Most financial advisors have faced this challenge: a prospect seems intrigued, a plan sounds solid, and yet… something’s missing. There’s interest, but not connection. Why doesn’t it land? And more importantly, how can you stand out in a crowded landscape?
The answer lies in values-based discovery specifically, the Values Exercise, a cornerstone of Behavioral Financial Advice (BFA). More than a feel-good tool, it’s a high-impact method that transforms planning from transactional to transformational.
Your Differentiator Isn’t Performance, It’s Perspective
Some advisors are discovering that beginning with values is the most effective way to deepen client engagement. Rather than starting with returns or strategies, they open the door by asking clients what truly matters most to them. It’s a strategy that immediately sets them apart from other advisors focused solely on metrics or transactions.
Why Connection Matters More Than the Plan
Clients aren’t craving more charts. They’re looking for clarity especially in times of uncertainty. That clarity begins when financial decisions are aligned with personal values. Once clients identify what drives them whether that’s security, freedom, family, or impact the financial conversation becomes more meaningful. Planning becomes collaborative, not prescriptive. Clients feel ownership of the plan because it reflects their priorities.
Values + Goals + Behaviors = Better Advice
The Values Cards help make that alignment possible. They provide a tangible and reflective tool to help clients identify and rank what they care most about. With that insight, it becomes easier to build goals and behaviors that match their values. Instead of reacting to the market, clients are equipped to respond to change with greater confidence and purpose.
From Advisor to Guide: Why This Matters More Than Ever
Financial advice is evolving. Clients want more than technical knowledge they want to feel understood. Advisors using BFA tools like the values exercise are finding that conversations go deeper, trust builds faster, and clients are more likely to follow through on plans. By focusing on what matters beyond money, they build relationships that last.
Three Ways to Use the Values Cards with Clients
1. Start with values not statements.
Beginning a client relationship with values provides a foundation that guides everything else. It shifts the focus from performance to purpose.
2. Use the cards to surface emotion.
The values exercise often reveals surprises—either in what a client prioritizes or in how their priorities have changed over time. These insights spark deeper, more authentic conversations.
3. Revisit values regularly.
As life changes, values may shift too. Reconnecting with a client’s values during reviews or after major life events keeps the plan relevant and grounded.
The Outcome: More Than Just a Plan
Values-based advice leads to better outcomes not just financially, but emotionally. Clients become more aware of what drives their decisions. Couples have richer conversations. Prospects become clients. And advisors gain clarity on how to best serve the people sitting across from them.
Start with values.
Use the Think2Perform Values Exercise with your next client or prospect and discover how meaningful the conversation—and relationship can become.
