Let’s face it: Many prospective clients just don’t feel the urgency when it comes to managing their finances. Often, this is because they are unaware of the financial risks they face, making it easy to kick the can down the road. Realistically, for a prospect to take action and hire you, they need to feel some degree of urgency or discomfort. So, how do you create a sense of urgency with prospects who may not feel it? Here’s how you can reveal latent pain points and encourage action:

• Highlight consequences of inaction: Share stories of working with clients like them to illustrate potential downsides they may face by waiting.

• Explain immediate benefits: Emphasize the rewards of proactive planning. Describe the immediate advantages of working with you now, and highlight the sense of peace and control they’ll gain by acting early.

• Ask engaging questions: Use questions like “Have you considered what may happen if [insert scenario]?” to guide prospects toward recognizing hidden risks in their current path.

• Show opportunity costs: Explain how inaction can cost them more over time—missed opportunities, lost compounding, and deferred growth.

• Take advantage of seasonal deadlines: Leverage year-end or tax deadlines to prompt action before opportunities expire.

By using one or more of these techniques, you can help prospects recognize the value of taking action on their finances now instead of putting it off for another 1, 5, or even 10 years.