Sign In
Toggle navigation
Home > Exceptional Advisor Toolkit > Understand What Clients Need & Value

Understand What Clients Need & Value

Exceptional advisors not only understand what their clients need, they also know how to demonstrate their value to their clients.

The Exceptional Advisor™ understands what clients need and value. Using advanced knowledge gained through their Institute certifications, advisors can help educate and guide their clients to make the best decision for their particular financial situations. Take advantage of these online resources to better meet client needs: 
 

Exceptional Advisor: Communicate Your Value & Build Client Loyalty Online Course

Explore insights into the advisor-client relationship through this online course covering five modules to help advisors communicate their value and certifications. Based on research by AbsoluteEngagement.com, discover the characteristics of an Exceptional Advisor by uncovering and understanding the traits clients consider important, then create strategies for success. Learn more.

Research Studies

The Investments & Wealth Institute regularly partners with research organizations to conduct research on different topics impacting advisors and their clients. Understanding the results of this research will help you to understand what clients value. Studies include;  

  • Defining the Future of Investment Advice: Industry Dynamics and CIMA Job Analysis Study - Conducted in partnership with Human Resources Research Organization, this 2017 study explores the process and outcomes of a job analysis of 2,050 investment professionals worldwide to determine the advanced competencies professionals need to deliver the highest level of investment advice.
  • Building High-Net-Worth Knowledge Through the CPWA Certification – Examines how Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certification correlates with superior levels of advisor knowledge and success. Fielded by the Aite Group, 2017, the study gathered input from 436 advisors, including 77 with a CPWA certification.
  • High-Performing Advisor Teams – Conducted in partnership with Janus Henderson Investors by Cerulli Associates, this study takes a close look at the advantages of working in a team and the distinguishing factors of the most productive teams by analyzing more than 2,800 practices operating across both solo and team-based models.
  • Investments & Wealth Client Research 2017 – Fielded by AbsoluteEngagement.com and sponsored by Capital Group, this 2017 survey gathered input from 585 mass-affluent and high-net-worth U.S. investors with investable assets of at least $500,000 who work with a financial advisor and make or contribute to financial decision-making in the household to determine how advanced, voluntary designations or credentials support meaningful differentiation among advisors.
  • The Value of CIMA Certification to an Advisor's Practice – Examines how the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) certification correlates with practice success and career satisfaction for advisors. Conducted by the Aite Group, the 2017 study gathered input from 436 advisors, including 104 with a CIMA certification.
  • Investments & Wealth Institute and Strategic Growth: Continuing Education and Professional Development for Canadian Advisors – 2017 survey of 347 Canadian advisors conducted by CoreData Research looks closely at the role continuing professional education and certification play in Canada's investment and wealth management industry.
  • Canadian Investor Research – Explores how advisors can stand out when high satisfaction and loyalty do not set them apart. This AbsoluteEngagement.com study of 444 Canadian and 585 U.S. investors conducted in 2017 examines if and how advanced, voluntary designations or credentials support meaningful differentiation among advisors.