Personal Finance Financial Planning

5 ways financial advisers can enhance customer value

Enrico Louw|Published

Explore how the evolving landscape of financial advice, driven by AI and regulatory changes, is reshaping the role of advisers and enhancing customer relationships.

Image: File photo.

Advice that puts customers first

The way customers access and engage with financial advice is evolving rapidly. Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a significant role in how customers seek advice. However, the human element remains essential. Personal interaction will always be at the heart of how advice is received.

 

Advisers are supported by internal technical specialists, including product experts and investment specialists. We have dedicated product and fund specialists who work alongside advisers. This enables us to provide relevant, tailored guidance.

Adviser performance is no longer measured solely on sales volume. Increasingly, focus is placed on the quality and consistency of customer relationships.

 

Regulation Raises Expectations

The incoming Conduct of Financial Institutions (COFI) Bill is expected to formalise many of these shifts by focusing regulation on conduct and customer outcomes rather than products.

The financial services industry has been waiting for the COFI Bill. It’s finalisation is imminent. For advisers, this reinforces their role as trusted financial partners to customers.

COFI enhances customer protection. Advisers who are transparent and act in their customers’ best interest will thrive in this more accountable environment.

 

The regulatory changes are an opportunity. The regulatory landscape is changing, but these shifts present advisers with the opportunity to demonstrate real value.

Ultimately, the standard of financial advice will be measured by customer outcomes, not compliance checklists. This isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about lifting the standard of what great financial advice looks like—and delivering it consistently.

Louw shares five ways advisers can deliver greater value:

  1. Build enduring relationships
  2. Focus on sustained engagement rather than one-off product transactions. Trust, relevance, and education are central to delivering long-term value.
  3. Equip customers with context
  4. Educate customers about broader economic and market trends to empower better financial decision-making. Product knowledge alone is no longer sufficient.
  5. Leverage technology to personalise advice
  6. Use CRM systems and behavioural data to understand each customer’s needs, preferences, and life-stage priorities—enabling timely and relevant advice.
  7. Prioritise structured engagement
  8. Schedule annual reviews and check-ins to ensure customer strategies stay aligned with changing goals, circumstances, and market conditions.
  9. Support customers in all life moments
  10. Advisers must add value in both opportunity and adversity, whether guiding a bonus reinvestment or supporting through job loss or retrenchment.

As the financial landscape continues to evolve, advisers who embrace change—through improved tools, deeper relationships, and stronger commitment to customer outcomes—are best positioned to lead. The opportunity lies not in reacting to reform, but in using it to raise the standard of professional advice. In a market shaped by volatility, regulation, and rising expectations, the adviser who delivers relevance, consistency, and trust will define the future of the profession.

* Louw is the general practice principal at Old Mutual Personal Finance.

PERSONAL FINANCE