• Transparency and integrity: Trust begins with truly understanding your client. An initial consultation that is thorough and honest sets the foundation for the relationship. Clearly explain upfront how you’re compensated, your services, and any potential conflicts of interest. Share how the client’s information will be used and assure them that their best interests are prioritized.
• Active listening and communication: Be curious about their goals, concerns, and situation. Ask open-ended questions like, “What are your biggest financial concerns?” or “What does financial success mean to you?” Let the client lead the conversation so they feel heard.
  Use “SOFTEN” as a framework for demonstrating active listening:
  – Smile naturally when appropriate.
  – Open posture is best when listening, where arms are unfolded.
  – Forward leaning in your chair, rather than laying back, helps show interest.
  – Touch where and when appropriate, such as a handshake or hand on their shoulder.
  – Eye contact is important; use it as much as possible.
  – Nod and use non-verbal signals.
• Personalization: Be responsive to their preferences, such as how they consume information (charts, graphs, text) and how they like to communicate (face-to-face, virtual, calls).
• Education and collaboration: Ask questions that help clients feel involved and educated about their own financial realities. Use interactive tools such as visuals and a client portal, where clients can explore their financial situation alongside you.
• Consistency: Set the tone so that every step forward will be consistent in terms of reliability.

2. Identifying and Selecting Goals

The opportunity to build trust during this step lies in co-creating a vision that reflects the client’s values, showing that their priorities—not the planner’s agenda—are at the heart of the process.

• Transparency and integrity: When clients see that their advisor is focused on helping them reach their objectives, trust is naturally built. Explain to clients how the goal-setting process impacts their financial planning.
• Active listening and communication: Go beyond the data: ask “What does retirement look like?” “What keeps you up at night?” Draw clients into the conversation and get them to open up with “Tell me more” and “What else?” Get clients to open up. Ask probing questions to uncover what truly matters to the client.
• Personalization: Define and discuss values. Our values are shaped by socialization, culture, religion, education, personal experiences, and beliefs. Values deeply impact financial plans. Demonstrate that their goals are not generic, but rather thoughtfully tailored to their values and circumstances.
• Education and collaboration: Collaboratively set realistic and achievable financial goals. Technology features like a client portal with onboarding can allow clients a piece in the planning process, where they can share goals – big and small – and prioritize what’s most important to them.
• Consistency: Ensure that your approach to identifying and selecting goals is methodical and aligns with the discussions in step one, reflecting dependability as their trusted partner.

3. Analyzing the Client’s Current Course of Action

The opportunity to build trust during this step comes from offering honest, transparent insight without judgment—helping clients see where they stand while reinforcing that you’re a partner, not a critic.

• Transparency and integrity: Transparency in this step in the planning process helps clients feel confident in their planner’s expertise. Share the details of their current financial situation honestly, along with any drawbacks or gaps.
• Active listening and communication: Listen actively to the client’s concerns or resistance to change. Use tailored communication (charts, bullet points, visuals) to simplify complex options depending on their learning style.
• Personalization: Focus your analysis on alternatives that align with their values, preferences, and financial goals. Avoid cookie-cutter solutions—show that you’re considering their unique situation.
• Education and collaboration: Interactive planning tools with robust calculations can help you evaluate the client’s current state and determine potential scenarios to pursue. Help the client understand each alternative you’ve considered. Explain the rationale for how changes might improve their financial trajectory while allowing them to weigh in.
• Consistency: Make sure your recommendations are backed by sound analysis and communicate with them in a steady, confident manner that shows reliability in evaluating their options.

4. Developing the Financial Planning Recommendation(s)

The opportunity to build trust in this step lies in delivering personalized, well-reasoned advice that demonstrates a deep understanding of the client’s unique circumstances, and their best interests.

• Transparency and integrity: Disclose every detail behind the recommendations, including any conflicts of interest or dependencies. Align the recommendations with the client’s goals, not external incentives.
• Active listening and communication: Regularly check in with the client throughout this step to ensure the recommendations align with their expectations. Keep them informed and comfortable as you refine the plan.
• Personalization: Provide hyper-personalized recommendations tailored to the client’s financial circumstances, values, and risk tolerance. Showcase that their plan is as unique as they are.
• Education and collaboration: Explain the “why” behind each recommendation. Let the client feel empowered by their understanding of how the recommendations fit their goals.
• Consistency: Ensure clarity and precision in all recommendations, delivering advice consistently with their needs and values as established in prior steps.

5. Presenting the Financial Planning Recommendation(s)

Use the opportunity to build trust during this step by communicating clearly, answering questions patiently, and ensuring the client fully understands their options.

• Transparency and integrity: Technology can help build trust and transparency. Know how to show and use portals and simplified plan summaries whenever possible. Present recommendations with potential rewards and risks.
• Active listening and communication: During this part of the planning experience, planners should take it slow and at a pace that clients can consume and understand. For example, if they prefer graphs and charts, leverage visuals, or if they prefer a more conversational tone, adjust accordingly. Listen carefully to their feedback.
• Personalization: Offer a few, perhaps three, tailored recommendations instead of thirty options. Present the recommendations in a way that feels customized to their situation by showcasing how each is tied to their unique goals and concerns.
• Education and collaboration: How does the client like to learn about their plan and how it was developed? Ask if you don’t know. Avoid jargon when presenting recommendations. Don’t just present; foster collaboration during the presentation by involving the client in the discussion.
• Consistency: Present with professionalism and confidence, following through on all steps leading up to this. Deliver on the trust built thus far by exhibiting your expertise and ability to listen.

6. Implementing the Financial Planning Recommendation(s)

The opportunity to build trust during this step lies in following through with precision, coordination, and accountability.

• Transparency and integrity: Be clear about how implementation will occur, the steps involved, and the timeline. Share updates and any potential challenges transparently. If you use a client portal, your technology can help support this through the ability to assign tasks or action items to the planner or client.
• Active listening and communication: Be responsive and accessible as the client moves forward with implementation. Address their concerns or fears with constant communication and support.
• Personalization: Ensure that the recommendations tie back to client goals and values, and that you share the “why” behind how these fit into their plan. Create easy action steps, such as what should you address now, this year, and “down the road.” Support the client’s action steps in a way that respects their personality—for example, some clients may need longer than other clients to act.
• Education and Collaboration: Make implementation of the plan a joint effort. This shows you’re both involved and committed to the plan of action and that there is mutual agreement. Emphasize that implementation will be a learning and collaborative process rather than something handed over blindly.
• Consistency: Leverage your CRM or client portal to set timelines and reminders. This reinforces and maintains recommendations and tasks presented. Stick closely to the agreed-upon plan during implementation. Reinforce dependability by being available to help clients adjust.

7. Monitoring Progress and Updating

Building trust during the last step in the process lies in staying proactive, attentive, and responsive.

• Transparency and integrity: Be the client’s accountability partner and help motivate the client to act. Provide regular updates on progress in a clear and understandable way. Share good and bad news openly to demonstrate integrity and build ongoing trust.
• Active listening and communication: Stay attuned to how the client prefers to receive updates—stick to their communication preferences. Listen to their concerns regularly to adapt as needed.
• Personalization: Update the plan based on life changes or shifting priorities that are unique to the client. Showcase that their financial journey stays individualized and dynamic.
• Education and collaboration: Involve the client in monitoring progress by using accessible tools like client portals or dashboards. Collaborate on necessary adjustments to remain aligned.
• Consistency: Technology can support monitoring in a consistent manner. Ongoing, timely engagement also demonstrates commitment and reliability. Maintain a steady and proactive approach in monitoring and updating the plan. Regular, reliable updates reinforce trust and confidence in your partnership.

The 7-step Process: More Than a Framework

Financial planning has traditionally been seen as a technical exercise—crunching numbers and optimizing portfolios. But the seven step process is more than methodology; it’s a built-in trust engine. When planners approach each step with the explicit goal of building trust, they transform a transactional process into a relationship-driven experience.

3 Benefits of Building Trust Through the Financial Planning Process

1. Higher client retention: Trusted relationships lead to long-term engagement and multi-generational planning.
2. Increased plan adherence: Clients are more likely to follow recommendations when they believe in the planner’s intentions.
3. Stronger referrals: Clients refer people to professionals they trust, not just those who get results.

For planners still focused only on the numbers, this is a reminder that clients don’t just want results—they want to feel heard, supported, and secure.

Want to learn more about becoming a trusted advisor? Watch our on-demand webinar, Key Insights into Becoming a Trusted Advisor.

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.