Complexity and affluence: Breaking the myth

As I consider the more prosperous client that I have served over the years, the more I see common traits and behaviors. For example, spreadsheets are very often used by affluent clients as a way to track the complexity, but not to try to reduce it. Many books are read, not to try to reduce the complexity of the world, but to simply better understand it.

As an example, one of the most powerful ways to add clarity to complexity is through the use of financial planning software. Building a financial plan can be very complex, indeed. The number of inputs and variables can be staggering for the client who holds assets in many accounts and has a multitude of financial objectives. When you build a plan and present it in a collaborative way by making adjustments with them, you bring a priceless gift of clarity that aids decision-making and cements the relationship with the decision-makers. By embracing complexity, you bring tremendous value in clarity.

All of this leads me to a suggestion: Stop using a message of simplification to attract the affluent. Almost all of them have long-since abandoned the myth that simplicity is good, and you should abandon that myth too.  If you want to attract more sophisticated clients, embrace complexity by harnessing strategies and tools that bring clarity to the situation, thus allowing for better decision-making in a complex world.