Write so that clients WANT to read your work

What are other paraplanners and advisers saying about Communicate for Impact?

Alex Burrows, Paraplanner E Paraplan

“The Communicate for Impact programme has definitely helped me with my report writing and emails. I now think about what is important to the client and not to me/us, use simpler explanations and have regularly used the tools and tests when writing out more complex info in reports. I would definitely recommend it for Paraplanners/aspiring Paraplanners. Overall 9/10."

Charlie Rigg, Paraplanner, Financial Management Bureau Ltd

“It’s only when you do the assignments you realise how much you over use certain words and that these words may not mean much to your client. I was worried the assignments would be too much on top of taking exams but it was absolutely fine time wise.”

Becci Jones, Paraplanner, The Paraplanners

"Before the course, I struggled to communicate complex, technical terms and concepts efficiently. This would knock my confidence and make me doubt myself – even though I knew what I was talking about! Now I can quickly describe terms and concepts – making my communication much more client focused. These helpful techniques have really boosted my confidence and efficiency. I have had some good feedback from colleagues when proofing my reports and know that my reports are better understood by the end client."

Paul Stewart, Head of Bartlett Wealth Management

“Further to training from Melissa Kidd at Motem, our client reports are now far more concise, easier to understand and have greater impact at meetings. Thanks to Melissa’s insight and advice, we are better able to convey the value we are adding to clients in simple yet compelling language. Not only that, feedback from the compliance team has been very positive – they’ve said reports are now very well written, flow nicely and easier to read.”

Caroline Stuart, Sparrow Paraplanning Ltd

“Your extensive skills and technical knowledge are all well and good but how much use are they to a client if you’re not able to communicate simply?! Of course, no-one intentionally wants to bamboozle their clients and yet without possessing strong communication skills, that can often happen. This programme will give you the practical support you need to communicate with clients clearly, effectively and concisely. It will help you to simplify the complicated and explain technical jargon to clients quickly and easily.”

Andrew Findlay, Financial Adviser, Impartial Financial Advice Ltd

“Melissa Kidd is nothing short of a writing genius. Her ability to condense detailed technical concepts into a more client friendly readable content and teach us how to do it too, is quite literally astounding! And what is more, this is achieved without losing any of the importance or meaning. I highly recommend this course, to help improve your client communications and efficiency."

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome to Communicate for Impact

    2. Tour of the platform

    3. What to expect

    4. Where are you now?

    1. Welcome to the Attention module

    2. Attention tutorial part 1

    3. Attention tutorial part 2

    4. Attention Additions

    5. Attention Aid

    6. Attention assignment

    7. Feedback on Attention module

    1. Welcome to the Action module

    2. Action: Get faster responses

    3. Get Faster Responses Framework

    4. Action assignment

    5. Feedback on Action module

    1. Welcome to Articulate

    2. Articulate part 1

    3. Articulate part 2

    4. Translation toolbox

    5. Articulate assignment

    6. Feedback on the Articulate module

    1. Welcome to Axe

    2. Axe module part 1

    3. Axe module part 2

    4. Axe checklist

    5. Axe assignment

    6. Feedback on Axe module

    1. Welcome to Assemble

    2. Assemble

    3. Assemble checklist

    4. Assemble quiz

    5. Feedback on the Assemble module

About this course

  • £397.00
  • 40 lessons
  • 3.5 hours of video content

FAQ

  • Who is this SOLO course specifically for?

    It’s for individual paraplanners and advisers and other client-facing staff who want to communicate clearly. It's for you'd like to see fast results. This is because you'll receive tailored suggestions on your writing, without taking a day out of the office.

  • Who is this SOLO course NOT for?

    Financial services staff who aren’t client facing. If you’re part of an in house team and you’d all like to attend - the GROUP level is for you.

  • Which problems will it help me overcome?

    Clients ignoring suitability reports, letters and emails. Clients struggling to understand the advice. Risk of complaints being upheld by the Financial Ombudsman Service. You're spending too much time chasing clients and/or checking reports before they go out. Taking a whole day out of the office to attend training. Buying another online course and not completing it.

  • How much time will it take?

    Minimum 7 hours. 1 hour per module then a coaching call at the end of the programme

  • How do the assignments work?

    After each module, typically, you’ll send in three before and after examples of your writing – where you use a new technique, apply an idea or practise a framework. This is to demonstrate your skill development but also to illustrate how easy yet impactful small changes can be. I will offer suggestions where necessary explaining my thinking to support your development.

  • What’s the difference between DIY, SOLO AND GROUP?

    The content is the same, the support differs. In a nutshell, DIY is information and SOLO and GROUP offer help with implementing it.

Your Investment

Pay in one or in 3 monthly instalments

Your Communication Coach

Melissa Kidd

Melissa Kidd helps paraplanners and financial advisers to communicate more effectively so clients love talking to them and reading their work.

She's the Director of Motem Ltd and has a background in copywriting and psychology.

She co-wrote the PFS Suitability Report Writing Guide launched at the May 2024 conference.

Melissa has been trained by the Plain English Campaign, holds a certificate in coaching – accredited by the International Coaching Federation, is a Master NLP practitioner and has worked alongside the finance sector for over 10 years.

10 Biggest Problems Paraplanners Face

  • Managing the tension between the FCA and compliance

  • Feeling frustrated that your reports may not get read - even after your hard work.

  • Time - it takes longer to write a concise report than a lengthy one

  • Avoiding acronyms, technical terms and jargon when they're so everyday for you

  • Conveying complex concepts to those without much investment experience

  • Striking the right tone and sounding like a normal (professional) person

  • Writing concisely without losing meaning

  • Changing templated standard wording

  • Writing for people you haven't met

  • Pitching the information correctly - to dumb down or dial up?

Still not sure?

  • Clear, client-friendly AND compliant

    Remember... your number one job is to help clients make an informed decision. To understand the advice, they have to read it.

  • Increase your readability

    Therefore, your number two job is to make your writing as readable as possible. This means you need to understand structure.

  • Improve your structure

    To understand structure, you need to prioritise. Therefore, your number three job is to ensure that what clients care about - comes first. Of course, there are a few more jobs to do as well...

  • But you're short of time

    You need checklists, frameworks and ready-to -go sentence structures to put the ideas into practice instantly. You also can't take a day out of the office.

  • And you're spending too much time

    Checking reports, rewriting paragraphs and chasing clients.

  • This is your answer

    Communicate for Impact will help you write reports, emails and letters that clients want to read WITHOUT taking up lots of time in the process...