Twitter Linkedin
Twitter Linkedin

The Client-centred Blog

The most-read blog posts of 2019

I was looking back over 2019’s blog posts and I wanted to share the 5 most read with you again.

You never know which ones are going to have the most reads and sometimes it can be a surprise. I enjoyed re-living the inspiration for each one and hope you enjoy them. Here are 2019’s most-read blog posts:

Does goal setting work?

This was the first post of 2019. It explores why New Year’s resolutions have such a poor record of success and the key to setting inspiring goals that go the distance.

The power of an incisive question

I share an inspiring story of how one question asked by a financial planner changed a client’s life. How can you become more intuitive with the questions you ask your clients?

Where do you find new clients?

This is a big question for many advisees and this article points to the real source of unlimited new clients.

Turning away clients – is it good for business?

It can seem to be counter-intuitive to turn away clients if you are growing your business. So, is it something you should consider?

The key to successful client presentations

There is one factor, above all others, that determine how receptive clients are to your proposals. It is obvious but not always well-practiced.

P.S. What would make 2020 an incredible year for you? And do you want help with that? If you would like to schedule an exploratory conversation send me an email to [email protected] and we can book in a call.

  • Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Leave a Comment

SEARCH BLOG

RECENT POSTS

BLOG CATEGORIES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.

Related articles

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, the real question is: Will the learning get implemented? So, how do you not only accumulate knowledge but actually put it to work and enjoy the results?
Read more >
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 impact of your work to whole new level. This article shares five practical steps you can take to immediately become a better listener. But before we look at the steps we want to know WHY? Why would you want to improve your listening in the first place?
Read more >
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 shared with me by a financial planner is that a 'Trusted Adviser' is a member of a client’s 'inner circle'.
Read more >
If being chartered is so great, where are all the clients?
You have put blood, sweat, and tears into becoming chartered. Or you are on the way. You want to do great work for your clients, build your practice, and deservedly create your own wealth along the way. But where are all the clients?
Read more >
Should you take notes in a financial planning meeting?
What is the right approach to note taking in financial planning meetings? This is a question that often comes up in my coaching programmes with financial planners. So, let's take a closer look.
Read more >
Client meeting not going well? Here's what to do
Have you ever been in a client meeting and sensed that it's not going well? If you have you wouldn't be alone. In fact, I am sure it happens to all of us occasionally. This article shares what to do if you are ever in this situation.
Read more >
How to sell more financial planning: stop giving advice
Do you want to sell more financial planning and boost your income? If so, then stopping giving financial advice might seem totally counter-intuitive, right? In this article I explore why holding back from giving advice can consistently help you sell more financial planning and serve your clients better.
Read more >
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 at the sharp end of this. Many of your clients will have products and investments that will be affected. Some may be worried, and they do not want to feel like this. So, what can you do?
Read more >
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.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
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 you. Yet what is the alternative?
Read more >
The 8 keys to inspiring financial planning meetings every time!
There are specific and predictable keys that result in inspiring financial planning meetings every time. And by paying attention and making consistent progress with each key, you are: 1. No longer leaving the quality of your meetings to chance. 2. Raising the bar to an exceptionally high level. In this article I list the 8 essential keys that contribute to an inspiring, repeatable process.
Read more >
Why your financial planning fees must NEVER be an issue
This article explores why your financial planning fees must never be an issue with clients. Just recently a financial planner client of mine came to our coaching session wanting to talk about a fee situation with a client of his.
Read more >
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 a client’s permission.
Read more >
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 good enough. Yet I now see things differently and in a way that gets better results and without self-defeating critical self-talk.
Read more >
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?
Read more >
Financial planner? What you need to know about influence
If you are going to build and maintain a successful career as a financial planner, then being able to influence people seems essential to me.
Read more >
Are coaching skills essential for financial planners?
Is one of your goals to be the best financial professional you can be by helping your client get the results they most want? If so, there is a set of skills that look to me as essential.
Read more >
Stress free goal setting for financial planners
What is your experience of goal setting? For me, I would set goals because it seemed like a good idea to know where I wanted to get to. Yet I found that, at times, the process could often become quite stressful. I have also heard many people share that this is experience too. So, if stress free goal setting is something that would be valuable to you, please read on.
Read more >
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?
Read more >
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 article: "Aside from cost, your choice of financial adviser comes down to how much confidence, expertise and time you have to manage your own investments." Really?
Read more >
Are you driven or drawn? Discovering the effortless path to success
We are led to believe that to achieve success, we need to strive and work hard; and that upon reaching our goals, we'll find peace and happiness. But this is all being driven by fear. The flip-side to that is love, and when we are operating from this space, life is more connected and effortless. We see with more clarity, noticing opportunities that we may have missed.
Read more >
The importance of context in client conversations
The context in which a conversation takes place really matters. Without it, conversations can feel misaligned, confusing, or even conflicting.  
Read more >
Highly effective rapport building for financial planners
A deep rapport with your client is the foundation for a productive, profitable, and long-lasting relationship. Therefore, being highly effective at quickly building and maintaining a deep rapport is an essential skill for financial planners.
Read more >
Why movie montages can ruin your business
Closing the gap between where we are now and where we want to be in our business doesn't happen overnight. It takes sustained, disciplined and focus work.
Read more >
Do you want more high quality referrals? This MUST happen first
Good financial planning referrals from happy existing clients are one of the best ways to grow your practice. Yet to create a regular and increasing flow of quality referrals there is something that MUST happen first. Let me share a story.
Read more >
Stop guessing and start listening: How assumptions can switch off clients
When are you planning to retire? This seems like a perfectly reasonable questions for a financial planner to ask a client, right? Yet is it perfectly reasonable?
Read more >
Seven ways to become effortless to do business with
One of the keys to creating a thriving practice is to make it effortless for clients to say 'Yes' to doing business with you. People do not enjoy saying ‘No’. They really want to say ‘Yes’ because they want their decisions and their life to be easy.
Read more >
The power of the pause: why silence in conversations matters
How comfortable are you with silence? The reason I ask is because we are culturally conditioned to leave very small gaps when we speak to each other. 
Read more >
How to deal with imposter syndrome
Do you ever feel like an imposter in your role, that you will get 'found out', or do not deserve your success? If so, you are far from alone as this is extremely common amongst business people.
Read more >
The right way to set financial planning goals
In this article, you are going to discover how to help your clients set financial planning goals, the right way. You are also going to learn the difference between healthy and unhealthy goals and how this makes a massive difference to your client’s level of motivation, inspiration, and enjoyment of life now.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
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 work against you rather than for you. So, what can you do?
Read more >
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. Yet the truth is that this is more often the adviser’s primary interest rather than the clients.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
Clients are not willing to pay fees for financial planning - really?
“Clients are not willing to pay fees for financial planning!” This was the bold claim of an adviser in a post I recently read on LinkedIn. You might refer to this as a 'gross generalisation' because, quite clearly, there are many people who do already pay fees for financial planning.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
Do you ever get in your own way? Here's what helped me
Do you ever get in your own way? I know I do. I have times when I feel in a low mood, everything seems more difficult, and my natural zest disappears. Many times I have had clients say to me that the only thing stopping them is themselves. So, how do we deal with this and get back in the flow?
Read more >
Why your financial planning practice culture is the key to delivering exceptional service
Are you committed to delivering exceptional client service? If so, employees who genuinely care, communicate well, and take responsibility are essential. This article takes a look at how to bring out the best in your team.
Read more >
The power of our language
In this blog I share a short video of inspirational young lady Amy Brockerstette who, demonstrates perfectly the power of state of mind and how language emerges from it.
Read more >
Are your financial planning conversations too nice?
Why can it be a mistake to make your financial planning conversations too nice? This article explore why creating tension in a conversation is being of service to your client.
Read more >
Time management for financial planners - why helpful tips are not the answer
How often have you felt like you had way too much to do, way too little time to do it, and you've stressed out as a result?
Read more >
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).
Read more >
The courage to ask essential financial planning questions
Financial planning and advice are often triggered by an event. That event may have already happened, be about to happen, or may be some way out into the future.  Find out how you can connect with your client better by finding out about their feeling around a significant life event.
Read more >
The biggest challenge (and opportunity) in the financial planning process
In a perfect world a client goes through the financial planning process and implements the recommendations and advice they are given. As a result, they are happy and achieve their goals. Yet we are not living in a perfect world, which presents both a challenge and an opportunity for financial planners and their financial planning process.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
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 chance of this happening? 
Read more >
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?
Read more >
Top ten essential inter-personal skills for financial planners
Is technical ability a guarantee of a successful and prosperous career as a financial planner?  The answer is 'no' because being a successful practitioner is just as much about people as it is a technical role. So, in this article I am looking at my top ten essential inter-personal skills for financial planners.
Read more >
Financial planning relationships - how do you keep adding massive long-term value?
No matter how long you have known your client what is the secret to continuing to add massive value? Imagine when you first meet a new client and the early period of your relationship. In the beginning...
Read more >
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 those feelings and into taking action - the only thing that produces results.
Read more >
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 this context is to ask appropriate, intelligent questions and listen very carefully.
Read more >
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 me until several years later that I was selling something that no one really wanted.
Read more >
How to get more financial planning referrals
Would you like to generate more high quality financial planning referrals?
Read more >
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 core factor in this process.
Read more >
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?
Read more >
The value of knowing your value
Last week I was in London for three days attending the AJC Coaching Career School. This is a six-month long school, run by Ankush Jain, for coaches who want to build a more impactful coaching practice. For me, one of the most important things about being in business is that it feels fresh, inspiring, and as exciting as it did in the beginning.
Read more >
When is your financial advisory client ready for deeper conversations?
Do you want to have deeper conversations with your clients but concerned about whether they are ready? If so, you are not alone. A typical scenario is that a financial adviser has a transactional relationship with a client and wants to shift to a financial planning relationship.
Read more >
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?
Read more >
A simple formula for making more money
Would you like your career as a financial planner or adviser to be more financially rewarding? I sometimes have conversations with advisers who are not enjoying what they do. Some even say they are thinking of leaving the business altogether. Often, at the root of this is that they are not making enough money.
Read more >
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 their mind.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
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?
Read more >
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 cases the premium had increased by almost 30% from last year. So, I rang both providers and invited them to reconsider their offer.
Read more >
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?
Read more >
Be the casino, not the gambler
Are you happy in your job as a financial planner or adviser? I often speak with financial planners or advisers who feel stuck in a rut and want to reinvigorate their work.  Maybe they have been doing the same thing for a long while and simply want to change. Sometimes they want to do things differently but experience some doubt. Sometimes it is they find a certain aspect of their job unrewarding.   So, how do you begin to turn this around?
Read more >
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, this article is about how you become free of that burden and naturally convey value without trying.
Read more >
Two approaches to goal setting and why only one is healthy
I have found that goal setting can be a double-edged sword.  On one hand we want to achieve things that are important to us, so aiming at something makes sense. Yet for many people pushing hard towards their goals also causes them a lot of stress and compromises their quality of life.
Read more >
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 for your clients.
Read more >
The most dangerous word in the English language
When we think back to when we were little kids, we never knew what limitations were. In fact, to little kids the very idea of a limitation is absurd. Our imaginations knew no boundaries and we lived in a world of pure possibility. You could be a superhero, be invisible, fly, or travel in time like Doctor Who.  As such, life was full of joy, curiosity, and wonder.
Read more >
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 planning in general. Only 22% of advisers say supporting financial well-being is a 'core part of their business'.
Read more >
The timeless wisdom of Charlie Munger
Charlie Munger (now 99 years young) is a billionaire businessman, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and business partner of Warren Buffett, one of the greatest investors of all time. He is asked about the secret to a long and happy life, and he replies: ...
Read more >
How to have clients sell financial planning to themselves
A realisation that has been extremely helpful to me is that you can never want something for your client more than they want it for themselves. In this way, financial planning is almost certainly going to be most beneficial when a client sells it to themselves. This article explores why this is and one of the most effective ways to have it happen.
Read more >
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 your financial planning meetings and get all the rewards for doing so.
Read more >
Twenty signs you are on the path to truly great financial planning
What is the difference between 'average' financial planners and those who become truly great at what they do? I have been reflecting on this question for a while now and wanted to share my thoughts on this with you. I think it begins with the 'want to'. Do you truly want to become great at what you do?
Read more >
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 look at:
Read more >
A new way of thinking about financial planning fees  
Although there seems to be plenty of information on the process of increasing your financial planning fee, there is far less on the thinking behind it. So, in this article I am taking an alternative look at fee charging. Read on to discover:  1. How most firms set fees 2. A different way of thinking about fees 3. What clients pay for
Read more >
Is money holding you back from building a prosperous financial planning practice?
I read a survey conducted with financial advisers asking what their biggest challenge was. Number one was getting clients. It would be easy to believe that all is required to solve this problem is finding a reliable source of potential clients. Yet this is not always true. As I discovered, we sometimes have an 'upper-limit' issue that slows us down.
Read more >
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 clients, what they want to accomplish and their relationship with money.
Read more >
My favourite Warren Buffett quote and why it matters
Warren Buffett is one of the most successful investors of all time and one of the world’s wealthiest individuals. He also has some very astute observations about life. My favourite is his observation that: 'Busy is the new stupid.' One time he was in discussion with another super successful person, Bill Gates, and they touched upon the subject of productivity.
Read more >
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 how she described her experience of a game...
Read more >
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?
Read more >
Why I stopped meditating
Last week I had a wonderful conversation with a friend who has a vast amount of experience as a coach and has worked with thousands of people. She observed that in her experience every single person always wants the same thing in the end. Ultimately, we all want to feel clear minded, present, happy, content, and free from the burden of worry and stress. Who doesn't want more of this?
Read more >
The most popular client-centred blog posts of 2022
What have financial planners been most interested in over the past year? The following are my most popular client-centred blog posts of 2022. Most importantly, none of this would be possible without you. Thank you for your valuable time and attention - you are very much appreciated.
Read more >
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 read on to discover two shifts that can change everything.
Read more >
The 12 client-centred mind shifts - part 4
When 'The Client-centred financial adviser' was published back in 2015 the core message in that book was that who you are being is massively more significant than what you are doing. I even wrote a chapter titled, 'Being is the new doing'. For many years in my own business, I had focused upon doing with no real thought as to how I was being.
Read more >
5 truths to help financial planners prosper in turbulent times
What prompted this article were a number of conversations I have recently had with financial planners who were worried about the current trading environment.  So, how do financial planners prosper in turbulent times when the economy is contracting, clients are tightening their belts, and media is spreading doom and gloom?
Read more >
The 12 Client-centred mind shifts - part 3
Have you ever considered what creates the very highest value for your financial planning clients? I am going to suggest it is not, important as they are, the financial arrangements you recommend and put in place for them. No. It is their own mind shifts.
Read more >
The 12 client-centred mind shifts - part 2
You almost certainly have clients that are worried about their finances, what might happen in future, and if they are doing the right things. We are living in challenging times. Some advisers avoid their clients at times like this. They don't want to tell them their investments have gone down or be faced with having to explain themselves.
Read more >
What makes a client want to engage a financial planner?
A successful financial planner I work with remarked to me that no one ever approaches him for a financial planning engagement. Instead, there is usually a trigger event that leads a client to thinking they want a financial product, financial issue solved, or investment advice. So, how do you shift the conversation?
Read more >
How to transcend the financial planner comfort zone
Our comfort zone can be very limiting. For instance, it can hold you back from realising your greater potential, making a bigger difference to your clients, and experiencing greater success. So, in this article I explore what a financial planner comfort zone is and what it takes to transcend it. 
Read more >
The most powerful two word financial planning question
This articles shares a two-word financial question that can significantly increase the value of financial planning for a client. It is also be great for opening up new business opportunities too. So, let me share how I was inspired to write this post.
Read more >
Top 10 ways to capture and keep your financial planning client’s attention
To make financial planning meaningful and a good investment for your client it requires them to be fully engaged and do their best thinking in your meetings. Yet we also live in a society where an ever-increasing number of things are competing for our attention. People have shorter and shorter attention spans. So, how do you capture and keep your financial planning client’s attention?
Read more >
Top 10 coaching books for financial planners
If you are doing genuine financial planning where you are helping your client identify and accomplish their goals and live the life they want then coaching them is a necessity. After all, life is full of distractions and people come off track all the time. For example, people can lose focus or their sense of purpose. From time to time they may feel discouraged, disheartened, or overwhelmed.
Read more >
How to run magical financial planning review meetings - every time
When a client relationship is new it will feel fresh, engaging, and there will often be a lot to do. You are getting to know your client, they are getting to know you, and important issues are being dealt with. But how do you keep financial planning review meetings fresh, insightful, and inspiring, year after year?
Read more >
Resilience: An essential key to building a financial planning practice
Have you noticed how resilience has become a hot topic in business? For instance, there are TED talks on it, articles in the Harvard Business Review, and covid brought into sharp focus how unforeseen events can literally change our lives in a moment. This article explores a deeper understanding of resilience and why it is key for building a financial planning practice.
Read more >
A simple guide to influencing financial planning clients
Do you want to become more effective at influencing financial planning clients? In this simple guide I explore one of the most crucial factors of influence you can apply immediately for better results.
Read more >
One of the best financial planning questions and how to use it
Often, the best financial planning questions are the ones that help a client to open up and think more deeply. Why is this important? Because the impact of your financial planning and advice is directly correlated to quality of the information you gather from your client.
Read more >
How do you become a great financial planner... not just good?
How do you become a great financial planner? One who has a powerful, positive impact in the lives of your clients? Of course, there are many attributes but one in particular stands out. Read on to discover what this is and why it is so important. What do clients look for in a financial adviser?
Read more >
4 ways to create massive value financial planning meetings
Read more >
Better time management for financial advisers and planners
As a financial planner are you as productive as you would like to be? Would you like to get more done, in less time, and with none of the stress? In this article I am going to explore the hidden factor that leads to genuinely better time management for financial advisers and planners.
Read more >
How to do a brilliant financial planning fact find
Doing a brilliant financial planning fact find underpins everything that you do for a client. It is what differentiates you from other financial planners and is a golden opportunity to build exceptional relationships and provide massive value. But there are also two very different elements to fact finding.
Read more >
The hidden secret of where you find financial planning clients
Do you want to know the hidden secret of where you find financial planning clients? Most of the advice on how to find financial planning clients is prescriptive. It tells you what to do or where to look. Yet how helpful is this?
Read more >
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.
Read more >
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?
Read more >
Building a financial planning business - overcoming the biggest obstacle
Building a financial planning business is not easy! In fact, you are far from alone if you find it challenging. This article explores one of the biggest obstacles of all and how to rapidly get back on track.
Read more >
The hidden secret to high-impact financial planning meetings
Do you want to have your financial planning meetings be high-impact, high-engagement experiences for both your clients and you? Of course! We all want this, don't we?
Read more >
5 steps financial planners can take to becoming a better listener
As a financial planner what value is there in becoming a better listener? Is it worth your time, effort, and focus to improve? This article explores the value of deep listening and 5 practical steps you can take to immediately become a better listener.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
Getting financial planning clients - the only obstacle
Getting financial planning clients is the number one challenge for many advisers. But why is it such a challenge? It is not for the reasons that most people think...
Read more >
What is the most important financial planning question of all?
Do you want to have greater impact with your clients, create more value, and escape the diminishing world of transactional financial advice? If so, there is an important financial planning question.
Read more >
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.
Read more >
Financial Planning clients for life - the one thing you MUST do
Creating happy, enthusiastic, loyal financial planning clients for life requires you to do one thing well, and consistently. What is that one thing?
Read more >
How to get financial planning clients - the only way I know
Financial planning is not a commodity. It is experiential and conversations are right at the core of this.
Read more >
Presenting your clients financial plan - the key to success
Read more >
To succeed you must have self belief... really?
If you have a goal or outcome that is important to you and you want to go for it, then what does self belief and whether you have it or not have to do with it?
Read more >
Great people skills - in an instant!
Is it possible to have great people skills in an instant?
Read more >
The best prospecting advice for financial planners
Why do some financial planners seem to effortlessly find clients whilst others experience growing their practice as a constant struggle?
Read more >
Are your financial planning conversations too friendly?
What is the difference between a financial advisory conversation and a financial planning conversation?
Read more >
What does it really take to 10x grow a financial planning business?
There is a critical factor in growing your financial planning business that is often misunderstood.
Read more >
Should Financial Planners stop talking about retirement?
Why should financial planners choose their language carefully in their financial planning conversations with clients?
Read more >
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.
Read more >
Can coaching for financial planners really help your career?
Why are an increasing number of financial planners choosing to work with a coach? Is it something that could help you accomplish your most important goals and realise more of your potential as a financial planner? Read on to discover why coaching works...
Read more >

SEARCH BLOG

RECENT POSTS

BLOG CATEGORIES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.

TELEPHONE
01580 753770

MOBILE
07860 682530

EMAIL
[email protected]

Copyright © 2023 Dashfield Coaching and Development LTD

Privacy Policy & Cookie Control