Those of us involved in client service and consulting live with a few recurring fears that if not dealt with can permanently damage client trust and loyalty. Patrick Lencioni, in his most recent book Getting Naked, outlines three main fears that can threaten strong and lasting client relationships: fear of losing the business; fear of embarrassment; and fear of feeling inferior.
To overcome these fears, Lencioni challenges service providers to be completely transparent and vulnerable with clients. He’s found through research and experience that clients are more interested in candor, modesty and transparency than they are in confidence, authority and perfection. Here are a few of his ideas on getting naked with clients:
1. Tell The Kind Truth – Naked service providers and consultants confront clients (kindly) with difficult information and perspectives, even if the client might not like hearing it.
2. Ask Dumb Questions – Naked consultants ask potentially dumb questions because if those questions ultimately help their client, it is worth the potential embarrassment.
3. Give Away the Business – A naked consultant will give away their best ideas and start consulting to the prospective client during a sales call.
4. Always Consult Instead of Sell – In fact, they’ll do no real selling at all, foregoing that activity in order to find a way to help a client even if they never actually become one.
I really like this final point Lencioni makes: Even beyond the world of clients, being naked has its benefits and advantages. When we can be vulnerable with the people we live and work with on a daily basis, we build stronger relationships, demonstrate our trust in them, and inspire them to improve by being vulnerable themselves.
Click here to watch Lencioni talk about his approach.
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