I met Sandra (name changed for privacy) at a business networking event.
Sandra owns a digital marketing agency, employing nine full time staff and a handful of contractors.
Like any business, Sandra was keen to acquire more high-quality clients.
Sandra had come from a larger agency and had a reasonable network of past and potential clients from her previous role.
But she was struggling to gain and retain new clients.
Whilst prospects were delighted to meet with Sandra, she has a great reputation and is a professional and charming person, it was the follow up meetings with her staff where things seemed to derail.
I offered to visit her business to understand what could be done to resolve her challenge.
When I sat with her staff, one-on-one, the cause became apparent.
Sandra’s demeanour and attitude with clients, was vastly different to her demeanour and attitude when working with her staff.
With Sandra’s permission, I measured her behavioural and communication traits, driving forces, emotional intelligence and acumen.
I discovered Sandra was being authentic whilst with clients and also whilst with staff.
However, Sandra was operating from two conflicting belief systems.
I asked Sandra “How important is it that your staff project the same traits as you when with clients?”
Sandra shot back, “Crucial, I want them to be like me with clients because I know it works and it’s what I stand for. It’s our brand”
I asked, “Do you treat your staff the way you treat your clients?”
Sandra retorted, “Well they aren’t my clients and I demand very high standards from them. Their work is the technical part of the brand. It’s got to be creative, distinctive, relevant and timely.”
I nodded and asked, “Have you noticed that we tend to treat people the way we are treated?”
Sandra asked, “What do you mean?”
“Your people are treating your clients the way you are treating your people. There is a gap between how you treat clients and how you treat your people. The way we treat our staff and our clients is a part of our brand, and that needs to be uniform. Your people will naturally treat your clients the same way you treat your staff.”
I worked with Sandra for a couple of months to help transition her new awareness into effective habits.
What Sandra noticed first was the improvement in staff performance and productivity.
Then the culture changed to be more positive and lighter.
The client experience changed, and her business began attracting more clients of the right quality.
The Big Take Away
Treat your people with respect, care and brilliant service. They will respond and give both you and your clients respect, care and brilliant service.
Isn’t that your brand’s intention?
