Why Words Matter

As behavioural advisers, our main job is to influence the behaviour of our clients. And nothing influences behaviour like words. We'd be amazed at how much our own behaviour, in all spheres of life, is influenced by the words we see, hear, and think.

The product of financial advice is intangible, and so the words we use become vitally important. Although we are becoming a profession (rightly so), we will always be salespeople. We sell ourselves, our process, our beliefs, and a faith in the future. So, until financial advice becomes bought, rather than sold, we will need to be skillful persuaders.

I've seen too many advisers who underappreciate the power of words to positively influence clients. Building on the work of my mentors, I've collected a list of phrases and sayings that have helped me to engage more succesfully with clients.

While they are simple and pithy, used together over a long period of time, they can help to frame complicated concepts to clients in a simple manner. They reframe risk, impact a client's understanding of what the stock market is, and assure clients that they need not worry about everything they see in the media.

The best part of our profession is the ability to share and learn from each other. This is my contribution to this conversation. I would love to hear about the words and phrases that you have found to be impactful in your engagements with clients.

To watch the full presentation, go to https://www.humansundermanagement.com/words.

If you missed the HUM London virtual event, video access can still be purchased at https://www.humansundermanagement.com/london2020.

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