In meetings, one way to help address this is to help a client feel more ‘certain’ about what is going to be discussed. This ‘certainty principle’ simply means that the more a client knows about the structure, style and timings, the more likely they are to feel engaged, relaxed and so make better decisions.
So, an agenda of sorts is better than no agenda – or is it?
We all know that clients can find agendas too rigid or imposed. This implies that the meeting is really about the adviser and not the client which can be more unhelpful than having no agenda at all.
So how do we address this challenge?
By reframing the meeting by using a ‘framework’ rather than an agenda, helps to overcome this paradox and get a sense of structure with flexibility.
Finally, try genuinely positioning it as ‘here’s a suggested framework for our meeting – feel free to edit, delete, change as you see fit.’ This encourages engagement, preparation, personalisation and hands control to the client.
