Working hard and producing high-quality work is nonnegotiable, but unnecessarily working harder won’t score you extra points in life. In fact, it may cause you to burn out and have a serious impact on your mental and physical health.
“Efficiency is the cornerstone of a balanced work-life,” said nine-year MDRT member Gareth James Chalk, PFS, in his 2024 MDRT Annual Meeting presentation, “Revolutionizing efficiency and engagement, AI and automation in financial planning.”
Timesaving tech
“Incorporating AI and automation doesn’t just change how we work; it transforms how we live,” said Chalk, who is also a Top of the Table member. “AI notetaking and automation have crushed my admin tasks while Calendly has been turbocharged to not just handle my scheduling, but also do the heavy lifting of follow-up work. These tools collectively save me hours each week, hours reinvested back into my clients, my team and my family.”
Through AI, moments after a client meeting, Chalk uses a custom-made generative AI tool that’s trained to write in his style. With just a few clicks, an email is created for clients that outlines their meeting in a one-page plan, including why it’s important and the agreed action steps.
Chalk then uploads his one-page plans for the week in another custom generative AI tool he built. It provides immediate two- or three-sentence summaries of all the actions discussed with bullet points, which he emails to his team. What took Chalk an hour or two for his 15 weekly client meetings now takes a few minutes.
“By focusing on accuracy, efficiency and personalization, I’ve not only enhanced my services, but I’ve achieved a work-life balance that I used to dream of,” said Chalk.
AI privacy and compliance tips
- Get explicit written and verbal client consent for AI notetaking.
- Use tools for summaries and action points. Use your compliant CRM system as the official record.
- Use encrypted, compliant tools designed for regulated industries. Also, know your local regulations as well as your compliance and/or legal department’s rules for how and when to use AI, or what tools you can use.
- Avoid capturing unneeded sensitive information. Configure tools to omit or redact personally identifiable information, including banking and health data.
- Review and edit anything from AI before you send it to clients. AI can make mistakes. Clients also prefer personal-sounding communications from you.
For more ideas about how to use AI to take notes
