Why Clients Forget (Almost) Everything You Say—And What to Do About It

Imagine this: You’ve just finished an hour-long client meeting, walking them through their investment strategy, risk tolerance, and upcoming financial decisions. You shake hands, they nod enthusiastically, and you feel confident they understand. 

 Then, two weeks later, they call asking about something you spent 15 minutes explaining. Sound familiar? 

 The truth is, people- clients, co-workers, patients - retain far less than we think. Research in healthcare suggests that patients immediately forget 40% to 80% of what their doctor tells them—and about half of what they do remember has some aspect of it that is incorrect (Kessels, 2003). Financial planning meetings, packed with complex concepts, are no different. 

Why Clients Forget 

1. Cognitive Load – The more information presented, the harder it is to retain. Clients may feel overloaded with charts, numbers, and new terminology (Sweller, 1988). 

2. Learning Preferences – People absorb information differently—some through visuals, others by discussion, and some need to experience it in practice (Fleming & Mills, 1992). 

3. Emotional State – If a client is anxious (about money, family issues, or markets), their brain is prioritizing survival, not financial concepts. Internal distractions, like stress and emotions, take a toll on attention and retention (Vogel & Schwabe, 2016). 

4. Confirmation Bias – Clients may only retain what aligns with their pre-existing beliefs, filtering out crucial but uncomfortable information (Nickerson, 1998). Now is a great time to talk more about confirmation bias… actually, it probably is not a good time. You can read my book Numb if you want more of that.

5. The Forgetting Curve – Without reinforcement, people forget 50% of new information within an hour, and after that it, retention gets worse.

 What Advisors Can Do 

Here are five strategies to help clients retain and act on what they learn: 

1. Identify Their Learning Preference 

The MRI™ (Money & Risk Inventory™) helps uncover how clients process information—whether they prefer visuals, storytelling, numbers, or hands-on exercises. Ask: “Do you like to see things mapped out, discuss them, or work through examples?” Then, tailor communication accordingly. 

2. Use a Multi-Sensory Approach 

Instead of just talking through numbers, show charts, write key points, or use stories and metaphors. Studies show that people retain 65% of what they see and hear, compared to just 10% of what they hear alone (Medina, 2008). 

3. Summarize & Confirm Understanding 

At the end of meetings, ask clients to summarize key points in their own words. This reinforces learning and reveals misunderstandings before they leave. 

4. Reinforce Over Time 

Follow up with a recap email, a short video summary, or a brief call. Spaced repetition—revisiting information at intervals—has been shown to boost retention dramatically (Cepeda et al., 2006). 

5. Make It Actionable 

Clients remember best when they apply concepts. Give them a simple next step: “For next time, bring a list of your monthly expenses” or “Try this spending tracker for a week and we’ll discuss what you notice.” 

Meetings & Co-Workers: The Same Problem Exists 

This issue isn’t just limited to clients. In workplace meetings, employees and co-workers often struggle to retain information. Employees forget, too. This can lead to miscommunication, missed deadlines, and repeated conversations. In my opinion, inefficiency is the worst. Wasting time is #1 for me in the pet peeve department!

How to Improve Retention in Meetings 

·      Keep meetings focused. Avoid overwhelming attendees with too many topics at once. What is it that needs to be decided? What materials can you share ahead of the meeting to make it more efficient and focused? If there is one decision that needs to be made, that should be the title of the meeting. "What is the color of the lobby walls going to be?" That's it. I would go with darker colors for a lobby. Anyway....

·      Use visuals and summaries. Key takeaways should be written down or visually displayed.

·      Encourage engagement. Ask attendees to restate key points or discuss how they will implement them. No status meetings! They waste so much time and...no one is listening to each other make-up stories about their successes.

·      Follow up. Send a recap email or action list within 24 hours to reinforce memory. Keep it brief.

·      Use spaced repetition. Reiterate important information in follow-up meetings or check-ins. 

Remember... (See what I did there?)

Leaders, doctors, teachers—anyone conveying important information—must recognize how little people retain and adapt accordingly. A well-delivered message isn’t successful unless it’s remembered and applied. 

Want your clients—and your colleagues—to act on your advice? Start by making sure they actually remember it. 

To learn more about my work, visit www.CharlesChaffin.com.

Or…to explore our advisor programs, or schedule a demo of MRI™ for yourself or your firm, email me directly at DrCharles@moneyandriskinventory.com

References 

- Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380.

- Fleming, N. D., & Mills, C. (1992). Not another inventory, rather a catalyst for reflection. To Improve the Academy, 11, 137–155.

- Kessels, R. P. C. (2003). Patients’ memory for medical information. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 96(5), 219–222.

- Medina, J. (2008). Brain rules: 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. Pear Press. 

- Nickerson, R. S. (1998). Confirmation bias: A ubiquitous phenomenon in many guises. Review of General Psychology, 2(2), 175–220.

- Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285.

- Vogel, S., & Schwabe, L. (2016). Learning and memory under stress: Implications for the classroom. npj Science of Learning, 1(1), 16011.