Client-Outcome-First Advisory
Start with client outcomes, then assemble the right solution
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
Client-Outcome-First Advisory reverses the conventional product-led sales process. Instead of opening with available products or past work, the provider begins by understanding the client's challenges, ambitions, aspirations, and desired outcomes. Those inputs define the problem before any solution is proposed. The adviser then contributes relevant knowledge from the broader sector, anticipates obstacles the client may not yet see, and assembles the tools best suited to the objective. This creates a consultative relationship in which products are ingredients rather than the starting point. The output is a tailored solution with a clearer connection to the client's goals and a stronger foundation of trust than a standard product pitch can provide.
Origin
Zach Buchwald developed this approach through advisory and institutional leadership roles at BlackRock before importing it into his work at Russell Investments.
Core principles
- 01Understand the client before presenting products
- 02Treat aspirations and challenges as solution inputs
- 03Anticipate problems rather than merely responding to requests
- 04Use relevant sector experience to educate the client
- 05Build trust through alignment with measurable outcomes
How to run it
- 1
Define the desired outcome
Ask what the client ultimately wants to achieve and how success will be recognized. Separate that destination from any product the client initially requests.
Pro tip Ask about ambitions and aspirations as well as immediate problems.
Watch out Do not assume the requested product is the underlying need.
- 2
Map challenges and constraints
Identify the client's current obstacles, operating constraints, and emerging risks. Include challenges the client may not yet be prepared for.
Pro tip Use sector experience to surface overlooked issues.
Watch out Avoid turning discovery into a disguised sales presentation.
- 3
Transfer relevant insight
Share lessons from analogous clients, sectors, or situations that can improve the client's decisions. Keep the insight tied to the stated outcome.
Pro tip Explain mechanisms and trade-offs rather than relying on credentials.
Watch out Do not overwhelm the client with unrelated expertise.
- 4
Assemble the solution
Choose products, services, and capabilities only after the outcome and constraints are clear. Combine internal and external tools when that produces a better fit.
Pro tip Treat every tool as replaceable if another option serves the outcome better.
Watch out Familiarity with a product is not evidence that it belongs in the solution.
- 5
Validate alignment
Show how each component contributes to the desired result and establish how progress will be assessed. Revise components when circumstances change.
Pro tip Restate the client's objective in their own language.
Watch out A technically strong solution can still fail if the client cannot see the connection to their goals.
In the wild
A benefits adviser does not begin by pitching a standard fund lineup. The adviser first identifies the sponsor's retirement-income goal, employee demographics, contribution constraints, and participants' difficulty making decisions. The resulting proposal combines matching, diversified defaults, education, and lifetime-income support around the desired participant outcome.
→ The sponsor receives a coherent retirement solution rather than an assortment of unrelated products.
A consultancy hears that a client wants a new dashboard but first investigates the intended business decision, unreliable data sources, and adoption barriers. It discovers that alerts and a simplified workflow would solve the problem more effectively than a feature-heavy dashboard.
→ The client buys a smaller solution that improves the target decision and is more likely to be adopted.
Common mistakes
Leading with the catalog
Opening with available products forces the client to adapt their problem to the provider's inventory. It also weakens the provider's ability to uncover the real objective.
Solving only today's visible problem
Ignoring external changes and emerging risks produces solutions that may become obsolete quickly.
Confusing activity with outcomes
Delivering products or reports is not success unless those outputs advance the client's stated result.
Is it for you?
Best for
Advisers, consultants, and service providers solving complex or evolving client problems.
Not ideal for
Simple transactional purchases where the customer already knows the exact product required.
From the transcript
“first and foremost, it's all about the client”
“if you start from a push out like here are the products that I have, Here are the things that I've done before, it almost…”
“The age that we're living in is how can I help you achieve the outcomes that you're trying to get to.”
From the episode
Managing the Shift from Pensions to 401k with Zach Buchwald
Zach Buchwald