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