Once upon a time, being a wealth advisor was mostly about one thing: beating the market. You were the stock whisperer, the bond baron, the keeper of all things alpha. Clients came to you for returns. Full stop.
But times have changed. Returns are now table stakes and often outsourced to automated platforms, third-party strategists, or a well-behaved index fund. So if you’re still trying to differentiate based on asset allocation alone… well, good luck competing with a low-cost ETF and ChatGPT.
Today’s top advisors have a new value proposition: they aren’t just portfolio managers; they’re strategic partners for life.
Let’s break that down.
The Evolution: From Returns to Relevance
Modern clients, especially business owners and high-net-worth families, are no longer looking for someone to “beat the S&P.” They want a consigliere. Someone who understands the nuances of selling a business, navigating a liquidity event, managing family dynamics, and crafting a legacy that extends beyond the grave.
72% of clients say they want their advisor to understand their life goals, not just their financial goals.
— EY Global Wealth Research Report
Yet only 44% of clients say their advisor actually delivers on that.
— Same report. Oof.
There’s the gap. And here’s the opportunity.
Beyond the Portfolio: Welcome to the Advisory 3.0 Era
Strategic advisors today are diving into areas like:
- Business value acceleration: Helping clients understand and grow the enterprise value of their business before an exit.
- Liquidity readiness: Guiding owners on when and how to sell and what happens next.
- Family governance: Facilitating conversations across generations about wealth transfer, values, and control.
- Life planning: Supporting transitions like retirement, second acts, or charitable ventures.
You’re no longer just managing investments. You’re managing complexity.
So How Do You Scale That?
Here’s the rub: being a strategic partner is time-consuming. And you can’t scale a “trusted sounding board” like an ETF.
That’s where technology and tools like interVal come in.
interVal helps advisors offer ongoing business valuation insights, value creation monitoring, and liquidity event prep all in a way that feels proactive, personalized, and tangible. Even better? It integrates seamlessly into your broader client experience, allowing you to act like a consultant while scaling like a tech platform.
Fact: 98% of business owners don’t know the value of their business.
— CNBC
And yet, their business is often 80% of their net worth.
— Exit Planning Institute
Helping owners unlock and protect that value? That’s not optional. That’s a mandate.
The Future Is Human — and Holistic
The best advisors of the next decade will look more like strategists than stock pickers. They’ll have fewer “clients” and more “relationships.” And they’ll win not by outperforming a benchmark, but by helping clients outperform their expectations in business, in legacy, and life.
So… are you still selling performance?
Or are you building relevance?
Because one of those is replaceable. The other is invaluable.
interVal: Business Valuation. Relationship Activation. Strategic Elevation.
Ready to evolve beyond the portfolio?
Author: Matt Beecher
