Framework step 3: Set expectations early

Every advisor eventually faces the conversation they wish they could avoid — the moment a plan reveals that a client’s expectations don’t match reality. Not a small adjustment. Not a simple tweak. But a result that asks for real change.

This episode of Root Ready tackles one of the hardest responsibilities in advice: how to tell a client their plan won’t work without breaking trust, crushing hope, or damaging the relationship. It’s not about sugarcoating the truth. And it’s not about hiding behind software outputs. It’s about learning how to show up as the messenger clients actually need in moments that matter most. 

James walks through a practical, advisor-tested framework for delivering difficult news with empathy and clarity. From setting expectations early, to reframing outcomes as trade-offs, to borrowing proven techniques from how doctors deliver life-altering diagnoses, this conversation gives advisors language, structure, and confidence for meetings where emotions run high and solutions aren’t obvious.

The result isn’t just better plan delivery. It’s deeper trust. Stronger relationships. And clients who feel guided instead of judged, even when the answer isn’t what they hoped to hear.
If you want to become the kind of advisor clients trust most when things get hard, this episode gives you the mindset and mechanics to do exactly that.

Submit a question for James here: https://rootreadypodcast.com/

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