The Questions You Are Not Asking
About this episode
In this episode, Matt Reiner discusses the importance of asking open-ended questions to deepen client relationships in the financial services industry.
The most valuable conversations advisors can have with clients rarely start with the questions we were trained to ask. In this episode of The FutureProof Advisor, I explore why the financial services industry's natural tendency toward risk aversion doesn't just show up in investment decisions — it shows up in how we talk to clients. When every question feels like a test and every answer gets evaluated, we stay in transactional territory. And transactional relationships are exactly the kind AI and low-cost competitors can replace. The neuroscience behind this is worth understanding. Fact-based, binary questions trigger a client's defensive thinking — the part of the brain that's scanning for right and wrong answers. But open-ended, curiosity-driven questions do something different. They activate imagination, creativity, and openness. Shifting from "Did you maximize your 401k this year?" to "Tell me about your approach to saving for retirement" seems like a small change, but it fundamentally changes what's possible in the conversation. I walk through frameworks that help advisors navigate this gradual deepening of connection — moving from surface-level facts to meaningful…
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