Practice scenario
How to tell a client their portfolio is down
Lead with the relationship, not the number. Acknowledge how the client is likely feeling before you explain anything, connect the moment back to the plan you already agreed on, and end on a next step the client controls. The hard part of this conversation isn't the data — it's staying present while the client is anxious. That's the part worth rehearsing.
Why this conversation is hard
Under stress, advisors default to reassurance or a wall of numbers — both quietly signal 'don't feel that,' and the client reads the deflection instead of the data. Getting the first 30 seconds right, and being comfortable with a pause, is what keeps trust intact.
How to rehearse it
- 1
Rehearse the first 20 seconds
Acknowledge before you explain. Practice an opening that names the client's likely feeling ('I know seeing that number is unsettling') before any market context.
- 2
Practice the pause
After you acknowledge, stop talking. Rehearse staying quiet long enough for the client to respond — most advisors rush to fill the silence and talk over the client's real concern.
- 3
Connect to the plan
Practice tying the moment back to the plan you built together, without promising an outcome. The message is 'this is why we planned the way we did,' not 'don't worry.'
- 4
End on a client-controlled step
Rehearse closing with a concrete next step the client chooses — a follow-up, a review, a question answered — so they leave with agency instead of anxiety.
Finaric lets you rehearse this exact moment with an AI that simulates the client and remembers the relationship — then coaches you. Practice before, not just notes after.
Frequently asked questions
- What should you say first when a client's portfolio is down?
- Acknowledge the emotion before the explanation. Naming how the client likely feels ('I know this is unsettling') lands better than opening with market data, which can read as deflection. Once the client feels heard, connect the moment to the plan you agreed on together.
- How can advisors practice delivering bad portfolio news?
- Rehearse the conversation before the real call. Finaric lets you practice this exact moment with an AI that simulates an anxious client, so you can work on your opening, your pauses, and your tone, then get coached — before the client is on the line.
- What's your go-to when clients are upset about losing money?
- Acknowledge the feeling before the numbers. A client upset about losing money is really asking whether you're on their side, so naming the emotion ('I know this is unsettling') lands better than leading with market data. Then connect the moment back to the plan you agreed on and end on a step the client controls. Advisors can rehearse this exact moment with Finaric against a simulated anxious client and get coached beforehand — it coaches the conversation, not the portfolio.