Goals Based Planning
What is our Goals Based Planning training?
Clients often arrive with a transaction request: “I want my tax-free cash”, “I’d like to invest a lump sum”, “I’d like to make a withdrawal”. The role of the financial planner is not just to process the request in the most tax-efficient way, but to ask why and uncover the bigger picture behind it.
This workshop gives your team the tools and language to shift every conversation from products and performance to understanding goals and creating outcomes that matter. We start by separating transactions from goals, then explore why clients ask for one but actually need the other. You’ll learn proven techniques from psychology like the Five Whys, mirroring, contra-questioning and emotional labelling so clients feel genuinely understood.
We’ll explore money stories and biases, because emotions and beliefs shape choices more than logic. You’ll practise framing so messages land well and learn how to set SMART goals that build financial plans clients can track. The result is a consistent approach across advisers that feels natural in the room and leads to clearer goals, deeper relationships and genuinely life-changing financial advice
What’s the benefit for your business?
When Goals Based Planning is done well, client objectives change from “long term growth” or “tax efficiency” to hopes, fears and the real things in life that clients are working towards. This makes advice more meaningful, relationships deeper and evidence good outcomes easier. You get a financial planning process your whole team can apply consistently, one that clients connect with, and compliance can stand behind.
- Replace product-led conversations with goal-led financial planning
- Increase client engagement by building a plan around real life outcomes, rather than performance
- Strengthen retention and referrals by celebrating progress at reviews and agreeing next steps clients feel motivated to take
- Create a shared language across advisers, paraplanners and compliance that keeps client goals at the front of everything
- Evidence good outcomes clearly, making it easy to meet Consumer Duty requirements and stand up to compliance or audit
- Build a consistent client experience so every adviser delivers conversations that feel natural, structured and impactful.
How the training works
The result is advisers who ask better questions, build deeper trust and keep client goals at the centre of the planning process. Your clients feel understood, your advice stands up to regulatory scrutiny, and your firm delivers planning that changes lives.
What people said about learning with Melo
Ben took the time to listen, understand what we wanted to achieve and provide insight from his years of experience. I feel comfortable that we are being guided by someone who knows what they are doing and, more importantly, listens to what we want and does what he says he’ll do.
Ben is thoughtful, inquisitive, knowledgeable, and forward-thinking. His support and insight helped hugely to deliver a first-class and rewarding session to a room of senior industry figures.
We had a great experience working with Ben on strategic marketing workshops. They were a huge support from start to finish, thanks to his talented facilitation and organisational skills. His knowledge and understanding of the financial planning profession was a big bonus too.
Want to talk things through?
Bite size
brilliance
Looking for insights that make a real difference? Visit the Wisdom Vault to access all our articles.
Visit our Wisdom Vault Listen to our Podcast29 September 2025
Why vision, mission & values matter
Vision, Mission, Values: The most underused growth lever in your firm Every…
29 September 2025
Melo brings in Gaynor Rigby as COO to help power its next phase of growth
Melo has appointed Gaynor Rigby as Chief Operating Officer as the business…
25 September 2025
Webinar replay: Advisory vs discretionary portfolios
Consumer Duty has raised the bar on how firms evidence their investment…
19 September 2025
Set red lines before selling your business
Why Deals Fall Apart Before They’re Signed Too many sellers start the…
19 September 2025
Webinar replay: Fixing bottlenecks in financial planning firms
Fixing real bottlenecks in financial planning firms: live surgery replay Every financial…