Don’t Define Your Client’s Values

How Visionary Advisors Approach Values Conversations Differently

You are sitting in your client’s office, reviewing the personal values they selected in their FamilyOS account. One of them says that faith was the obvious choice. You nod. Of course it was. But unless you ask one simple follow-up question—“What does that mean to you?”—do you really know?

“Tell me what you mean by that” might be the most important phrase in the client values conversation. It shifts the moment from selecting values to defining them. And that is where trust deepens.

Inside our FamilyOS platform, every individual selects five personal values. Every family selects five shared family values. These are not chosen from a fixed list. They are selected and defined by the client. That is the first step.

The second step, and where the advisor adds real value, is helping clients articulate what those values actually mean to them.

This might feel unfamiliar. Some advisors worry that their clients are not expecting them to ask questions like this. They think their job is to focus only on the financials. But the moment you ask a question about personal values, clients realize you are willing to meet them where it matters most.

Others worry it might feel too personal. But you are not imposing anything. You are simply asking. You are opening a door. You are giving them space to reflect and share.

The same value—whether it's faith, education, or generosity—means something completely different to each person. And when you slow down and ask what it means to your client, everything else begins to make more sense:

Their goals. Their fears. Their motivations. The legacy they want to build.

Visionary Advisors know that you cannot build anything lasting for a client without understanding what matters most to them. 

So ask. Be curious. Let the client lead the way.