by Jim Stackpool | Nov 3, 2025 | Advice Clients, Brand Development, Client Care, Client Offerings, Delivering Value, Niche Market
Most founders of advice dream about this. The niche that fills the new business pipeline with quality opportunities, keeps clients coming back, and doesn’t depend on one subject-matter-expert adviser to survive. Is there such a thing as the perfect advice niche? I saw...
by Jim Stackpool | Oct 29, 2025 | Certainty Advice
“Failing to plan is planning to fail,” right? Nearly. But not quite. Like you, my clients are financial advisers. They plan for a living. They are usually very good at it. For their clients. Not for themselves. It is a classic “plumber’s...
by Jim Stackpool | Oct 27, 2025 | Advice Conversations, Best Interests, client conversations, Trust Skilling, valuable advice, value
Beth and Gav had had enough. They are potential new advice clients of David’s advisory firm in Melbourne’s suburbs. They want to sell everything and make their tree change. Gav will find new work and leave his toxic $270k/annum job. Beth will open her dressmaking...
by Jim Stackpool | Oct 20, 2025 | adviser fees, client conversations, Client Meetings, value
Deb runs a boutique advice business in Sydney’s outer suburbs. She followed up with prospects Katrina and Stephen, hoping they would be engaging as new clients. Deb’s Terms of Engagement quoted $14,500 for the coming twelve months. After some phone tag,...
by Jim Stackpool | Oct 14, 2025 | Advice Conversations, adviser fees, client conversations, Delivering Value, Fee For Service, Pricing Advice, value
Still quoting your comprehensive advice in parts? Don’t. Here’s a better way. Sally lost a client, a $15k prospect, last week. She was disappointed. Mainly for them, as their issues are significant and their options are tough. They need so much more than a cheaper...
by Jim Stackpool | Oct 7, 2025 | Advice Conversations, Best Interests, client conversations, Client Meetings, Consultative Approach, Delivering Value, Meetings, Quality Advice, valuable advice, value, Value of Advice
Helen is 26. If you can only take one thing into client and prospect meetings, take a tip from Helen. Technically, she is a paraplanner. Professionally, she is a principal adviser. What’s the difference? Focus. Let me explain. Last week, Helen prepped to perform...
by Jim Stackpool | Sep 29, 2025 | uplifts
Why would an existing client agree to a fee uplift without something additional provided in return? This was in the back of Sarah’s mind as she prepared for an upcoming fee uplift conversation with an existing client. Last week, adviser Sarah lost an opportunity to...
by Jim Stackpool | Sep 22, 2025 | Uncategorized, uplifts
Sarah was concerned about her upcoming review meeting with existing clients, Adrian and Jane. Still in her late-20s, being qualified for only eighteen months, working a small client base of ‘lower-end’ clients her firm had inherited from when they purchased a client...
by Jim Stackpool | Sep 15, 2025 | growth, Growth Stress
Owners of financial advice firms face two different types of business risk. The risk of starting & the risk of growth. I reckon the most significant difference between these risks is ignorance. Initially, most brand-new business owners are ignorant of what is...
by Jim Stackpool | Sep 9, 2025 | adviser fees, Fee For Service
Had a conversation with a London-based client last week about a potential challenge to the pricing of independent advice as we know it here in Australia. It’s referred to as the “Decency Cap”, and it’s been slowly spreading in the UK advice market since...
