An Exercise in Utility

An Exercise in Utility

Everyone seems to talk about another lesson in futility in wandering through their days. Let’s look at what smart consultants (and any professional services provider) can pragmatically do to effectively and efficiently attract clients and customers.

I learn these things from merely walking around and observing. This is easy for an introvert, I have no need to start conversations with anyone.

1. People like to be heard, to finish a sentence, and to express themselves. Keep quiet. Let the other person talk. I’ve been led to the wrong places in the same store three times because the clerk merely hears a word (“music”) and takes me to the wrong place, all the while babbling on. (This is especially tough for speakers, who feel they need to speak even when not actually being paid to do so.)

2. Discriminate amongst those complaints, requests, and whinings which are legitimate and illegitimate. Nor every gravamen is valid or worth action. I’ll replace a damaged book even if it’s the postal service’s fault, but I’m not moving a workshop location because someone has a tough plane connection. Don’t allow yourself to be a ping pong ball. Be the referee.

3. Responsiveness is the heart and soul of service and building relationships. My observation is that virtually no one expects to actually reach the person they are calling these days. However, your willingness and ability to respond to phone and email messages within a reasonably short time will win you admiration and set the tone for what clients can come to expect from you.

4. Never take things personally. An unhappy client, a complaint, a clear setback—none is a personal reflection on you or your value as a human being. Separate your efficacy from you self-worth. Just because something isn’t done well or doesn’t meet expectations doesn’t mean you are a failure or didn’t put forth your best effort. (Women are worse at this than men, in my experience. Please send your letters to the complaint department, where they will be carefully read.) Distinguish between your intent and your result. The latter sometimes isn’t what we hope for, but so long as the former is correct and legitimate, you can always try again.

5. Be seen and be present. The best of brands constantly maintain a public image, and the worst of brands are at least trying to do so. Don’t shy away from a fight or debate in a good cause. I responded to a reporter’s inquiry yesterday about measuring training by telling her it was seldom measured, and then the wrong way, because there is a vested interest NOT to measure it. This is beyond stochastic. The result was that she was on the phone within 30 minutes interviewing me. Take your place among thought leaders in your field, or think of something else.

6. Be accessible. There was an article in the Wall Street Journal recently about Mercedes dealerships that close at 5 pm in California, so that business people can’t get there after work. Funny, I thought car sales were down. There are banks and pharmacies here open almost 24 hours a day. That’s how you build loyalty. Do people know how to find you? Are you still using generic domains like yahoo and AOL (“amateurs on line”), or do you have your own domain? If I type your name into search engines will I find you? Do you personally respond to comments on your blog and elsewhere? Is your contact information obvious on your web site, and do you have a physical address in your signature file (or should I somehow shove the book you wanted into the computer)?

7. Act with speed. Don’t be distrait when not appropriate. My auto people respond immediately. My cable people do not. The bank has short lines and very polite tellers who enjoy their work. The post office does not. Guess who gets the benefit of the doubt with me any time something goes haywire? Fedex does what it says it will. The phone company is another matter. Are you highly responsive and accurate? Are you gaining people’s trust?

The silliest event I ever attended was an IMC (Institute of Management Consultants) chapter meeting in Princeton, NJ about 10 years or so ago. (I had a red Ferrari, that’s how I measure time. And I’m not unhappy with the IMC—I’m keynoting their annual conference in Reno later this year.) But at this meeting, where about 50 people had turned out to hear me (presumably), the president asked EVERY person to introduce themselves and explain their business.

So they took well over an hour basically telling lies to other people who were not their customers in any way, shape, or form. What would have been better would have been their best 10 seconds on how they improve the client’s condition. (And still better, simply introducing me.) My wife, a sharp analyst of human nature, was outraged at the wasted time and inanity (we had driven five hours to be there). “These people,” she said, “can’t possibly be successful if this is what they think is important.”

Amen to that. Start to engage in an exercise in utility. See what you can do to think of the client, welcome the client, and develop the client. That’s the road to thriving.

© Alan Weiss 2009. All rights reserved.