Candor With Clients: It May be Your Job to Tell Them What They Want

You don't run a delicatessen. You are not selling a pound of marketing or ten slices of public relations. The next time you build a client offering, consider all the options--and offer a winning menu.

Written Jun 14, 2010, read 2066 times since then.

As a professional, how often have you been asked by a potential client to do what you believe is absolutely the wrong thing to do?

After all, your job is not only to provide services but to provide services that work--services that really meet the the client's needs--even if the client hasn't even identified those needs yet.

I was asked in an email today "How much do you charge to write a publicity release?" My answer to that questions was "I don't know."

I don't know if a publicity release is the solution to this possible client's needs. I don't know what this person does. Perhaps he would better benefit from a series of customer success stories or a white paper or the creation and distribution of a survey or an award announcement. You get the idea, the list can go on and on.

Some people call it solution selling. Whatever one calls it, we take pride in our work and we know that a client is often befuddled and unaware what it is he or she should be asking.

One constant about my answers is that they are never exactly the same.

My practice in public relations has taken unusual twists and turns--everything from writing a script for IBM which was narrated by Walter Cronkite to convincing Jack Klugman to picket NBC just before he had a new show appearing there.

My point is that I rarely offer the same thing--but I always do what I think is the right thing, even if it means referring someone to a more appropriate competitor.

When you are approached for a possible engagement here are some questions (some of them obvious) I suggest you should ask:

What is your ultimate goal in wishing to take this course of action?

If you achieve that goal, what do you expect the results will be? Why are they worth the time, money and effort that will be expended?

What resources do you have to cause this to happen and what causes you to believe those resources should be spent in the way you suggest?

What, in your estimation, could go wrong--and how prepared are you to deal with that possibility?

Have you considered some of these alternate possibilities?

Frankly, there is no prepared script to deal with the myriad requests a creative professional receives. But there is a core value. You are there to give an honest appraisal.

We live in an age when many disciplines are blending with each other. One is rarely just a publicist, or a marketer or a social media evangelist. Each of us now needs to be all of those and more.

It is our job to know which of the many choices--or perhaps all--will be best choice for a client.

To me the best client is one who understands there is a logical progression to the strategy one takes. I try to suggest a course of events that will lead to an ultimate goal that is agreed upon.

That means we don't start on Day One with an appearance on the Today Show. We may end up there but it might require some appearances in Peoria first--then on to bigger markets prior to the network.

Nothing could be more important than setting realistic expectations from the outset. Clients appreciate candor.

In the long run your reputation for honesty will outlast the latest and hottest applications. And that, I think, is the way it should be. If you think a client is on the wrong course, stick to your guns. You may be surprised that he or she may come around to your way of thinking sooner rather than later.

Learn more about the author, Richard Berman.

Posted by Sahar Andrade, Burbank, California | Jun 14, 2010

Richard: It is very true integrity and honesty is what will stand at the end, though a lot of clients think they know better than you the consultant what they need and some will even discount your opinion if you put it that way but this will never stop me from doing the right thing. Richard, a great article yet again from you.
Posted by Shaun Lawrence, Irvine, California | Jun 15, 2010

Nice read. I have this happen all the time. With the internet they think they are smarter than you. In their shoes I guess I would be skeptical too, not every CPA is great. They just need to listed and apply that to their decisions.
Posted by Hugh Aaron, Cushing, Maine | Jun 15, 2010

Hi Richard: Very refreshing article. There's so much hype in our society, that what you write stands out.
Posted by Michael Schuett, Renton, Washington | Jun 17, 2010

Excellant points. I believe that most people do act honestly. I believe a lot fail to act candidly. Where candor serve YOU best is in renewal business. Having taken the chance of telling a client what they may not want to hear you greatly improve your chances of getting repeat business.

Michael Schuett

www.totalbroadcasting.com
Posted by Hugh Aaron, Cushing, Maine | Jun 17, 2010

I believe that candor, honesty can, on the surface, be costly, but at bottom is essential to self-respect. In the long run it attracts clients and friends who come to value you, your organization. May I recommend a marvelous book: Piero Ferrucci's "The Power of Kindness."
Posted by Jessi LaCosta, Carlsbad, California | Jun 17, 2010

Wonderful article, it resonates with my beliefs of delivering on promises and truly offering value to a client. Only in that authentic engagement will both parties win. Thank you.
Posted by Barbara Saunders, San Francisco, California | Jun 17, 2010

Great article. The ability to be honest about the work is one of the great advantages to being in business for oneself.
Posted by Marie Haggberg, Seattle, Washington | Jun 17, 2010

Thanks for this excellent article! I've encountered the same issues in the technical sphere, where a well-meaning client tries to recommend a low-cost or canned software solution for a business goal that requires comprehensive, custom development. I always explain the pros and cons of both approaches, and have found that even non-technical clients recognize when the obvious or easy way is not the right way.
Posted by Michael Hartzell, Seattle, Washington | Jun 17, 2010

Realistic and candor are two words that stood out.

thank for taking thinking to action and writing this.

@michaelharzell

Guerrilla Marketing Ideas that Rock!
Posted by Andrew Clarke, Chicago, Illinois | Jun 18, 2010

I know everyone likes to think clients "like candor", but I find that to be about as true as "the customer is always right". I would say "good clients" (who are usually the ones most likely to be successful in the long run) really do appreciate candor. But I have had more than a handful of clients who really did not want to hear any arguments, or accept any evidence, the contradicted their preconceived notions of "what works" and "what doesn't".

When we do a "feasibility study" for a client, our goal is to determine whether or not the project/venture/concept is feasible from the marketing/customer point of view. Sometimes the answer is, unfortunately, "no". That does not always get a positive reception.

My approach is to spend a lot more time understanding and educating clients before accepting a project, so my clients understand that whatever "answer" we come up with is going to stand on its own, rather than have the client come back and threaten us with a lawsuit because we did not find what they wanted to hear. Often, when we determine a particular project or venture is "not feasible", we find an alternative that is feasible. "Good clients" are OK with that, "bad clients" are not.
Posted by Emily Wigley, Vashon, Washington | Jun 18, 2010

What a good read, Richard, thank you. The importance of being honest with oneself first should always be kept in mind. Helping potential clients become great clients by showing them what/how you can help them is being a professional.
Posted by Morena Vattuone, New York, New York | Jun 23, 2010

Richard, you've hit the nail on the head yet again. Like others may have mentioned, it's not only about being honest with your clients, it's also about educating them beforehand on your process. The goal should be to get the ideal fit -- a consultant that respects a client's investment, but also a client that respects the consultant for the unique knowledge they bring to the table.