FINANCIAL PLANNERS – What’s the best personality type for us?

Introvert or Extrovert?

‘Both’ and ‘Neither’ is the answer.

To be a fantastic Financial Planner, we need conflicting skill sets.

That’s what makes finding great Financial Planners so hard.

1 ) Social Skills (Extrovert) 

People buy people. If you can’t build a human connection with your clients, it’ll be hard to get them to open up and explore what’s really possible in a financial coaching session. 
 
And even before that, if people don’t warm to you, you’ll likely find it tough to attract clients at all.

2) Technical skills (Introvert) 
 
Technical skills help us understand things, like product analysis, tax calculations, and passing our exams. 
 
But none of that matters if we don’t have any clients to use those skills with (see Point 1). And, even if you can connect with people and do all the technical work, that still isn’t enough on its own. 

When clients come to see you, the challenges they’re facing are often a messy mix of emotions, contradictions, limiting beliefs, false truths, and personal life experiences. 

In other words, when it comes to the issue they are wrestling with, their brains are all squiggly️. 

And we can’t help them if our brain is squiggly as well. 

We need another skill set…

3) Structure (Straight–Line Brain)

A great Financial Planner can spot when a client’s thoughts are all over the place and can help them build a clear structure in their mind. That way, the real issues come into focus. Decisions feel easier, and solid plans can be made.

So, all it takes to be a great Financial Planner is to be an Extroverted Introvert with a Straight-Line Brain! 

There’s actually a name for people like this – Ambiverts. 

Extroverts get their energy from connecting with other people and lose energy when faced with a technical theorem or a need for structural discipline. 

Introverts get their energy from structure and order and lose energy when forced to interact socially. 

Ambiverts would rather be doing other things than interacting socially, but if the connection is stimulating and debate-worthy, they become energised. 

They also enjoy technical work, but only when it connects to a real-world outcome or solution. Technical theorem for the sake of it doesn’t do it for them. 

Most importantly, they naturally spot chaos and feel driven to bring order. 

If this sounds familiar to you, you might just be an Ambivert. 

Ask yourself: 

• Do you have to make an effort to go to social events but come alive in deep, meaningful conversations?

• Do you find small talk exhausting but feel energised when the discussion has real purpose or passion?

• Do you struggle to get into purely theoretical analysis, but love doing technical work when it leads to a practical result?

• Do you love planning and organising? Does a messy room or a messy mind bother you enough to want to fix it with structure and systems?

If you’re nodding along, then chances are, you’ve got all the ingredients of a brilliant Financial Planner. 

Just remember… with great power comes great responsibility.

(10 bonus points if you know who said that! 🤣)