Some people don’t recognize gold when they see it.
Not gold in the sense of the precious metal. I mean something
rare that others greatly desire. Something they wish they had.
Such as a conversation with a client.
Whenever I hear someone on an account team say, “We have a
meeting with the client,” I respond: “This is fantastic! You have a chance to hear
about their challenges, provide updates on industry developments, and can get
some insight into how we can make them successful. What are you doing to
prepare for the meeting?”
Often, the response is, “Well, it’s their meeting. We
figured we’d hear what they have to say.”
And that is like seeing someone throwing gold out the
window.
Every opportunity to meet with the client is as precious as
gold in your hand. First of all, the client is busy! They are trying to run
their business, meet the demands of internal customers, shareholders, and/or
leadership. The fact that the client takes the time to meet with YOU is
extraordinary!
Yes, you should go in and listen; but what are you listening
for? Have you discussed, as a team, what the latest news is at the client? Have
you checked their website? Checked news articles for any developments with
their competitors? Have you thought about something you can share about the
industry that they may not know? Will you leave the meeting with the client
feeling that the time they spent with you was incredibly valuable to them, such
that you can get another meeting next week?
Creating a strong, trusted relationship takes a long time.
It needs a strong foundation, built one stone at a time. But you can’t build a
stable structure on a pile of rocks. The foundation has to be designed with thought,
intent and planning.
Preparation for any conversation is vital to you achieving
what you want from that interaction, even if you claim you’re just going “to
listen.” Because if you don’t know what you’re listening for, you won’t know
when you’ve heard it.
