Financial advisers must be committed and genuine when reaching out to clients, financial services education expert Jim Taggart says.

If they are not, it can be difficult to build rapport and understand their clients’ needs.

“Being grounded in a genuine concern for people is the bedrock on which highly successful advice businesses are built,” Dr Taggart, Chairman of Mentor Education, said.

“The more times a planner reaches out to a client with genuineness for them as an individual, the more comfortable they will be in revealing their inner concerns, aspirations and financial objectives and, in doing so, lay the foundation to better financial planning outcomes.”

Dr Taggart says financial planners seem aware of the need for greater interpersonal skills, because Mentor is fielding more requests for client engagement seminars and workshops.

“Planners need to do whatever it takes to make sure delivering exceptional client service is the No.1 priority for the practice. The reward will be strong new business growth and referrals as the result of a highly regarded business reputation, personal brand and a competitive edge over competitors and robo-advice providers.”