How to build a long-term beneficial and professional WORKING relationship!
As a professional marketer and copywriter company, we've had the pleasure of working with a wide variety of clients over the last ten years. Some of them are professionals in their field, while others are just starting out in the industry.
Whilst we’ve loved working with all of our clients and creating many inspirational projects and campaigns, there's one thing that we've noticed in many instances and that is they all try to hide their lack of knowledge on certain subject matter. It’s interesting! - and we get it. No one wants to admit that they don't know.
But the truth is, it's okay not to know everything. In fact, it's better to be honest about one’s lack of knowledge than to pretend that you know something when you don't.
There are a few reasons why clients might try to hide their lack of knowledge or experience at times. Perhaps, they're afraid of change? Maybe they don't want to seem like they're not in control. Or maybe they're just not comfortable admitting that they don't know something…
Whatever the reason, it's important for us to remember that our clients are hiring us for our expertise and experience. They don't expect one to know everything, but they do expect us to be able to help them achieve their goals. And if one is not able to do that because we’re too busy trying to hide your lack of knowledge, then we’re not doing our job.
So, the question here is: “How to get clients to be more open and honest with you?”
Here are a few tips:
Be patient and understanding. It takes time for people to learn to trust you. Don't expect them to come to you with all of their questions and concerns right away. Give them permission to discuss these aspects directly with you. Ask questions. The best way to learn about your client's needs is to ask them questions. Don't be afraid to ask the obvious questions. The more you know about your client's business, the better you'll be able to help them.
Be clear and concise. When you're explaining your ideas to your client, make sure that you're clear and concise. Don't use jargon or technical terms that they might not understand. We all need to understand that people are all at different levels withing their own space and may not necessarily be ready to approach their requirements from other’s perspective, or even have the answers.
Be willing to educate your client and discuss the process from their individual perspective. Do more than what the job or project requires and be available to hand it over upon completion, having met the brief in more ways than initially expected. Don't just assume that they should know everything, right off the bat.
If you can follow these tips, you'll be well on your way to building a strong relationship with your clients. And when you have a strong relationship with your clients, you'll be able to help them achieve their goals.
In addition to the tips above, it's also important to remember that you should never be afraid to ask for help. If you're not sure how to answer a question that your client asks, don't be afraid to say so. There's no shame in admitting that you don't know something. In fact, it shows that you're willing to learn. Just be available to find out what is needed in order to be able to provide a workable solution to the situation in hand and present it in a way that’s open and transparent.
Whilst we’ve loved working with all of our clients and creating many inspirational projects and campaigns, there's one thing that we've noticed in many instances and that is they all try to hide their lack of knowledge on certain subject matter. It’s interesting! - and we get it. No one wants to admit that they don't know.
But the truth is, it's okay not to know everything. In fact, it's better to be honest about one’s lack of knowledge than to pretend that you know something when you don't.
There are a few reasons why clients might try to hide their lack of knowledge or experience at times. Perhaps, they're afraid of change? Maybe they don't want to seem like they're not in control. Or maybe they're just not comfortable admitting that they don't know something…
Whatever the reason, it's important for us to remember that our clients are hiring us for our expertise and experience. They don't expect one to know everything, but they do expect us to be able to help them achieve their goals. And if one is not able to do that because we’re too busy trying to hide your lack of knowledge, then we’re not doing our job.
So, the question here is: “How to get clients to be more open and honest with you?”
Here are a few tips:
Be patient and understanding. It takes time for people to learn to trust you. Don't expect them to come to you with all of their questions and concerns right away. Give them permission to discuss these aspects directly with you. Ask questions. The best way to learn about your client's needs is to ask them questions. Don't be afraid to ask the obvious questions. The more you know about your client's business, the better you'll be able to help them.
Be clear and concise. When you're explaining your ideas to your client, make sure that you're clear and concise. Don't use jargon or technical terms that they might not understand. We all need to understand that people are all at different levels withing their own space and may not necessarily be ready to approach their requirements from other’s perspective, or even have the answers.
Be willing to educate your client and discuss the process from their individual perspective. Do more than what the job or project requires and be available to hand it over upon completion, having met the brief in more ways than initially expected. Don't just assume that they should know everything, right off the bat.
If you can follow these tips, you'll be well on your way to building a strong relationship with your clients. And when you have a strong relationship with your clients, you'll be able to help them achieve their goals.
In addition to the tips above, it's also important to remember that you should never be afraid to ask for help. If you're not sure how to answer a question that your client asks, don't be afraid to say so. There's no shame in admitting that you don't know something. In fact, it shows that you're willing to learn. Just be available to find out what is needed in order to be able to provide a workable solution to the situation in hand and present it in a way that’s open and transparent.
TAKE AWAY NOTES
The most important thing is to be honest with your clients. If you're honest with them, they'll be more likely to be honest with you. When you have an honest relationship with your clients, you can achieve great things together.
It’s called a working relationship and the best way, as cliched as it sounds, is to build that structure up from the get-go and let your client know you are accountable to far more than just the work that’s needed to be done on any particular project.