Revamping the Onboarding Experience for Financial Professionals
Role: CX Design Lead
I led the core team of 7 cross-functional leaders through the CX design innovation process on behalf of our corporate innovation lab at Pacific Life. I created and maintained our design roadmap, cultivated relationships with our external partners and vendors, and defined key metrics with our senior leadership.
Background
As the CX Lead for the Innovation Lab at Pacific Life, I led a transformative project aimed at overhauling the onboarding process for new financial professionals (FPs). The existing system was inefficient, often irrelevant, and suffered from low engagement and conversion rates.
Challenge
The primary challenges identified were:
Time-consuming onboarding process
Irrelevant content for many FPs
Low engagement and conversion rates
Research and Insights
To address these issues, we initiated a comprehensive research phase. We conducted internal and external interviews to gain a deep understanding of the pain points experienced by both FPs and Pacific Life staff. Key insights included:
FPs desired a streamlined onboarding experience.
A focus on specific client opportunities was needed.
Foundational education and solution-oriented content were essential.
Solution
Based on these insights, we proposed a pilot program centered around a prospect-focused onboarding curriculum for independent financial planners (IFPs). The pilot included:
Improved Onboarding Email: Featuring a link to a personalized opportunity assessment.
Curated Resource Library: Tailored to the FP’s client needs.
Clear Next Steps and Calls to Action: To guide FPs through the sales process.
Success Criteria
To ensure the pilot’s success, we established clear success metrics based on CX goals:
Increased qualified leads
Enhanced utilization of Navigator/Lifeline tools
Higher engagement with onboarding materials
The curriculum needed to be scalable, responsive, consumable, accessible, connected, and actionable.
Collaboration and Implementation
We fostered a collaborative environment, involving representatives from CX, marketing, training, and sales. Stakeholders provided continuous feedback to ensure alignment with business goals. The pilot was scheduled to launch in October.