Love the Recession?

Since we are in the middle of discussing our BHAG I thought I would take a break from speaking about that and talk about how we should be with our employees and clients during a recession.
There are some things we will have to to keep in mind; there is PLENTY of opportunity in a down economy but our competition is going to be fierce. It is important that we all be superior and do so consistently. Our way of interacting with our employees and clients is critical.
If things get depressing out there you have the opportunity to be a source of joy for your clients and it will be important that they will WANT to speak to you. Creating engaging relationships is critical. Do you really know your clients? How intimate is your relationship? Are you leading the conversations and sharing about your own life? What questions are you asking to learn about our clients? Remember people do business with who they like.
Most importantly we it is important that we be excellent in our delivery of our service – we need to send resumes faster and they must all be extraordinary. The days of sending a candidate who is good enough are over. Everything our clients see from Wall Street Services have got to be excellent and we need our clients to expect that from us. Look for the WOW factor in the candidates you send and make sure it is abundantly apparent to our clients.
Be fearless in dealing with complaints and problems. Problems are a part of running a service business and cannot be avoided. It is how we respond that is important. Deal with problems head on and if you sense there are issues ask questions to make sure you are clear on the problem. Listen without defending yourself and don’t stop at merely apologizing but make sure you address the root of the problem. If this takes a meeting with your manager, tell the client or employee that you will do so and make a commitment to get back to them. Keep your word.
The most important issue is leading by example – allow yourself to get passionate about what you are doing and let it show. Remember – most people come to work like zombies. Excitement allows you to stand out.
Have fun!
Peter Laughter