Relevance, rapport and relationships: Michael Turner on winning as a next-generation adviser

In an advice profession that increasingly speaks the language of scale, technology and structural reform, it is easy to forget that the fulcrum of every successful practice remains the relationship between adviser and client.

For Michael Turner, investment adviser at Hamilton Wealth Partners, that relationship is not an abstract concept but a discipline, one built deliberately over time through trust, relevance and emotional intelligence. For next-generation advisers in particular, he argues, mastering this discipline is the difference between technical adequacy and genuine client advocacy.

Relationships and trust

Trust, Turner says, is often misunderstood. It is treated as a binary outcome rather than a process. “It’s this massive thing that you’re never going to get early in a relationship,” he observes, emphasising that trust is earned incrementally.

Clients may initially engage because they believe you are competent, but belief must be reinforced through consistent behaviours. In practice, that means viewing every interaction, from the first phone call to the speed and quality of follow-up, as a stepping stone towards deeper confidence.

Confidence, in Turner’s framing, is the first pillar of trust. Reliability compounds. Prompt follow-up, clear communication and thorough preparation are not cosmetic flourishes but signals. Particularly for younger advisers conscious of their age, these controllable variables become critical.

“If you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” he notes, urging emerging advisers to focus on areas within their control rather than ruminate on perceptions of youth. Competence can be demonstrated in many ways, through preparation, client experience and disciplined execution.

Indeed, Turner encourages younger practitioners to reframe age as an advantage. Longevity can be positioned as alignment. He tells clients directly that he expects to be doing this work for decades to come, inviting them to view the relationship as a partnership over the long term. In an era where intergenerational wealth transfer is measured in trillions, continuity matters. The next generation of advisers can credibly offer it.

Personal touch

Yet technical proficiency and professional polish are only half the equation. The second pillar of trust, Turner argues, is personal connection. Advisers too often default to email when a phone call would suffice. “Something as simple as not sending an email, but making a phone call,” he says, can open space for human conversation, for asking about the weekend or a child’s graduation. These micro-interactions accumulate into relational capital.

Turner is explicit that advisers must see themselves not solely as technicians but as relationship managers. Developing interpersonal skill is “just as important as your technical skills.” That includes conscious attention to likeability, tone and context. Mirroring a client’s communication style, dressing appropriately for the environment, and demonstrating curiosity about what they care about are not manipulative tactics but acknowledgements that advice is delivered between people, not balance sheets.

High-quality meetings

The meeting itself becomes a theatre for this philosophy. Too many advisers, Turner suggests, focus on the “what” without probing the “why.” They catalogue assets and objectives but neglect the emotional substrate. Why did a previous advisory relationship fail; why does a particular financial issue cause anxiety; how does it make the client feel. These questions, he argues, surface the real issues, enabling advice that is genuinely tailored rather than procedurally compliant.

This diagnostic mindset requires advisers to think in terms of a toolkit rather than a script. Instead of leading with their favourite solution, they must first identify the problem and then select the appropriate tool. It is a subtle but powerful shift. In an industry still wrestling with legacy perceptions of product-pushing, the discipline of relevance is both commercially astute and ethically necessary.

Relevance also demands restraint. Early in his career, Turner admits to overwhelming new clients with every capability his firm possessed. He has since learned that if a service is not relevant, it is noise. Agendas can become safety blankets, long lists designed to fill an hour rather than solve a problem. The more sophisticated approach is to let the client lead, to identify what matters most to them and structure the conversation accordingly.

Relatable stories

Storytelling, Turner adds, is a powerful bridge between technical complexity and client comprehension. By sharing anonymised examples of similar circumstances, advisers can make abstract strategies tangible. Stories build confidence not through bravado but through demonstrated understanding. They allow clients to see themselves in the solution.

Finally, Turner is clear that relationships are tested, not proven, in moments of friction. When issues arise, whether rational or emotional, the adviser’s role is to acknowledge the concern and give it time. Dismissiveness erodes trust instantly. Conversely, a well-handled mistake, transparently addressed and competently resolved, can strengthen the relationship. Recovery, he notes, is often more powerful than perfection.

For next-generation advisers navigating a competitive and heavily scrutinised landscape, Turner’s counsel is both pragmatic and quietly radical. Master your craft, certainly. Embrace preparation, responsiveness and narrative clarity. But recognise that the enduring differentiator is relational depth.

Trust is built in layers. Relevance is earned through listening. Likeability is not frivolous but foundational. In a profession predicated on stewardship, perhaps relationships are the real compounding asset.

Laurence Parker-Brown

Laurence Parker-Brown is head of content at The Inside Network and managing editor of The Inside Adviser and Investor Strategy News.