According to the Client's Perspective
Seeing things from their point of view can increase client retention.
One of the most valuable pieces of advice I’d ever received when starting out as an executive consultant was to “always look at things from the client’s perspective.” A close mentor and valued colleague would often repeat this statement as a reminder that would help keep the client’s needs at the forefront of my thoughts.
It was wise advice that profoundly impacted the way I do business. Moreover, it puts into perspective what the client is looking for, their expectations and provides valuable insight as to how they think.
If I can get a sense of what the client is looking for according to their perspective, that becomes my focus - synchronizing with their line of thought so that we are as closely aligned as possible to see things get done.
Aligning your perspective with the client’s is beneficial in that it yields the following:
I. It communicates to the client that you understand where they’re coming from.
Each individual has a distinct way of thinking, and it speaks volumes to a client when you can understand their line of thought and execute on behalf of their interests. Subsequently, it also makes working for them much easier.
II. It allows you to build rapport.
When two people work towards the same goal, and one understands the other, that increases the likelihood of cultivating genuine rapport, laying the groundwork for a solid working relationship.
III. It builds trust and gains their confidence.
The most crucial part of any relationship is trust. The client must be able to trust you, and one of the ways to affirm their trust is through understanding their perspective and, to the best of your abilities, carrying out your duties according to their specifications.
If you can demonstrate that, then you’ve shown you understand them, can relate to them (on some level), and effectively exhibited your competency in delivering results in line with their expectations.
Looking at things from the client’s perspective is among the most important practices to develop when conducting business. It is to your benefit to accommodate them as much as possible in this regard. After all, the client has elected to use your services and is paying you a fee to see things get done.
As a separate aside, having a good understanding of their perspective fosters a relationship and allows them to become more comfortable working with you down the road. Ultimately, this increases the prospect of the client retaining you in subsequent instances, barring the scenario that the job isn’t successfully completed.
When it’s clear you can relate to their perspective, this will undoubtedly build trust and personal credibility, further strengthening relationship ties and potentially increasing the prospect of client retention.
At the end of the day, seeing things from the client’s perspective is good way to go about business and something well worth putting into practice.
Many companies have been neglecting this point lately… Great reading!