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The Client-centred Blog

Welcome to The Client Centred Blog; Free content that shares a fresh approach to thriving as a financial professional in a rapidly changing environment.

This blog has its foundation in a new understanding of the human mind that gives you the ultimate platform for creating better results, thriving under any circumstances and living the life you want.     

I invite you to explore the materials, reflect upon how it relates to you and your business and enjoy the benefits.

Learning a Lot — But implementing little?
We’ve just completed the final session of our online Client Engagement Masterclass. Over eight sessions, the participants and I explored the core principles of creating exceptional client engagement. The content was powerful — and just as valuable were the insights participants shared with each other. But as with any programme,...
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Five steps financial planners can take to becoming an exceptional listener
Being an exceptional listener is one of the most effective and reliable ways to build or deepen any relationship. It also makes you different from most other people. In her book, ‘Time to think’Certainly not at the level which you can have a profound impact on people and take the...
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Why challenging your financial planning clients is great for business
The key difference between a transactional financial adviser a ‘Trusted adviser’ is how the adviser is positioned in the mind of the client. As a ‘Trusted Adviser’ you are someone a client turns to for your valued input, advice, opinion, help with key decisions, and possibly coaching. A good description...
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What is the true value of a financial adviser in turbulent times?
The last thing that brought our minds into sharp focus of how unforeseen event can change our lives was covid. That was until Donald Trump imposed trade tariffs. The result being that the world’s stock markets have fallen sharply and may fall further still. As a financial professional you are...
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The little understood power of the present moment
In a world where we seem to be so focused upon ‘doing’ it is so easy to forget that it’s our state of mind that determines the quality of our actions, depth of impact, and overall quality of our life experience. For instance, I realised: *To truly connect with other...
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The changing face of financial advice: How advisers must evolve to stay relevant
One of the things I have noticed about financial advisers and practices that continue to thrive is that they are masters of reinvention.
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Too much information: Give clients only what they need (not everything you have)
How clients feel is hugely important to how they receive information. If they are overwhelmed of fearful for instance, it’s likely that meetings will go poorly. On the other hand, if the client feels relaxed and calm, generally meetings will be successful.
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The importance of honesty in client relationships
Building a thriving practice, based on making a bigger difference to clients has many aspects to it. One of the most fundamental is that client relationships are based on truth. It can feel uncomfortable (at first) to share your truth with clients and allow them to do the same with...
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The power of asking your clients permission   
“How do I get clients to open up more easily?” This was the question that came up in a recent coaching session I had with a financial planner client. Of course, there is more than one single answer but the one that we explored is especially important. This is asking...
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Why goals won’t bring you success and what will
I have been a goal setter ever since my mid-twenties. And when I look back, I notice that I achieved some of the things I set out to do and failed at some too. I used to be hard on myself over my perceived failures, thinking I was not somehow...
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My favourite Einstein quote and why it matters
One of the biggest challenges for a financial adviser is getting stuck on a plateau they cannot seem to move past. Can you think of a recurring problem or limitation in your business?
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How to ask powerful financial planning questions
Asking great financial planning questions is the foundation of creating a highly compelling plan for your client. When your client can clearly see that their financial plan is going to be an essential part of getting what they most want then why wouldn’t they be excited about it?
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What are great clients really paying for?
A while back I read a long article in the financial press about choosing a financial adviser. From what was written it seemed that much of the industry continues to see advice as a commodity and under values the potential impact of the human element.  To quote directly from the...
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Unleash your inner power: The power of believing you can make a difference
As a financial planner you do brilliant work for your clients that can be life changing. But are you fully behind what you do and willing to take a stand for your work?
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The law of action – why action beats attraction
Do you want to build a better, more profitable practice but finding progress is painfully slow? You have probably heard of ‘The law of attraction’. The idea gained huge popularity when the film and then the book, ‘The secret’ was released.
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The end of sales techniques: How authentic connection drives results
Being able to positively influence someone and confidently sell your services are essential skills if you want to build a thriving financial planning practice. Yet it seems that many advisers feel uncomfortable in sales situations. They may fear coming across as ‘pushy’, being rejected, or receiving push-back. Some believe that...
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Success is an Inside Job: Why your state of mind is key to thriving as a financial adviser
The importance and effect of state of mind is well known in sport. A recent and brilliant example being British triathlete Alex Yee at the Paris Olympics. In the men’s individual triathlon Alex was trailing Hayden Wilde of New Zealand as he had been for most of the run. He...
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A simple financial planning questions formula
Effective, heartfelt communication is a natural consequence of a free and present state of mind. This is why trying to use techniques so often diminishes the potential rather than improving it. Questions are a great example. Trying to memorise a question or a series of questions will more than likely...
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Real financial planning – is it just about the money?
Real financial planning – is it just about the money? What is the value (to a client) of a financial planning relationship? Far too many financial advisers and planners seem to assume that a client’s primary interest is in financial products, investments, and getting a better return on their money....
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What two things are clients REALLY buying?
What if what you think you’re selling, isn’t what you’re actually selling. Watch the video in my latest blog post to discover how knowing the true outcome of your work, will help you engage more deeply and fully with your clients.
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How to start a financial planning conversation
When starting a financial planning client relationship, do not make the opening conversation about you. Whilst they may or may not want to know more about you, it communicates to the client that their problems, thoughts and feelings are not the most important thing to the adviser.
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The number one business strategy for financial planners – part two
The number one business strategy is caring for your mind based upon the universal truth that in clear, present, and unburdened states of mind we are free to bring our best to whatever we are doing.
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The number one business strategy for financial planners – part one
If you are a financial planner and want to improve your business results this article shares the most powerful yet under-utilised strategy.
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The importance of empathy in financial planning
One of the most important aspects of successful financial planning is the feeling of human connection between you and your client. Without that feeling of human connection the financial planning process is more likely to fail to come to life and be meaningful.
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Publishing a book is a huge opportunity for financial planners: Here’s why
Have you ever considered publishing a book? I recently spent six months as part of a group of 36 coaches in the AJC Coaching Career School. Of those 36 coaches there were at least six people who were published authors of a book (some people more than one).
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20 bad financial adviser inter-personal habits
In this weeks’ blog I am looking at… 20 bad financial adviser inter-personal habits Look and see if any of these apply to you. Corrective action can make an enormous difference to your success.
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Will your financial plan pass the ‘so what’ test?
Imagine that you have gone through the discovery process with your client and your next meeting is to present your carefully crafted financial plan. You want the meeting to be a success and have the client be enthusiastic about your recommendations. So, how can you give yourself the highest and best...
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The truth about trust building for financial planners
Everyone knows that absolute trust is at the core of a successful relationship between a financial planner and a client. But where does real trust come from? And how do you create absolute trust quickly and reliably?
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Are your feelings running your business?
Have you ever found that self-doubt, a low mood, or feeling fearful has held you back?  I’m sure this has been the case for all of us and it can have a big impact upon the quality of our results. In this article I am sharing how you get past...
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Why does attachment ruin client engagement?
Successful client engagement has many aspects and, in this article, I am exploring one of the most crucial. Do you ever find yourself being attached to an outcome? For instance, you are in conversation with a potential client, and you have something on it going your way. You feel an...
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The amazing power of questions
As a financial planner or adviser people come to you for your knowledge and expertise. Yet, first and foremost, you must create a context for advice so that when it is provided, people successfully implement it and get the outcome they want. The only way I have found of creating...
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Financial Planner? Are you selling drills or holes?
In my career as a financial adviser the training and qualification process was all about pensions, investments, insurances, tax, markets, trusts, risk, and so on. So, in the beginning this is what I talked to people about because this is what I thought you did. It did not occur to...
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Why financial planning clients are paying for leadership
Why do clients seek out professional help from a financial planner or adviser? Specific reasons are many, but fundamentally it comes down to only two things: 1. They have a problem to solve 2. They want to feel better  This is how value is created and this article explores a...
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Your social self verses your professional self
Finances are a challenging subject for many people, perhaps most. So, for someone to seek out a financial planner or advisers help is a big deal. Yet just because someone receives good financial advice does this mean they will automatically be successful in achieving what they want?
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Listening is a super power
Perhaps the most underrated skill for a financial planner or adviser is listening. Is there anything more important? I appreciate that you need to know what you are talking about. Yet this is a given, isn’t it?
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The importance of relaxing your financial planning client
One of my financial planner clients made an astute observation when he said: “It takes a lot of courage for a client to meet with a financial planner.” He understands that when he first meets with a new client, or even an existing one, they may have a lot on...
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Integrity: It is more important than we think 
As professional people we value integrity, right? We like to think of ourselves as being a person of integrity and we want other people to act with integrity towards us. To me, this seems at the very core of trust.
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How to have a great first conversation 
The first conversation you have with a potential client sets the tone for everything that comes afterwards. Therefore, it is essential to make it a great conversation, meaning that the person feels listened to, understood, and completely trusts you.
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The power of creating client agreements
This article is about a powerful, proven way you can add significant value to all your client relationships. So, let me share with you a recent experience of the process in action. I have just spent three days in London as part of the AJC Coaching Career School.
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Why elevator pitches don’t work
What prompted me to write this article about elevator pitches was reading an article published by Asana. It said: “A good elevator pitch can be the difference between landing your next big opportunity or falling short of the competition.” Really? Does this stack up?
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Value creation: the key to happy, loyal clients
This article is about value creation and why it is the key to happy, loyal clients and a thriving practice. Over the past couple of weeks, I have had two services come up for renewal. One was my car breakdown cover and the other was my car insurance. In both...
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Client meetings: why speak from your heart and not just your head?
If you were forced to do just one activity in your business and had to relinquish all else, what would that one activity be? In my experience most advisers would say: “Spending my time meeting with clients.” Is this true for you?
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Financial planner? Stop trying to prove your value
Do you ever concern yourself with trying to prove your value to a client or potential client? If so, you would be far from alone.  It can be tempting to try and be impressive and this can be especially true in the sales process. Yet it is also destructive.  So,...
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What use is financial planning without strong leadership?
Highly effective financial planners are not just good at delivering great advice; they are also strong leaders. One of the greatest challenges in the financial planning process is having clients consistently follow through on their plans and achieve the success they desire. So, leadership is an essential quality for financial...
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Why slow down your financial planning conversations?
This article is about slowing down your financial planning conversations. But what does this mean and what makes it worth doing? Slowing down your conversations does not mean speaking slower or dragging out a conversation for no reason. That would make no sense. It is about creating significantly more value...
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Why is a client’s well-being at the core of financial planning?
Just recently I read an article in Professional Adviser about how financial advisers see financial well-being in relation to financial planning (according to a study by Standard Life). The research showed that 71% of advisers view supporting financial well-being as a secondary part of their business in comparison with financial...
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How to make your financial planning meetings better than ever
Do you want to conduct outstandingly good financial planning meetings? This seems exceptionally important to me because the quality of the meetings you conduct are the foundation of building a thriving, profitable, and sustainable practice. This article is about the number one way to achieve consistent and continual improvement of...
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Deep rapport and why it matters
Rapport is an essential element in creating strong, productive and lasting client relationships. It is also a highly significant factor in not only the provision of financial planning and advice, but also whether your client follows it. Below is a link to an audio recording (18m39s) where I take a...
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Four keys to highly motivated financial planning clients
In a perfect world all financial planning clients would be highly motivated to follow through with their financial plans and get the results they want. Yet this is not a perfect world and I remember sometimes getting frustrated with clients that did not take the actions they needed to take....
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Wisdom from one of the UK’s most successful female financial planners
My client Fulva Giust is one of the UK’s most successful female financial planners, operating for over thirty years.  Fulva has built a thriving practice serving wealthy families and individuals built upon rock solid foundations of trust, caring, and kindness. She takes a deep interest in the lives of her...
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A simple guide to living in flow
Would you like to spend far more of your time in a state of ‘flow’? Flow is the experience of being totally absorbed in the moment, when time seems to stand still, and nothing else seems to matter. I was reading about the legendary tennis player Billie Jean King and...
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10 powerful ways a financial planner can deeply serve clients from the first moment
How can you begin to deeply serve a client from the very first moment? When meeting with a potential client there are likely to be at least three important questions on their mind: 1. Do I like them? 2. Can I trust them? 3. Can they help me?
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Do you hate selling financial planning? Discover the two shifts that change everything
Do you love working with your existing clients but hate selling? If so, you would not be alone. Yet rather than enduring this essential aspect of being a financial planner what if you could learn to love what is often perceived as the hard part? If this is you then...
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4 ways to create massive value financial planning meetings
What do clients want most of all? Do you want to create massive value financial planning meetings at every opportunity? One of the challenges in any long-term financial planning relationship is keeping it fresh, inspiring, and avoiding it becoming stale. In this article I explore how value is created and...
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What are the three roles of a lifestyle financial planner?
Do you ever find your role as a lifestyle financial planner being overly complex? Would you like it to be simpler, more productive, and more rewarding? If so, this article considers that there are only three core roles of a lifestyle financial planner.
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How to successfully sell financial planning
Genuine financial planning is very different from providing purely transactional financial advice. So, how you sell financial planning is a different kind of conversation too. Would you like it to be easier to sell financial planning engagements?
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Why is client well-being increasingly on the agenda for financial planners?
Client well-being is fast rising up the agenda for financial planners. Why is this and is it something you should be focusing upon with your clients? In this article I explore why financial planners and advisers are increasingly focusing upon the well-being of their clients.
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Asking essential financial planning questions: the ones that no one else thinks to ask
This article looks at an important aspect of asking financial planning questions that often get neglected. Often, financial advice is triggered when something happens or is going to happens in a client’s life. For instance, the sale of a business, divorce, or an upcoming retirement.
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How financial planners can build instant trust with clients
As a financial planner building instant trust with clients is one of the biggest obstacles you will need to overcome. This article looks at a different yet highly effective approach.
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The three types of financial planning client
There are three types of financial planning client you can build your practice around. And because the three types are defined by what the client values, it can make a massive difference to the quality of your business.
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Are your financial planning conversations too friendly?
What is the difference between a financial advisory conversation and a financial planning conversation?
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Should Financial Planners stop talking about retirement?
Why should financial planners choose their language carefully in their financial planning conversations with clients?
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Understanding your client’s world – key number 1
Financial Advice is so often delivered in very unimaginative ways that has little difference to how the majority of practitioners deliver it.
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Do you love what you do?
Going back a while I was invited to speak at an event for advisers at The Etihad stadium in Manchester. I spoke about creating better client engagement through being curious about what it is that clients want from life rather than just focusing on products and investments…
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The one thing that will help your financial planning business prosper
How do I get my financial advisory practice off the ground? How do I get more clients to notice my financial planning services? If you’ve done all the things you’re supposed to do from a marketing sense to entice new clients with no luck, it could be time to take...
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Working ONLY with wonderful clients – the two essential questions
The very first stage of a new client relationship is connecting with someone. They may get in touch with you. You may get in touch with them. Whichever it is the next stage is that you invite them into a conversation. Conversations are the most important aspect of building your...
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John Dashfield spent 14 years as a self-employed adviser. Since 2006 he has been a coach, mentor and author helping advisers create transformations in their business and personal lives.

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