Certainty Maps capture why clients need, take, value and pay for advice. Designed for face-to-face meetings, or online use, these frameworks capture the unique value each client seeks. 

Mastery of these frameworks is by a commitment to developing listening, probing, facilitating skills, knowledge of seven conversational elements – Positioning,  Fundamentals, Signatures, Complexities, Significances, Transitions, Aspirations, and acceptance of consistent critique for improvement.  

The Certainty Terms of Engagement is a 3-4 page framework used to gain a client’s commitment to engage for twelve months. It starts with the essential component – the specific value sought by the client. 

It also outlines the recommended high-level approach in priority order, the proposed annual fees in dollar amounts, and payment terms over the twelve months.

These documents contain no specific product or product-related recommendation – detailed recommendations will be provided in technical documents developed after the annual advisory relationship has commenced.  

“The cure of a part should not be attempted without the treatment of the whole” – Plato.

Certainty’s Advice Maps display the client’s financial life on a page. They provide the ‘big picture’ for clients, helpful for clients who prefer to deal with ‘pictures’ rather than ‘words and numbers’.

These Maps become a central management tool in the relationships between Certainty Clients and their advisory teams.

Produced initially and updated before each important review meeting, Certainty Maps do not show every detail of the client’s financial life. Their focus is on four areas – the value, the priorities, the progress and the issues. 

“What will your advice provide, what are the steps, and when can I expect some real progress?”

Certainty Advice Paths pictures each client’s unique forward path. Advice Paths depict the timeframe for managing future transitions, achieving future aspirations, and addressing specific complexities alongside the recommended approach.

They show up to 7 years forward. For existing clients they also include the significant progress already achieved. 

Certainty Workflows provide the detailed process flows of the Client Discovery and Engagement approach. 

Built upon two decades of reviewing Certainty Discovery and Engagement conversations for thousands of advisory team meetings with Certainty Clients, the Certainty Workflows provide advisory teams with detailed conversational guidelines. 

They serve as important training, support and integration tools for advisory teams to update, customise and develop their own internal workflow methodologies and threads. 

Methodologies are as strong as their weakest link. 

Certainty DeBriefs strengthen the link between productive Discovery meetings and efficient (re-)engagement. The framework provides the agenda for the 20-minute post-Discovery meeting in which the advisory team create first draft of new (or renewed) terms of engagement.  

 The Certainty capacity planning models ensure client engagement agreements are priced not only on value but capacity to deliver. 

Based purely upon external precedents that are not without consideration of an advisory team’s capacity, pricing will significantly affect the firm’s ability to fund sustainable growth while potentially placing significant pressure on critical resources.