No Longer Awkward: Communicating with Clients Through the Toughest Times of Life

by Amy Florian, Ken Florian (Contributor)

Life transitions put money in motion. Seventy percent of new investments and referrals to financial advisors result from transitions like birth, death, divorce, dementia or serious diagnosis, and retirement. Thousands of financial professionals compete for this business, touting their skill in investing money, minimizing taxes, utilizing insurance, and coordinating estate planning. Those who succeed in getting the business have one additional they understand the grief triggered by every life transition, and they know what to say and do to effectively support clients through the process. People look for professionals who understand their lives to give them their business. This kind of training is difficult for professionals to find. Most rely on what they’ve picked up from others, inadvertently perpetuating mistakes that hurt their clients and their business. This guidebook is the definitive resource for professionals who work with clients in transition. It is packed with insightful research-based knowledge and practical applications that have a profound impact on clients and professionals alike. The knowledge in this book equips professionals to truly serve clients, providing effective support in ways that others don’t. The added serving clients well through the toughest times of life builds long-term loyalty and enthusiastic referrals. It is good for the client, good for professionals, and good for business. What Others Amy Florian’s book No Longer Awkward does one simple thing very it helps you to respond sensitively and supportively in situations where a client is grieving. Along the way, she helps us understand why so many of our normal androutine responses can be so insensitive and unhelpful. You will do a better job with your clients by following the suggestions in this book. Amy Florian eloquently describes the life transitions and sources of grief every client experiences. Most financial professionals don’t adequately understand these transitions and are ill-equipped to guide clients through them. Amy’s prescriptions in this eminently practical reference guide teach us all what to say (or not say), how to respectfully honor a client’s grief, and how to communicate support in a professional yet personal way. Learning the skills in this guide is sure to improve the quality of client relationships and the value clients assign to a firm’s services. All financial advisors must deal with grieving clients. Unfortunately there's never been a guide that really explains what to say, what not to say, and how to handle these challenging and professionally awkward situations. Until now. "No Longer Awkward" is an incredible and incredibly practical resource for working with grieving clients, and should be required reading for every financial advisor!

Genres: Finance, Business

180 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2011

Reviews

[Michelle Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

Filled with excellent information on dealing with clients who are grieving. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone working with or has friends or family whom they are trying to support who are in the grieving process. Enlightening read.

[Jonathan Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent guide on how to engage with those who are grieving. Hard for me to read because like most people I do not enjoy thinking about death and loss.