Background

SmartAsset is a financial technology company that provides fiduciaries with leads. They implemented a piloted program called DeftSales that acts as an automated CRM in hopes to increase customer satisfaction and lead contact rate. I worked as the only researcher to learn more about the UX of the platform.

Goals

Methodology

To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the platform's implications on advisors, I recognized the importance of implementing a rigorous research plan encompassing qualitative anecdotes from interviews, quantitative insights to identify impactful aspects of the platform, and comparative data to assess its overall impact.

Research Techniques  🛠

User interviews, surveying, personas, statistical data analysis

Initial Results

After my first round of interviews and initial collection of surveys, it was apparent that advisors are satisfied and excited about the program. The key insights found at this step outlined the unparalleled opportunities that the pilot created for advisors.

• New communication channels: This program introduces innovative communication channels that enable advisors to work remotely, providing increased flexibility and bandwidth, even facilitating work from non-traditional locations such as the golf course! ⛳
• Asynchronous: The implementation of asynchronous communication minimizes the occurrence of unsatisfactory experiences going unnoticed by both parties, resulting in an enhanced perception of quality.

Challenges

After 3 months of monitoring the progress of the platform, it was apparent that the impact was more intense than previously thought. However, some advisors felt insecure about the continued value.

• Concerns over scarcity value: Advisors expressed worry about the potential decrease in value if certain features were made available to all individuals, highlighting the importance of maintaining a sense of exclusivity.
  
• Tech-savviness challenges: Some advisors demonstrated limited technological proficiency, emphasizing the necessity for guided implementation and user-centric design to accommodate their needs and ensure a smooth user experience.

By identifying and addressing these challenges proactively, I successfully preempted potential issues for the team, ensuring a smoother path forward.

😄

Through continuous monitoring of the pilot project for a duration of 6 months, I leveraged statistically significant data to support my qualitative insights. The findings revealed not only positive feedback from advisors regarding their satisfaction, but also a remarkable 30% higher customer satisfaction among pilot advisors compared to non-pilot advisors.

Insight Shareout

In order to ensure visibility cross-functionally, I employed 3 tactics of insight-delivery.

• The short
  I sent out I shared concise, 2-3 paragraph Slack messages on a frequent basis.
  ‍These messages served as quick highlights, providing stakeholders with regular updates on the newly discovered insights. This approach ensured that everyone stayed informed and engaged with the ongoing research process.
  
• The medium
  I delivered two formal presentations that went beyond the numbers.
  These presentations incorporated compelling anecdotes from interviews and stories of both success and failure. By weaving together qualitative insights, these presentations provided a deeper understanding of the research findings, generating meaningful discussions and driving actionable outcomes.
  
• The long
  I also prepared a comprehensive, 5-page detailed paper that delved into the nitty-gritty of the research.
  This paper served as a robust reference, capturing the intricacies of the findings, methodologies employed, and key takeaways. Its in-depth analysis provided stakeholders with a comprehensive overview and served as a valuable resource for further exploration and decision-making.
  

Results

After this project, SmartAsset successfully acquired DeftSales and advisor satisfaction has continually increased post-implementation.
See more about the acquisition here!