SURE: a new technique to ensure clients have understood your advice

We naturally ask the client if there is anything they didn't understand and often, the client replies “No”. Or we ask if everything was clear and the client answers “Yes”. But can we rely on these answers as being an accurate reflection of whether the client truly has listened to and understood that advice? The answer is NO!!

Recent FCA guidance papers on vulnerable customers and the new consumer duty have emphasised the obligation to take steps to ensure the customer has understood our advice and recommendations and anyway, it is just good practice!

That is why, in this session, Jeff Heasman will outline his SURE technique for insurance and financial services professionals, based on concept checking, a method traditionally used in language teaching.

Concept checking is designed to determine, with as much certainty as possible, that the client has understood the advice. Easy to apply to day-to-day interactions with clients, the SURE technique will help avoid misunderstandings now and in the future.

Learning objectives:
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Identify the key elements of the skill of concept checking.
• Recognise the risk of certain types of questions when dealing with clients.
• Implement a strategy to use the SURE technique to ensure clients have listened to and understood your advice.

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