Clients deserve better than what they are getting when it comes to preparing for and adapting to major life events. This shouldn’t be treated as some kind of esoteric, niche-y area. Every single client of yours will experience a major life event—a transition event.
Every Single One
Retirement. The death of a spouse or partner. Divorce. Inheritance. The sale of a business. A liquidity event. A legal settlement. Do you have any clients who have not or will not experience at least one of these events? Life is change and it’s about time we do more than pay lip service to that reality. It’s time to provide clients with a safe space and a knowledgeable guide. It’s time we say, “Tell me about your experience” and then listen to their response with generosity and curiosity and without judgment. It’s time to place the client’s human experience in the driver’s seat, and take our cues from them rather than imposing our directions and timelines on them.
If you’re ready to learn what makes times of change so challenging for clients and how to most skillfully work with them, join our one-of-a-kind community by applying for Core training. And if an introductory workshop is more your speed right now, you can do that too. Either way, clients-in-transition aren’t going anywhere—unless they’re leaving you for an advisor who better understands what they are experiencing.
Susan Bradley, CFP, CeFT, is the founder of the Sudden Money Institute.