Interview with AdviceTech.LIVE Speaker Adrian Johnstone of Practifi

Adrian Johnstone
Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer at Practifi
AdviceTech.LIVE Panel: CRM Solutions

How did you get your start in financial services?

I jumped from telecommunications to retirement services back in the late ‘90s in Australia. I was a Program Manager mostly implementing technology at the junction of strategy and compliance for major institutions. Not glamorous but hey, we all start somewhere. 

What’s something that you know now that you wish you’d known when you started your career?

What you wear is in no way a reflection of the value you add. I could’ve saved a fortune in expensive suits, ties, and shoes!

What excites you most about the financial advice profession right now?

So much. As an industry, change has been slow to come for many, but with the pandemic forcing change onto everyone, we’re seeing a huge refocusing around the client experience and the technology that can bring that into the 21st century. 

The shift from pure portfolio performance to genuine client conversations is great to be part of.

Tech companies often add so many features and tools that advisors can lose track of everything available to them. Is there something your company does that you don’t think advisors know about that they should be aware of?

Being based on Salesforce means Practifi is often viewed as just a CRM. Don’t get me wrong, we’re a great CRM but we’re also much, much more. A conference judge once asked me whether we’re a CRM, Workflow, or Advisor Desktop—my answer is that we’re all those things plus more. 

We’re a collaboration hub, management reporting system, and sales pipeline tool as well. Through our awesome network of integrations and the Salesforce AppExchange, we offer the most integrated platform today.

Any words of advice for advisors looking to update their tech stack?

Not all integrations are equal! Make sure the integrations are rich, API-based, and two-way where appropriate. Also, ask about the relationship between the firms. Passing a few pieces of data blindly between firms that don’t communicate often will fail fast!

What are you looking forward to most about attending AdviceTech.LIVE? 

It’s the first (and hopefully not the last) time Advisors can hear from and ask questions of comparative solutions in one place at one time. 

Also, there is absolutely NO CONFERENCE FOOD!