Mastering the Client Dance
The People-Pleaser's Paradox: To Please or Not to Please?
Ben Mukoma
3/30/20232 min read
Mastering the Client Dance
The other day, I had a call with an amazing entrepreneur who mentioned that she sometimes finds herself behaving like a people-pleaser with clients. And she was wondering how to go about saying what needs to be said with her clients. Are entrepreneurs, designers, and marketers meant to please clients? I would argue that the general answer is no. All the named people serve on behalf of the business, and the business exists to create value in society.
The Value of Trust
When I broke my leg, I did not instruct Professor Mulimba on how to perform the surgery. Instead, I trusted him to create value in my life. His job was to do the surgery, and mine was to trust him. Was the hunger before surgery comfortable? No. Was lying in one position as I wanted for my surgery comfortable? No. But now, I'm happy because I trusted him, and my leg was repaired and got healed. You should see me kick a ball.
Businesses exist to create value in society. And those working in the businesses exist to execute the business vision. Sometimes it means giving clients what they want and most times it is about giving them what they need.
Our Philosophy
Here's an excerpt from our terms and conditions that our clients must agree to before we start any branding project:
You see, our core responsibility at Kenyan Grafik is not to make the entrepreneur, CEO, or CMO happy, but to work with them to build a brand that will help carry the business vision and create value. If you sell beauty products and know a specific product won't help your clients get rid of the breakout they have on their faces and back, selling it to them for a quick profit is something bad. It is malpractice. We don’t commit malpractice.
Takeaways
You need to say it as you view it, and let the client decide whether to listen to you, based on your expertise, or continue with their decision. If they decide to proceed with their decision, you are blameless and not responsible for whatever happens next, good or bad.
Giving them what they want will make them happy now. Giving them what they need will make them happy later. At times these are one and the same. Other times, they are not. You must strike a balance between the two so that you have the most impact on them in the long run.
When saying the truth, say it nicely. You could try compliment sandwiches or some other technique. Truth without love is brutality. Love without truth is hypocrisy. Give the truth in love. Love them and their vision. Remember, building a brand is building a relationship. And no one wants to build a relationship with a hypocrite or a brutal person.
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