If your institution’s advisors have traditionally focused on sales rather than planning, you might be facing a common challenge: resistance to incorporating planning into their workflow. Planning can often feel like extra work that slows down sales efforts instead of the powerful tool it truly is. But this mindset overlooks the fact that effective financial planning not only deepens client relationships but also creates significant revenue opportunities.

Motivating these sales-driven professionals to adopt planning requires more than mandates. By addressing their reluctance head-on, you can empower them to see planning as an essential part of their sales strategy. Here are three practical approaches you can use to share the true value of financial planning with your advisors to empower them to engage clients more effectively and plan more confidently.

1. Gain and Retain More Clients

Investors today expect their advisor to provide services beyond just managing investments. In fact, research shows that the number of households seeking holistic financial advice and a willingness to pay for it has doubled in the past five years. They are also willing to pay a premium for human advice, with almost 80 percent of affluent households stating that they would pay a premium of 50 basis points or more for human advice as opposed to a customized digital advice service priced at ten basis points.¹ Meeting this demand means offering a planning experience that combines digital convenience with personal connection, helping you strengthen relationships and boost client loyalty.

In addition, the largest wealth transfer in history is underway, with an estimated $84 trillion going to heirs and charities by 2045.² Research shows that younger generations value holistic wealth planning that goes beyond investment management and financial planning to include achieving overall life goals and peace of mind, further emphasizing the demand for more planning.³ To capture this next generation of clients, you need to sharpen your value proposition—especially since younger investors often have different financial priorities and engagement preferences than their parents. Offering comprehensive planning that addresses the whole client, not just their portfolio, positions you as a trusted partner who understands these new demands.

2. Increase Revenue

If you’re looking to grow revenue, leveraging financial planning is one of the most effective strategies you can implement. Planning isn’t just a value-add for clients—it’s a proven growth engine. Advisors who produce just one to two financial plans per month see a modest three percent increase in production, but when you increase that to two to four plans per month, the impact on your revenue becomes substantial. In fact, these advisors generate 132 percent higher Gross Dealer Concession (GDC) than those producing only one to two plans, and 155 percent higher GDC than those producing one or fewer plans.⁴

Beyond the numbers, more planning means more advisory business—twice as much as advisors with lower plan production.⁴ This makes sense: comprehensive plans deepen client relationships, uncover new opportunities, and increase wallet share. When you plan more, you do more—both for your clients and the bottom line.

3. Boost Personal Fulfillment

Ninety-one percent of advisors said they chose this career because they enjoy helping people. Close behind, 85 percent want to help clients reach their financial goals, and 75 percent aim to provide peace of mind.⁵ These motivations aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re the core reasons you do what you do every day. Recognizing this helps you reconnect with your purpose and reminds you why effective planning isn’t just a task; it’s the way you deliver real value to your clients.

Now ask yourself—can you truly help clients achieve those goals and provide peace of mind without a plan? Product sales have their place, but a product alone isn’t a plan. It may be a piece of the puzzle, but without comprehensive financial planning, you’re missing the bigger picture.

Embracing planning starts with tapping into these personal motivations. When you align the strategies you use with your “why,” you empower yourself to build deeper relationships and deliver outcomes that truly matter—turning your professional purpose into measurable client success.

Make Financial Planning Your Growth Engine

Encouraging your advisors to embrace financial planning is about shifting perspective—helping them see planning not as extra work but as the foundation for stronger client connections, increased revenue, and greater personal fulfillment. When advisors integrate comprehensive planning into their process, they’re equipped to meet evolving client expectations, capture new business opportunities, and differentiate their firm in a competitive market.

Driving the adoption of planning technology is another key aspect of encouraging advisors to do more planning. Read my blog, Driving Advisor Adoption and Engagement: How to Maximize Your Technology Investment, to learn more about how to drive successful financial planning technology adoption in your firm.

Sources

1. McKinsey & Company. “The Looming Advisor Shortage in US Wealth Management.” February 2025.

2. Cerulli Associates. “U.S. High-Net-Worth and Ultra-High-Net-Worth Markets.” January 2022.

3. Fidelity. “It’s Time to Change Your Mind About Young Investors.” January 2023.

4. Kehrer Bielan Research & Consulting. “The ROI of Financial Planning: The Impact of Additional Planning on Individual Advisor Production.” September 2019.

5. eMoney Advisor. “Planning with a Purpose.” July 2021.

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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