Why ask why?

A couple of weeks ago I was having dinner with my friend Jonathan. The conversation turned to work and I told him about my experience meeting Simon Sinik, the consultant who pioneered the idea that companies who operate from the “Why” they are in business are more successful than companies that focus on “What” they do. For example Apple’s why is to change the status quo and they bring that goal to every product and market they enter. Dell makes computers to order. This is why Apple’s products inherently change the way we think and live while Dell gives us pink laptops.

I told Jonathan about hearing Simon speak and realizing that the core purpose was a critical ingredient to success that I had been neglecting. I spoke about the process of working with Simon to identify Wall Street Services’ core purpose of “Finding out what our employees and clients need so we can give them what they want.” After it was all said and done Jonathan looked at me and said “Yeah but isn’t that a load of BS that you tell people so that you can make more money?”

This skepticism is completely understandable as there are few companies that walk their own talk. It is not that they are trying to pull the wool over our eyes – I believe that when corporations take on righteous aspirations to take on a bigger goal they are generally sincere. It is just that making a shift to a purpose driven model is very difficult and at every turn you are slapped with the reality of struggling with the day to day problems that make shooting for the stars difficult. What’s more corporations are responsible to the bottom line and must answer to share holders that expect a return on their investment.

To those skeptics my answer is clear and simple – operating out of a purpose that calls you to be bigger than you are is ultimately easier, much more profitable and infinitely more satisfying.

Here is a great example – Last week one of our staffers, Vincent came into the office to give us bagels and cream cheese as a thank you for helping him attain his dream job. Vincent in being in his dream job is more likely to do great work that will come to the attention to our client. The client will be grateful for the job well done will give us more business. Vincent will be inclined to tell his friends and colleagues about Wall Street Services for referrals.

As a result of living our core purpose we solidified our relationship with our clients and positioned ourselves to get referrals from an excellent source. All of this makes our job easier in the long run.

More importantly it is more satisfying. Not just for the bagels. Providing someone with a job they love has a profound impact on their life. When you have done it a couple of times it makes dealing with the hard parts of this job much more pleasurable.

We have a long road ahead to have our core purpose present in all we do. Ultimately it will make us all richer.

Unrequited Love

Our theme for the quarter – “Love the Client” calls us to do just that. So how do we do it? I mean you might have some people who work at our clients that you like but love? I know that seems like a tall order, and it is. If we are to transform the relationship that this country has with labor (where only 14% report loving their jobs) the everyday actions we take toward our clients are going to have to shift radically.

As with dating – the first step to loving our clients is getting to know them. So for the next few weeks when you speak to clients keep your focus on getting to know them. Ask questions that reveal their true needs and go beyond individual preference. You want to find out what type of person who will thrive in their office. We need to be crystal clear. So clear that when we meet the right person you will know exactly where to send them.

To arrive at that understanding you will need to be intimate with clients. Questions are a great place to start so always have a couple in mind before you call. Don’t be daunted if they seem annoyed. What has Anne-Henley be successful is that she keeps going regardless of how the client is, either friendly or hostile. Ann-Henley just continues to be herself. Remember – like you our clients are busy. Although you are committed to making a difference for them and their organization you call may occur as an interruption. Don’t be daunted or react to hostility. Be your pleasant self and speak from your commitment.

If someone sounds hostile I usually start off with “I know how busy you are – I just wanted to find out a bit about your organization – can I keep you for 60 seconds for a question?” If they give you permission be conscious of keeping to the time you set.

I also position my question to let the client know why I am asking. For example “I want to know more about the people who are most successful here – can you tell me …?” Let your client know that you will use the information to further your needs. When they answer ask them to elaborate until you feel you would recognize this person when you see them. If this is taking too long break the question over several calls so you can keep to your pledge of not taking too much of their time.

Below are some areas to explore when speaking to clients –

• Candidate type – Who is successful? What did they do to become successful? What type of person were they?
• The needs of our contact – what would serve our contact the best? How should we communicate with them phone or email? What do they expect of us?
• Culture of the organization – What does our contact like most about working at the company? What struck our contact when they joined the organization? What one word description for their corporate culture would our contact give?

Remember – keep it light and look for the essence of what makes this particular client who they are. We can not do a precise job without knowing our clients

Enjoy your conversations

Peter Laughter