Why aren’t you inviting clients to do this?

This post is part of our Weekly Tips series.

(Did your shoulders just get a little closer to your ears?)

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the consultants and advisors I work with list a multitude of reasons why they couldn’t/shouldn’t do this. (It usually rhymes with “But we don’t want to impose” or “Our relationship isn’t strong enough to make that kind of request.”)

I also can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the solicited clients say how much they love (1) being asked and (2) participating even more so. Think about how you’d feel if you were the one being asked:

• You’d feel special
• You’d feel important
• You’d feel appreciated
• You’d feel listened to.

In fact, one of my recent interviewees specifically offered at the beginning of our call how much he appreciated the opportunity to speak with me. He said that this was the first time he’d ever been asked by a big firm for his specific feedback about the quality of his relationships with the people in it. He compared this to simple queries he’d gotten before about services rendered and concluded, “This is far more interesting.”

Here’s another data point: I’ve never moderated a client panel that did anything but generate a ton of good will and just as much useful information.

If it is an imposition, well, they can always say so. Or politely decline. If you’re concerned your relationship isn’t strong enough to make the request in the first place, then all the more reason to do exactly that.

Remember, sometimes the invitation matters even more than the willingness/ability to accept it.

So … what are you waiting for?

Make It Real

This week, look for opportunities to invite your clients to talk about their experience of working with you. What risks might you take to engage with them in a new and different way?

Learn More

Read an oldie but goodie about assessing performance in professional services, from our friends at Trusted Advisor Associates, or brush up on how to re-engage with a client in Chapter 19 of The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook.

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Andrea Howe

As the founder of The Get Real Project, I am the steward of our vision and our service offerings, as well as a workshop leader and keynote speaker. Above all else, I am an entrepreneur on a mission: to kick conventional business wisdom to the curb and transform how people work together as a result. I am also the co-author, with Charles H. Green, of The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook (Wiley, 2012).

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