4 steps to help drive clients to action

Financial professionals can help clients move from intention to action by shifting the conversation from control to collaboration. Peter Bregman’s approach suggests that curiosity, empathy, and shared problem-solving are more effective than criticism when trying to change behavior.

The first step is to ask better questions and understand what is driving the client’s choices. From there, advisors can act as allies, helping clients define a clear outcome they actually want.

Once the goal is clear, the advisor can guide discovery rather than prescribe answers. This helps clients feel ownership of the plan and makes follow-through more likely.

In practice, this approach can strengthen trust while improving decision-making around spending, saving, retirement planning, and other financial priorities.