What Happens After ‘Yes’?

FINANCIAL PLANNERS – So, your client has finally said ‘Yes.’  

You’ve walked them through your proposed Financial Planning process, got them off the small questions and onto the BIG questions, presented the journey map, delivered your fees, and they’ve said ‘Yes!’. 

So, what to do now? 

I get many Planners asking for help when their clients say ‘No’ or ‘Maybe’, but we don’t talk enough about what to do when they say ‘Yes’. 

And it’s important we do, because let’s face it, if you’re going to balls something up, it’s going to be with a client that said, ‘Yes’ rather than one that said ‘No’. 

Let’s break this down.  

When a client says ‘Yes’, they’re essentially saying they trust you. They’ve bought into your pitch, your fees, and your planning expertise.  

But here’s the thing: you need to hand them over to your team seamlessly and confidently. It’s not just about shifting gears—it’s about a clean, professional handoff to your discovery team. 

‘Why the handover?’ I hear you say. 

Well, here’s the dirty little secret: we Financial Planners are amazing at talking about life goals and financial dreams. We’re great at untangling complex strategies, helping clients dream about retiring on a sun-kissed beach, and getting their lifestyle in order.  

But let’s be honest—we’re not the world’s best Administrators.  

Even if you are a whiz with paperwork, the truth is, someone on your team is probably even better. 

Your role in this phase is to acknowledge that, for a short moment, you’re in ‘salesperson mode’.  

You’ve just sold the concept of Financial Planning, walked the client through the pricing, and got that ink on the contract, but once it’s done, the sale is closed.  

The client is in, and now it’s time for you to get out of the way for a little while. 

A smooth transition is key. You, as the Planner, should step back, while your trusted team swoops in. They’re there to collect the cold, hard facts: policies, expenditure, and other data that will form the backbone of your planning.  

That doesn’t mean it should be a cold handover though—this is where the human touch comes in. 

Imagine this: You introduce your Administrator with the same warmth you’ve just spent an hour building with your client.  

‘This is Beth. She’s going to take care of gathering all your existing policy details, incomings and outgoings and she’s absolutely fab at collating all that stuff.’ 

‘Beth, this is Bob & Mary, they’ve come to us because Bob’s not in great health at the moment and they’d really like to know when he might be able to retire. Mary really wants them to spend more time with their new granddaughter, Millie.’ 

‘I’ll leave you in Beth’s capable hands and I’ll be back in a week or two to dive into more detail with you on what a great retirement would look like for you and your family.’  

Now, the client sees this as a team effort. They’ve met your colleagues, and you’ve set the stage for the next phase. 

This human handover isn’t just a nicety. It reinforces your role as the coach and Planner, not the admin or paper-pusher. You’ve got bigger fish to fry—like helping your client figure out how to retire comfortably or plan that dream holiday. If you’re also handling the admin work, it dilutes your professional standing. The client starts seeing you differently, and not in a good way. 

That’s not to say an Administrator role is somewhat lesser than a Planner role.  

It’s just you can’t be all things to all people and your clients aren’t dumb enough to think you can. If you pretend to be, then alarm bells will slowly start ringing in the distance. 

This leads to a crucial point: stay in your lane. Your skill set is Financial Planning. You don’t need to be fielding phone calls about withdrawals or tax guidance. That’s what your team is for, and your client needs to understand that. When they know who to call for specific needs—whether it’s Tom in Admin or Sarah in Paraplanning—you free yourself up to focus on what really matters: guiding your clients toward their goals. 

It’s all about balance. Yes, you sell the service. Yes, you get the contract signed. But then, you hand over the details to your team, allowing each expert to play their part.  

It’s a well-drilled process, and when executed properly, everyone stays in their zone of genius. Your clients receive expert service at every stage, and you remain the trusted, undistracted Financial Planner they signed up for. 

So, when the client says “Yes,” the works only just begun. But it’s not all *your* work. 

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