While age-based planning is a good base for developing a strategy, it’s not universally persuasive. Reducing the time it takes for clients to act on a recommendation requires tailoring advice to the individual. And doing that well means understanding client goals as deeply and thoroughly as possible, so you can connect every recommendation you make to a holistic strategy. “If you can get to that level, conversations become easier to have and planning becomes easier, because you have a framework for conversations and backup in the form of models that you can fill with different solutions to demonstrate the possibilities,” says Bertrand.
But he cautions that identifying goals is an art that requires training and acumen. “It’s crucial to tease out a client’s needs and help them set goals in the first meeting,” says Bertrand. “If they don’t see a purpose, they don’t see how their goals will become a reality.”