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Summer is the perfect season for advisors to deepen client relationships. Longer days and relaxed schedules make clients more receptive to thoughtful conversations—and these ten open-ended questions can uncover shifting priorities, life events, and opportunities. Even better: with Bento Engine, you don’t have to manually track responses or remember to follow up.
Let tech handle the heavy lifting, so you can scale personalized advice delivery.
1. “What’s at the top of your mind right now?”
A simple, broad question like this invites clients to share their current concerns—whether it’s market volatility or a big personal milestone.
Bento tip: Tag responses in your CRM (“Bento – Saving & Investing”,” “Bento – Buying A Home”) and trigger an actionable Alert with impactful follow-up content.
2. “Are there any upcoming life events we should plan for?”
Life events—marriage, college tuition, business ventures—often require financial adjustments. Identifying these early ensures you’re proactive.
Bento tip: Set up a Life-Event Trigger so that when you tag “Bento – Off To College” or “Bento – Getting Married,” Bento automatically delivers meaningful content into your CRM, prompting a dedicated review meeting.
3. “How do you feel about your portfolio’s performance this year?”
Beyond numbers, this question uncovers emotional reactions—confidence, anxiety, or even indifference—which can guide your communication style.
Bento tip: Based on their sentiment (positive vs. cautious), frame future age-based or Life Event milestones to either affirm their positivity or calm their cautiousness.
4. “What financial goal would you like to accomplish by year-end?"
Clients may reveal new objectives—perhaps a charity donation, home renovation, or a dream vacation. These become opportunities for deeper engagement.
Bento tip: tag any relevant Life Events in your CRM. Then, once the Bento Alerts have been created for you, reschedule the tasks as topical engagement reminders throughout the year.
5. “Which family members should we include in these conversations?”
Expanding the conversation to spouses, adult children, or trusted friends fosters multigenerational relationships and helps with wealth-transfer planning.
Bento tip: When you capture a new contact, ensure you get their date of birth so Bento can identify upcoming advice opportunities you can use for proactive prospect outreach to those family members.
6. “Do you have any concerns about upcoming tax changes?”
Tax law updates can have significant planning implications. Opening this dialogue positions you as a trusted guide through complexity.
Bento tip: Trigger an automated distribution of your firm’s latest tax-planning guide, followed by a “Let’s talk taxes” meeting-booking link three days later to capture fresh interest.
7. “What does ‘financial success’ look like for you?”
Everyone’s definition of success is unique—peace of mind, generosity, legacy building. Understanding their “why” fuels more meaningful advice.
Bento tip: Deliver a short video or infographic that aligns with their definition—e.g., an estate-planning primer for legacy-focused clients or charitable giving strategies for philanthropic goals.
8. “How often would you like to hear from me outside of our regular reviews?”
Client preferences vary: some want quarterly check-ins; others prefer monthly briefs or only on major updates. Respecting communication style boosts satisfaction.
Bento tip: Use a combination of these check-ins and the timely, impactful Bento Alerts for a holistic engagement approach.
9. “Are there any non-financial goals you’re working on?”
Well-being, career development, or health targets often intersect with financial plans. Showing interest in the whole person builds stronger bonds.
Bento tip: Tag personal goals (e.g., “fitness,” “career pivot”) and fire off relevant third-party content—like a “Retirement & Wellness” webinar invite—before circling back in your next 1:1.
10. “What can I do to make our relationship even more valuable?”
Inviting feedback demonstrates humility and a service-first mindset. Clients appreciate having agency over their advisory experience.
Bento tip: After their feedback, send a “Thank you for your feedback” note and set reminder tasks for you to implement suggested improvements—ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
Scaling Your Summer Outreach
With ten powerful questions in hand, the key is consistency—and that’s where Bento Engine shines:
Tagging & Triggers: As you log responses, use Bento’s Life Events tags to trigger an Alert allowing you to deliver the right impactful content.
Personalized Sequences: From market updates to how-to guides, craft each message to the client’s profile, life stage, and expressed needs.
Actionable Follow-Ups: Bento can sync with select AI meeting assistants, so meeting follow-ups, prep materials, and action-item summaries are delivered with minimal manual effort.
Performance Analytics: Monitor open rates, engagement scores, and booking conversion so you can refine questions and content over the summer.
