Are clients needy? Needy could be defined as a bad thing – Without, distressed or poor. I like to give it more of a positive spin. What is the requirement? What is necessary? What do they ‘need’? How can I help?
What is the best way to accommodate them, minimize the BS and eliminate or at best, minimize high maintenance? Clients demand, by nature that we provide the heavy lifting. That’s what we get paid for. However, some clients push the limits and create anxiety which is, in most cases, not necessary. All that does is frustrate the team and slow down productivity.
It all begins with an open mind, a common goal, a partnership and the key to it all – communication.
I try hard every day to give the client what they want, what they ask for and most important – what they need. That’s what I get paid for. Although sometimes, I’m not entirely sure they can define those needs and articulate the criteria as well as they think they do. That’s where it becomes a process and the best way to get from here to there is to communicate. That’s the partnership. They always have a responsibility and should be involved. The more they communicate – the easier it is to find resolution. After all, that’s what it’s about – identifying the problem and managing the solution. My job is to move them beyond expectations and deliver.
It’s not just, give them what they want. On the contrary, it’s give them what they need. Understanding the client, knowing who they are, what they do and how they do it is the best and most efficient way to get inside their head to find a proper solution.