Originally posted at fa-mag.com by Mitch Anthony, June 1, 2025.

Sometimes, the greatest value isn’t measured. It’s felt.

When I see all the tchotchkes being given away at financial conferences by fund and insurance companies, I’ve often wished some company would give away a crystal ball with their name on it. Then, the next time a prospect or client walks into their office and asks, “What do you see happening in the markets in the next year?”—you could pull out that crystal ball, stare at it mystically for a few seconds, and then look up and give one of the following responses:

• “I must apologize—this quit working in 2009. Nobody saw that coming.”

• “I’m glad you asked. We’re never going to pretend to know things that we don’t know. If someone tells you they know, they’re dreaming. The best we can do is look at your situation and make sure you are prepared for whatever might happen.”

Propping Yourself Up
An object can be a visual metaphor for the value a financial advisor brings to clients, as well as an excellent introduction. In the workshops I host called “StorySelling” (a name based on a book I co-authored) I use something called the “Prop Quiz,” a technique for unlocking analogical thinking and helping advisors determine what object or artifact could help them describe their value proposition more effectively.

As you can imagine, this exercise not only leads to “Ahas!” but also to some guffaws as well. During one presentation, a participant was given a remote control to use when telling his story. He approached it this way:

“How many of you use one of these at home? Of course, we all do. As common as it is, it’s still pretty amazing. You push a button and the channel changes—another button for the volume, another to record. Now, does anyone here really understand how scientifically this thing works? Probably not. That’s a lot like what I do. I push some buttons, and great things happen with your investments.”

I cut him off at this point. This is the “anti-prop” story—nebulous, goofy and confounding. Steer clear of stories like this one. The only thing it causes is the audience asking, “What in the world are you talking about?”

In other words, the prop must help you be clear, not corny or confusing. Take another story about a time a prop was used to the desired effect:

Keith Tyner and his team at Gimbal Financial in Indiana not only have a great value prop, they named their firm after it. “What is a gimbal?” I asked Keith. It’s an object that holds the compass steady on a ship. Without it, you can’t really know if you’re going where you think you’re going.

The fact that people likely don’t know what a gimbal is allows him to introduce the concept. From there he shares with prospects that his firm’s primary goal is to be a steadying influence in its clients’ financial lives, especially when the seas (in this case, the markets) are turbulent. Most people sabotage their financial well-being in stormy markets. Gimbal Financial does everything in its power to bring calm rationale to these periods of tumult and uncertainty.

Flight Manual
An advisor from Chicago I spoke with had a framed, dog-eared manual hanging in his office, which caught my attention. When I asked him about it, he told me that he was a pilot in the first Gulf War in 1991, and that was his flight guide. He said if it were not for the manual, he wouldn’t be sitting there talking to me.

He’s able to use it as a conversation starter for financial planning clients. He found that people were reluctant and even resistant to providing the necessary information to put together a personal and comprehensive financial plan. So he tells the clients that for him to do his job, he needs to have all the relevant information—with the example of the flight manual that will help them navigate their financial situation.

Picture Perfect
Your value prop can be as simple as a portrait, especially if it can explain your value proposition.

Here are some advisors I’ve run across who’ve used pictures as their value props:

One uses a picture of his family on a ski trip to Vail. He gives clients a presentation along with it.

“One of the first things I had to teach my kids when they started skiing is to pay close attention to the green, blue and black diamond signs on the slopes,” he tells clients. “If your skill level is green, and you accidentally veer off on a black slope, chances are you are going to tumble most of the way down.

“When it comes to investing,” he continues, “I like to offer the same warning. I need to take some time to know your experiences with investing—the types of investments you’ve been in, and the emotional response you’ve had toward owning those investments. You not only want to earn good returns, but you also want to get to the end and know you’ve enjoyed the experience. Where would you put your investment experience at? Green, blue or black?”

Growth Spurts
Another advisor I’ve spoken with liked to show her clients two pictures of her son (these sat on the credenza behind her desk). In one photo he’s age 15, and the next was taken one a year later when he was 16. He’s six inches taller in the latter photo. She asks prospects or clients if they have seen one of their own family members experience a major growth spurt. Some have a story, and some don’t.

“My son went from 5 feet 8 inches in eighth grade to 6 feet 2 inches in ninth grade,” she tells them. “It cost a lot for the wardrobe change! He looked like a different guy—suddenly we were looking up to him.

“The reason I tell this story,” she continues, “is because with investments you can never predict when the growth spurt is coming. If you’re not in the market at all times, you’ll more than likely miss it. It’s not about timing the markets, it’s about time in the markets. I don’t want to miss your growth spurt with your portfolio, so I’m always going to encourage you to stay in a place where you can grow.”

I encourage you to start thinking of a prop you can use that underscores your philosophy, your experience, and the value your advice brings to the clients you serve. I hope that the examples I’ve shared in this article from other advisors triggered an idea or two for you. Remember, it can be as simple as a photo that launches a story, or an object that leads to an effective analogy. Your value propositions will be better understood with the right value prop.