Rachel Toseland

I thought it was really important to make time for the Raise Your EI training because there really isn’t that much training for financial advisers around the emotional side of money. There’s lots of technical information, but actually we need to be focusing on the emotions as well, so it’s something that is really important.

I haven’t received any training like Raise Your EI before. We often talk about training for clients who are maybe in vulnerable circumstances, and maybe then we’d bring in a little bit more about the emotional side of money, but to be talking about things in this way for all clients across the board is something that’s pretty new and something I would love to see more of, and I’ve now got a taste of it with the Raise Your EI training.

It’s important for me to understand my clients’ emotions because as their financial adviser, my role is to see them through a lot of different milestones in their life, and some are positive, you know, like a wedding or having a family, and some a quite challenging, like the loss of a loved one or a relationship breakdown. And if I can’t be there and be able to help them through their emotions at that time, I can’t fully serve them at my best and be the best adviser that I can be.

I got quite a few practical hints and tips to help to support my clients with their emotions. I’ve found that I’ve really been able to perceive emotions much more quickly and easily, even through non-verbal cues, and not even necessarily sat across from them, even through a virtual call. I’m starting to notice those changes in their emotions and see them on their face. So, it is having an impact on my day-to-day interactions.

I would say that the biggest benefit to me of the Raise Your EI training was not so much reading clients’ emotions; it was actually being able to manage my own. The nature of our job means that we deal with very emotional scenarios, and sometimes we find ourselves in quite difficult positions as advisers and I think that it’s so important to be able to recognise an emotional reaction that you’re having, be able to deal with it in a way that’s constructive and move through it so that you can better help the client in that scenario. So, I’ve learned so much about myself and how I can be the best adviser I can be, even before starting to look at clients’ emotions.

I’ve already started to notice myself making changes from the Raise Your EI training. I think that I am looking more at those non-verbal cues and being able to recognise where a client might be saying one thing, but their body language and their facial expressions, or even their tone of voice, is telling you something completely different – sometimes the opposite as well. So, being much more perceptive to those micro changes and then being able to adjust how I’m coming across accordingly has been really powerful.

I think that the Raise Your EI training will have a huge impact on my clients, because clients aren’t necessarily expecting a financial adviser to be able to understand their emotions and guide them through those difficult conversations. I think that, unfortunately, a lot of emphasis in our profession has been on the numbers and the jargon, and actually, our role is to help them through what they’re going through in their life, be it good or bad, and so I think they’re going to feel more supported, understood, and they’re going to feel a deeper relationship with us as their financial advisers.

I would say that the training has had a big impact on me personally. It’s really helped my confidence in dealing with emotional scenarios with clients. You know, sometimes as an adviser, you’re put in quite difficult positions and you’re having to navigate your own emotional reactions so that you can best be able to support the client. Now, I feel equipped with the tools to label my emotions when they come up, find helpful ways to deal with them and constructive ways to move through them so that I can then be fully present in meetings and be the best adviser that I can be.

I found James and his training style to be really friendly, and really easy to follow along. It never at any point felt like I was at school or in a classroom. It was really interactive, and I felt comfortable asking questions and sharing my experiences, and I felt very heard throughout the training, so I really, really enjoyed the way that he presented.

I would definitely recommend this training to other financial advisers and planners. There is so much focus on the numbers, legislation, and the rules, but when you’re sat across from a client and you’re helping them through a big life transition, probably the most important thing in that moment that you can do is to leave space for their emotions, understand what they need from you, and be best able to coach them through it. So, I think that this training is so important and so needed, and I think it would help any financial adviser, new or experienced.