How do you, as a financial advisor, successfully sell to doctors?
This question comes up all the time — and for good reason. Of the hundreds of educational videos I’ve created for financial advisors, my most-watched video is about this very topic.
Why Are Financial Advisors So Drawn to Doctors?
The appeal is obvious. Doctors are high earners with complex financial needs.
But if you take a marketing campaign that works for business owners (Suits) and put that same message in front of doctors (White Coats), you’ll probably get disappointing results.
Why? Because marketing to doctors follows a completely different set of rules.
If you want to attract, engage, and serve more doctors — you need to understand how to navigate their world.
Selling to Doctors Is Like Driving in a Different Country
In the U.S., we drive on the right side of the road. But if you visit the UK and try to drive on the right, disaster will follow.
Marketing to Suits is like driving on the right side — familiar, comfortable, and intuitive. Marketing to White Coats is like driving in a foreign country with unfamiliar rules.
Most advisors fail to win over doctors not because doctors are unreachable — but because they’re marketing to doctors using the wrong playbook.
The good news? Once you understand the “rules of the road” for doctors, you’ll not only get better results — you’ll stand out because so few advisors take the time to learn them.
Why Do Doctors Follow Different Rules?
Every professional group has its own culture — shaped by history, training, and values.
Doctors and business owners have very different definitions of success.
- Suits value profit. Financial success is the ultimate goal, and revenue growth is a badge of honor.
- White Coats value impact. Success means lives saved and improved. Profit doesn’t even enter the conversation.
In fact, for many doctors — especially older ones — money is a taboo topic.
As a physician, I even saw patients die because they were too embarrassed to talk about symptoms like rectal bleeding. Imagine how uncomfortable money conversations can be for doctors.
The Wealth Problem Doctors Face
Despite high incomes, many doctors struggle to build real wealth.
- There are about 1 million practicing physicians and 200,000 dentists in the U.S.
- 20 out of the 20 top earners in the U.S. are doctors.
- But about half of all doctors report being behind in retirement planning.
- Only half of doctors work with financial advisors, but those who do are more likely to be on track for retirement.
Doctors want and need your help — they just need to feel comfortable that you understand them.
The Key Shift: Embrace the B2D Swap
Marketing to doctors isn’t B2B (business-to-business) or B2C (business-to-consumer). It’s its own category — B2D (business-to-doctor).
The B2D Swap is the mental shift where you stop seeing yourself as just an advisor — and start seeing yourself as a wealth doctor.
Mirror How Doctors Behave
Think about how doctors put patients at ease. They ask questions, listen closely, and explain things in clear, non-technical terms.
Now imagine yourself in a white coat — and your doctor-prospect sitting in a patient gown, feeling financially vulnerable.
That’s the mindset shift. You’re the wealth doctor, helping your physician client diagnose, understand, and treat their financial pain.
How to Market Like a Doctor
1. Become the Go-To Financial Advisor for Doctors
Doctors rely on trusted referrals to find the right professionals. Your goal? Become the advisor other doctors recommend.
2. Use Doctors’ Own Words in Your Marketing
Doctors search for financial solutions online — and they use their own specific language when they do.
If you know the exact words doctors type into search engines, you can incorporate them into your website, emails, and presentations. That way, you’ll show up when doctors search — and your messages will instantly feel more relatable.
3. Ask Diagnostic Questions
Doctors don’t recommend surgery without first asking lots of questions — neither should you.
Ask:
- Where does it hurt financially?
- What have you tried before?
- What financial goals matter most to you?
This diagnostic approach builds trust and helps you offer better solutions.
Use Medical Metaphors to Build Trust
Doctors are comfortable with medical concepts. When you reframe financial ideas using medical metaphors, you make money conversations feel safer.
For example, if a doctor asks, “How safe is this investment?” you can say:
“Doctor, when a patient asks you if they’ll be pain-free after surgery, you can’t promise outcomes. But you can recommend the approach with the best data and highest success rate. That’s exactly how I approach investments.”
Doctors get that. It makes sense in their world.
3 Quick Ways to Make Financial Conversations Feel Safe
- Create a FIPAA Privacy Policy.
Inspired by HIPAA, your Financial Information Privacy and Accountability Act can feel reassuringly familiar to doctors. - Prescribe Documents.
Need paperwork from a doctor client? Order a prescription pad and “prescribe” the documents. They’ll smile — and they’ll deliver. - Address Burnout First.
Over 60% of physicians are burned out. When starting conversations, ask:
“How are you doing? What’s your plan for turning things around?”
Doctors appreciate the empathy — and the conversation naturally flows into how better finances can support their goals.
Redefine Wealth for Doctors
Doctors don’t dream of dying with millions in the bank. They want freedom — to work less, retire earlier, or spend time with family.
Ask:
“What would you do if money wasn’t a limitation?”
That’s wealth to a doctor — freedom to live life on their terms.
Final Tip: Get to Know Doctors Better
The more you understand the unique mindset doctors have around money, the better you’ll connect.
To help, I’m offering free digital copies of my books:
- The Myth of the Rich Doctor Click here to get your copy.
- The 9 Money Mistakes Doctors Make Click here to get your copy.
These books are packed with insights from hundreds of doctor interviews — and they’ll help you fine-tune your language and approach.