What is your value propositions to your clients, really?
Lencioni gets to the heart of the matter with his book, Getting Naked. In his typical format, he uses his "business fable" approach to show rather than tell his business principles.
While the book is focused on the consulting profession, the principles are universal to any business that has to manage customer relations.
Here's the bottom line: clients want to know that someone is walking alongside them in the pain and uncertainty of business. This requires a vulnerable approach ("getting naked"). But there are "three fears" Lencioni says are always influencing the way we act with clients. They are:
- The fear of losing business
- The fear of being embarrassed
- The fear of feeling inferior
These fears are ever-present in our behavior, whether we realize it or not, and it takes intention and conviction in the principles of Getting Naked to combat these fears. This means:
- Be vulnerable and "get naked" with your clients
- Dive into the danger
- Tell the kind truth
- Admit when you're wrong
- Do the dirty work
Another way Lencioni says this is:
Always start by SERVING rather than SELLING. If you start serving (and thereby creating value), your client will realize your value to them and pay you appropriately. You will find it is easier to get higher rates this way also. People don't want to be sold to--they want to be served.
It's worth the 4 hour listen on audible (or 2 hour with 2x speed)!