SOME ADVICE ON DEALING WITH CLIENTS
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After I spoke at the PATCA dinner meeting in January, several people approached me with specific questions about dealing with people with whom they interact. Such things as: - How do I convince a prospective client that I am the right person for the consulting contract? - How do I motivate my client's employees to cooperate with me? If they don't do what I need, I fail. - I'm a very strong personality (or alternatively, a very quiet personality); how do I use this to my advantage when working with other people? - What happens when individualistic people are forced to work in teams? Let's take these in order: How do I convince a prospective client that I am the right person for the consulting contract? Consulting services are intangible. Deciding to purchase a consultant's product - the output of his or her brain - represents a greater risk than the decision to buy something tangible. Thus the threshold of uncertainty must be crossed by the consultant in the initial interview - if not before. Only by being able to "prove" that you have successfully helped others, and that you clearly understand the client's (perceived) unique situation, do you have a chance. That's why it helps enormously if you can show you've worked with similar clients, having similar problems, before. The package of materials you provide either before or at the start of the interview is greatly enhanced if it includes letters from satisfied clients. It is extremely difficult to convince a prospect to take a chance on you if you don't have a proven track record. I recommend that anyone new to the consulting field find plenty of opportunities to volunteer his or her services to acquire the experience, and the testimonials, needed to "Cross the Chasm" [Geoffrey A Moore, Crossing the Chasm, Harper Collins, New York.] How do I motivate my client's employees to cooperate with me? If they don't do what I need, I fail. This is a great question! All too often, consultants believe they are working in a vacuum, when in fact they are often relying extensively on the goodwill of people with whom they don't have an ongoing relationship. Courtesy, respect and a genuine desire to make it easier - rather than harder - for those with whom you are working, go a long way toward creating the motivation and cooperation you need. Consultants who think they are "better than" the client's employees often find themselves sabotaged - or at the least, never invited back. Quite frequently PATCA consultants question why a colleague seems to get repeat business whereas they, brighter and more competent (at least in their own opinions) never get asked back. The answer is that intangible called having a pleasant and cooperative personality. People don't like to be made to feel uncomfortable, and don't usually ask for more pain. So the answer is, treat everyone with whom you come in contact as well as you treat the decision-maker. I'm a very strong personality (or, alternatively a very quiet personality); how do I use this to my advantage when working with people? I'm a New Yorker. My own personality is very strong - and I like it that way. Unfortunately, many people find it too strong: I've even been accused of being "abrasive" (moi?). It's really important that I know this and compensate for it by dressing and talking in a manner that softens the impact. This is the opposite of what I tried to do when first breaking into management while still a teenager. Then, I wore my hair in a severe style and dressed in sharp, tailored suits. I was trying to look older and stronger. Now I soften the look and try to look younger and gentler. Quiet personalities might consider taking the risk of being noticed instead of feeling safer in hiding. Slightly more attractive attire, a smile in the voice as well as on the face, and a real attempt to draw out other people, all help tremendously. In other words, know your personal strengths and weaknesses, and package yourself to take the best advantage of it. You can do this without being a phony. What happens when individualistic people are forced to work in teams? People often become consultants because they want to be their own boss, work their own hours and march to the beat of their own drum. They often chafe under the instruction of others. Teamwork requires a high level of cooperation, and often individuals need to subordinate their impatience in the service of the overall project. I am a strong advocate of "stars" and "heroes". I consider myself a maverick, in the best sense of that term - yet I'm often part of a team or a committee. Allowing other people to have their say, to express their ideas, to take as much time as they need to make their point - this takes nothing away from me. On the contrary, I learn by listening to others. It's important to remember that we are each faster learning about some things and slower to learn about others. Working on a team means taking the range of skills of the other team members into account. Being an expert in a specific field doesn't make you better than others - or even smarter. It simply means you know more about that specific subject. Expect other team members to bring their own unique expertise to the table. Respecting others often leads to their respecting you as well. Reprinted from: PATCA Newsletter, March, 1996. |