Leading, Pushing or Walking Together
June 10, 2005
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How do you work with your clients? Do you find that you are leading them into new worlds, pushing them, kicking and screaming into the 21st Century or simply walking beside them, trading thoughts and developing technology plans together? In most cases, you will find your work to be a combination of all these and more. Each client requires a unique approach, but identifying these basic levels can help you to provide the best service possible for your clients.
Client, customer, co-worker
A quick word on my use of the word client. As a matter of efficiency I use “client” to mean any and all people for whom you work. Regardless of your status, freelance or employee, anyone who relies on your work is a client in my book.
Leading
In some cases, all you need to do for your clients is show them the path and they will follow it on their own. Like a mountain guide, leading the climbers up the path so they can reach the peak, you can lead your clients to new technological ground with relatively little effort. I might email them about a new technology or mention it in my monthly newsletter and then, a few days later, I will receive a reply with questions, comments, or maybe even a request to spec out a project to implement the technology. I don’t have to educate these clients on the necessity of technological change. They get it. All I have to do is show them the path, how the technology can benefit them, and they are ready to follow.
As you might imagine, these clients are few and far between. Whether it
is due to financial constraints, lack of time or lack of focus, most clients
fall into another category.
Pushing
There are clients that would never change their technology if it weren’t absolutely and desperately required. I find myself saying, “If you don’t upgrade to the current version of (product X), this, this and this will stop working entirely. If you don’t replace that server, it is going to crash – soon – and leave you without your files and your email.” While sometimes clients can resist upgrading their systems due to the cost, it is often a fear of change that makes them drag their heels. They don’t want to learn a new system, a new piece of software, a new way of doing business. All you can do in these cases is make the changes as painless, and therefore as palatable, as possible. You gently push them forward, step by step, making small, incremental changes that prevents them from lagging too far behind the rest of the world. Sometimes this means you have to do a little extra work, making newer systems operate like the old or hiding new complexity behind a friendly face. Still, pushing your clients forward is in their own best interest, even if they might not realize it.
Walking together
Finally, there are some clients whose relationship is an on-going discussion. They always want to hear about new technologies, new concepts, new books, anything that can help make their company better. They also often discover new technologies on their own and then ask me for my opinions and guidance. These are the clients that keep me on my toes, often peppering me with questions about a new technology before I have fully investigated it. Even then, I enjoy dealing with these clients, as I am usually assured of learning something new and interesting.
Without a doubt, you will have clients who exhibit some or all of these
traits, often crossing from one to another over time. It is your job to
recognize these differences and adapt your working methods to match. In
this way, you can be assured that you are providing them the best service
possible in a way that makes the most sense to them. A mismatch between
you and your clients, say leading when you should be pushing, can harm
your relationship and make your high-tech career more difficult than it
needs to be.
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