by Barbara Mencer
Job security, pay, and benefits ... that's what 500 managers listed as the top three things they thought mattered most to employees when it came to affecting morale. That's according to a survey conducted a few years back.
Wrong. In fact, their employees ranked those things 4, 5, and 6. That's quite a mismatch. So what could possibly have been more important than these bread and butter issues?
Full appreciation for work done. Feeling "in" on things. And the ability to get help with problems. Those were the employees' top three. Managers ranked those 8, 9, and 10, by the way.
So, what in the world does this tell us about successfully running a service-based business? Well, if you have employees, the answers are pretty clear. People want to be part of a team where they're kept informed, included, appreciated, and not left to fend for themselves. They don't want an impersonal, unengaged, arm's length experience. They want to be part of something that they can give their best to, confident that they'll have the trust, support, and positive reinforcement they need.
But here's the larger message. Clients don't want an impersonal, unengaged, pro forma, arm's length experience either.
They want to work with somebody who "gets" them and appreciates what makes them special. They want someone who really engages with them fully on a person to person basis ... versus putting them through some cookie cutter, assembly line process where they're just the next person in line. They want someone who really listens during the "intake" phase and designs a plan of action with their unique circumstances in mind. And they want someone who is committed to making things work.
The common thread here is the desire for partnership. Just as employees want to be accepted and treated as full fledged members of the team, clients want to feel as if their service provider is a full fledged partner with them as they strive to reach their goals.
Anybody can provide a service. Those professionals who stand out become
partners in their clients' success. But that requires a mindset that puts being of service and getting results above everything else, including going faster, doing greater volume, and making more money ... at least in the short run.
In the long run, being of service and getting the best possible results for clients is what makes a business super successful and produces the most generous reward in terms of both money and satisfaction.
I got to thinking about all this as the result of a recent experience.
I called a vendor to help with a project. I completed their questionnaire, outlining what help I needed. Within a couple hours I received a pre-proposal to review prior to the sales call we set up. I was very impressed with how quickly they responded.
Then I read the pre-proposal. It was apparent that no one had truly read my responses to their questionnaire. They were recommending all the things I very specifically said I didn't want. They had a bunch of extra stuff in the proposal AND they came up with a budget that was beyond what I'd given them to work with. By the time I had the first phone call with the sales rep, I was annoyed and irritated with the company. To me, it was a portent of what it would be like to work with that company.
Do you think I'll be choosing them? Nope.
Because I'm looking for a partner ... not just a contractor.
Which are you?
Warmest regards,
Barbara
