Clients First: The Two Word Miracle

Liking People

When JoAnn and I made the commitment to put our Clients First, we didn’t restrict that commitment to the clients we liked, we committed to liking all our clients. You can’t make clients feel special while remaining aloof and reserved. You can’t put Clients First while being a stranger to them and having them be strangers to you. Clients First is based on honesty, competence, and care. How can you care about someone you keep at arm’s length? Caring is about engaging and knowing clients. Practice getting to know your clients. Learn to like people.

We have a sign in our office that says, “Clients don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.” Every time I read that poster I want to add the words “about them” to the end. Another way to put it is this: People don’t want to do business with you until they want to do business with you. They want to do business with people they like, and they like people who like them.

Is it easy to like people? For some, it comes naturally. These are like JoAnn and the twentysomething newbies who raise their hand so the speaker can tell a joke and make a point. For others, it is a process taken on knowingly and not without struggle. These are like me, and I understand your reluctance. People can be a source of pain, ridicule, or embarrassment. But if you get out there and engage, begin showing an interest, and start asking friendly questions, you will find that everyone is just like you—filled with trepidations and ...