If Consulting Clients Were Dogs, Wouldn’t We Train Them Better?

Any parent worth their salt will admit that some of the most objectionable behavior their children display is a direct or indirect result of parenting decisions (or failures to make decisions).

It’s the same for dog owners. What was tolerated as cute behavior in a puppy becomes a lifelong habit that loses its charm in a full-sized dog. The dog’s fault? Nope. The owner’s.

Clients are also the same. We like to complain about clients who are too picky, too vague, too cost-sensitive.

As Todd Defren notes, that’s how we train them.

The same can be said of our managers and co-workers. We behave toward them in a way that affects their behavior. Then we’re the first ones to complain when they behave badly.

We need to pay more attention to the cues we give others about what behavior we expect from them. Here’s a quote from an excellent book/DVD on eliciting the behavior you want:

“When it comes to communication with a co-worker, most cues are non-verbal. The message is in a look in the eyes, in the body language. In a co-worker, the language is even more subtle. Clear reactive moments from an employee to their supervisor are fleeting. This is why a visual training tool is so valuable. Viewing a professional trainer working dynamically with employees can be far more enlightening than the most articulate description in words. As they say; a picture can be worth a thousand of them.” (excerpted from the Monks of New Skete, with some poetic licence)

When clients develop unrealistic expectations, how often do we let them dream the impossible dream, rather than be a downer and adjust their expectations?

If our focus is on the tactics and the billing, is it any surprise that’s where the client’s head ends up?

Part of managing clients is managing expectations, and teaching them what you know about strategic thinking.

Next time a seemingly friendly client bites you in the ass, you know who to blame.

Tags: management, consulting, business, public relations, clients, attitude, behavior, professional, todd defren, training