How to support grieving clients

Grief often takes people outside of their 'right mind.' Joan Didion wrote a whole book about it—The Year of Magical Thinking. And while intense loss looks different for everyone, it has a universal ability to disorient.

Ironically, survivors are forced to make big, life-altering decisions in this disoriented state. Those decisions often involve money.

I've seen several threads this week on why preparing for worst case scenarios protects our loved ones. What gets talked about much less is how we help the folks left picking up the pieces when loved ones did NOT plan ahead. And like it or not, this is a reality for tens of millions of Americans.

Guiding someone through the financial landmines of grief is one of the MOST VALUABLE things an advisor can do. It makes a real difference. And if you aren't sentimental, just know it can earn you a loyal and grateful client for life.

Speaking from personal experience

Early this month marked 10 years since my mom died. I was 26 at the time and an only child. Because my dad, who is bad at logistics during the best of times, was drowning in vodka-fueled grief, I handled most of the 'operations' involved.

Because of that, I take it personally when I see checklists to help families navigate death that miss the point. Often, these documents lead with tax considerations before backtracking, several pages later, to things like "How am I supposed to pay for the funeral?" No one talks about grief in a user-friendly way.

Even the language in this kind of content feels forced. I've never met someone who, in the throes of loss, says their loved one "passed away."  We add strange jargon to our vocabulary when we try to blunt the edges of death.

Sidenote: This is highly personal, and often depends on culture and circumstance. My perspective is just that; it's based in journalism training and personal experience and isn't right for everyone.

On marketing and grief

As hard as the conversations are in person, marketing around them is even harder. It feels tactless. But take it from 26-year-old me: If someone needs help and doesn't know where to turn, they'll reach out to the people who are most visible—who are marketing themselves. This is truer than ever in times of stress.

For every good advisor who is nervous about discussing or marketing around grief, a hundred bad ones have no such reservations.

And that's where the free content comes in. I created a checklist that advisors can use to help clients navigate death. Many of the steps will fall to a formal representative or executor, which may or may not be your client. Even if your client isn't responsible for all of these steps, having a guide can help navigate grief or support those in charge.

While this is a gift to you, it is more importantly a gift to the other 26 year olds (or hell, 56 year olds) that need it. The buttons below will take you two versions of the same checklist—one in a more classic design style and one with a more modern look. If you want to customize the tips or steps in the checklist to reflect your experience, advice, or brand colors, Content 151 will work with you at a significant discount. Just reply to this email to let us know.

And if you have tips for how you handle these discussions with clients, I'd love to hear them.