271 - The Power of the Rough Draft Meeting: Save Time, Reduce Revisions, Increase Buy-In
May 9, 2025
Discover the game-changing concept of rough draft meetings that enhance client collaboration and trust. Learn how presenting early-stage plan previews helps refine priorities like retirement goals and education funding. Explore techniques for giving clients more strategy options to gather valuable feedback. This approach not only boosts buy-in but also expedites the implementation process, making clients feel engaged and informed. Embrace technology to transform your client onboarding and streamline your planning process!
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insights INSIGHT
Rough Draft Reveals Real Goals
Showing clients a rough draft plan helps reveal the true intersection of their ambitions and reality.
It transforms vague goals into concrete, modifiable plans based on real feedback.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Rough Draft Meetings Early
Use a rough draft meeting to preview planning concepts and gather client preferences early.
Present multiple strategy options and ask clients to choose or combine approaches for better buy-in.
insights INSIGHT
Plan Success Means Client Follow-Through
The best financial plan is not the perfect design but the one the client follows.
Co-creating plans with clients creates stickier and more implementable solutions.
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I am excited to introduce Efficient Friday! Each week, in 10 minutes or less, I want to share a super tactical tip, idea, process, hack, etc with you that you can implement in your business right away!
I hope you enjoy this new format and I look forward to delivering super fast tips & tricks with you! You can also watch this Efficient Friday as a video on The Efficient Advisor’s YouTube Channel!
In this episode we dive into the rough draft meeting—a powerful but often overlooked step in the financial planning process. You’ll learn why pausing before building out final recommendations can save time, reduce misalignment, and lead to faster, more confident client implementation. We unpack how to set up, run, and maximize the impact of this collaborative session, and share real-world examples of how it transforms client conversations.
What you will learn in this episode 🤓
Why a rough draft meeting is the best way to confirm you’ve captured all client goals and data correctly
How to use early-stage plan previews to surface and refine big-picture priorities (retirement age, second home, education funding)
Techniques for presenting multiple strategy options (dividends vs. bucket strategies vs. annuities) and gathering client feedback
Ways this meeting boosts buy-in and speeds up implementation by making recommendations familiar before the final presentation
Tips for turning the rough draft meeting into a collaborative, high-value experience that clients love
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