Winning Clients When You’re Not in the Room: Why Proposals Matter

Often, a prospect’s decision to move forward is made when the advisor isn’t present. This is especially true when not all decision-makers, such as both spouses, are available for a meeting. So, the question becomes: Is my pitch clear and compelling enough for a prospect to confidently say yes on their own?

After talking with many advisors, we’ve identified three common approaches to proposals. Some advisors provide no proposal at all, trusting their personal interactions and expertise to carry the message. Others rely on marketing materials paired with next steps or recommendations to improve the prospect’s current plan. Then there’s the kitchen sink approach, where every detail is covered (we’re talking Sharpe ratios and beyond).

At Overvue, we, of course, prefer the second approach. However, it’s important to relate all three approaches back to the core challenge: when a meeting ends, can you trust that a prospect will effectively convey your message to other decision-makers?

The no-proposal approach generally works best for experienced advisors, but does their persona carry through when they aren’t in the room? In the kitchen sink method, you may educate the client thoroughly, but can they now teach it to someone else?

If we agree that a proposal can be useful, then let’s reframe the initial question: how do you provide prospects with the right tools to make informed decisions?

We support the second approach for two key reasons. First, advisors who operate without a proposal need to excel in sales, which is why experienced professionals often favor this method. However, most advisors achieve better results when they have well-structured presentation materials to support their message. Second, strategic communication is key. Effective sales and marketing typically follow a pattern—identifying a problem, presenting a solution, and reiterating the issue (hint: it’s happening now). The second approach allows advisors to follow this structure, while giving prospects something tangible to take home from the meeting. Letting a prospect walk out of your office with a proposal that sells itself might just be your key to success.

If we’re advocating for the second approach at Overvue, then we must strive to make it more efficient. By speeding up client data collection, we eliminate the need for statements. Automated portfolio modeling removes the hassle of manual inputs across different tools. And we generate clear recommendations and actionable next steps automatically, allowing both advisors and prospects to easily understand the current investment profile.

Ultimately, our prospects serve as our end marketers. When they leave your office, are they effectively spreading your message?

At Overvue, we answer these questions and provide the tools to help advisors deliver proposals that speak for themselves.