Certainty Advice to release AI-backed client ‘debriefing’ app

Advice consultancy firm Certainty Advice Group (CAG) has unveiled details of a soon-to-be-launched artificial intelligence-powered app capable of identifying key value drivers in client-adviser meetings and assessing planners’ relationship-building skills.

Announcing the app’s prospective launch during the firm’s annual conference in Sydney on Thursday, CAG managing director Jim Stackpool said the AI-powered tool would serve as an effective “debriefing” tool for advisers seeking to upskill.

The tool, still in the early stages of development, will serve to digitise and automate meeting transcriptions and provide quantifiably critiques to advisers, enabling them to rate the effectiveness of their processes.

“Advisers send us recordings and transcripts of their meetings all the time and ask us to critique the effectiveness of their advice processes, so we decided to automate that process and put Certainty Intelligence over the top to provide deeper insights in a timelier manner,” Stackpool said.

“This technology will speed up the process and, ultimately, help skill up-and-coming advisers quicker to improve their impact. It will also reduce dependency on senior advisers and enhance the overall client experience.”

The app’s AI model is backed by CAG’s proprietary Certainty Map, which sets key metrics for determining the key attributes of successful, productive and value-added client relationships.

Among the metrics used to assess and score users include their listening skills, controlling and probing behaviours, positioning and teamwork.

These metrics were determined through the collection and review of “thousands of recorded advice meetings, [and] thousands of advice documents over the past 20 years”.

“When you know what to look for, it’s easy to identify an ideal client. Not only can you identify immediately the people who will take advice and pay your fee, you can see what clients value,” Stackpool said.

The tool will be of particular benefit to junior staff, who often miss out on proper debriefing support by senior advisers, despite being a “fundamental part of training and mentoring”, Stackpool said.

“This tool can be used to provide feedback on what went well in meetings and any areas for improvement so firms can engage more consistently and add greater value,” he added.

CAG is a Sydney-based training and consultancy firm specialised for financial planners.

The Certainty App is slated for release later in the calendar year.