goals. With a focus on lifetime asset management, they offer customized portfolio management services, including pension, corporate, and foundation account management. Over the years, the firm has expanded its services through strategic partnerships and alliances, delivering tailored financial solutions that grow with their clients’ needs.
As their business expanded, the need for a more unified and efficient approach to client management became clear. Partnering with Ascend, the firm set out to streamline operations and enhance the advisor experience with Salesforce Financial Services Cloud.
Challenges
Despite their reputation for exceptional client service, the firm faced several operational hurdles behind the scenes. Disconnected systems between the company and its sister organization made it difficult for advisors to get a complete, holistic view of each client’s financial picture. Without internal Salesforce expertise, maintaining and optimizing their CRM systems proved challenging. Advisors also struggled with limited visibility into essential metrics—such as financial accounts, savings goals, life events, and relationship hierarchies—making it harder to deliver the personalized service they were known for.
Solution
Ascend implemented Salesforce Financial Services Cloud to centralize client information and simplify the advisor workflow. The project began with a complex data migration from their previous system, SugarCRM, into Salesforce, ensuring a seamless transition without disrupting client service. Ascend configured customized fields, layouts, record types, and record pages, tailoring the platform to align with the firm's unique business processes.
To further streamline operations, Ascend integrated Outlook with Salesforce, enabling advisors to automatically track emails and communication history directly within client records. Advisors also benefited from customized household account configurations, providing clear visibility into relationships between primary account holders, secondary contacts, and extended family members. Finally, Ascend provided in-depth training to both the internal Salesforce admin and end users, ensuring the team could confidently manage the system moving forward.
Outcome
With Salesforce Financial Services Cloud in place, the firm achieved a 360-degree view of their clients—including insights from their sister company—giving advisors a complete understanding of their book of business. Automated data tracking from Outlook into Salesforce eliminated manual entry, saving time and improving data accuracy. Increased visibility into account hierarchies and relationship mapping empowered advisors to offer more personalized and informed recommendations.
The firm also gained better insight into key metrics, including advisor support activities, lead management, and ongoing client engagement, helping them make smarter, data-driven decisions. The success of this implementation set the stage for future growth, including a potential expansion into Experience Cloud.
Need some help?
With a robust and scalable Salesforce solution in place, this leading wealth management firm is delivering deeper insights, stronger client relationships, and greater operational efficiency. Your firm can do the same.
Let Ascend help you streamline operations, gain a 360-degree client view, and set the foundation for future growth. Contact us today to get started!
