Bespoke Is B*ll@cks

FINANCIAL PLANNERS – Most of you would do anything for your clients. ‍ 

And that’s the problem… 

Sometimes we’re so eager to please that we just say ‘Yes’ whenever the client tells us what they want. 

Then we tell ourselves we’re offering a ‘bespoke service’—but we’re not. 

It’s a bit like a restaurant that cooks whatever you ask it to cook. 

It sounds good, doesn’t it? But it’s not. 

Restaurants have a menu for a reason. 

It’s been designed by the qualified professional (the Chef), in a way that allows it to be delivered… 

• With quality. 

• In a timely manner. 

• At a profit. 

Sure, the Chef can cook whatever you want technically. 

But they don’t. 

Because they know if everyone in the restaurant orders something different, they can’t deliver the quality on time and make a profit. 

That’s why they have a structured menu. 

Financial Planning should be the same. 

We should design our offering in a way that makes it clear—what we do, what we don’t do, how much it costs, and the process required to deliver it. 

If we’re at a sushi restaurant and someone asks for beans on toast, the answer is ‘No – but how about you try some sushi instead? You might just discover something great.’ 

Similarly, if someone comes in wanting just a product transaction, the answer should be ‘No – but how about you try some Financial Planning instead? Let’s see if we can introduce you to something great.’ 

Just because you know how to cook beans on toast, doesn’t mean you should.