Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Scaling for Enterprise Development with Consumer Segmentation

Are you able to develop your agency however need to be certain that you preserve the extent of service purchasers count on and worth from you? It could be time to take a extra strategic method to your shopper base. However the place do you begin?

Efficient shopper segmentation can improve your scaling efforts and assist your enterprise progress ambitions. To begin, we advocate 4 steps that will help you consider your shopper base, successfully categorize them, construct a devoted shopper service mannequin, and implement your technique.

Step 1: Analyze Your Ebook of Enterprise

In the case of analyzing your shopper base, you may’t measure what you may’t see. Consumer segmentation provides you clear route and perception into who your present purchasers are and what providers you may present them to assist your online business scale.

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Suppose by way of each quantitative standards (e.g., property below administration and income generated) and qualitative components (e.g., stage of belief, coachability, and referral historical past). Think about what you do for them; does everybody at the moment obtain the identical providers, similar to a monetary plan, an annual evaluate assembly, common outreach, and invites to shopper occasions? If the reply is sure, get able to shake issues up!

csg_apr2023_image

Step 2: Implement an ABSLN Segmentation Framework

After you have a greater understanding of your present purchasers, it is time to begin categorizing them. Commonwealth’s Enterprise Consulting crew typically recommends a holistic segmentation methodology referred to as the “ABSLN” methodology.

ABSLN Segmentation at a Look

absln-framework_image

This methodology identifies your high purchasers as “A+,” “A,” or “B” based mostly on the income they generate to your agency. For instance, your high-net-worth (HNW) purchasers fall into the A+ class as they supply a useful enhance and enhance of property. These purchasers have particular and sophisticated wants, requiring the next diploma of useful resource and time administration out of your agency.

Not like the quantitative categorization of the highest tiers, the underside tiers depend on qualitative standards. Purchasers in these segments are labeled “S,” “L,” or “N.”

  • S/Strategic: People on this tier have the potential to grow to be splendid purchasers. Think about younger, excessive earners with robust financial savings, enterprise homeowners with illiquid wealth, or HENRYs (excessive earners, not wealthy but).

  • L/Legacy: These purchasers could have a legacy relationship that justifies offering continued service—for instance, “A” purchasers’ kids, widows, or private mates.

  • N/Non-ideal: These purchasers don’t match into another segments. For them, you can proceed providing a lowered stage of service, switch them to an affiliate advisor, or discontinue the connection.

ABSLN segmentation presents deeper perception into the sorts of purchasers at the moment in your guide, which you’ll be able to then use to establish the kinds of providers you will ship to them.

ABSLN in motion

I labored with a Commonwealth-affiliated advisor who was questioning whether or not to rent a service advisor to handle the underside half of their guide, as they had been feeling at capability with their time. Collectively, we used the ABSLN methodology to phase their purchasers, which revealed {that a} new rent would price greater than the income being managed and that many current purchasers fell into the “non-ideal” class. The advisor determined to reduce the providers being offered to that group, which freed up a few of their time.

Step 3: Mix the Energy of Segmentation with Service

As soon as you have completed the shopper segmentation train, you may construct your shopper service mannequin, the place you will establish which providers you will ship to every phase—and the way typically.

Use these questions to assist outline and information your service choices:

Your aim is to create a persistently excellent shopper expertise in every phase and decrease any exceptions.

The typical Commonwealth advisor generates solely 10 % of their complete income from the underside 50 % of their shopper base*. Though it could sound apparent, strive spending most of your time on segments that generate important income.

Take into consideration what number of hours you will must decide to delivering varied providers, and make sure to consider time for enterprise improvement and strategic planning.

The proper agency accomplice can counsel choices for delegating sure duties—particularly on the enterprise stage, the place assets should be streamlined to scale efficiently. At Commonwealth, we assist companies obtain scale and optimize effectivity by a spread of outsourced enterprise options, similar to funding administration, coaching {and professional} improvement providers, and even digital workers.

Your outcomes could begin to seem like the next grids, which pair providers—every thing from funding administration to shopper occasions—with shopper tiers. Remember to take into account the whole variety of hours you will spend to ship service throughout every shopper class. If it would not align with the common income earned from that class, you could want to regulate.

  Consumer Tier
A+ A B S L N
Evaluation Conferences            
Proactive Outreach            
Funding Administration            
Monetary Planning            
Particular Experiences 
(e.g., shopper occasions, milestone recognition)
 
           
Different
(e.g., 401(okay) evaluate,
CPA and legal professional collaboration)
 
           
Pricing            
  Consumer Tier
S
Evaluation Conferences 1 in-person assembly per 12 months (deal with subjects related to youthful purchasers: wealth accumulation, paying off scholar loans, shopping for a home, planning for household wants)
Proactive Outreach 3 extra textual content messages and/or Zoom conferences (vs. cellphone/e-mail)
Funding Administration Outsource to agency accomplice’s managed account answer
Monetary Planning Use extra turnkey monetary planning software program, reserving extra customizable choices for “A+,” “A,” or “B” purchasers
Particular Experiences 
(e.g., shopper occasions, milestone recognition)
Items for all times occasions (e.g., new dwelling, trip, new little one)
Different
(e.g., 401(okay) evaluate,
CPA and legal professional collaboration)

401(okay) evaluate

Actively consult with CPAs/attorneys prepared to have interaction with youthful purchasers

Assign new HENRY purchasers to agency’s next-gen advisors

Pricing

Cost normal funding administration charges in keeping with “A+,” “A,” or “B” purchasers

Cost annual consulting payment to strengthen the worth of proactive monetary planning

Step 4: Put Your Technique into Motion

You have segmented your purchasers and created a service mannequin. Now, it is time to implement your technique by systematically evaluating each facet of your online business and adjusting accordingly.

Listed below are some questions and instance eventualities to contemplate:

Instance State of affairs: For those who meet with “B” purchasers much less typically than earlier than, you need to modify your scheduling course of.

Instance State of affairs: Look at your present processes and audit what you may arrange, delegate, and automate to extend advisor capability and streamline efficiencies.

Instance State of affairs: Make sure that everybody understands the right way to onboard purchasers at totally different tiers.

Instance State of affairs: For those who’ll be outsourcing funding administration to your “strategic” purchasers, be able to share why you’re feeling that is the best transfer for them.

Instance State of affairs: Maybe you share the title of one other advisor who could be a greater match for them.

Instance State of affairs: Relying in your CRM system, you could possibly arrange workflows and add different key standards in every shopper’s report.

Consumer Segmentation: A Launchpad to Enterprise-Stage Development

Implementing a thoughtfully deliberate shopper segmentation and repair mannequin is not simply good to have—it is a must-have for advisors aiming to succeed in enterprise-level success. By following the 4 crucial steps we have outlined—analyzing your guide of enterprise, implementing a shopper segmentation framework, combining segmentation with service, and placing your technique into motion—you are laying the groundwork for sustainable, scalable progress.

*As of 11/1/2024


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