FINANCIAL LIFE PLANNING

Mitch Anthony

Your intuition is going to be your greatest asset in making your clients feel cared for.

HAVE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME ASKING CLIENTS WHY THEY choose to work with their advisors. I’ m talking about the clients who are thrilled with their advisors, not the ones sitting on the fence, or the ones with tepid responses. I hear these sorts of comments:

•“ She’ s just a really good person.”

•“ He’ s really on top of things”

•“ He just gets it.”

•“ There’ s something special about her. I can’ t quite explain it.”

These last two comments are the ones I want to take a stab at explaining. What do clients mean when they say,“ You get it,” and“ There’ s just something about that person”?

The‘ I’ s’ Have It I’ m convinced that to reach the highest echelons of success in the advisor business, you must possess the three“ I’ s”: intelligence, integrity and intuition.

• Intelligence is called upon for your knowledge about financial instruments, financial processes, financial markets and the economy in general.

• Integrity is called upon when it comes to the things you sell and when you sell them, and it also regards your ability to own up to mistakes and your treatment of clients.

• Intuition is required when it comes to knowing who your client is, where their comfort levels are, how they are affected by current events and what matters most to them.

Your intelligence as a financial advisor refers to the knowledge you’ ll need to properly guide your clients.

Intelligence

Your intelligence as a financial advisor refers to the knowledge you’ ll need to properly guide your clients. One not need be a member of Mensa nor a financial scholar to get the job done.

However, intellect has a dark side: Those who possess it often succumb to the temptation to parade it, which is an instant turnoff to many people.

I remember accompanying my mother to check out an advisor, and he spent the first five minutes explaining all his certifications— of which there were many. One didn’ t need to be a psychic to read between the lines. What he was really saying was,“ You need me because I’ m smarter than you in this arena.” I thought to myself,“ By the way, Mr. Advisor, we can see all the framed credentials on the wall behind you.” Even those felt overdone.

One of the telling signs of attractive intelligence in a person is their ability to say,“ I’ m not sure I know the answer. Let me look into it.” People have high regard for smarts rooted in humility.

Integrity I once asked a golfing buddy about how he got along with his advisor.

“ He’ s a good guy,” my friend said,“ and I believe he’ s very honest. But do we really have to talk about life insurance products every time we meet?”

He was exasperated with being an extra in the play called Meeting My Sales

18 | FINANCIAL ADVISOR MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2025 WWW. FA-MAG. COM