It’s hard living in an imperfect world, especially with people that might expect perfectionism. Perfectionism is not realistic. There are too many variables, players on the field and unrealistic expectations to muddy the waters of doing good business.
But, being in the connected human economy affords us the opportunity to work with imperfection and even build trust through it all by simply communicating well.
If you want to build trust with clients, as a given, execute well. However, when you can’t deliver, communicate. It’s how I have built trust with clients for many years and it astounds me how poor most people are at communicating timely, honestly and with leadership. In the end, it does take leadership and guts.
Don’t hide. Don’t rationalize. Don’t wait for your client to dictate. Don’t be a coward.
I overcommunicate all the time.
I educate clients and ensure they are comfortable.
I listen carefully and dial into how clients like to be communicated with.
And it keeps things from building up into unnecessary crises. You can stay ahead of most things by addressing issues, being clear and being humble.
I can’t say it enough, when you can’t deliver, communicate. You will easily stand apart from other service providers and the many other options of people out there trying to deliver value. You will build trust by being transparent and leading.
Trust is hard to build and easy to lose. So, unless you want to churn through relationships, you can work on this specific skill and ensure your communications, whether in writing or verbally, always focuses on problem-solving, empathy and goals.
Trying to be perfect is not realistic. But trying to be more human and leading proactively with care can even turn problems into amazing opportunities for connection as you get on the same side of the table with those you serve. You get to go down the journey together with your clients this way.
