Last Friday night, my friend and his wife and decided to go out to
dinner. He came downstairs in jeans and a t-shirt with plans to get a pizza. He didn’t even shave. After all, they had been married for over 25 years. How much
effort did he need to make? It’s the same woman he sees every day!
His wife, on the other hand, was beautifully dressed, as usual.
Outside, a car horn honked. In the driveway was a red Ferrari
and Ryan Gosling was behind the wheel. He knocked on the door. My friend's wife opened
it and Ryan Gosling handed her a bouquet of flowers. Ryan Gosling offered to
take her to a 5-star French restaurant.
Off she went.
Twenty-five years of marriage and, in one day, Ryan Gosling stole his wife.
Fortunately, not a true story. But it can happen to you
with your clients.
You have a relationship for 3, 7 maybe 10 years and it’s
gotten comfortable. You’re on autopilot. The work gets done, maybe not with the
same zest and sizzle as in the first year or two. But no one’s complaining.
Suddenly, the competition knocks on the door. The competition gets a meeting.
The competition starts whispering sweet nothings in the client’s ear, such as “data
analytics,” “robotic processing automation,” or “lower cost of ownership.”
Next thing you know, the competition has your client in the
passenger seat and they’re driving away.
Incumbency is one of the two hardest things to sell against.
(I’d be interested in comments on what you think the second is.) And
complacency is the Achilles heel of the incumbent service provider.
Remember: if you don’t treat your old client like a new
client, they soon will be an old client.
How you handle dates with your significant other is up to
you. Just watch out for Ryan Gosling!
