by Steve Fodor
I was in a meeting with a new client yesterday and I had what I would call a very refreshing experience.
You never know how things are going to go with a new client. It’s sort of like being on a first date and you don’t really know the other person yet. You think to yourself, “If I say this, will I offend them? Or will they think I’m too forward?”
Well, this particular client asked me what I thought about some of their current marketing materials (Yikes…now I was on the spot. And my boss was with me, too.) Well, I gave them a very honest, respectful and professional opinion. Their materials were written in a very literal, “one-dimensional” way. They did a good job of explaining the “what,” but did not translate information into a customer benefit. They used a lot of common, over-used terms like “value” and “quality.” In other words, there was room for improvement to give this brand some personality and make it connect with customers in more meaningful ways.
I spoke my mind. I was respectful, yet honest. And I qualified everything I said with past experience and examples.
After my pontification, our new client said, with a smile on his face, “Thank you for being honest. We need someone to keep us in check.”
New clients are hard to come by, especially in today’s economy. And if you’re in the agency business, the last thing you want to do is say or do something that will sour a relationship. But honesty, respect and trust are the foundation of any good business relationship. Clients will respect you a whole lot more when you lead by example and share your knowledge in a way that is not condescending. And the more I think about it, that’s true for just about anything in life.
I was in a meeting with a new client yesterday and I had what I would call a very refreshing experience.
You never know how things are going to go with a new client. It’s sort of like being on a first date and you don’t really know the other person yet. You think to yourself, “If I say this, will I offend them? Or will they think I’m too forward?”
Well, this particular client asked me what I thought about some of their current marketing materials (Yikes…now I was on the spot. And my boss was with me, too.) Well, I gave them a very honest, respectful and professional opinion. Their materials were written in a very literal, “one-dimensional” way. They did a good job of explaining the “what,” but did not translate information into a customer benefit. They used a lot of common, over-used terms like “value” and “quality.” In other words, there was room for improvement to give this brand some personality and make it connect with customers in more meaningful ways.
I spoke my mind. I was respectful, yet honest. And I qualified everything I said with past experience and examples.
After my pontification, our new client said, with a smile on his face, “Thank you for being honest. We need someone to keep us in check.”
New clients are hard to come by, especially in today’s economy. And if you’re in the agency business, the last thing you want to do is say or do something that will sour a relationship. But honesty, respect and trust are the foundation of any good business relationship. Clients will respect you a whole lot more when you lead by example and share your knowledge in a way that is not condescending. And the more I think about it, that’s true for just about anything in life.
Flickr Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sivaprakash/
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