36. The Trust Equation: How Behavioral Data Transforms Client Relationships with Marla Sofer

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You can deliver perfect asset allocations and outperform benchmarks all day long, but here's what Marla Sofer, founder of Knomee, knows after 25 years in financial services: those are just table stakes. The real differentiator—the thing that determines whether a client gives you 10% of their portfolio or becomes all-in—is trust built on deep understanding of who they are and what they want for their future.

Marla's journey from private banking to BlackRock to fintech revealed a critical gap in how we approach client relationships. We have incredible tools for portfolio management and financial projections, but we're missing the foundational data that makes any of it personally relevant: behavioral data about clients' values, motivations, attitudes, and the eight dimensions of their financial identity that actually answer the question "what financial product is right for you?"

This episode tackles why traditional discovery approaches fall short and how advisors can gather meaningful behavioral data without overwhelming clients with lengthy questionnaires they won't complete. Marla shares how Knomee uses gamification and engagement strategies modeled after Noom, Duolingo, and Strava to achieve a 95%+ completion rate—because clients are learning about themselves, not just feeding information to their advisor.

We dive into the practical application side: what to do once you have behavioral data, how to use AI to synthesize insights into conversation starters, and why existing clients need this depth of understanding just as much as prospects. Marla explains how behavioral data becomes the foundation for navigating life transitions, identifying what matters during market volatility, and proving you understand clients better than their own AI tools will.

Perhaps most importantly, you'll learn how to position gathering behavioral data with existing clients without making them feel like you haven't been paying attention all these years. Because the reality is simple: the level of trust you build through truly knowing your clients is the only sustainable competitive advantage in a world where asset allocation can be automated.

Resources and Guest Information:

• Knomee - Behavioral data infrastructure for financial advisors
• Knomee Freemium Offer - RIAs can try Knomee free for one month with five clients
• Knowing Me, Knowing You Podcast - Hosted by Marla Sofer, featuring futurists, financial therapists, and advisors discussing the emotional relationship with money
• Connect with Marla Sofer on LinkedIn

Connect with Host Ashley Quamme:

• Podcast Website: Planning & Beyond®
• LinkedIn: Ashley Quamme - Licensed Therapist & Financial Behavior Specialist
• Beyond the Plan®: Financial psychology integration services