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Outside Insights

We all want to become better financial advisers, but too often we’re all looking in the same places. While this will get you a long way, I don’t think it will get you all the way to becoming as good as you can be.

The way to become a better financial adviser is to look beyond the advice industry. Your next big idea won’t be found in the usual places; it will come from outside, from the world around you. That’s why I call this Outside Insights.

I’ll be honest: one of the reasons I stay in nice hotels, eat in good restaurants, and visit Michelin-starred places isn’t just for the comfort or the food. It’s because I get inspired. If you want to perform at the top of your game, you need to experience the top in other industries too.

The hospitality trade is a constant source of ideas. The best hotels obsess over details, from the warm greeting to the way issues are solved before you’ve even noticed, to the seamless way they anticipate your needs. Imagine if advisers approached client service with the same level of enthusiasm. Not just answering questions but pre-empting them. Not just meeting expectations but quietly exceeding them.

Restaurants provide another lesson. A good meal fills you up, a great meal creates theatre. The lighting, the timing, the service, the whole atmosphere. It’s an experience. Advisers don’t just deliver financial plans; we’re creating journeys. Years from now, clients won’t remember the charts and graphs, but they’ll remember how we made them feel and the peace of mind that your relationship provided..

And then there’s tech. Think about Apple, Uber, and Amazon. They’ve removed friction so completely that using them feels effortless. Where is the friction in your client process? What could you remove, automate, or simplify so that working with you feels that easy?

The mistake some advisers make is thinking inspiration only comes from other advisers. It doesn’t. To stand out, you need to widen your lens. Pay attention to what the best in other sectors are doing. Stay curious. Ask yourself: How could I borrow that? How could I adapt it to financial advice?

Every great adviser I know has a radar tuned to the outside world. They notice, they borrow, and they implement.

So next time you’re checking into a hotel, sitting in a restaurant, or using a brilliant new app, don’t just enjoy it. Take notes. The insights that can transform your practice are right in front of you, and most won’t come from within the industry.

That’s the power of Outside Insights.

📰 Articles & Blogs

How to have clients sell financial planning to themselves [4 minutes]. Clients are more likely to engage in financial planning when they convince themselves of its value, rather than being sold on the idea by the adviser..

Good Question. Wrong Time. [15 minutes]. Asking deep, reflective questions in financial planning requires careful consideration of timing and emotional readiness.

Tributes to Jonathan Clements [6 minutes]. Tributes to a giant of the personal finance world.

The Top Three Questions for Each Step of the Client Journey [6 minutes]. Key questions that should be addressed at each stage of the client journey to enhance client engagement and satisfaction.

Trust: The Only Currency That Matters [3 minutes]. The essential currency that drives successful relationships.

🎧 Podcasts

TRAPTRAP 79 - Consolidator Conflicts [96 minutes]. The TRAP pack discuss transparency around advisor incentives and compensation, the impact of consolidators in the UK, and whether the profession's online debates are nuanced enough or too black-and-white

When Prospects Say No Because They're Not Ready To Break Up With Their Current Adviser [29 minutes]. How to handle receiving the "soft no" after meeting with a client who seems like a great fit.

📚 Book Recommendations

Inheritocracy: It’s Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad by Eliza Filby. Parental support is the secret taboo of the modern world. Eliza Filby delves into the bank of mum and dad to explore how it impacts our dating, careers, children, and everything else.

🖼️ Visuals

The Size of European Economies by GDP (PPP) in 2025

Fed Rate Cuts vs. Other G7 Countries

Mapped: Global Inflation Rates by Country (2020-2025)

🍿 Videos

Do Difficult Things

At Humans Under Management London 2024, Charlie Walker presented on the importance of embracing challenges and taking risks. As an accomplished explorer and speaker, Walker shares valuable insights drawn from his extensive travels.