OverviewTechnical matters
Technical matters
Tax planning opportunities for 2025/26 Replacement of the lifetime allowance Retirement Income Pension Forum The Platform Clinic Pension, retirement and tax planning Pensions tax relief and annual allowances The beneficiaries flexi-access drawdown conundrum Retirement and pensions training Personal tax and trust planning training
More support
Paraplanner technical hub
Paraplanner technical hub
Technical hub Retirement income Regulation, due diligence and compliance Training support
Enhancing client relationships: emotional intelligence
We understand that as a financial adviser, you help to guide clients through life’s pivotal moments, such as retirement and market fluctuations. Enhancing emotional intelligence equips you to handle these conversations with confidence, setting you apart in an increasingly automated world.
Research shows emotional intelligence is linked to job performance and can be developed. By improving your understanding of emotions, you can enrich your client interactions.
We’ve curated series of training videos to help you develop your skills and explore how boosting your emotional intelligence can elevate the way you work with clients.
You can also read more about 'Why emotional intelligence is key for high-performance financial planners'.
The fundamentals of emotional intelligence
There are four components which are crucial for managing emotionally charged client situations and building trust.
Learn how financial advisers can develop emotional intelligence leading to improved client relationships and retention.
Understanding emotions in financial planning, and how they are integral to decision-making and can lead to different client behaviours.
Learn about the brain's involvement in emotion regulation and cognitive empathy and how to recognise and respond to emotional cues, to guide clients through emotional decisions effectively.
There are four key abilities which enhance client connections and business growth through trust and referrals.
Learn how developing emotional intelligence skills can transform effectiveness as an adviser and why a focus on reflecting which skills come naturally and which need further development can improve client work.
Managing client emotions and building trust
Learn the importance of building rapport with clients to foster trust and openness and techniques for building rapport. And understand how to initiate client interactions and ways to enhance connection from the outset.
Learn how the protocol can be used to build a stronger sense of understanding and connection. And understand how financial advisers can adapt to this mindset.
Active listening can enhance understanding and build trust. Learn the three levels of listening – Internal, Focused, and Global and techniques for practising active listening.
Recognising subtle emotional cues can deepen client trust and improve decision-making. Learn how to apply the Notice-Name-Nurture model to foster understanding, respect, and stronger client relationships.
Emotional regulation and stress management for advisers
Self-awareness offers the opportunity to pause and choose more constructive responses. Small habits help to build self-awareness and prevent reactivity and burnout.
Learn how self-regulation leads to maintaining a calm and grounded presence that fosters trust and engagement with clients, even amidst high-pressure situations.
Understand how cognitive reframing is used to help individuals shift their interpretation of situations to manage emotional responses and improve decision-making. And learn effective reframing techniques and how calming emotional reactivity and clarifying thinking, enables logical decision-making.
The effectiveness of mindfulness in advice work can help promote presence and reduce emotional distractions. Learn how regular mindfulness practice can increase calmness and emotional regulation capacity, which is crucial in high-pressure environments like financial advice.
You’ll also get tips for quick mindfulness techniques to help improve communication and performance.
Best practices and actionable tips
Integrating emotional intelligence into daily work can enhance self-management, emotional regulation, and empathetic connections over time.
Learn why regular reflection and feedback are crucial for growth in emotional intelligence and how consistent application and practice, even with small changes, can significantly enhance communication and client interactions.
Adapting your communication style to match a client's preferred style is crucial in building trust and ensuring your advice is well-received.
Learn about the DISC styles and how tailoring your communication to these preferences enhances client satisfaction and trust. Understand how recognising and managing your own communication style can prevent misunderstandings and improve client interactions.
Navigating difficult conversations is crucial in advice, requiring emotional intelligence to manage emotions effectively and prevent reactive responses that can exacerbate situations.
Learn techniques to help maintain control and guide conversations constructively, even in challenging scenarios.
Please use this form to record any learning and development activities you have undertaken.
The Trusted Adviser Method applies the concept of asking successive questions of increasing depth, combined with appropriate mutual disclosure, to financial planning scenarios.
The model is a guide to help you formulate and ask questions which invite your client to be vulnerable. Doing so allows you to connect deeply with your client, solidifying the relationship early.
James is a Chartered Fellow of the CISI, author of The Heart of Finance and a former financial planner. In October 2023, a year after selling his financial planning business, James founded Raise Your EI. After 15 years as a financial planner, he recognised the need for high-quality, science-based training in emotional intelligence to help firms and planners in financial services achieve success.