How safe do your clients feel?

Continuing the conversation about how to manage client expectations, the second way to do it is by honoring your standards, and doing just what you say you’ll do. You may be thinking, “Stace…that’s just common sense!” Maybe so, but I think common sense really isn’t as common as it ought to be, and people sometimes choose to do things that aren’t especially in alignment with what’s “right.”

So here we are.

Bit O’Moxie: It all boils down to this: You must behave in such a way that your client feels safe with you. This is deeper than what most people think of as trust. This is a knowing for the client…knowing that you’re doing what you say you’re doing, knowing that you’re not over-billing, knowing that you’ll meet deadlines, knowing that you are exactly who you say you are.

The more that you run your business according to the guidelines (standards) you shared with your client when you first consulted with her, and the more that the client can see that you take care of things as promised (with no wishy-washyness), the safer the client will feel, the faster the client will trust, and the further the client will bring you along into her world and her business.

The number one thing that’s required in this? Transparency. No hiding. No keeping secrets. No fibs, or worse, lies. No spinning the truth about your capabilities. No saying that you can handle something when you don't have the skills or ready resources to take care of it. No disappearing--even for a day or two. No gaps in communication. And I’ll write more about this next week.

For now, know that it’s not something that’s up to the client--this feeling safe with you thing. It’s something you create within your relationship, and solely by your actions. Sure, some clients have “trust issues,” but by-and-large, trust issues (like jealously) only rear their ugly heads when there’s cause. So it’s 100% up to you to make investments in the relationship so that the client feels safe…is safe in her work and relationship with you.

When you stand for yourself (do the right thing for yourself), you’re also standing for the client. When you create order out of chaos for yourself and in your relationship, the client’s life will be better as well, and expectations will be far more easily managed.

Gimme comment love! Have a thought or story about creating safety for your clients? I’d love to have you post a comment and join in the conversation!

Comments

[Petra Boucher]

Hi Stacy

I would love more clarity around this. I truly understand that trust has to be built and that a lot of this comes from how I communicate with my clients, but I absolutely believe that I do a stellar job, and honestly get stuck sometimes, with trust issues that I perceive belongs to the clients and not me.

Because I have had unhealthy experiences, when I read the paragraph below I wondered how I could do better... but I will try.

"Sure, some clients have “trust issues,” but by-and-large, trust issues (like jealously) only rear their ugly heads when there’s cause. So it’s 100% up to you to make investments in the relationship so that the client feels safe…is safe in her work and relationship with you."

Thanks, as per usual, for providing 'food for thought.'

Petra

[Stacy]

Petra...

Babies don't come into this world knowing how to distrust. It's taught--I believe, based on behaviors they experience from others. Over time, even those who are generally trusting learn that there are behavioral cues they can see others exhibit that smack of hiding something, or being flat out dishonest.

I don't think many people walk through the world being distrustful of people. Instead, it's those situational cues they pick up on that tell them something is going on that they should be careful with. Usually, there's something that's making them feel unsettled, or unsafe.

In the relationships you have with your clients, you have the ability to show them they're safe with you. And if you do it, you're likely to be trusted and not treated as if you need to be watched or questioned. If you don't, the opposite will be true.

How safe a client feels with you is, for the most part, up to you.

Does that help?