Value Adds are most powerful when they’re timely, relevant, and intentional. Knowing when and how to present them is just as important as knowing how to generate them. This article outlines the best use cases for Value Adds, so you can get the most impact in your client communication.
Why Timing Matters
Clients rarely remember investment performance charts or long technical discussions. What they do remember are clear, concise visuals that land at the right moment. Delivering Value Adds consistently helps:
Reinforce the value of your planning work
Spark deeper conversations (estate planning, spending, insurance, etc.)
Reduce fee pressure by showing tangible output at billing time
Keep clients confident in your process, even in down markets
Key Moments to Deliver Value Adds
1. Quarterly or Annual Reviews
Use Value Adds to anchor client meetings around a single, focused theme.
Example: Share a Guardrails report during retirement income check-ins.
Benefit: Keeps meetings efficient and prevents information overload.
2. Just Before Billing
Deliver a Value Add right before fees are collected to demonstrate the work you’ve done.
Example: Run a Net Worth report prior to an AUM debit.
Benefit: Clients see proactive value at the exact time they’re paying you.
3. Surge Meeting Prep
Send out certain Value Adds ahead of a Surge cycle so clients arrive prepared.
Example: Share Homework Value Adds to collect documents or verify information.
Benefit: More productive, shorter meetings.
4. Seasonal or Life-Stage Moments
Certain Value Adds align naturally with times of year or client milestones.
Beneficiaries – Fall, before holidays and family gatherings.
Insurance – Beginning of the year, when policies renew.
Long-Term Care – Milestone birthdays or retirement planning discussions.
Framing Value Adds in Client Conversations
How you introduce a Value Add matters:
Use plain language. Replace percentages with dollar amounts.
Keep it visual. Let the one-page summary do the heavy lifting.
Highlight action. Focus on what the client should do or think about next.
Example: Instead of saying “Your allocation is 60/40,” you could say,
“Based on your Buckets, you have 7 years of spending set aside in safe, liquid assets. That means your lifestyle is protected even if markets are rocky.”
Best Practice: Rotate and Reuse
You don’t need brand-new Value Adds every quarter. Rotating and recycling them every couple of years is highly effective:
Clients forget details and appreciate reminders.
Life changes (divorce, inheritance, new accounts) often make the same Value Add newly relevant.
Your team can systematize delivery instead of reinventing it each year.
Summary
Value Adds aren’t just documents—they’re moments of value. Use them before billing, in reviews, during Surge prep, and at key milestones to consistently remind clients why they trust you with their financial future.