Articles

Managing Client Crises

 I recently interviewed a client of mine on the topic of client crises, in preparation for a program I was designing for her organization. “Do you have all night?” she asked, laughing, “They’re continuous!” Every professional who works with clients faces periodic crises or “rough patches” in his or her relationships—it’s inevitable. Because of the […]

The Ring of Power

In JRR Tolkien’s trilogy The Lord of the Rings, there is a gold ring, forged by an evil demon, which is the centerpiece of the plot. The owner of the ring is granted near-immortality, and placing it on a finger renders the bearer invisible. The ring’s immense power is a corrupting influence, however, and eventually […]

15 Pitfalls of Advising Clients

Advising Clients Doesn’t Have to be Hard Serving clients requires constant vigilance. While we are forced as consumers to tolerate personal computers which constantly malfunction (usually due to software problems), we know that a single mistake during a client engagement could seriously damage—or at worst end—a client relationship. Here is a compendium of what I […]

Preparing for Any Client Meeting

A client meeting doesn’t start when you walk in the door and say good morning to your client. Rather, it should begin a day or two earlier, as you mentally prepare and reflect on how to make that meeting a success for both of you. Too often we are preoccupied with a key message we’re […]

The Myth of Meeting Client Expectations