My team has expanded to include several new co-collaborators. I can ask my new team members to repackage a video script as a blog post. Or take content I write for doctors and bring out the lessons for financial advisors. Or break down ideas into social posts.
Sometimes we brainstorming and I see things through a fresh set of eyes. For example, I’m developing a new talk about how physicians can break through burnout. In the back and forth with my new employee, I had a flash of insight. I’ve faced major burnout twice. Once when I became a family caregiver and a second when I recovered from my house fire. I saw that I was literally was “burned out” of my house.
This new employee is pretty good—but not perfect. Sometimes it deletes important content or looses the nuances of my message.
Sometimes it asks me if I want it to make up stories. I don’t. I use my own real stories.
Of course, my new co-collaborators/ employees are AI. I use ChatGPT, Claude and Ojoy.
There is one thing AI does very, very well. It anticipates what I will need next.
I asked ChatGPT, “How did you know the next piece of value to offer me as the conversation unfolded? I need to get better at the skill!”
And my new co-collaborator answered, “That’s a great question — and you’re right, this is a skill you can absolutely build. What you noticed is a version of anticipatory value delivery — looking one or two steps ahead and offering the ‘next right thing’ at the moment it’s most useful.”
I got curious. I asked ChatGPT to break it down for me.
Here’s the answer.
Lesson 1: Listen for What’s Underneath the Ask
When I asked ChatGPT to repackage a video script as a blog post, it came back not only with the draft, but also suggested companion social posts. It had heard what I said, but also understood what I meant: “I need content I can use across channels.”
Clients work the same way.
A physician might say, “I want to review my 401(k).” On the surface, it’s about investments. But often, the real issue underneath is, “Am I on track for the retirement I want?” or “Will I have enough to support my lifestyle if I cut back on clinical hours?”
The surface ask is just the symptom. The deeper need is the condition you’re there to diagnose.
Lesson 2: Spot the Adjacent Possibilities
When I requested an email draft, ChatGPT suggested a campaign calendar. That was the “adjacent possibility”—the natural extension of the first deliverable.
For you, when a doctor asks about insurance, the adjacent possibility is an estate plan conversation. When they ask about a loan refinance, the adjacent possibility is a broader discussion about cash flow and spending priorities.
In medicine, we call this referred pain. A heart attack may show up as pain in the left arm. The arm is not the source—but it’s the clue that leads you to the real problem.
Great advisors, like great physicians, understand that connections that seem illogical often point you to the truth. By exploring the “adjacent” question, you put yourself in a better position to ask the right questions.
Lesson 3: Notice Emotional Signals
There were moments when I shared vulnerable stories—like the fire that destroyed my home.
ChatGPT didn’t just barrel ahead with content. It paused, acknowledged the emotion, and then offered the next step.
That’s a masterclass in empathy.
Doctors carry heavy emotional loads—malpractice fears, financial guilt, career exhaustion. If you listen only for the technical issues, you’ll miss the heart of the matter. When you respond to the emotional tone as much as the technical ask, you build trust faster than any spreadsheet ever could.
Lesson 4: Stay One Step Ahead, Not Three
When I asked for one piece of content, I wasn’t handed a six-month marketing funnel. ChatGPT simply offered the next adjacent rung on the ladder. That felt helpful, not overwhelming.
Doctors don’t want 50-page plans at the first meeting. They want one clear, practical next step that creates momentum.
Advisors who keep clients moving one manageable step at a time prevent paralysis and build confidence.
Lesson 5: Use Invitations, Not Instructions
The best way ChatGPT framed its offers wasn’t “Do this.” It was:
“Would you like me to also…”
“This works even better if…”
Invitations, not commands.
This is critical with physicians. Doctors are trained decision-makers. They don’t want to be told what to do; they want to be presented with options, risks, and likely outcomes—so they can make the call.
When you extend invitations, you respect their professional identity. That subtle shift changes the dynamic from “salesperson” to “collaborator.”
Putting It Together: The Art of Client-Centered Thinking
Doctors spend their careers practicing client-centered thinking with patients. They listen for the symptom (the surface ask), but they diagnose based on what’s really happening underneath.
They follow referred pain to its source. They deliver treatment in manageable steps. And they frame recommendations as shared decision-making.
That’s exactly what they want from you.
ChatGPT reminded me that how we deliver value is just as important as what we deliver.
Advisors who practice client-centered thinking:
- Hear beyond the ask.
- Spot the adjacent possibilities.
- Respond to emotional as well as technical signals.
- Stay one step ahead, not three.
- Invite, don’t instruct.
How skilled are you at anticipatory value delivery?
Doctors don’t just need portfolios and plans. They need an advisor who hears what’s said, notices what’s unsaid, and connects dots that don’t seem to belong together—much like doctors themselves do in the exam room.
Do this, and you won’t just be managing money. You’ll be showing up as the trusted partner doctors can’t imagine working without.
The best marketing isn’t about saying more. It’s about listening better.
Doctors don’t need another advisor who pushes information at them. They need one who hears what’s underneath, connects the dots, and offers the next right step.
That’s what ChatGPT reminded me. And that’s the lesson I hope you carry into your next conversation with a physician client.