A business I work with has become used to not getting back to their clients quickly or effectively dealing with the frustration their clients express over this.
They are extremely busy all of the time and are feeling beat down to the point that they have convinced themselves this is acceptable.
When they relayed this to me I was quiet for a few seconds and then asked them, “So, you are okay with this?”
[quotesright]Of course, they said they weren’t okay with this, but that they didn’t know what to do about it. [/quotesright]
I suggested that calling upset clients back immediately was a good idea because clients you currently have are much more cost effective to keep then going out and trying to get new clients. Then I went silent.
Knowing my background as a business owner they asked how I dealt with this kind of situation in the past. “First of all, at my company everyone knew our goal was to be the best retailer in our industry in the country. Everyone was onboard with this goal. And when things did go wrong with a customer I always took the complete blame, as minimally I had hired the employee that frustrated them”.
The next day my clients sent me scripts they had written for how all clients are greeted in person or over the phone. They laid out, in detail, how all incoming calls and client visits were handled. And that everyone was called back within the hour, if not sooner.
They wrote how they planned to address their immediate and long-range goals to their staff at an upcoming luncheon they were doing for the entire staff.
So how did extremely busy clients suddenly have the time to detail important changes they were ready to make in how they interact with their clients and with their employees?
The answer is that their default resistance to change was overcome by the dissatisfaction with how things were currently, particularly in the new light I cast on their situation. It was a minor change in perspective. But it was huge for them as it triggered behavior change that would be carried forward and refined over time. [quotesright]Their belief that not responding in an effective way was demolished and that made change possible. [/quotesright]
It’s like a switch was flipped and suddenly they could see the light. Their mood instantly improved, as did their resolve to use this as a springboard for other changes as well.
We are all creatures of habit. And most of those habits are good. They let us know how to act in repetitive situations, so we don’t have to reinvent these acts continually. Like knowing which setting you like the toaster on for your favorite bagels or leaving your keys in the same place so you can find them quickly the next day.
[quotesright]But the habits that are bad have a huge negative impact on your life and business. [/quotesright]
Being grumpy with employees or being defensive about poor quality reports you’re producing is really no different than drinking too much or riding a motorcycle recklessly in that the results can have negative, life altering effects on your business and/or your quality of life.
As coaches we are outside trained observers who see what most business owners do not notice during the daily demands of running their business. It’s not a failing on the part of the owners, it’s just that someone who is a keen observer helps them see things they have become sort of tone deaf to.
We bring the skills, experience and insight to help our clients see a better and more productive path forward then help them follow the path. And what is better for your work and business is better for your life, because they are ultimately the same thing.
- by Mikke Pierson
