What should a first meeting with a financial advisor involve?
Practices that describe the first meeting in advance, including its length, cost, what will be discussed and what to bring, receive more bookings. Uncertainty about what happens and whether something will be sold is a common reason prospective clients delay.
Describing the first meeting in advance is the single highest-value change most advisory websites can make, because uncertainty about what happens is a primary reason prospective clients delay.
The unspoken worries are specific: will I be sold something, will I look financially unprepared, do I need to bring documents, and does this cost anything.
What to publish:
- Length and cost. Whether it is complimentary and roughly how long.
- What will be discussed. Usually the person's situation and objectives rather than products or recommendations.
- What to bring, if anything. Many practices ask for nothing at a first meeting, and saying so removes a barrier.
- Whether anything is decided. Stating that no commitment is expected changes booking rates.
- What happens afterward. How and when you follow up, and what the next step would be if both parties want to proceed.
Practices that describe this concretely receive more bookings than those offering a generic consultation. The information costs nothing to publish and it removes the main reason people postpone.
This is general marketing information, not compliance guidance. Requirements differ by registration type, firm and jurisdiction, and change over time. Confirm anything in this area with your compliance function before acting on it.
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