Most financial planners work incredibly hard on their recommendations.
Hours are spent analysing information, building cashflow models, researching solutions, and crafting what they believe is the best possible plan for their client.
Yet despite all that effort, some plans are embraced enthusiastically while others are met with hesitation, delay, or silence.
Why?
Often, it’s because the plan failed the simplest test of all:
The “So what?” test.
A lesson from outside financial planning
A friend of mine was part of a team tasked with building the case for a major investment in new IT infrastructure for a local council.
The project involved an investment of more than £40 million.
For months, the team gathered data, produced reports, and built a compelling business case. The numbers were clear. Although the upfront cost was significant, the long-term savings in efficiency, time, and money were even greater.
From their perspective, the proposal was an obvious win.
The next step was to present it to the people who would use the system.
They expected enthusiasm. Instead, they were met with indifference.
The response, although not expressed directly, was essentially:
“So what?”
The team were baffled. The logic was sound and the evidence was overwhelming.
What had they missed?
The mistake many experts make
After reflecting on what had happened, they realised they had built the entire case around their reasons for making the investment.
They had assumed the end users would care about the same things they cared about.
But they didn’t.
The team had focused on efficiency, cost savings, and performance improvements.
The end users were focused on something completely different.
Going back to the end users and listening to them properly, they found that their number one value was to make a difference through their work.
Once the team understood this, they changed their approach.
Instead of talking about the technical benefits of the system, they showed how it would help staff serve people more effectively and create a greater impact through their roles.
The resistance disappeared and engagement increased dramatically.
Nothing about the proposal had changed. Only the meaning ..
What this means for financial planners
The same principle applies when presenting a financial plan.
As a financial planner, it’s easy to become excited about the technical aspects of what you’ve created. The elegant solutions, clever strategies, and tax efficiency.
But clients don’t make decisions because something is technically brilliant.
They make decisions because they can see how it helps them create the life they want.
A pension recommendation is rarely about a pension.
An investment strategy is rarely about an investment strategy.
Protection planning is rarely about protection planning.
Those are simply vehicles.
What clients care about is what those things make possible, for them, in their lives. That could be more freedom, greater security, time with family, a comfortable retirement, and peace of mind.
Before you present the financial plan
The most important question is not:
“Is this technically correct?” Of course it needs to be.
The more powerful question is:
“Can my client clearly see why this matters to them?”
If they can’t, even the best recommendation may struggle to gain traction.
If they can, decisions often become much easier.
Because when clients understand how your recommendations connect to what matters most in their lives, the conversation stops being about products, strategies, and technical solutions.
It becomes about them.
And that’s when financial planning is at its most powerful.
So, before your next client presentation, take a fresh look at your recommendations and ask yourself:
If I were the client, would this plan pass the “So what?” test?
PS. Are your financial planning conversations too nice? Click here and find out.
