Investing in an enterprise-wide technology solution is a major undertaking, but it is a worthwhile one. Nearly one-third of advisors who are heavy tech users would be classified as high-growth practices, compared to just nine percent of light users of technology. These advisors are seeing faster growth in both new client acquisition and assets under management (AUM).¹

However, many firms experience a recurring pattern: they invest heavily in financial planning software, they see low adoption rates, they try to mandate usage, engagement decreases further, and then they switch to a different provider, only to experience the same problems. This happens because the underlying adoption issues were never addressed. Even though the technology itself is often sound, the communication and support structure is lacking.

By investing in comprehensive strategies to encourage the adoption of and engagement with their new financial planning software, firms can drive successful technology adoption and, ultimately, better client outcomes.

5 Strategies for Driving Adoption and Engagement

1. Identify Clear Goals

Without a defined target, adoption efforts can feel aimless, and you risk missing out on the full potential of your investment. Ask yourself: What do you want to achieve? Are you aiming to grow your client base, increase aggregated assets, or boost fee-based planning? Pinpointing your objectives upfront gives your team a clear direction and creates a shared sense of purpose that drives adoption. It also helps you focus training, support, and communication efforts where they matter most—making the technology work for you, not the other way around.

To make your goals actionable and effective, they need to be SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, rather than simply wanting “more clients,” aim for something like “increase active planning clients by 15 percent within 12 months.” With well-defined targets, you can confidently guide your advisors through the transition and maximize the benefits the new tools bring to your business.

2. Establish the “Why”

Traditional training focuses on the “how”, but you need to start with the “why” to motivate your advisors into action. If you can help your team make connections between the changes you’re implementing and the tangible value they provide, you’ll give them the motivation to become more engaged with their new technology platform.

This is especially important in firms where advisors have traditionally operated as salespeople rather than planners. In these firms, planning may be viewed as an obstacle rather than an opportunity. This creates resistance to planning processes, even when they could ultimately lead to increased sales.

If this is a challenge in your firm, then a crucial element of your plan will be helping your employees understand how leveraging the new technology to have planning conversations will lead to revenue opportunities. For example, you might discuss how engaging clients digitally with a client portal and leveraging aggregation enables them to capture a wealth of information about a client or prospect, providing a 360-degree view of the client’s finances. This can open up opportunities to bring held-away assets under your management or cross-sell the other solutions you offer.

3. Develop Clear, Consistent Messaging

Once you’ve defined your goals and identified a “why” that truly connects with your advisors, the next critical step is crafting clear, consistent messaging. Without this clarity, even the most strategic technology rollout can stumble or fail. Mixed or vague communication creates confusion and frustration, which can hinder adoption and require you to revisit the process later on. You need to communicate your intentions confidently and precisely, leaving no room for doubt. When your team understands the purpose behind the change, they’re far more likely to embrace the new platform and integrate it into their workflow.

Focus your messaging on the impact the new platform will have on delivering a modern client and planning experience—not on the technology itself. Advisors want to know how this innovation will make their work easier, improve client outcomes, and elevate service. Avoid getting bogged down in features or jargon. Instead, highlight the benefits: streamlined processes, enhanced collaboration, and smarter planning capabilities. By speaking their language and keeping messages consistent across every communication channel, you empower your advisors with a clear vision and confidence to fully adopt the platform, turning your technology investment into tangible business growth.

4. Segment Your Planners for Training

Regardless of firm size, advisors tend to naturally fall into three segments based on their openness and level of engagement. The first group, often referred to as the power users, are those who fully embrace planning. These advisors not only use technology consistently but also integrate it deeply into their workflows, driving successful client outcomes. Supporting this group means providing advanced training, sharing best practices, and continuously encouraging them to leverage the platform’s full capabilities to maximize their effectiveness.

The second group includes the dabblers, who have begun experimenting with planning and planning tools but have not yet fully committed. This middle group represents a critical opportunity for firms to increase adoption. The strategy here involves making the user experience easier and more accessible, offering practical guidance on how to incorporate planning incrementally. By demonstrating how simple it can be to perform basic tasks and how these efforts can translate into meaningful client value, firms can help move these dabblers up the curve towards becoming confident power users.

Finally, there are the laggards, who are often resistant to change and may prefer traditional sales approaches over planning. For this group, firms should adopt a patient and gentle approach, starting with very simple steps such as helping clients organize information or encouraging light engagement through a client portal. It’s important to offer a low-pressure entry point that allows these advisors to build comfort gradually. Over time, as they gain confidence, they can begin to explore more comprehensive planning capabilities, ultimately bridging the gap between resistance and adoption.

5. Develop Engaging Training Opportunities

You want your team to not only understand the tools but to feel confident and motivated to use them daily.  With advisors having little spare time, it’s important to create meaningful, engaging training opportunities that fit seamlessly into their busy schedules. Here are a few ways you can provide training opportunities that will empower your advisors to fully leverage their software’s capabilities.

1. Make Bite-sized, Consumable Content

It can be difficult to get planners excited about a 60-minute Zoom session when their day is full of meetings. Provide one- to five-minute learning moments that make participation easier. Sending 30-second videos showing success stories from peers can also generate interest in new tools.

2. Use Peer Learning

Tap into as much peer learning as possible. Roundtable discussions featuring successful planners sharing their processes, roadblocks, and key learnings provide authentic peer-to-peer education that resonates more effectively than top-down training.

3. Appeal to Advisor Motivations

Promote training and coaching sessions by appealing to planners’ motivations. For example, instead of announcing a session on conducting Roth conversions in the system, make it about how planners can use the new technology to grow their AUM by 20 percent or how they can increase client satisfaction with the new platform.

Maximizing Your Technology Investment

Successful financial planning technology adoption requires a multi-faceted approach that goes far beyond basic software training. It demands understanding the different types of advisors, crafting tailored training strategies for each group, and most importantly, helping advisors connect planning activities to their motivations and goals.

Increasing advisor adoption and engagement is a common challenge for enterprise firms that want to provide financial planning at scale. Download our guide, Collaborative Wealth Planning at Scale: An Enterprise Guide to the Latest Advancements, to learn more about the challenges that enterprises face and how the latest technological advancements can help.

Sources:

1. Cerulli, State of U.S. Wealth Management Technology 2024: Drivers of Technology Use within the Advisor Practice, 2024

DISCLAIMER: The eMoney Advisor Blog is meant as an educational and informative resource for financial professionals and individuals alike. It is not meant to be, and should not be taken as financial, legal, tax or other professional advice. Those seeking professional advice may do so by consulting with a professional advisor. eMoney Advisor will not be liable for any actions you may take based on the content of this blog.

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