My stepdad passed away from motor neurone disease in January 2024.

Admittedly, my first thought wasn’t “better find my Mum a financial planner”, but the time soon came when she needed that sort of guidance and support.

Of course, working within financial services meant I wasn’t short of fantastic firms I could recommend to her.

It was more difficult than I thought it would be.

When putting my shortlist together, I didn’t rely on the fact that I knew these planners reasonably well. I still did my due diligence.

A common theme was that their marketing didn’t reflect the people behind the business or clearly explain how they support people like my Mum:

• Websites that focus on products rather than people
• No images of their clients or team across their marketing
• Limited social proof – usually no, or very few, online reviews
• Firm-led (not reader-led) language – think “we” rather than “you”
• No client video testimonials to show they help people in similar situations.

We were looking for something very different, and I wasn’t prepared to put her through endless initial meetings until we found it.

It had to feel right from the very start

I knew there were certain things my Mum needed from a financial planner:

• Genuine care for her and her loss
• Ideally a family-run firm (important to her)
• Someone who would take things at her pace
• A safe pair of hands to give her peace of mind
• A firm with plenty of independent online reviews
• A polished online presence that showed they care.

There were also a handful of things that weren’t high on our priority list, but that many planners chose to focus on in their marketing:

• The size of the firm or its AUM
• How extensive their tech stack is
• Sophisticated investment offerings
• How many other firms they’ve acquired
• How many letters sit after the adviser’s name.

I’m not saying these things don’t matter to your ideal clients, or that they wouldn’t have mattered to us once the relationship was established.

But initially, for want of a better phrase, I wanted someone who made me feel all warm inside. Someone I could trust to care for my Mum.

Build trust, don’t assume it

I’ve no doubt that the planners on my shortlist would have explained how they ticked off all of Mum’s criteria in our first meeting.

I could have vouched for them.

But that wasn’t the point.

I wanted my Mum to feel totally comfortable before we even got to that stage.

In the end, we chose a planner who made that easy:

• Their website showed real, candid photos of the team
• It was clear exactly who they helped, not just what they offered
• Client testimonials on their homepage made Mum think “that’s me”
• They had strong, independent reviews from people in similar situations
• Their messaging spoke in a way my Mum could understand and relate to
• Everything about their online presence felt human, authentic, and reassuring.

It gave her confidence before the first conversation had even happened.

In the end, it was simple

We had two other initial calls lined up that didn’t go anywhere.

One firm had to reschedule on multiple occasions. It might seem minor but, particularly at that time, reliability mattered. The whole experience damaged her trust in them.

Another just didn’t click with her. No hard feelings – not every firm will be the right fit.

The financial planner we ended up choosing ticked all of Mum’s boxes. Their marketing gave her confidence and, when we got on that first call, they were exactly as she expected them to be. As it happens, they’re also a Yardstick client.

A decision starts long before you meet

Being great in an initial meeting is undeniably important.

But we know that 70% of a consumer’s buying decision happens before that (‘They Ask, You Answer’ – Marcus Sheridan).

By the time someone picks up the phone, fills out a contact form, or walks into your office, they’ve already built a picture of you from:

1. Your website
2. Your reviews and testimonials
3. How you present yourself online.

If that doesn’t reflect who you really are, who you help, and why you care, you’re pushing prospects away before you get a chance to explain yourself.

And yes, that includes people who are referred to you.

Your marketing should be an extension of your business – how you actually show up for clients, with their voices to back it up. If you need help achieving that, you know where we are. Email abi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 896 5300.