Every financial adviser experiences a client or potential client not responding to them.
A typical scenario is that you have had a conversation(s), and the ball is now in the client’s court, but you hear nothing as time ticks by.
It might be a proposal, an application, or some task a client needs to deal with before you can move on.
What do you do in these situations?
Do you wait? Do you keep chasing? Is there a better approach?
The trap to avoid at all costs
The biggest mistake financial advisers make when clients don’t respond is taking it personally.
When we do, our reaction is coming from our own insecurity. This can show up as frustration, disappointment, or irritation.
You might even find yourself replaying the conversation, wondering if you said something wrong or if the client has changed their mind.
This mindset doesn’t help you—or them.
The role of thought
Here’s what changed everything for me: understanding that whatever I’m feeling is being generated through thought, not the situation itself.
If I feel frustrated, it’s because my thinking has gone there and not because of the client’s silence.
That awareness is powerful.
Why? Because frustration is not a useful place to communicate from. It leaks into your tone, your words, and your presence. It can even damage the relationship.
I’ve found it’s only ever wise to communicate with a client from a calm, present, client-centred state of mind.
Why clarity of mind matters
Our behaviour always follows our state of mind.
With a clear head, it’s much easier to judge whether it’s right to chase a client or let them be.
And when you’re truly acting in service of the client—not pushing your own agenda—clients often welcome you taking a stand on their behalf.
We can all procrastinate. Sometimes we avoid small but important tasks simply because they feel inconvenient. A thoughtful nudge can be exactly what gets things moving.
For example, when I was an adviser, I constantly stressed with clients the importance of having an up-to-date will. Did clients act on it straight away? Almost never.
Yet I was persistent (including eventually offering a service myself) to make sure it got done.
My attitude was that if they found me pushy then this was still vastly preferable to them dying intestate.
Create a better system
If clients regularly do not respond, it’s a sign you need a better system.
Start with a clear service agreement. Make it explicit: agree upfront on expected response times. Once clients commit to this, they’re far more likely to follow through.
PS. I highly recommend you listen to Steve Chandlers recording ‘Expectations vs. Agreements’.
Email me at john@clientcentredadvisers.com with ‘Expectations vs. Agreements’ in the subject line and I will send you the download link.
