We've all been there. In fact, I just visited this place of client frustration and fear a few days ago. It usually happens when the solution provided to the client's (or boss's) problem will cost them time, money and stress. At that very moment, we stand at the precipice.
We can recognize the pain, and come up with an alternate solution that will ease the client's mind and make them feel good in the short term. Or we can do the right but difficult thing by sticking with our convictions, knowing that the solution we recommend is the right one, even if standing by our beliefs means we lose the job.
Not an easy choice, but one all of us will come to reckon with on occasion, regardless of whether we run a firm or an agency, work for a firm or an agency, or work for a small, mid-sized or large business. It is best to be prepared for what we will do and how we will respond before the situation arises.
When I took my first corporate job, I was 28 years old and had served two tours in the military. I was used to saying "yes sir" and "no sir." But there are practical reasons for obliging higher ranks in the armed forces: It can save a person's life. Not so in the business world. In fact, I believe that those who go along to get along are doing their company or their client a disservice. On the other hand, they seem to be liked and have a certain level of job security that those of us who speak out risk.
The description given to those who speak out is often said in this way: "Well, you have to cut Jane/John some slack. SHe's a creative person," as if being creative was a bad thing.
People who speak out, in addition to being creative and innovative, often can be described as honest, passionate, caring, smart and unafraid. They want to make a difference. They don't come to work every day for the pay check. They come for the challenge, for the adventure of achieving goals and objectives and to travel the road less traveled. They are always searching for better and more productive ways to do things. They rock the boat. They are change agents and they make terrific consultants. They don't necessarily make up the wealthiest consultants.
In my experience, most executives and managers lean toward conservatism. They got where they are by being smart, by working long hours and by going along to get along. So when they hire a consultant, they often seek someone who will tell them what they want to hear and then just go do it. It is unlikely they would hire my firm or most of the consultants I know. And that's okay. However, as I said at the top of this post: "It is best to be prepared for what we will do and how we will respond before the situation arises."
I did that preparation while making waves in the corporate world. So that when I left, I knew that I wanted to run a firm that always gave its best ideas, no matter the risks; always guaranteed its work; always strove to exceed expectations; and never took a job if it meant we would compromise any of those values. Before I came to that conclusion, I asked myself some important questions:
1. What does a consultancy that stands for a set of beliefs look like? What are its best practices? In what areas are we most likely to innovate successfully?
2. What does turning down work or not getting work that isn't a good fit mean for my family and for me? Is it a risk worth taking? Are we willing to refer those jobs to a competitor?
3. How do we prevent arrogance within the firm while maintaining a belief that no one can do the things we do better? (Although many do it just as well.)
4. When we feel a client's pain, how do we sympathize but not give in to it? How do we ensure the client that we have their best interests at heart?
5. What does our guaranty look like and is it sturdy enough to be worth a client's risk?
Those were some of the questions we asked, and we built our consultancy on a set of values and strategies that respond to those questions. Using a synthesis of my consultancy and several others who fall into this category of being change agents, of always looking for a better way, here, in general, is what the resulting consultancy looks like. (By the way, without mentioning names, the synthesis includes more than a few of the contributors here at the Fix.)
The consultancy understands who and what it is and is usually not a full-service marketing firm. Instead it specializes in a few areas of marketing and often is an adopter of new tools and solutions (e.g., social media and social networking). The owners have strong family relationships and supportive significant others willing to ride the roller coaster. Work is regularly referred to other firms, including those they most are in competition with for the same work. Employees are smart, polite, passionate and firm in their beliefs; but in every instance they are a perfect fit within the firm's culture and are let go when that fit forms a crack in it, as sometimes happens. Account executives listen more than they talk, work diligently to understand the client's pain, and don't offer solutions on the spot. Proposals are created in a team environment and often include tactics that are new and different to the client. The guaranty is solid and represents most if not all the firm's profits. Creating great client experiences and ensuring the client's customers share in those experiences is always a goal.
So there you go. Is this a business model that scares the hell out of you, seems silly to you, or attracts you to want to be a part of that model? In the marketing and communications consultancy world, a firm that looks like the one above would be one that always puts people first, ahead of profits, and works to make people happy. It isn't easy and failure happens--so do quick recoveries.