Effective Client Listening Habits

New Article for Advisor Engine

"Advisors want to lean in with answers but need to step back and ask questions so clients can arrive at their own solutions,” he says. “Curiosity, compassion and mindfulness allow clients to affirm their wisdom. Let clients guide the meeting and if you’re talking with a couple, encourage them to talk with each other rather than with you.”

Snippit from Advisor Engine:

Honing listening skills are a cornerstone of the annual "Mindful Advisor Retreat” at the Green Gulch Zen Center in Marin County, California. 

Overseen by Spencer Sherman, the founding CEO of Santa Monica-based wealth management firm Abacus Wealth, the retreat is designed to help advisors “enrich communication skills, emotional intelligence, and ability to connect deeply with clients.


Echoing the Zen classic “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind,” Spencer says advisors need to let go of assumptions and approach listening to clients “from a place of not knowing,” Spencer says. “Let go of categories and remember how unique each client is. Listen as if it’s the first time you’ve ever heard anyone say what they’re saying.”


Read the full article here!

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Four multicolored and multi-sized piggy banks against a teal background
By Spencer Sherman April 30, 2026
The beliefs that shape how we spend and save often have nothing to do with our actual finances, and everything to do with where we came from.
Silhouette of a head in water with a cloud-like shape above it on a gray background
By Spencer Sherman April 22, 2026
Rumination can feel like problem-solving. But when it comes to your finances, it may be costing you more than you realize.
A man, ashamed of a financial mistake, sits at a table, chin resting on folded hands beside a mug.
By Spencer Sherman March 31, 2026
Everyone makes financial mistakes. It's the shame that follows that does the most damage. Here's how to break the cycle.